Iridescence
by argos29
Summary: Seperated from Tsukune after a horrible act, Moka must now race to find him in a world that hates her.
1. Chapter 1

Iridescence

**For those of you who have read my stories "**_**All I Need Is**_**..." and "**_**You're Beautiful**_**", both in response to the online stories "**_**Get What You Want**_**", "**_**Take What is Yours**_**", "**_**Careful What You Wish For**_**", "**_**Get What You Deserve**_**", and "**_**A Proper Vampire**_**", companion stories to "**_**The Bet**_**" and "**_**The Mighty Vampire Aono**_**", all based off of the popular anime/manga series "**_**Rosario + Vampire**_**", I thank you all for your comments. If you've read my first story then surely you already know the motivation behind it, that I found Tsukune Aono's treatment in the other stories to be upsetting enough to sit down and write my own version of the events depicted so as to bring about some kind of positive resolution, and while reviews for my story have been largely positive, one comment actually caught my attention. I can't remember the details, but what struck me was that this person commented on how he/she disliked seeing how Moka was being portrayed equally as much, if not more so. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I've forgotten just how much of a role model Moka Akashiya is for some fans of the series, who have admired her not just for her indomitable strength in battle and regal prescence, but the more gentle and compassionate side as well, not the white trash image we have seen so far (whether or not it was the author's intent). It would be like reading five identical stories where Spiderman cheated on Mary Jane or Superman cheats on Lois and are total jerks about it, we just couldn't accept that these two characters would do a thing like that, and so I kinda understand where this person was coming from; I guess that's what made these stories so shocking to read, that such a beloved and respected character would both betray someone she loves, and yet be so unsympathetic. Really, the story is not a new one, with the horror and fantasy aspects aside, you'll probably see enough of this kind of story to leave you feeling kind of jaded, whether it be on TV or movie, magazine tabloid, internet story or even in real life involving a loved one or a friend, or maybe you've experienced it yourself and if you have then you have my sympathy. What really hits home with these stories, though is the notion that something like this could happen to the characters of Tsukune and Moka, who for most of us seemed so right. Yes, they're fictional characters, but it didn't make it any less painful to see this tragedy play out with such a real world ugliness, like this was a very likely outcome on a relationship that seemed to radiate for some of us who have grown disensitised to the cruelty that goes on around us and yet suggest that if this could happen to them, then what hope is there for any of us, as strange as that might sound. I know these stories started out as nothing more than possible outcomes that arose out of "**_**The Bet**_**" and were not meant to be taken so seriously, but as more and more stories with this same plot have come out, it began to feel as though they, while compelling reads, have taken on this dark and depressing tone where everything ends, dreams die and hope fades; that this**_** is **_**our reality. **

**However, if you've seen the anime or read the manga, then you know that the original Tsukune and Moka, and all their supporting cast represented the very best in all of us, that two people from different backgrounds, races, cultures and idealogies **_**can**_** find love, that hope can exist, and though this world is dark, it does not have to be our reality. And, from what I've read in my reviews, most if not all of you agree that as captivating as "Get What You Want" and others are to read, bottomline is that you DO NOT want to see this happen to them, you want Tsukune & Moka to stay together or at the very least get **_**back**_** together, that many of you are tired of this morbid turn for these characters and ultimately you, like me, want our old Moka back! That is why I decided to write "All I Need is..." and "You're Beautiful," to try in some way to recapture those feelings once again, and why I now write this. This will be my final entry, as I plan to go on haitus to pursue other tasks; it's been a blast doing these, however other matters need to be taken care of and I feel like I've spent too long on this matter. Unlike my first two stories, this will not be a one shot, but an ongoing one with many chapters to follow, and I intend to include as many characters from the orginal series as possible in an homage to the franchise, as well as many popular original characters like Ria and Caro, along with a few of my own, not to mention give larger roles to some of the lesser characters. While this plot has been told from the point of view of either Moka or Tsukune, this will be told from both, but will also focus on the reactions of those who view this situation from the outside and how they respond to it as infedelity involves many people besides three individuals. As with my past stories the title was inspired by a song, which in this case would be "**_**Iridescent**_**" by Linkin Park, a song I feel fully captures the mood of this tale perfectly. I dedicate this to the fans of Moka, to fans of the series itself, and to those who just like an uplifting story, and it is my hope that by doing this we GET WHAT WE WANT.**

**(Rosario + Vampire and a majority of it's characters are the property of Akashi Ikeda.)**

_"And why do we fall? So, we can learn to pick ourselves up." - Batman Begins_

Chapter 1: Nightmare

How did it come to this?

They started out as friends, almost eight years ago at a place called Yokai Academy. He was a mere teenage boy, enrolled by accident or fate into a strange, private school that his dad found out about from a strange figure one night as he was coming home from work, and desperate to enroll his son into any school after he'd failed every entrance exam, was willing to get him into any school at that point, yet neither father or son knew that it was really a school for monsters hidden behind an invisible barrier, where no one would hear him scream. So, there he was, walking along a dark and frightening path alone in an alien world and unsure of what to expect when all of a sudden he's struck from out of nowhere by a speeding bike, which sends him tumbling along the bumpy ground with its rider entangled in his arms. When he came to, he finds to his astonishment that he had been sidelined by an incredibly attractive, fair skinned girl with lengthy pink hair, rosey cheeks, a svelte body poured into a green school outfit with a skirt that barely covered her long, slender thighs. Of course he was stupefied, he had never before seen a girl as beautiful as her, until he realized to his horror that his hand was resting on the inner thigh of one of her smooth legs and began apologizing profusely, but as she flung back her long pink hair with a slight brush of her delicate hands, he found himself staring into the girl's huge green eyes and a pleseant, gentle smile, becoming instantly lost in their otherworldly quality, as almost all his fears and insecurities seemed to evaporate right on the spot. This girl's beauty left him feeling like putty before her tender gaze, yet was surprised that instead of becoming angry at him, she immediately wanted to be friends with a clumsy guy like him, he who had never had any luck with a cute girl before, with nary a one so much as wanting to talk to him and now this very pinnacle of feminie beauty who put all others to shame wanted to befriend _him, _he couldn't tell if she was serious or if he was delirious_;_ however, his excitement soon turned to fear when he learned, from a simple, painful bite to his neck that his dream girl was really a vampire, a genuine blood sucking vampire and one who had two sides to her: the pink hair, rosy cheeks, and loving green eyes of the girl he stared dreamily at and who wanted to be his friend was an illusionary, outer persona kept in check by a magical, red jeweled rosario placed about her neck that could only be removed by someone who loved her and that once removed became a far darker person, one with a red eyes, silver hair, and a more physically stunning appearance, yet insanely powerful: this was her inner persona, her true self.

She was from a powerful breed of monster, a noble race of creatures feared and respected, and hailed from one of the great vampire households with an unmatched beauty that made her the most sought after girl in school, and yet was also terribly alone as life had not been too kind to her: having lost her mother to the belly of a monster, she was forced to attend school amongst human children for the first half of her life and had to endure their ignorance as best she could, but ultimately came to hate _all _humans. By the time she arrived at Yokai she had lived a lonely and miserable life, and would've ended her wretched existence until she met him. With his short cropped, dark brown hair, which matched his eyes that were so soft and inviting, with a warm smile that they warmed her vampiric blood just staring at them and blood that had a richness she has never tasted before, the vampire girl felt like she'd died and met an angel. She thought he was another monster like she was, who's blood simply tasted good for whatever reason and he tried his best to stay on with her, to offer her the companionship she so desperately needed despite discovering that he was in a school for monsters. His feelings were conflicted, though because she was a monster, a creature of the night who fed on his kind and who regularly fed on him, he should have been scared of her and yet he found himself wanting desperately to be close to her, this girl who's kindness and warmth wasn't at all what he was taught. Unfortunately, after one too many close calls with the monstrous student body, not to mention finding out that any human found on school grounds would be publicly crucified, his fear finally took the better of him and tried to flee the school to the girl's horror, who desperately and physically tried to keep her only friend in the world from leaving her to go to a dreaded human school, only to learn that he, himself was infact human. She had to decide, right then and there as he ran from her, to hold onto her prejudice towards humans or to go after him, because she couldn't just let go of the past. Were all humans bad or was he different? This boy wasn't like any of the humans she had met before, he had a kindness and a gentle nature that soothed her at the best and worst of times, his prescence became a sudden salvation at a torrid moment in her life, but he was still human so was it alright to hate all humans or just see him as different, it was something she couldn't figure out, and yet her overwhelming desire for this one human compelled her to chase him down before even making a clear decision. It wasn't until during her race to retrieve him that she soon found herself in danger of being raped by a powerful monster who had been stalking her, and when he heard her cries, this human, this terrified mortal came racing back to her defense, putting his frail 5' 7" body going up against an 8ft. monster with claws and getting battered, all for her. As she tried to comfort his broken body while the threat loomed over, he proclaimed that he would do his best to protect her from harm. All of a sudden, he unwittingly removed her rosario and unleashed her sealed persona who, with a "know your place" statement, took care of the threat with ease. She still didn't know if her prejudices were well founded or not, but on that day the vampire, Moka Akashiya and the human, Tsukune Aono knew they were always going to be together.

There would be others to follow though, as Tsukune found himself surrounded by other monsterous vixens who developed an unusual fixation upon him, each blessed in some way by his kindness and humanity that they too were drawn towards him as equally as Moka was: there were two witches, one a 10 year old girl named Yukari Sendo, who had an unhealthy obsession with having a three-way with both Moka and Tsukune, and the more mature Ruby Tojou who started out as xenophobic towards humans only to eventually change her stance after meeting him and now wants to be his sex slave. The Yuki Onna or snow woman known as Mizore Shirayuki, who was as mysterious as she was aloof, had come to the school in the purpose of finding a potential father for her unborn children so as to save her dwindling race and had chosen Tsukune to be that father, even going so far as to stalk him at every turn. But, most persistant of all was the buxom succubus, Kurumu Kurono who started out as a jealous rival of Moka, using her trademark "Allure" to hypnotize him into becoming another one of her many boy toys, wanted to use him to accomplish her goal, but only after incurring her wrath and ultimately being saved by Tsukune, rather than be grateful, instead decided that the human would be her "Destined One", her mate of fate that every succubus must pick out to be their husband, and quickly became his most ardent of pursuers. There were other monster girls and even one effeminate guy who wanted him, some were teachers or parents, who wanted to use him, to eat him, to marry their daughters or make him their plaything; why exactly they wanted a guy like him he did not know, and while they were all beautiful to behold and he was always nice to them, he however had eyes only for Moka, and while every guy in school wanted her, she had both eyes and fangs only for him, which he gladly put up with the constant blood loss just to be with her. They did almost everything together, worked together on the same Newspaper Club along with their friends, ate together at lunch (where he was usually lunch), studied together and went on many adventures that a school for monsters had to offer, and as their time together grew he became more and more captivated by both sides of her: the warm and outgoing Outer Moka with large, green eyed saucers whose warmth captivated him, constantly with a light voice that reminded him of the chimes of bells, and the sultry, throaty voiced Inner Moka, with red eyes that were intimidating to look at and a monstrous power that sent chills up his spine, and yet was always there during times of crisis to save him without being asked.

The problem for him however, was Inner Moka, the distant, proud vampiress who shared the same body with Outer Moka, but would not allow him to get any closer than being a mere friend, finding the boy to be beneath her status, even thought it never stopped her from saving him time and again, and whenever he was at death's door she'd give him a little bit of her vampiric blood to help heal him. He knew she cared for him, which indeed was the truth, both sides of Moka cared for him deeply and loved him like no other, even if Inner Moka was unwilling to express those desires, the only problem for her was: he was human. Her pride as a vampire would not allow her to breed outside her species, especially with one that was well below her own, mere food, and yet both sides of her were always amazed at his sincerity, loyalty, generousity, and unwavering committment; whenever Outer Moka cried out for him, be it a genuine threat or something silly, he would come running to her side without fail or whenever she snapped the rosario back into place and transformed back, the process usually draining her, he was always there to catch the worn out girl in his arms. It was baffling enough that he went to such lenghts or that at the time he was the only one capable of removing her rosario when she could not, but it baffled her terribly at how he would always, always risk his own life to protect her, _her _a superior monster who could take down any monster and always did when he unsealed her_,_ but always after he'd throw himself into harms way for her with an undaunted bravery that almost made her jealous; she'd never met anyone like that, much less a human. She would assure him, and at times cruel towards him so that he would take the hint that she never needed his protection, but she had to watch him confront any and every danger with nothing, but his courage to fight with. He simply wanted to protect her, to keep her out of harm's way, even if she was a vampire and he a human, he cared that much for her be she Outer or Inner Moka, and though he had his body battered and broken for her time after time, he always had that warm smile on his face even in the face of life threatening injuries, more concerned about what she was feeling and trying his best to reassure her worried, green eyes or her annoyed red ones. Why couldn't he have been born a vampire? It would've made things so much simpler for the two if he had been born that way, not human.

Then one fateful day there was another threat to her life, another monster wanting to fight her, and as usual she was taking good care of both herself and Tsukune, warning him, even threatening him to stay back for his own safety when her enemy exploited one of her race's many weakness, leaving her incapacitated. All seemed lost as the enemy loomed over, ready to deliver a fatal strike when in stepped Tsukune, perhaps foolishly or out of desperation as he took the brunt of the attack with his tiny body. There he laid dying in her arms as she cursed him for once again being so foolish and thinking she needed his help; she needed him to live, though so Moka injected him with more of her blood to save him, but this time she, and him had hit the jackpot as this one time, too many had finally transformed the human into a strong vampire like her. At long last, both their very desires were answered: Moka could be with him and he was able to win her heart, irrevocably, bound together by her blood. Still, their hurdles did not end there, like Moka he was given a temporary rosario to keep his powers in check as they were too radical and new to the once human boy, but once word came out that he was a vampire it seemed every young, male monster with something to prove challenged him, and though he resisted, Moka and their friends had to compel him to fight: he wasn't human anymore, he was a vampire now and with her blood coursing through his veins, he had to assert dominance if he was to be her boyfriend, finding himself fighting even more than he had been before, even though he won all of his fights. There were other matters as well, like his family who had no idea he attended an all monsters' school and that he, himself was now a monster, but when his cousin Kyouko accidentally stumbles onto Yokai academy and discovers the secret, Moka ultimately gains her trust when she rescues the beleagured human girl, and soon after that earns the approval of his mother when she and their friends paid them a visit. Her family, though was a different matter; Tsukune knew they would not be as easily won over as Moka had won over his, and indeed he was right. Moka's mother, Akasha Bloodriver, whom they managed to rescue from the monster that held her prisoner and at last reunited with Moka after so long, was the only one he didn't have to worry about as she already admired and loved him too, at times almost as much as her daughter; she was not the problem, it was the rest of the family that was.

Her father, Lord Issa Shuzen, head of the strongest and most powerful of house in all the vampire clans did not like humans and keeping his former heritage a secret from him was tenuous at best, but ultimately he had to challenge him to win the honor of being with Moka, nearly killing him in the process, but ultimately earning both her hand and his respect. Her evil stepmother, Gyokuro who managed operations of a powerful and dangerous organization called Fairy Tale was no walk in the park either. But, then there were her sisters, whom her father had bred like soldiers and each one dangerous to be alone with as he had to find out: the youngest sibling, Kokoa Shuzen, a fiery red head who admired her silver haired older sister, but thought he wasn't worthy of being with her, and along with a pet bat that transformed into various weapons would either attack him or simply glare at him with murderous green eyes. The two older sisters were trained assassins: the blonde and beautiful Kahlua Shuzen, known as the "kind one" had a childlike nature to her, but when angered would become an unstoppable, homicidal maniac as he and their friends found out when she nearly killed them all during one adventure, while adopted sister Akua had involved them all in her own nefarious schemes. However, the very worst of the bunch was Moka's eldest sister and her father's "right hand" warrior, Ria Seiktan, a veritable snake who hated her baby sister and did whatever it took to hurt her. Knowing how much she loved Tsukune, naturally it was him she sank her teeth in to, inserting herself into his life, threatening him and his family, putting the boy through hell, she went so far as to manipulate Moka into letting her have sex with him against his will, thinking it would spoil him for her and make this young, second born vampire her boy toy and eventually _her _mate. In the end, though, not even the very worst she or other members of the family could do was enough to derail their relationship and upon graduating from the academy, the two at last became united as bloodmates at Lord Shuzen's official decree, making him a member of the House of Shuzen and his heir. Thanks to the connections he now got, he was able to find work in one of his father in law's many, human based affiliates working in a modest position that was graciously away from their less savory operations or some of their even less savory associates, yet paid well enough for him to support the both of them and set themselves up in a nice apartment. However, to maintain the ruse for his family about his marriage, Lord Shuzen agreed to hold sort of a sham wedding ceremony for the Aono family's benefit, who were unaware that the two getting married were already betrothed, but nevertheless his family welcomed in Moka as Moka Aono, the woman his mother accepted as the daughter she never had. Tsukune couldn't remember being so unequivocally happy, after all the trials and tribulations they had gone through, all the threats and trying ordeals they had survived through, and all the close calls that they'd faced, this beautiful woman in both her pink haired girlish form and her austere, ravishing silver haired persona was now an extension of his soul, and Moka was elated not only for having her mother back in the picture, but that this kind and charming man, her ideal mate now a vampire like herself, would finally share her immortal life with her; her happiness seemed complete.

So, how did it come to this?

He tried to remember how it had all started. When had things come to the point at which they were now? In the four years since they were married, Tsukune and Moka had their ups and downs as a couple, like all young couples go through, but no matter the arguement, they were always able to work them out and grew stronger because of it. They had endured so much in the past and triumphed over every obstacle to allow one quarrel, one disagreement to alter their feelings for one another. So, why had this one, particular arguement been so devastating that it led to this? The fights were so brutal, so harsh and personal that it left the two dumbfounded at the other's unusual behavior, and then Moka finally brought down a hammer that seemed to signal a death knell for their relationship. He thought they could work through any problem, that nothing was to big for the both of them to handle, so how did it come to this? Tsukune wondered that, constantly as he sat, hunched over on their couch in the darkened living room of their rented apartment, his toned arms resting on his legs, clad only in the grey T-shirt and worn jeans he woke up in earlier, as he had been unable to do much of anything while dreading what was about to transpire today. His head was bowed, eyes closed painfully as he secretly prayed that this would not come to pass, but he didn't have to look down the hall to hear his beautiful, pink haired mate getting ready for it. Every now and then he caught glimpses of her moving about, purposely or unintentionally he wasn't sure, but she kept this up the whole time, leaving little doubt she was getting prepared for tonight and it hurt to see how close she was to him and yet, as the clock ticked ever so loudly, she felt further and further away from him. Moka was preparing for a date tonight, but it was not with him, and one could hardly call it a date, as that would be considered friendly or even with intentions of being slightly romantic so as to lead to something more. No, this was not a date.

Moka glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she constantly walked past in her small, black cocktail dress with the fabric taut against her body, it's mini skirt swishing just a few inches past her hips and thin spaghetti straps over her slender shoulders. The neckline wasn't too deep, but the way the thin fabric hugged her breasts left no imagination that she wasn't wearing a bra.

Indeed, this was no date, there were far less romantic motives involved.

"It's not too late, Tsukune," she called out from the bedroom as she applied make up. "We can end this right here and now."

She'd hoped that he would've learned his lesson by now and would stop her from doing this, but she received no answer, not even a whisper from the dark room her husband sat in, and the silence unnerved her.

_Maybe, this was a mistake!_ Outer Moka thought, nervously. _Maybe we shouldn't be doing this, I don't think he's going to agree._

**Then he's left us with no choice**, said Inner Moka who communicated from the red jeweled prison, nestled in the center of her rosario.

_But, I don't know if we should be doing this, I mean..._

**Don't lose your resolve, now! We've made our threat, now he's forcing our hand, we must do this or he'll respect us as his bloodmates.**

_But, how is this going to make him respect us?_

**He's calling our bluff. He's in there, waiting to see if we'd go through with it or not; show him we're not playing around and are not to be trifled with.**

_This wasn't my idea! I don't want to do this!_

**Do you want **_**his**_** idea? He needs to be put in his place, nothing we've tried has worked, if he continues to fight us instead of supporting our decision, we need to shock him into obedience and this is the only way to do it! Anything that happens is **_**his**_** fault, not ours. Now, be ready.**

_But, this..._

**Stop being weak! You forget, we share the same body, so I have just as much riding on this as you do. Now, so some strength!**

Not wanting to argue, and with trembling fingers, applied a few dabs of the perfume that he got her for her 20th birthday, the one she had made a point of putting on for only special occasions.

_You're right. Tsukune won't listen, so this has to be done. He only brought this on himself._

Still nervous, but a little more determined to see this through, she applied on a little more of the perfume so that it's scent would waft down the hall to Tsukune. He shook his head, exhaling a pained breath as he gripped the edge of the couch with his fingers tighter than he should've. He was sure if his powers were unsealed, his grip would've done more than leave indentations in the cushions, practically destroying the love seat they had bought together when they first moved in. As he watched her put on her diamond earrings, he kept wondering how had their arguement, this one arguement brought them to this crossroad in their relationship? They had arguements before, little disagreements like any wedded couple, but they always worked them out and remained stronger for it, so how did they let this one disagreement come to this?

_What happens is all on him, not me, _Moka thought with some measure of reassurance that did little to quell the fear and panic in her nervous body.

**That's right. If he is to remain stubborn, then this will be his punishment.**

"What happens, Tsukune i-is your fault," she said to him, trying to hide how nervous she really was and trying again to get him to see reason. "It doesn't have to be this way, just say..."

"No," his came from out of the darkness and it made her drop to where her stomache was.

He wondered how could she even do this or even ask him that question, even as her Outer Self? The very reality of it made him ache.

She stared straight at the mirror, her fingers no longer steady, her once beautiful skin that he had ran his hands over, the one he had kissed over so many times began to flush. They both checked the time and knew it would be soon before their visitor would arrive. Her bottom lip began to quiver, she rubbed her shoulders and embraced herself to try and control her anxiety as the moment that was about to happen loomed ever closer. She wanted to call out to Tsukune, have him hug her like he always did when she was this nervous, felt this uncomfortable.

**Get control of yourself, idiot! ** Inner Moka scolded. **This is just what he wants, to see us start to back down. Show him we will not concede and that he must give into our demands if this is to be stopped.**

_I know,_ Outer Moka replied sadly, but obediently.

Ding-dong.

The sound nearly, which rang out through the silence nearly made both of them jump, and the anguish building in Tsukune's heart made him lower his distraught form even further as if trying his best not to cringe from it, but whatever nervous feelings Moka had she knew that someone else was here to hug and comfort her, now.

**He's here. You know what to do.**

Inhaling a deep and shakey breath, Moka marches to the door and peaks out the keyhole to see that it was indeed her guest for tonight. She then turns back to Tsukune, looking at his sorry state on the couch for the first time, but brushes away any concerns for his current situation to make one last, desperate plea.

"Tsukune...please," she began to say, though didn't mean to say please, "don't make me do this. All you have to do is agree with me and this won't happen, I'll send him away and that'll be the end of it."

"No!" came a voice that snapped so loud, so hoarse and full of bitter turmoil that it clearly startled Moka, causing her green eyes to widen in distress. He leaned even further on the couch, clenching his knuckles tightly, the every knuckles he has used to protect her whenever she needed him, now they were idly resting in bated anticipation as he knew it was possible she no longer needed him, anymore. He didn't have to look up to know Moka had opened the door, though he never knew the sound of his heart cracking would be as loud as the whine of the door's hinges as it opened to reveal her invited guest.

"_Good _evening, Moka dear!" came a tall, dark haired guy with a red bandana as he brandished a single pink rose which she made a show of graciously accepting it, uttering a quiet 'thank you' as he slyly touched her fingers.

"Thankyou Gin," Moka announced cheerily, her head cocked to the side and her hair draped freely over one shoulder, nervously presenting herself like a nervous schoolgirl, knowing that's how liked it and he indeed liked what he saw as his warm brown eyes appraised her like a piece of meat. "Please come on in."

Tsukune watched as this tall man, Ginei Morioka, stepped right on in as he was told, this former "friend" of theirs from the Academy, a werewolf upper classman who was president of the Newspaper Club they belonged to, yet was a notorious pervert around campus who abused his role to snap photos up girls' skirts; with a cheesy grin always plasterd on his face and the smell of hair gel glistening on his slick hair, he knew he had a thing for Moka, but it wasn't her heart he wanted. To Moka, the tempted grin on his lips was never false whenever he presented himself to her, and only he could wear a black silk shirt with three buttons loose, and a pair of tan colored corduroy pants to make it look dashingly romantic. He had come prepared for an evening with his most sought after conquest, but even this dark haired werewolf had no idea what he had gotten himself into. Casually, but hungrily, he let his eyes wander over her, taking in the way her svelte body was on display with such a snug fitting top and long, toned legs for him to admire.

"I must say, Moka, I am a little surprised that you'd call me up out of the blue like this. You and Tsukune have been at each other's throats, quiet literally. I hope he hasn't left you all alone for some handsome and, dare I say, less reputable man to come and take you. However, if he had, then let me just say you deserver better, much, much bet..."

When she glanced away with blushing cheeks, but a frown on her face, it took Gin a moment to realize that they weren't alone. Tsukune had been taking in the whole ordeal so quietly, that Gin hadn't even noticed he was in the room and Moka had made no pretense that she cared.

"Uh, Tsukune! Hey buddy, I didn't know you were there!" Gin laughed, nervously as he stared into his forelorn eyes. "That last bit well, I didn't mean...Uh, Moka! You didn't tell me he'd be here!"

"...Pay no attention to him, in fact I wanted him to see this," Moka said solemly, yet it sounded so cold and cruel to Tsukune.

It soon dawned on the werewolf just what was going on and with an exapserated sigh, started to turn and leave.

"Moka, I told you once and I'm not gonna tell you again. Don't use me to make Tsukune jeal..."

Pink haired Moka didn't even give Gin a chance to finish as she reached up on to her toes and planted a wet, passionate kiss on him, a kiss she had given Tsukune so many times, and now was giving another man one right infront of his devestated eyes. He wondered if Gin felt the same way whenever they kissed like that, and perhaps this was somehow divine retribution for enjoying said kisses without knowing what it did to Gin, and that was the reason why it was happening like this. They had sought each other for the longest times and had a chemistry that crossed the boundaries of humans and monsters, so perhaps it was the hubris of thinking they were special that Tsukune reasoned they were brought to here, a cross roads for the two lovers where they had come to such an impossible compromise that they decided to put their unbreakable promises to the test, and all with a vampire's pride at stake. She was making a great show of it for his displeasure, could hear the two of them share each other's breaths through their lips, panting as she pushed herself closer into Gin to where her breasts mashed against him and he could see her body react to Gin's touches, letting him run his hands all over her, and when they parted both vampire and werewolf were clearly flushed.

"I'm so glad you realized how much better I am for you," he whispered to her, hands still draped over the small of her back. "I have so wanted you from the very first day I laid eyes on your fine body and that gorgeous face, but why now? And, why infront of him?"

Moka shook her head and looked away in shame and insecurity at the questions. He had a right to know, but she couldn't really bring herself to say anything other than, "If I was to let you father my children, would you keep them away from a human's influence?"

"Come again?" he asked with utter shock in his eyes. He looked at her pleading, green eyes then turned to Tsukune, who looked down and said nothing, and finally back at Moka. "Is this the reason you called me here? You two are fighting about where your children are going to be raised?"

She nodded with her hands clasped infront of her on displayed bosom, both pleading and hoping Gin looks down at her hands so as to get him to agree.

"Tsukune wants them to be involved with his family and his neighborhood, with other humans in general, but I told him I don't want them to associate with anything human. I had the worst time in my life when I was younger dealing with their bigotry, their belief on bullying those who are different from them and an inablity to accept someone who is smarter or better than they are, to respect someone who is superior to them in every way and not hate or belittle them! I won't let my children grow into that, I won't allow him to father them and have a human's mentality to taint the upbringing of the next line of Shuzen!"

It hurt him to hear her say all of that, the pink haired girl who was always so kind hearted and fair minded, instilling words of encouragement to not just him, but to anyone in need of a friend, now she had this elitist personality that it made it seem hard to believe she was the same person.

"Moka," he finally said, his voice still hoarse, but now pained and stressed. "I told you before, I'm willing to let our children be raised in both worlds, but I want them get to know my family, as well."

"They will, when they are old enough and ready for high school at Yokai like I was. By then, they would've been taught and trained enough to be better able to take care of themselves."

"You'd deny my parents their grandchildren, you'd deny my cousin and my aunt and uncle a chance to get to know our kids?"

"I'll deny them the opportunity to know cruelty and intolerance from humans."

"Did you forget, I'm human, too..."

"_Were_human, Tsukune. You're a vampire, now and you should act like it."

"And before I was, when I was still human you had no problems from me."

"You were just...different, we've been over this."

"What about my cousin, Kyouko, she knows you're a vampire and she likes you."

"Gin," Moka turns back to him, flat out ignoring Tsukune, "if I were to have your children, you must let them be raised around my family and stick to my family's influences, okay?"

"Strickly vampires, then?" He looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Yes," she nodded, her clenched hands pressed even further between her breasts.

"And, would I have to pay child support or anything?"

"No, you don't have to be apart of the child's life. Just give me a baby and allow me to raise it anyway I see fit."

"Well, who am to deny you anything."

He reached for her hands, allowing his fingers to brush between the cleft of her breasts and pulled her close to him.

"I've always wanted to give you anything I could," he said with a gentle kiss to her soft knuckles.

They then kissed again, easily learning the other's touches, their tastes and desires through such a private contact. Tsukune could do nothing but take in everything, offering only that he was all too aware and lucid of this fucking nightmare of his where he watched someone who was once the love of his life lead another man into the bedroom they shared. Gin couldn't help, but toss a smug and triumphant look over his shoulder, and said:

"So, this is the reason you're going to give up the most beautiful and wonderful girl in the world for? You're really going to let this happen when you can choose to end this right here and now!"

"This is your last chance, Tsukune!" Moka called back to him, demanding a little more forcefully this time. "Agree with me or let this happen!"

"I may not be human, anymore," he responded, his voice soft and gravelly, "but I know that doesn't mean all humans see monsters they way you think, I thought you know that once, but I guess I was wrong. I won't deny them what has made me the man I am today, the person you fell in love with, I'd be lying to myself and them."

"You're not going to get what you want from him, lets go," Gin said.

**He's right, if Tsukune wishes to remain foolish, then let him. We will make him regret his decision for not stopping us.**

"Then it is chosen," Moka said with a pained sigh. "Let's go, Gin."

As she led Gin into the bedroom, the sight of it finally elicited a response from Tsukune, but not one she'd hoped as he shot up off of his couch and yell loud and clear for his mate to hear:

"However, Moka this is _your_ last chance!"

The sudden outburst stopped her in her tracks and she turned around to see an agitated, yet determined Tsukune glaring at the two, fists balled at his sides.

"If you take Gin into our bedroom, then we're through. You and me finished, we will no longer be mates!"

Moka's green eyes looked on in shock and she fully turns toward him like she was roughly twisted about by a threat she thought she'd never hear from him.

"You wouldn't," she mouthed.

"Wouldn't I? I've asked you, _begged_ you, don't do this, now I'm telling you to stop! For godsake you're about to cheat on me over a discussion about children we don't even have yet, Moka it's not worth it!"

"But it _is_ worth it, we're talking about our children's future, and you won't even take it seriously!"

"Then let's talk about it, but not like this!"

"There's nothing more to talk about, Tsukune you either agree with me or..."

"You either stop, Moka or we're through!"

Again, it stopped her train of thought, the idea that the man of her dreams would walk out on her and end their relationship terrified her, even as she held onto Gin's hand.

**He won't leave us, he's desperate, but not stupid. He needs us, we made him a vampire and he owes us his life. He'll come round to our way of thinking and apologize for being so foolish.**

"C'mon Moka," Gin said impatiently, "are we doing this or what? Let him go, you're better off anyway."

"I...I don't believe you," she said to Tsukune. "You wouldn't leave me."

"You're not leaving much of a choice, Moka. Would you please, _please _think about what you're doing?"

"...I am."

She returns back to Gin after having wiped the tears from her eyes and pretends that Tsukune's threat was as shallow as her breath.

"Gin, lets go. Help me put an end to a decision we can not come to grips with."

"Sure thing, love," he cooed softly as she led him into their room.

When she turns one last time to Tsukune, she seemed to offer one last look of hope, one last quiet, regretful plea to don't let her do this, to stop her or do something to prevent this madness she was about to commit to. When he locked eyes with her, his instead seemed to silently plead with her to not go through with this, begging her desperately, one last time to stop what she was doing and hoping futily that she would, but it wasn't what she wanted and it made tears flow down her flushed cheeks.

"Would you do me the honors?" she asked Gin after swallowing back a pained sob and trying to make her whispered voice sound thick and seductive.

Gin only had to nod, purposely closing the door behind him slowly, allowing the sliver of light that was the room's only lumination grow smaller and smaller on Tsukune until, with sickening click, there was nothing, he was plunged into darkness where evil sounds were so much clearer. His eyes widened, almost unable to believe what had just happened, not fully comprehending what was happening, but he could hear them from where he was standing. He still hoped that they weren't having sex, hoping against hope that it was all a cruel prank at his expense, so with a trembling body he moved ever closer to the closed door and heard the unmistakable sounds that confirmed all his fears; all hope had died right then and there. Tsukune listened with unintended focus, only a wooden door seperated him the two bodies that started to make slow, accomodating love on the bed he used to enjoy her on. He leaned against the wall and felt himself slide further and further down as he listened to them make love, he could hear the rhythm of his heart, beating feverishly in anguish get drowned out by their sounds as both vampire and werewolf had grown comfortable enough with each other to start moving faster and enthusiastic, rattling the head board against the wall, knocking over a picture or two; the once human was alone now for the first time since he walked down that dark, lonely path. The moans he heard her make only confirmed that she was no longer his Moka, anymore than he was her Tsukune, she had decided on it. The grunts he heard Gin make as he plowed into her hard, the very vibrations of their love making emanating through the walls and through his very body made the man feel beaten and broken, at last defeated as he slowly curled up and rested his trembling hands upon his head. He didn't know what to do, Tsukune knew he shouldn't be there, but he couldn't will himself to get up and leave, the shock leaving him trapped on the floor. For an hour, Tsukune had to endure it and when they had finally sated themselves enough to talk a little to each other, the only thing he could hear was Gin ask:

"Do you think he's still out there?"

"I don't know," Moka's voice said softly, though if there was any nervousness or regrett, his wounded heart beating didn't allow him to hear.

"Do you want me to check?"

Tsukune could hear Moka pulling covers over herself.

"Would you mind?"

"No, not at all?"

The sound of them kissing reached him and it seemed apparent that she only wanted to rub it in his face.

_You uncaring...,_ he thought bitterly. _How could you be so heartless? _

Suddenly, he bolted up to his feet, his fear and sadness having given way to rage as he waited for the door to open, his breathing coming out heavy, the trembling in his bones having become steady and alert as he could hear Gin's footsteps cross the carpte towards him; he would make sure they got what was coming to them. When the door flung open, Tsukune was bombarded with the disgusting scent of their sex, her's covered all over him while their bedroom wreaked so badly he couldn't even set foot inside without nearly gagging.

"Yeah, he's still here," Gin said, smiling down at him, unapologetically.

The pink haired Moka had made a show of covering herself up in front of Tsukune, as if he was a stranger rather than her lover and they'd met for the very first time. He could tell, by the way her eyes watered and the way her hands trembled as they held the sheets to her chest that she had been crying, but it did little to calm him as he knew this Moka lacked the fortitude to laugh or mock him for allowing things to come to this like the Inner Moka would've, whom he suspected was probably doing so while locked away inside her rosario. Moka nearly gasped as she saw the coldness in Tsukune's eyes, the warm, gentleness she fell in love with years ago, now glaring at her with restrained fury. He had never looked at her in such a way, it shocked her to see he had changed that much in a short amount of time, unsure of how long it had been. She could tell he had been crying, see tears escaping from those fiery orbs, cascading down a chiseled, granite face and down past a mouth clamped shut, while his head lowered menacingly and every muscle in his body tensed as though ready to make a horrifying move. Even Gin looked a little unnerved by what he saw and while Tsukune should've glared at him equally, it was Moka he trained his dark gaze at. Both Moka and Gin didn't have to wonder for long at what he intended to do, as Tsukune raised his right hand, the one that held his rosario wrapped about his clinched fist while his other slowly prepared to remove it. With one movement, it would come loose and both would feel his wrath, he didn't care who heard or what would happen, he could take care of Gin quickly and then Moka.

_I'll kill them! I'll kill both of them! _his dark thoughts roared in his head.

His hand gripped the rosario angrily and menacingly, ready to pull it off his wrist, but something stopped him. Tsukune couldn't explain it, with every fiber of his being he should kill them or at least do something, but some invisible force stopped him from going through with it and concluded instead that neither was worth it. Feeling half defeated and half angry, he just turns his back to the both of them, walks away from the bedroom towards the door, stops beside the kitchen counter and gaze down at his wedding ring, a gold band that glinted brilliantly against the cold light of their bedroom, where in the center was a small, embedded ruby which matched her eyes, but seemed dull and lifeless in the darkness, this object that was supposed to be the symbol of their unending love and now felt like acid to him. With great pain, he pulls it off, not bothering to read the inscription inside of it which read:

"Tsukune + Moka, till the end of time"

Moka sat there in her sweat and semen soaked sheets and watched him stand there with his head bowed at this ring finger, yanking the wedding band off like it was burning him and then watched him slap it hard onto the counter, where he slid his hand away and inadvertantly slides the ring with him, causing it to bounce along the floor with a few clinks, before rolling to a loud and deafening stop; if there had been any doubt to her before that he had taken off his ring, the sight of it rolling and swirling in a small circle before her very eyes became a very clear indication. Tsukune didn't even bother to notice, he kept walking towards the door, swung it opened and stopped to glance at his wife one last time, his once warm and gentle brown eyes, now just an icy coldness as he locked eyes with her for what seemed like the longest time, the door opened infront of him, cold air wafting into the apartment towards her as his figure stood before the black, rectangular space that beckoned for him. The wedding ring lying on the floor, the darkness in his eyes as he glared at her, and him standing in the doorway with his back to her, all should have been apparent to her: he was leaving her. Moka wanted to call out to him, to tell him to don't go and stay so they can talk it out, but Inner Moka's previous words came back to reassure that he wouldn't walk out on them, he needed them, apparently more than they needed him and would not leave like he warned. Even as he stood there with the door open and his ring glowing on the floor in between them like a discarded piece of trash, she still didn't believe he would ever leave, but without uttering a single word, as there was little he wanted to say to her, he turned his head as his worn out figure disappeared into the wind and brought the door attached to his grip to a crashing slam that nearly rocked every picture hanging from the wall and shuddering every window.

"T-Tsukune?" she whispered. "Tsukune!"

She called out his name, expecting him to come back, but there was no Tsukune, he had left the apartment and he had left her, there was nothing of him now, but the parting smell of his scent mixed in with the pungent stench of her sex with Gin, and his wedding ring on the floor.

"Forget about him," Gin said smuggly. "Good riddance, I say."

Moka, however didn't listen to him, she flung the covers off herself and raced past Gin after him while still naked, flinging open the doors and coming to the opposite railing.

"TSUKUNE!" she screamed out into the night with anguish and desperation. "YOU JUST HAD TO SAY YES! ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS SAY YES AND NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST AGREE WITH ME! TSUKUNE, COME BACK!"

Even as he walked away from her, straight into the surrounding darkness, it was all she could think to say to him. She half wanted to go after him, half wanted to chase him down and hug him even in her unclean state.

**He will come back**, said Inner Moka. **He just needs to cool off and think about what he's done. When he realizes how foolish he's been, he will return. Let him go and wait for his return.**

Outer Moka was on the verge of crying, she had never done anything like this to him before and fearfully wondered if she hadn't driven her Tsukune away. But, then she felt strong arms wrap themselves comfortingly about her thin, sticky waist and start to pull herself into a warm body.

"Hey, hey, it's gonna be okay," he said softly into her ears. "Gin's here and he's never gonna leave you. Now, why don't you come inside, it's kinda chilly out here. Not that I'm complaining, I like what it's doing to your nipples, but we really better go inside."

_Gin is here, now, _Moka thought gloomily as she reluctantly let him start to lead her away from the railing, only to come face to face with a most unexpected observer.

"Ms. Aono?" asked a little old lady in a floral night robe, standing outside her open door.

"M-Ms. Tsubaki," Moka stammered as she found herself staring at the shocked eyes of their landlady who lived next door to them. She soon realized to her horror that the shock of Tsukune slamming the door, her screaming out his name, and perhaps even her and Gin's love making had not only aroused the old woman from her room, but may have alerted all of their other neighbors to what was going on. It was then that she realized that both she and Gin were standing outside, completely naked for all to see.

"...I just saw your husband storm by," Ms. Tsubaki said, looking at the two of them with both shock, and a growing sense of utter disgust.

Ashamed, Moka ran back inside, while Gin just smiled at the reviled old woman, casually strutting back in and seemingly beckoning her to come have some of what he had to offer. Once inside, Moka stood in the living room, shuddering at the whole ordeal and trying to keep herself steady when she happened to glance down at Tsukune's discarded wedding band, still lying where he'd left it. Believing that he would still want it back, that he wasn't serious about leaving it behind and should at least hold on to it until he returns, she tries to pick it up, but happens to notice a fat gob of semen, Gin's semen sliding down her leg; the werewolf had pretty much sprayed his whole essence all over crotch and inside of her during intercourse that she was now a mess, and now that trail of semen seemd to snake it's way down her leg towards what supposed to be the symbol of her love to Tsukune, lying at her foot.

"Man, what a night," Gin came in laughing triumphantly and patting her on the butt. "Bet the whole neighborhood got a good show! How about we go for an epic finish, huh?"

He wraps his arms around her and presses her ass cheeks against his dick as she just stood there staring at the ring.

_Oh god, what have I done? _she thought as a wave of emotion suddenly gripped her.

There was an October wind blowing in, an autumn chill that felt more like winter to Tsukune as he walked around the darkened streets in only a sports T-shirt and jeans, folding his arms about himself was all he could do to brace againts it's stinging bite, having fled his home without thinking to bring a jacket. He didn't care about getting sick or even know where he was going, just wandered about aimlessly in the darkness, the streets deserted all around him with hardly a single soul out, but him. It reminded him of that day, when he was dumped at Yokai academy and forced to walk down that dark, lonely path, unsure of what to expect and so alone until Moka showed up. He hadn't felt that way since then, but for the first time since that day he was alone and it saddened him even more.

Did he deserve this? Was this his fault? He didn't know, Tsukune just kept walking as far as his sneakers could take him, until his feet began to feel sore and his clammy skin became almost as numb as he himself started to feel, when he found himself inside an empty park and parked himself on a nearby bench. His legs felt worn, but his heart still hurt with a fresh, lingering pain that radiated throughout his entire being, and yet he knew he couldn't go anywhere to alleviate it. Tsukune thought walking away from his torment would help, but that didn't work, and then it suddenly hit him: there was nowhere he _could_ go, even if he wanted, much less anyone he could call. He didn't want to go back to his parents or call his cousin Kyokou, he felt too embarrassed to show his face around them and plus, he knew Moka would try to look for him there, considering she even wanted to look for him at all. As for his friends, after graduation he and Moka had simply lost touch with them. Both Ruby and Yukari continued to work at Yokai Academy, where as Mizore had entered into an arranged marriage. She took his marriage to Moka hard, yet supported the two of them, nonetheless, choosing to love him from afar, while moving onto marry a fellow snowman who blessed her with twin girls; a grand achievement for her people who suffered from a poor birthrate. Kurumu, however didn't take the news so well, as her antics to win his heart grew even more aggressive, even after they had become bloodmates and consumated their union. The last time he saw her, she had broken into their honeymoon suite in Hawaii, posing as a maid to gain entry and trying to see him while Moka was out, to convince him to come away with her and even resorted to using her charm abilities to do get Tsukune to kiss her, which would've made him her love slave forever, until Moka returned before that happened. What happened after that was a blur, but when the dust settled people were hurt, property was damaged, and the last fleeting image of Kurumu was grainy footage of her flying away on her large wings caught on someone's camera phone and downloaded on Youtube; fortunately it was dismissed as hoax, but it came close to revealing the world of monsters, and he hadn't seen or heard from her since. All the girls who liked him, perhaps more so than Moka, whom out of all them he chose, were made sure not to be kept up with at all, while the only "friend" they had kept in touch with was Gin, he realized to his bitter irony.

Tsukune thought about just renting out a hotel room until something else came up or, he shuddered to think he went back to their apartment, fishes out his wallet, and opens it where, underneath a flap he sees a photo of the two of them, he and Moka, hugging each other and smiling for the camera. It didn't take him long to remember moment as having taken place at the zoo a few months back, back when they were still happy, before the arguement that destroyed their marriage. Seeing their smiling faces, without a single care in the world, added fresh scars to his already scarred heart and he felt something stir inside of him, a sensation that grew more and more violent until his hands started to shake violently and caused him to drop his wallet that sent everything inside scattering to the ground. He tried to gather up everything, money, cards and all before the wind had a chance to blow it all away and leave him with nothing, but as he scooped nearly every spilled content, something white caught his eye and picked up to see it was some kind of business card. On it was a cell phone number and a name, a name he thought he'd never see or hear again and added a new emotion his pain: that of a chill running up his spine. He had forgotten that he was given one of her cards back when he was still this person's puppet and made to keep in contact during their many, uncomfortable rendevous, but it had been so long ago since then that he hadn't even remembered it was still in his wallet until now.

He began to wonder if Moka had found it and assumed he was still talking to this person, and why she suddenly started acting the way she did and slept with Gin? If so, then she made no hint about it. Still, was he that desperate that he would call such a person? He knew how she felt about Moka and the lengths she would go to hurt her, and a darker part of him secretly wanted some measure of revenge after tonight, but to call this woman, was it worth it? He had no one to turn to, no number he could call and seek refuge from the darkness surrounding him and yet, there _was_ a number to call, and whether it was still in service or she had gotten a new number was unknown, but all he knew was that he had to talk to someone as there was no where else to go, but further down into the pit. Tsukune got out his cell phone and began dialing without hesitating further. With nervous fingers he lifted the phone to his ear and listened. At first, for a brief moment there was only silence, but then a dial tone emerged, a sound that filled him with a heavy dread as it implied that it was still a working number. He half wanted to hang up the phone before who ever was on the other end finally answered it, wondering if this was a mistake and he shouldn't be doing this, but another part of him told him that there was no going back, that who ever answered might not be her and even so could have caller I.D., anyway. Tsukune had little choice, but to wait with baited breath for the person to pick up the phone, waiting for what seemed like forever as the ringtone continued sounding off again and again.

_Maybe she wasn't home,_ he thought with almost a faint hope.

"Hello," came a female voice on the other end.

It terrified him to hear that voice, as even after all this time he recognized it was her, his worst fears confirmed and now was left nearly speechless, his breathing heavy and panicky.

"Who is this?" she asked impatiently. "If you are wasting my time with a prank I _will_ find out who this is and I will..."

"...R-Ria," he said weakly.

"...Tsukune? Tsukune Aono?"

_How, how did she know it was me?_ he freaked.

"Y-yes...it's me."

"Oh me, oh my," she said, a signature phrase of hers that he recognized all too well and dreaded, "brother, it has been awhile, how have you been?"

He didn't know what to tell her, everything had happened so fast, even calling Ria up seemed a little spur of the moment.

"Is everything alright, brother?" she inquired with a little hint of curiosity. "I do admit, after we last met I'd find it odd you would call me out of the blue and at this late hour? I do hope things are alright? Oh, and that reminds me, how is my dear sister? Does she know you are talking to me? She might not take too kindly towards that."

"...That's...that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Moka and I...things aren't working out between us."

"Oh me, oh my, trouble in paradise, is it?"

"We...we're having some problems...and..."

"Oh," she said with a clear feign of sympathy, clear enough for him. "Can't help but tell you I told you so. I offered you so much more, but you did choose my sister as your bloodmate, afterall. Really, you have no else to blame, but yourself."

"I know...I know."

"You sound clearly distressed, is everything okay?"

"Um...Ria I know the last time we met wasn't pleasant, that I turned you down and we didn't part on the best of terms, but...is there anyway you can get to where I am? I'd really like to talk to you in person."

"I don't know, brother dear, it could be a hassle and I am busy."

"Please, Ria, I need to talk to somebody and you were the only person I could call," Tsukune said as his emotions almost began trickling out, his eyes closed tightly as he braced himself for what came out. "I have no one else to turn to now, no where else to go! Moka and I...you were right. You were right about everything and I know I hurt you in the past, but now...I'm begging you Ria, I really need you now! So, could you please get here?"

He never held the phone as tightly as he did that night, unbelieving that he was even saying this at all, let alone to Ria, and had Tsukune been in his vampiric state the strength of his grip would've crushed the phone into smithereens. There was a pause on the other end, but he could tell with depressing feeling that Ria was enjoying hearing his defeated grovelling and wondered what she would say to drive home this point, further.

"Well, brother dear, I think I can see what I can do. Really, all you had to do was summon for me, you are my father's intended heir after all, I was only joking, though I am flattered. Now, lets see, oh yes I think I can trace your call from where I am, don't worry brother, I'll find you."

The last comment disturbed him, greatly but he couldn't be choosy who his friends were at this point.

"Thank you, Ria."

"Don't sweat it, we are family after all. I'm sure whatever issues the two of you are experiencing, I will humbly do my best to alleviate your woes. Just stay put and I'll be on my way, brother dear. See in a while."

With a click, Ria ends the call and the tall, elegant looking woman begins casually walking down a long corridor, and down a series of stone steps into a darkened cellar like atmosphere. Ria's suave, curved body clothed in a black, tight fitting dress that ran from her neck to her ankles snaked along this dungeon like room, her high heeled boots tapping loudly and echoeing all about until she reached a cell to her left. There, the dark haired vampiress, her incredibly long black hair blending in against the shadows, leaving only a white, grinning face hovering in the darkness, leaned forward against the bars, leather gloved hands gripped the bars like an excited child looking at a caged animal. Her ruby red lips began to part, with evil dark eyes shinning brilliantly, eager to spill everything to her caged, little pet who crouched on the floor below her sinister form.

"Oh me, oh my, I just had an interesting chat with Tsukune. He seemed most troubled about something, and he _needed_ me so badly, mm. I wonder, what on earth did you do to him sister, that would make him want to seek me out?"

Ria's prisoner began to look up from the floor, kneeling in vomit, her long pink hair matted and dishevelled, her face tear stained and dirty, glared up at her with venom in her once, warm green eyes.

"


	2. Chapter 2  Only Hope

**Well, as many times as some of you have read and reread that scene, I'm sure none of you were quite expecting an ending like that. Actually, I was inspired one night while watching the movie, "**_**The Man in the Iron Mask"**_** on AMC and the whole plot for this story just came to me, but with a sci-fi twist to it, so if any of you have seen the film or read the original story then you probably have some idea where I'll be going with this. However, there will be plenty of surprises as you read on, so wait and see. Oh, and for those of you who were displeased with my use of japanese honorifics in my last entry, it's like I said my wapanese isn't quite as good, so I decided to just go full on english translation.**

Chapter 2: Only Hope

**Four years ago.**

The violet moon shown full and brilliantly upon the empty cemetery, a starry sky shown brilliantly overhead while strange and eerie shadows were cast amongst it's many statues. In the crimson light, stoned angels that were normally tranquil looking during the light of day, now looked down on the graves like demons waiting for departing souls to emerge from underneath. But, for one lone visitor they were hardly a threat nor the most pressing concern; she knew they were harmless statues and to her the eerie atmosphere was actually a romantic one. For the vampire Moka, a born creature of the night, an atmosphere like this was only too welcoming and enticing, she was even oddly dressed for such a place with her long, pink hair flowing gently in the calm breeze of the night, her face dazzling in mascara and ruby red lips, matching finger nails upon dainty fingers that clutched a small black purse, while fair skin glowed underneath a vintage blood red, low cut cocktail dress which exposed a good deal of her long, slender legs that ended in black, strap-on stilettos. She was beautiful enough for anyone to behold, and yet as she constantly checked herself in her compact mirror to see if everything was at their best, worry showed in her large green eyes about whether or not her guest would like what he saw or even what he had in store, clearly evident that the cemetery's silent guardians were the least of her concerns.

Would Tsukune like what he saw? What would he say to her, tonight? These thoughts plagued the young vampire's mind as she waited nervously for him.

Tonight was no ordinary night however, it was their night, the anniversary of their meeting four years ago to the day and on the last year of their time at Yokai Academy. She knew this was weighing on him as it had been on her, in a few short months they and their friends would graduate, and after so many adventures together would all be going their seperate ways. Moka and Tsukune were going to miss them all, but what bothered her the most was imagining life without him in it. Since the day they met, he was inseperable from her side and she assumed he would always be there, yet as graduation day loomed closer with each day it filled her with dread and she could tell it affected him, as well. He had been acting funny since the end of last year, acting secretive and anxious, and she wondered what he was thinking. Would he come with her wherever she went, even if it was back to her world? She wanted him to come with her and hoped he did as well, he shared her blood after all and after he became a vampire he became hers, so it was a no brainer that he'd join her. Still, his inclinations remained uncertain and his behavior odd, as all during the break she saw so little of him that it drove her crazy, and then when she sees him again at school he asks her to meet him in the school cemetery on this very night. Excited, she'd dressed her best for him and wanted to look positively ravishing to look at so, if there were any doubts he had, they'd soon evaporate at the very sight of her. However, another fear claimed her heart, one where he did want to be with her, but as more than just boyfriend and girlfriend.

_Do I look perfect? _she asked herself.

**Don't be foolish, your fears are unwarranted, **said Inner Moka from the red jewel in her Rosario, which glowed radiantly as it nestled inbetween her revealing cleavage.** He wants to be with us, you have nothing to worry.**

_I know, I know, but I wanna look perfect for him! Do I?_

**Yes, you are, but as I said you have very little to worry. And if he doesn't find us perfect, he'll be sorry.**

That last comment unnerved her a bit, but she knew it wouldn't come to that. Moka knew if she was in a burlap sack, Tsukune would find her ravishing, but tonight was special, she could feel it in her bones and it was important she looked her absolute best for him. She felt something building between them since their last semester began and the way he asked her to meet him out at the cemetery on their anniversary, the way he looked at her with those loving, brown eyes and how he'd been so evasive, she knew what was about to happen.

_Y-You think he's going to propose to us? _she wondered excitedly.

**What if he does, so what? We've already chosen him to be our mate.**

_I know, but still I don't think he knows that, yet! It was sort of decided without him. _

**He loves us, what is there to be worried over? You want him, don't you?**

_Well, yes._

**Then what is the problem?**

_I'm nervous okay? I've never done something like this, before._

**Nervous? Idiot, he chose to be with us and now we are already bound together by blood. **

_Still! _

**Since the day we made him into one of us, he became our rightful mate. I expect that he'd undergo the trial sometime before graduation.**

_Don't you think it's a little too soon?_

**Nonsense. Father underwent his trial to join his first mate at seventeen, Tsukune will be ready.**

_But, he doesn't even know anything about it, what if he doesn't survive?_

**He will, he has our blood and our strength, he shall endure and win, his hand will be promised to us upon victory and shouldn't be wasting our time doing this ridiculous, human ritual.**

_I guess you're right. I just hope I'm ready._

**We are ready. Besides, with all the training we've given him and the fights he's been in, they have helped hone his skills. **

_I know, but he still has a problem fighting._

**He's new to this, he'll come round in time, we only need to keep encouraging him.**

Moka continued to pace silently in her little space, waiting in anticipation for his arrival, her mind fraught with confusion.

_Do...do you love him?_

**What?**

_It's just that, you never said how you felt about him? I mean, if Tsukune did propose to us and I said yes, would that make you happy?_

There was silence from the rosario, it made her nervous, before a vague reply finally came.

**What kind of question is that? I gave him our blood whenever he needed it, didn't I? I made him into a vampire and allowed him to become intiment with us, so why ask such a question?**

_I don't know, it's just that...when he was human, you never wanted him to get close to us, thought he was inferior, even though..._

**You know why I did it. It was for his own good, we would never have been happy if he was still mortal. But he isn't now, so there's no point in worrying about it, it's all in the past.**

_The past_? Though Moka tried to suppress it, deep down she still hadn't fully let go of her unpleasant memories involving humans, and yet Tsukune's entry into her life had only confused things; when she'd first learned what he was she hadn't fully decided if it was okay to keep thinking that way about humans. It was just easier to assume he was different from other humans and that it didn't change the fact that all humans, but him were prejudice, though his family were alright; it tore at her, greatly. But, now he was a vampire, like her, and as her inner self said there was no point in dwelling on it, anymore.

Just then, she caught his familiar scent in the wind approaching, a rich and enticing one, reminiscent of his strong blood that she loved more than anything, yet it suddenly terrified her as the moment she dreaded was now upon her.

_He's coming! Oh no, I'm not ready, yet!_

**Calm down, we've had four years to be ready, now hold your head up high and lets hear what he wants.**

Moka tried her best to remain calm and resolute with sweat building on her delicate brow, but as she could hear his footsteps rapidly approaching her resolve soon cracked and darted behind a tombstone.

**What are you doing? **an annoyed Inner Moka asked.

_Oh, I'm not ready, okay? What if I say the wrong thing or make a fool out of myself! I don't think I can do this, it was a mistake!_

**Ugh!**

_I'm sure he'll understand._

Just then, Tsukune came into view, and she was forced to admit that he looked especially impressive tonight, with his toned physique and broad shoulders dressed sharpely in the best black tuxedo he could buy, a blood red bowtie painstackingly put into place, and his cropped hair neatly combed and well done. The smell of cologne invaded her nostrils, but it wasn't the kind of aroma that caught her attention, though. His adrenaline was pumping, having hurried over to their meeting spot in such a rush while he himself had been nervous, all of which made the smell of his blood all the sharper, which only made her predicament even harder to endure.

"Moka!" he whispered out her name, just loud enough to where he hoped she could hear. "Psst, Moka! Are you here?"

He was so close to where she hid and yet she was too afraid to say anything.

_Maybe I missed her? _he thought when he didn't hear a word. _I guess I took too long and she got tired of waiting. Of course, I couldn't get this right. There's no way she would want to be with a guy like me._

He had gotten ready in the very best clothes he could find, believing in looking his best, on this special night for Moka. Yet, there were doubts in his heart as well, of whether or not he was still worthy of being with her and feared this moment he had been prepping himself for. The anxiety caused him to drag his feet as he got dressed, tying and untying and then tying again his bowtie to make sure it wasn't sloppy looking, however it didn't help a damn thing when a monster he ran into on his way out tried to challenge him, forcing Tsukune to hide until the threat passed, all of which cost him precious time. With a sigh, Moka could see defeat enter his lonely brown eyes and it nearly caused her to want to come out and comfort him like she always had.

_He looks sad, _she thought._ D-Do you think I'm being selfish for doing this?_

**No, just stupid.**

She loved Tsukune dearly, he was everything to her and wanted to go to him so badly, but she was too afraid to speak up. She simply lacked the fortitude of her inner persona to hear what he had to say. In her concerned state, her right heel accidently steps on a twig and drew his attention.

_Oh no, he's coming this way! _

Moka shrinks further behind the tombstone, her hands clasped tightly together and begins praying, fervently.

_Oh, please pass me by, don't see me! _

**Ugh, ridiculous!**

_Don't say that, it's just that...Oh, please don't see me, please don't see me, please, please!_

"Uh...Moka?" came a voice behind her.

"Eeek!" she screamed as she jumps to her feet.

"Whoa!" he cried in response, startled.

"Oh, Tsukune! You're there, I mean you're here, I mean..."

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking at her funny.

"Oh yes, I'm...well, never felt better, he he he!" she giggled nervously, a nervous smile plastered upon her blushing face.

"What were you doing behind the tombstone?"

"I...uh, well you see I was just...uh...looking for one of my missing contact lens, that's all."

"Contacts?"

"Yeah!"

Moka began to kneel down and pretend to look for her fake contact, much to his confusion.

"It fell down somewhere over here, could you help me look for it."

"But, Moka you don't wear contacts."

"Huh? Oh, it's not _my _contact, actually, it's a contact I borrowed from...one of my sisters...to help me read. Wait, I found it! False alarm, he he he he!"

"Oh, okay."

**Idiot.**

"Here, let me help you," Tsukune said as he holds her slender arms and gently picks her back up. "Well, I'm glad you found what you were looking for."

"It...it isn't so important, anymore," Moka said as she looked up into his gentle eyes. "Just glad you showed up."

"I'm sorry I'm late," he said with a dumbfounded smile, spellbound at how beautiful she looked. "I-I got held up by someone trying to challenge me, but I took care of it."

"Oh, Tsukune are you okay?" she asked with a genuine, worried look in her eyes that pierced his soul.

"Yeah, it was nothing. I'm just glad I could get here without a scratch; I didn't want to show up on our date looking like a mess. I'm not late, am I?"

"No, you're on time."

"Good. Oh here, I got this for you," he said, brandishing a single pink rose.

"It's beautiful," she said, holding it delicately in her tender hands and nearly falling in love with the gesture.

"Yeah, I wanted to get you one that matched your hair. I wanted a whole bouquet, but I could only afford one. Sorry."

"It's okay, I love it."

"Here, let me..." he gently puts the rose into her hair, his very presence near her sending a warm sensation over her. "How's that?"

"It's perfect."

She smiled, her green eyes brightened under the violet moon light and staring into those warm-hearted sapphires was enough to erode all of Tsukune's concerns, building up his confidence like never before.

_I can do this! There's nothing to worry about, I know I can do this! _he thought.

"Tsukune," she said, gazing lovingly up at him.

"Moka," he said as he stared back with equal intensity.

"Tsukune."

"Moka."

"Tsukune."

"Moka"

"Tsukune"

"Mok-whoa, whoa, wait a minute, I let's not get off track, just yet, there's a reason I called you to...uh Moka?"

He saw her close her eyes, her smile broadening and then leaning in closer to him, which made the boy nervous once again, but for a different reason.

"Mmm, you smell so nice," she cooed, lost in a wonderland.

"Uh, t-t-thanks," he said with a barely restrained squeak in his voice, his cheeks blushing and his adrenaline pumping as the girl of his dreams drew every closer to him.

Moka could feel his warm, protective body, her hands going over every inch of his strong, impressive physique, that has greatly improved from the scrawny guy she had met all those years ago before combat with various monsters and dangerous situations had honed his body, and now it made her even more excited to be near him. Since they started dating, they have grown more and more intimate with each other, touching, kissing, familiarizing one another's bodies, doing everything short of actual sex, not that they didn't want to go all the way, in fact they've come close, just that there was the constant interruption of their friends, who have also tried taking their relationship with Tsukune to the next level. However, Tsukune was still Tsukune, and having her so close to him, smelling her feminine scent that always drove him wild, the smell of shampoo in her pink hair, and feeling her breasts beginning to press onto him caused the boy to blush terribly.

"M-Moka," he stammered, his heart beating rapidly.

"Ohh, you smell so...wonderful," she whispered ever so softly into his ear.

He could feel her warm breath brush against his skin, feel her warm body pressing in closer and closer until Tsukune felt like he was in heaven, but then he realized that it wasn't his cologne that she was interested in, which gave him a slight chill.

"Uhh, M-Moka, wait!" he tried to say as he held her back, but she resisted and tried to press further. "You already had a bite, today!"

"Oh Tsukune, just one more bite, for tonight. Your blood, it just smells so wonderful."

"Okay, okay, I'll give you as much as you want, just first, first let me tell you why I asked out, please!"

Moka looked up at him with a pout, but relents and eases up on him, much to his relief.

_Phew!_ he thought. _I don't mind giving her my blood, from time to time, but she always take too much when she gets like this and I need to have enough strength to get on one knee._

"So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked with a little curiosity in her large green eyes.

_Ah, Moka looks beautiful in tonight! I don't know if I can do this, what if she doesn't accept me? What if Inner Moka still thinks I'm not good enough?_

That fear always weighed heavily on him, even after being made into a vampire, he still felt as though Inner Moka saw him as being inferior and unworthy of both her and Outer Moka. He was going to play it carefully, ease into the question to see how she might react, be it positive or, he feared, negatively.

"Uh...he he he! Well, I was just...you know thinking about this year and all, what with us being seniors now and about to graduate soon."

"Yes, it's hard to believe it'll all come to an end, soon," Moka replied with a nervous, yet thoughtful glance. "The four years here just seemed to have come and gone, we've been through so much in that time.

"Yeah, so much craziness and weird adventures like that time we fought with the mermaid swim club and how they almost devoured me. You nearly drowned trying to save me."

"How can I forget," she said with a smile. "Or the time we got lost in the school's catacombs and had to fight off that doppelganger and his gang. That one was really scary, I came close to losing you, then."

"And when you were kidnapped by your sister and Fairy Tale," he said with heightened feelings. "That...that was hard, having to watch them take you away from me like that and not being able to stop it; I thought I'd lost you, then. I trained like mad to get stronger, so I could fight my way through them and Alucard just to get you back."

"How could I forget," she said with emotion building in her green eyes. "I was worried I'd lost you, too. You saved me."

"In fact, I haven't forgotten the moment where I almost _did_ die and you gave me more of your blood that turned me into a vampire, I'll always be grateful for that, I don't know if I would've been able to save you if it weren't for that. There were a lot of strange and harrowing moments for us, but we always managed to pull through them together and made a lot of friends along the way."

"I know and I never imagine it'll all come to an end so fast, I always thought we'd stay here with all our friends in the Newspaper Club, just so we can see each other every day like we do, now."

"Yeah, but time moves on and, soon we'll all be going our separate ways and...well..."

Moka grew a little sad and her concerns started to take hold, once again.

_Separate ways? _She thought sadly. _What do you mean, Tsukune? What are you trying to tell me?_

"And, that's been on my mind since the last break," he continued. "Where I'll be going from here...and with who."

Moka looked at him intently, sadness slowly turning towards an intense excitement.

"Moka, I guess what I'm trying to say is...uh...y-you know how...you and Inner Moka, you share the same body, right?"

"Yes," she replied, curiously.

"You two see with the same eyes, you feel with the same heart and so on?"

"...Tsukune, what are you..."

"Well..."

_Here it goes, you've rehearsed this in your head, _he coached himself. _C'mon, she's looking right at you! _

Those sapphire eyes, staring at him with such a strong focus he'd never seen before, it greatly weakened his resolved, but it was because of her that he needed to be even stronger, now and confess the feelings that were burning inside of him.

It was now or never.

_I have to do this! This could be the last time I get a chance to ask her and if Inner Moka doesn't approve, then..._

"Tsukune?"

She saw his brown eyes suddenly lock onto her own with a steely resolve she'd never seen in him before, nearly leaving her weak in the knees.

_Tsukune, _she thought in awe. _I've never seen you like this. I wonder what's on your mind, please tell me!_

"Well," he continued, "I just thought that...it wouldn't have to be just the two of you, anymore. From now on, you could both see with _my_ eyes, and feel with my heart."

Suddenly, she saw him walk slowly up to her and then drop to one knee before her tender eyes, and knew without any doubt what this was all about. She clasped her hands over her mouth and her breathing came out short and shallow as though she was on the verge of collapsing.

"Moka Akashiya," he began as he looked up at her with his large, earnest brown eyes, a left hand in his left pants pocket where it gripped a small, square box tenderly, yet resolutely, "will you do me the honor of becoming my..."

His eyes then turned to shock, the very words escaping him as he found himself staring up not at Moka's beautiful green eyes, but a different pair of eyes, pale and opaque that were staring down at him over her shoulder while Moka remained unaware.

"Oh, Tsukune!" she sang, swaying her hips and gripping the sides of her face to contain her excitement. "Yes, Tsukune, I will marr...Tsukune, what?"

"...Uhhh..." he shakily points to over her shoulder.

Curious, she turns and finds herself staring dead on into a pale face with a lollipop in her mouth.

"Ahhhh!" they both scream.

"Mizore, what are _you_ doing here?" he asked as he confronted the snow maiden.

"Following you. Honestly, I can turn my back on you two for a second," said Mizore Shirayuki in her usual, expressionless tone. "Fraternizing on school grounds after hours, you two should be ashamed."

"YOU'RE ONE TO TALK, STALKER!" a clearly aggravated Moka yelled in protest, which for her response was flash frozen into a block of ice, instantly in front of a shocked Tsukune.

"M-Mizore! I thought I gave you the slip, how'd you find us out here?" he asked.

The snow being then trained her icy stare at him, her short lavender colored hair wafting in the breeze as she walked ever so delicately towards the concerned boy.

"Mizore?" he asked as her strange silence and approaching figure made him feel uneasy.

"Oh Tsukune, if a romantic night alone is what you want," she said as she seductively plucked out the lollipop she normally carried to regulate her body temperature, "then all you had to do was ask me as I am always ready for a night alone with you."

He glanced at her, still clad in her standard loose fitting, white and purple sweater with the straps of her black sports bra visible, the purple skirt with suspender straps hanging out from underneath and just above purple and lavender striped thigh highs; he wondered what she meant by being "always ready". She then lifted the hem of her short skirt, exposing her smooth, pale thighs and revealing portions of her white and purple striped panties.

"Mizore...w-what are you...?" he stammered, as a strong and pungent scent began to invade his nostrils.

"I'm ready, Tsukune. This is our last chance to make babies."

She presses closer to him, making him feel uncomfortable, but inhaling every bit of her.

"We will be going our separate ways, but you can come back with me, Tsukune," she whispered softly, her pale eyes staring intently into his panicky brown ones. "Back to my village, where you can help raise the next future of my race."

"Mizore, I've made my mind up," he tries to plead with her.

"I have too, Tsukune," she says, leaning up to him, "it's time we got started before it's too late."

"Get started! Get started with what?"

Mizore reaches up to one of her bra straps and begins the process of disrobing before the stressed out boy.

"Making babies, Tsukune."

As she begins to move in for a kiss, her top halfway off, a sudden whoosh of wind came in and the ice girl was sent flying away from him where she landed roughly on her face. Before Tsukune could react, he felt himself being lifted into the air by the arms and the whole world going black as his face is shoved into, what believed were two big, warm pillows, but quickly realizes who he's with.

"STUPID STALKER!" he could hear a girl yell through his muffled ears. "GET AWAY FROM MY TSUKUNE! Oh, Tsukune are you alright, I won't let that miserable ice bitch get away with forcing herself on you!"

He tried to pull away from the enormous mounds, but a pair of arms were wrapped about his head in a vice like grip and the girl began swaying back and forth, making him even more uneasy.

"But, don't worry, you and I can finally be alone all the way up here, yahoo!"

"K-Kurumu...can't breathe!" he tried to say.

Realizing in time that he was suffocating in between her massive breasts, Kurumu Kurono pulls him back where he takes in a breath of fresh air, only for him to find himself suspended some 20 ft. in the air by the succubus' large, bat like wings flapping all about that caused a slight breeze brush through her pale blue hair. She was dressed in a sexy, Oktoberfest waitress outfit, her DD breasts pouring out of the extremely low-cut blouse, with a devilish tail whipping about, excitedly out from underneath the short skirt.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Tsukune, I just get so excited, but I do hope I look good for you, tonight?" she asked staring intently at him with those large, violet colored eyes of hers, eyes he often worried about looking into as she had used her 'glare' to hypnotize him on more than one occasion. However, he did note that she allowed her blue hair, normally held in a high pony tail with a purple ribbon, now hung partially loose about her shoulders and framing her rosy cheeked face, granting the 17 year old succubus a more mature look for tonight.

"Uh, you look great, Kurumu," he said with all honesty. "But..."

"YAHOOOO!" she cried and shoved his face back into her breasts for another bear like hug. "I'm so happy!"

"Kurumu!" he cried, again trying to break free, only to wind up looking up at her from the soft crevices of her boobs. "Why are _you_ here, too? I wanted to meet with Moka alone, this was supposed to be just the two of us, not you and Mizore!"

"Y-you mean, I-I'm in the way?" she asked with a sorrowful pout, a fake show of sadness, but one that clearly worked on his heart. "Y-you really don't want me around, anymore, do you?"

"No, no I didn't mean...look I...I didn't say...I'm sorry, Kurumu, you're not in the way, but I really wanted to talk to Moka about..."

"About what? Anything you can tell her, you can tell to me."

"Uh, Kurumu."

"You are my 'Destined One', Tsukune. Nothing you tell Moka will ever change that."

He felt a little worried by that comment and noticed that she was looking down at him in a very peculiar manner, like she was determined to take away his virginity and make him hers with little impunity, so much so that he could swear he was looking at her mother, Ageha.

"Kurumu, are you okay? You've been acting very, _very_ strange lately."

"How so?"

"It's just that, lately your schemes to win me over have been a little more...daring. Like the cookies you gave me with the baked in love potion and Yukari caught wind of in time."

"It was an accident, I mistakenly used some of Yukari's ingredients in the potion, and really that flat chested witch is the one you should be worried about."

"And the panties that you left on my bed while I was in class, I had a hell of a time trying to explain it to Moka, was that an accident?"

"My laundry must've got mixed up with yours, somehow. It happens."

"It does?" he asked, incredulously.

"Yeah!"

"Then what about the time when you use your illusion casting and posed as Moka for the whole day, while she was out sick. I knew something was wrong when you couldn't bite my neck like she normally does."

"Okay, you got me! Ohh, it's just this is our last year together, and I didn't want you to forget me!"

Tsukune hadn't realized, much to his shame, just how much this final year would mean to his friends, as well. All this time, he had selfishly been thinking about him and Moka, and not once did he think what this was doing to Kurumu and the others. They had been through so much together, experienced so many fights over him and so many fun moments that the girls felt like family to him and it would be hard imagining them not there with him.

"I'm sorry, Kurumu, I didn't think you were hurting, but I'd never forget..."

"So, that why I wanted do something for you to remember me by. When I heard you were meeting Moka out here today, I knew I had to beat her to the punch and proclaim my feelings for you, first!"

"I know, but you have to understand..."

"So, I got dressed, re-did my hair, put on some classy perfume and came out as fast as I could, all for you!"

"How long were you out here?" he asked nervously.

"Well, I got here a little before Moka did."

"So, you...heard everything?"

"Not everything! Just...some parts."

Tsukune felt like he was going to faint, as he hadn't wanted any of the other girls to find out about his future plans with Moka, knowing how they felt about him that such news would hurt them, and he hoped to break to them one by one. But, if Kurumu knew about it, then there was no telling what she might try and do.

"What exactly did you see?"

"Oh, Tsukune it doesn't matter! We're up here, together, alone. No meddlesome snow bitch, no Moka, no one to bother us, we can finally be alone."

"Kurumu..."

"Let's go away, together after graduation, Tsukune?"

"W-WHAT?" he freaked.

"We'll be very happy, you and I. My mother has it all planned out, we can move to the U.S. where no one can find us, I have an aunt that lives there and she can set you up with a nice job you can do to help support the two of us...or three or four of us, if you know what I mean?"

"K-Kurumu, I can't..."

"If you're worried about your folks, they can come visit or we can visit them, it's no problem, really."

"Kurumu, please listen, I'm not leaving the country and, I didn't want it to come to this, but we..."

"Kiss me!"

"What?"

"Kiss me, right now. It's so romantic up here, and tonight is special. So, why not one kiss, then? What do you say?"

Tsukune knew one kiss from her and it would be over, he'd be under her control and find himself leaving behind Moka to go live in America with her against his will.

_What has gotten into her?_ He wondered, frantically.

Before he could protest, she had him by both sides of his head and was bringing him for a kiss while he struggled to free himself, instantly forgetting just how high up he was.

"Kurumu! KURUMU!"

CLANG!

There came deafening clamor as a bronze washing bin came crashing down on the succubus' head, knocking her out and sending the two of them crashing down, hard on to the ground. Tsukune was lucky that he was a turned vampire, now as the fall would've left him bed ridden for weeks, but as he came to he found his field of vision blocked by Kurumu's yellow panties as her crotch was practically up against his face, while she laid motionless on top.

"Yaho! How you doing, Tsukune!" said a 14 yr. old girl standing over his head with a broad smile over her rosy face, oblivious that his eyes ran right up her long, white knee socks up her short plaid skirt to see her white panties, but then again, knowing Yukari Sendo, it was anything but an accident. "I came just in time to save you from that big, boobed succubus! The nerve of her trying to take you to America and steal you from Moka and me! Don't worry about her, I'll run interference so you and Moka can finally have some _alone_ time, tee hee!"

"Yukari!" he cried, carefully removing Kurumu off of him to get up, but the young witch tackles him with a hug and nearly topples him; she was clearly not the little girl he remembered four years ago. "Don't tell me...how did you find out about this? Does everyone know?"

"I may have overheard you talking. Oh, Tsukune and Moka were going on a date without me! I wanted to go and have that three way we agreed."

"T-Three way! When did we agree to that?"

"In my head. Don't you guys like me, Tsukune? I'm all grown up, now. Can't you tell?"

Tsukune was forced to admit she was clearly not the young, precocious little ten year old classmate who tagged along with him and Moka anymore, nor was she any longer the butt of Kurumu's frequent boob jokes and breast envy. The youngest of his friends, Yukari was also quite lonely before meeting them, not only for being the youngest student there and the smartest, but as a witch she was viewed as something akin to a human and was bullied because of it; that changed as soon as Moka came to her defense, creating a fan in the process, and Tsukune who tried to rescue the both of them from danger and encouraged her to be their friend. She was no push over, though as Kurumu found out often, using her pink, heart shaped wand to drop heavy objects out of some dimensional worm hole and hitting the target, but her greatest of attacks involved flying tarot cards about like shrapnel and sending them about with deadly precision. However, she was still a kid, evident in the uniform she had to wear in the past, which was completely different from the standard uniform because of her size and age, but now that she stood before Tsukune clad in the academy's standard green uniform that hugged a genuine figure, he had to admit to himself every time she was no longer a child, even now as she stood nearly eye level with him, her purple eyes looking at him innocently out from under that broad-brimmed witch's hat she constantly wore, short cropped hair still at its original length, her developing face appearing more naughty than just cute, as a golden crescent pendant about her neck resting between an opened collar that emphasized a rapidly developing chest, giving her a rather daring look. Still, she was Yukari to him, and after hitting puberty the once pre-pubescent girl with an unhealthy obsession with sex only got worse. Instead of maturing, her groping of the two of them became increasingly bold and she believed that now she was older, Tsukune would want her, constantly touching her own breasts as if she thought he didn't know they were there, much to his chagrin; but he knew she wasn't trying to steal him away from Moka, she idolized her and their only cheerleader.

"Uh, Yukari..."

"Don't worry, I won't let Mizore and boob freak get in the way, you, Moka, and me, can finally be alone."

"Yukari, I appreciate what you're doing, but this is only supposed to be just Moka and me, I'm trying to ask her something and..."

"Oooh, what is it? Tsukune trying to ask her if you can go to third base?"

"It's nothing like that!" he cried.

"Why not? It's about time, if you ask me. You and Moka are so perfect together; it's amazing you two haven't gone all the way, yet!"

"Look, would you just..."

"It's because of the others, isn't it? Especially boobzilla, but if it's sex you two are trying to get, I'll make sure she doesn't get in the way, as long as you two let me..."

"Yukari, you don't understand," Tsukune said with a sigh.

"Then what is it? You can tell me, I wouldn't blab to anyone, I swear."

"I'd rather tell her, myself. This night was supposed to be special..."

"You mean the four year anniversary of when you two first met?"

"Y-Yeah, how did you know?"

"Well, when me and Moka were in the bath I sort of…"

She taps her head with a sneaky grin, implying that she had read her mind, just one a few new tricks the young witch has picked up and frequently used without their permission.

"YUKARI!" he screamed, shocked and worried about what else she may have picked up. "What did I tell you about getting into other people's heads like that! You can't just invade our thoughts, they're personal! What else have you...Yukari?"

He noticed her purple eyes training intently upon him, unresponsive as though locked in a trance, but when her eyes and blushing face soon lit up it didn't take him long to figure out that she was doing exactly what he told her not to do and found out the big secret he'd wanted to tell Moka.

"Yukari?" he asked, nervously. "Tell me you didn't."

"Ooooh!"

"Yukari, no!"

"OOOOOH!" she screamed, hopping wildly with excitement. "Tsukune, you're gonna ask Moka to ma..."

He quickly muffled her mouth and prevented her from saying anything else; afraid the sound of her voice would draw even more unwanted attention to the spot, which unfortunately it did as it aroused the groggy succubus with a start.

"Yukari, keep it down, okay!"

"Well, are you?"

"I-I don't know what you mean?" he stammered, blushing profusely and scratching his cheek nervously.

"What's in the left pocket, Tsukune?" she asked with a wry smile.

"None of you business! Look, will you and the others please leave me and..."

Just then, something comes and knocks Yukari from behind, causing her to stumble awkwardly into Tsukune.

"Hey, what's the big I..." she yells upon turning to face who ever bumped into her, only to wind up getting a face full of two enormous breasts that smother her.

"Ah, Yukari is still so little and so adorable when she thinks she's all grown up," Kurumu cooed, treating the young teen like a baby.

"YOU BIG BOOBED FREAK!" Yukari screamed, her face turning beat red from embarrassment and rage. "I'm grown up enough, stop getting in me and Tsukune's way! Besides, you're just threatened that I finally got breasts, now!"

"You call those little walnuts breasts? Aw, little Yukaris you never learn."

Kurumu proudly displays her DDs, which barely slipped out of its flimsy blouse holdings, while Yukaris was left looking down gloomily at her still developing chest.

"As I said, still so small."

"HEY!" Yukaris cried out as the succubus pushes her hat down about her face and roughly knocks the girl out of the way with a sway of her shapely hips.

"Yukari?" he called out and tried to go to her aid, but Kurumu tackles him with a bear hug.

"Tsukune! Don't worry about her, what does she know about us, anyway?"

"Kurumu, she might be hurrrr..." he just realized that her massive breasts were mashed against his chest, where she then began rubbing them up and down, hardened tits tickling him as they moved about, causing his dick to harden as he painfully tried his best to ignore what she was doing. "K-Kurumu, please stop."

"Tsukune, you know you like it when I do this, don't you?" she asked with an innocent smile, cheeks blushing. "Aw, this feels good, they felt so chaffed, Tsukune, ah ha!"

_Go to a happy place, Tsukune_, he thought to himself. _Or rather, a scary place, that's if Moka ever sees this!_

He then feels a hand digging around in his left pocket and a new panic set in.

"Kurumu! What are you doing?" he yelled, reaching his hand into his pocket and trying to grab onto Kurumu's

"What's in your pocket, Tsukune? Isn't a surprise for yours truly, hm?"

"Kurumu, please get out of there!"

"I'm just curious, Tsukune."

"No."

They continued playing tug o war in his pants pocket, him trying to keep her from finding his gift to Moka, and her fighting around his fingers to just about grasp onto what felt like a small box.

"You better let him go, Kurumu!" Yukari yelled. "It's none of your business!"

"Is it for Moka? Is that why you're out here with her?" she asked, emotion beginning to fill her eyes that almost made him feel guilty, though he continued to struggle with her.

"It's...not what it looks like," he lied.

"It isn't?"

"It isn't?" Yukari echoed.

"No, me and Moka simply came out to talk about...uh, a title for tomorrow's new headline. Yeah, that's it. You know how we couldn't decide on anything today? We just wanted to come out to think alone, without any distractions!"

The girls looked at him, incredulously; it wasn't his best lie, but the only one he could think of.

"Then, what's in your pocket?" Kurumu asked.

"An ink cartridge."

"Ink cartridge? It doesn't feel like one. Yukari, is that what Tsukune and Moka are really out here for?"

"Like I'd tell you, you boob freak!"

"Are you telling me the truth?" Kurumu asked, tears filling in her large, violet eyes.

"Kurumu."

He suddenly saw her start to cry, causing him to forget about her breasts pressed up against him and trying to comfort her as best he could.

"When Moka kept your secret that you were human, even from me, I felt betrayed that you wouldn't trust me with your secret. I thought...after that you'd have more faith in me, tell me everything. I thought we were close."

"We are," he said with a comforting smile, "but as friends and I didn't mean to hurt you. Look I promise, come tomorrow I'll tell you everything, just not now."

"Well, let me see what's in your pocket and then I'll go."

"Uh no."

"Tsukune!" she said, resuming her tug o war with him. "Oh, here!"

She yanks off her blouse and presses his free hand against her right tit, his palm practically enveloped in its warm flesh while she forced him to rub it with a perverted look upon her face.

"KURUMU!" he screamed, but he would not let go of the box. "AAAAAH! I CAN FEEL EVERYTHING!"

_Why is this happening to me? _Tsukune wondered as he fought the aroused sensation he was starting to feel.

"C'mon Tsukune! Mm!" she leans in closer, hovering all in his space til he fell back and drug her down on top of him. "Ahh, Tsukune! He he he!"

He could feel her huge mammaries meshed on top of him, her frilly skirt flopped over, exposing her panties and pointed tail that stuck out from under them, leaving her exposed legs to rub so excitedly against him that she relinquished her hold on his pocket and instead gripped both his hands, holding them over his head and stretching herself over him. A part of him felt like he was in paradise, that he was starting to enjoy this, but then he suddenly remembered Moka and how she'd react to seeing him like this.

"Uh, Kurumu," he nervously tried to tell her as he found himself staring into her eyes, "w-w-would you mind getting off me, I don't think that Moka would..."

"Shhh! It'll be over in a second."

"What'll be over in a second?" he asked excitedly.

"GET OFF OF TSUKUNE, RIGHT NOW!" Yukari yelled.

As Tsukune began freaking out as he laid under her and worrying what she had planned, he felt something slither in-between their bodies, only to find her pointed, devilish looking tail having snaked out from the seat of her panties, gone inbetween her legs and the two of them, and had come out from under her, aiming for his forehead.

"W-What are you doing?"

"Trying to stick my tail to your head."

"Uh, why?"

"It's a trick I learned, all succubi at a certain age learn to use."

"What does it do?" he asked as he warily tries to move his head away from it like it was a real snake. "It's not gonna put me under a love spell like your charm or kiss, will it?"

"Nope."

"Then what does it do?"

"Just establish a mental link where I dig around in your head and pull out all your memories, that's all."

"WHAT!"

"Don't worry, it's not painful...much, I mean if I don't apply too much pressure. I promise I'll be gentle, though."

"Why are you going through my head!"

"I just want to know what to get you for a graduation present, that's all!" she lied.

"No!" he cried, dodging it each time it dove for him. "Kurumu, please stop!"

"It's not going to hurt, c'mon!"

He rolled them both of them on the ground until he was on top, gripping her firmly about the shoulders, but that only pleased the young woman even more.

"Now that's enough, Kuru..."

Just then a heavy object crashes against the top of his skull and causes him to see stars.

"Oops, sorry Tsukune!" Yukari cried.

_Thank you, you flat chested witch, _Kurumu thought, taking advantage of Tsukune's state and rolling back ontop of him to finally dig around his thoughts.

"Now, this won't hurt a bit, my Tsukune."

But, as her tail was inches away from his head she felt a series of sharp, pointy, frozen little daggers strike her in the butt, getting a painful wail from the succubus and causing her to jump off of the partially unconscious boy as she hopped, comically in place, her breasts wobbling wildly.

"How dare you lay on top of my Tsukune!" came Mizore, her pale face as stoic as ever, but with little ice daggers clutched in one hand, while her other was formed into a giant, icy claw as she stood poised to fight. "Be gone from him or you'll regret it, whore!"

"Whore? Who are you calling whore, stalker freak!" A flustered Kurumu roars back, irate at being deterred and offended that she'd striker her at a most exposed area.

"I'm only protecting the father of my children from an unkempt succubus, that's all."

"The father of your children? Ha! As if Tsukune would want to sully his genes with yours. He's _my _Destined One, and there's nothing a stalker like you can do about it."

That comment had managed to illicit an ominous growl from the snow woman's throat, as glow of pale blue light emanated from her eyes, and a monstrous aura flared up, freezing everything around her.

"Oh, you want to go?" Kurumu challenged, her wings unfurled and her nails extended into nine inch claws.

"You're both wrong!" Yukari yelled as she helped Tsukune to his feet. "He's me and Moka's, the two of you are just gonna have to find someone else!"

"Stay out of this, you flat chested witch, this doesn't concern you!" Kurumu yelled back.

"Uh guys," he meekly tried to say.

"How dare you call me flat chested! I've got breasts, they're growing and soon they'll be bigger than yours!"

"Guys!"

"Ha-ha-ha, don't make me laugh! You call those little walnuts breasts? That is so cute!"

Yukari glared with murderous intent, having been hit where it hurt the most, yet again. Compelled to prove her wrong, she leaps onto Tsukune's back and presses her breasts as firmly into his back as she could.

"What do you think, Tsukune? How do they feel, are they too small?"

"Eh, Yukari!" he squeaked, his body growing tense as he was literally able to feel this young girl's developing breasts on him.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Mizore yelled. "After graduation Tsukune is coming back with me to my village and make babies, and I will stop anyone who stands in our way!"

"That's fine by me, you snow witch!" Kurumu hissed with an eager, battle ready grin as she bared her claws in a taunting manner, as a violet aura radiated all about. "I like to see you try and move me, because Tsukune is coming home with me!"

Tsukune watched helplessly as his two friends stood poised, ready to fight, both fighting for his affections, yet neither of them willing to listen to his pleas.

_Ugh, what a mess!_ He thought, dismayed at the situation. _This wasn't supposed to happen!_

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys sooner, but I wanted to be a surprise for Moka and well..."

Mizore was the first to move, disappearing in a flash before the astonished succubus, but she sensed her suddenly reappear near her and before she could swipe at her with that gigantic ice gauntlet, Kurumu leaps into air and prepares to dive at the snow woman. Mizore sees her coming and leaps to the nearest branch in time, though it did little to deter Kurumu who extended her claws indefinitely and aimed them at the girl with pinpoint precision, striking the branch, but forcing Mizore to jump in the air where she was at Kurumu's mercy.

"I got you, now!" she yelled as she flew within striking distance, ready to slash her with her claws.

Mizore blocked her attack in time and managed to kick out, only for Kurumu to dodge the attack and then likewise kick herself, connecting with Mizore's ribs in a hard blow, cracking a few in the process, but it wasn't enough to take the wind out of the snow woman's fight as she was able to slash at Kurumu's left side and coming within inches of ripping the side of her breast. Momentarily stunned, she flew back to maintain some distance, but a hail of ice pikes came raining down before she even had a chance to rest and sent her soaring out of the way just in time. She glanced down at her wounds, and then at her breasts, at the shredded piece of clothing that clung around her left breast and the slight abrasion there that could've been worse, it soon dawned on her that Mizore was aiming for them, a succubus' most precious asset!

"You little...you were aiming for my breasts, weren't you?" She asked with a sudden rage in her voice. "Is that it?"

"I have had enough of allowing you to put Tsukune's face in those breasts of yours!" Mizore yelled up at her from her perch, ever ready for more. "If I disfigure you here and now, you will be forced to leave school shame and appear ugly to him forever!"

Kurumu saw blood red, the muscles in her clawed hands tensed as a sudden blood lust overcame her and an ominous aura overtook.

"You know, attacking a succubus' breasts like that will only get you killed," she said to Mizore, her voice dark and heavy, a tone that unnerved Tsukune just listening to it.

"Bring it on, witch!" Mizore declared, using her powers to enlarge her ice claws. "The only one who'll be killed is you!"

"So that's how it is, isn't it? Bleeding, death, the whole nine yards?"

Mizore only growled in response.

"What are you two talking about?" Tsukune screamed. "Don't you think you're carrying this too far?"

"No!" Mizore yelled back, never taking her eyes off of the hovering threat from above. "If Kurumu no longer has her breasts to distract you, you will no longer be tempted! I shall rid them from your sight!"

"Good idea, Mizore get her!" Yukari cheered on.

"Mizore, I'm not distracted by her breasts! Don't do this!"

But, there was little time to listen, as an irate Kurumu swooped down with all her might and he watched as she sliced the whole tree Mizore was resting on in slices with surprising ease, however Mizore had once again blitzed out of the way and was again on the offensive. Though she was out of her element, the snow woman was amazingly agile and her projectile throwing deadly as they darted from tree to tree, trying to find their flighty target. Finally, he heard a sickening plunge as three had found their target, impaling the succubus in the sides, one having driven straight through both her breasts. Tsukune could only watch in horror as her friend started to fall to the ground, goared as Mizore appeared above her, ready to deliver the finishing move, but then her ice claws went through her body without a spray of blood or the sound of ripping flesh. The snow girl was confused at first, but quickly realized to her foreboding sense of dread:

"Illusion!"

And, before she could react fast, sheering hot pain raked down her back as the succubus had actually cast a false image of herself using her powers, while doubling back and violently slashing Mizore with her lethal claws. Mizore wailed in pain, the lollipop from her mouth nearly falling out, and is suddenly kicked hard in the face by Kurumu, who sent the girl sailing to the ground with a loud crash.

"WATCH THIS, TSUKUNE!" Kurumu yelled as she nose dived toward Mizore, soon began free falling, triumphantly flashing her yellow panties as she landed with her knees on the girl's mid section, who let out a pained scream. "Let's see if Tsukune will want to have babies with you now."

Kurumu slashed at Mizore's chest and clothes before flying off and staring down at her mockingly. Bruised and winded, Mizore staggered to her feet with tattered clothes, her purple striped underwear partially visible, yet was nevertheless still ready to get at her and unleashed another volley of ice projectiles at the evading girl. She suddenly creates a tower of ice to jut up from under the ground and caused Kurumu to nearly collide with it, just as Mizore wanted who succeeded in hurling some small ice daggers at her right arm. Thinking it was another missed opportunity to maim her breasts, Kurumu came down with a slash of her claws and in a flash of crimson energy had succeeded in creating four, deep furrows in the ground, but Mizore was quick to dodge in time and made another brazen slash at her chest.

"Oh, I can't believe this!" Tsukune groaned. "They're going to alert everybody to where we are, at this rate!"

"Don't worry Tsukune, dear I'll put a stop to this!" Yukari said as she confidently leapt into the fray, heart-shaped wand in hand and ready to show off her skills. "Watch this!"

She began chanting some spells, but was hardly able to unleash much as Mizore was the first to deal with the new challenger.

"GET LOST BRAT!" she yelled, sweeping low on the young teen, causing her to momentarily fly in mid air, legs awkwardly up and exposing herself in an unseemly manner; Kurumu took care of that.

"GO TO HELL, BITCH!" she yelled as she came flying in and kicked her in the butt, sending the girl into a slide where she tumbled face first into the ground, skirt up and exposing dirited up, white underwear that showed a single, large picture of a teddy bear's face.

Visibly shaken, she slowly gets back up, her normally cheerful face now staring daggers at her now former, older "friends", with flushed cheeks and humiliation as the young, bruised witch was ready to mix things up.

"Now I'm mad!" she seethed.

Tsukune watched as there were now three of them fighting, Yukari's presence only intensifying the battle.

_You call this putting a stop to it? _he wondered, frantically.

Having no choice, Tsukune figured he had to do something to put a stop to it before someone got seriously hurt.

"That's enough, stop!" He cried, but none of them would listen. "You guys..."

He tried to run out there, thinking that putting himself in between them would get them to stop, but a sudden explosion sent him flying back on his ass, causing the small box in his pocket to tumble out and land at Moka's frozen feet, who finally breaks out of her icy prison.

"Tsukune?" she asked, seeing him lying on the ground, staring at the fight. It was then that she noticed the small box lying at her feet and upon opening it sees two, gold engagement rings, diamond encrusted with large, heart shaped ruby centers that radiated almost with a life of their own, its color matching Inner Moka's eyes. They were beautiful to behold and knew they must've been expensive as they were genuine rubies, but its when she picks them up and reads the engraving inside that read: _Tsukune + Moka, til the end of time_, that it brought tears to her huge, green eyes. He _had_ been ready to propose to her, but it was the fact that he had been thinking about her all this time that got to her, that he wanted her in his future after school as much as she wanted him to be and that all of this was his way of ensuring it, with a special gesture that no one else has ever done for her, a gesture that would be unique for them only. He was always like that, her Tsukune, rare amongst his or any kind, never failing to do something that warmed a heart so accustomed to coldness; she was real lucky to have him and as she looked at him any fear she had about the future was now gone. Tsukune, on the otherhand had plenty to worry about as the girls who were fighting for his affections were just getting warmed up, themselves, with their clothes in tatters, panties exposed for all the world to see and sweating profusely, yet neither taking their eyes off the other as they stood ready for to finish one another off.

"It would seem we've come to the end of our little 'friendship'," Kurumu said with an icy smile while brandishing her claws.

"'Friendship'?" Mizore asked as she brandished her own claws. "More like interference."

"I've had enough of both of you!" Yukari hissed as a blue pentagram glowed in between the heart shaped end of her wand.

_At this rate, they'll kill each other for sure!_ Tsukune panicked. _I gotta do something before Moka sees this._

"Will you guys listen!" He yells as he tried to get back up, unaware of Moka's discovery. "I was going to tell you guys, but me and Moka needed some time to talk! I had to ask her a question, so please stop fighting and let me explain everything!"

_Ah, this is a real mess! Why did things have to turn out like this? How am I going to ask Moka to marry me, now?_

"Tsukune," he heard a voice say his name and swung around to find standing quietly behind him. She looked as if she had been crying, and yet there was a kind and pleasant smile on her blushing face.

"M-Moka? Are you alright? I'm real sorry about everything, it wasn't supposed to turn out like this, I swear! I had it all planned out to where it was only going to be just the two of us, but then Mizore found out and Kurumu, and I don't know how to sto..."

Without letting him finish she grabs him by the head and, with a serene look on her face, shoves his face into her bosom. He didn't try to fight it, more caught off guard by the sudden move than anything, blushing terribly at being smothered by Moka's sweet breasts, that while not as large as Kurumu's, certainly felt just as nice to him, if not more so. It was then he noticed a silence on the battlefield and it didn't take him long for his momentary bliss to be replaced with a sense of dread as he realized that Moka's gesture was somehow enough to distract the combatants from each other and focus on them.

_Uh oh,_ he thought.

"That..." Kurumu growled as she eyed the two of them with contempt. "Moka's been lying low this whole time, hasn't she?"

"I thought I had eliminated her as a possible threat, but now I see she's been buying her time to take advantage of Tsukune!" Mizore yelled, while Yukari only had longing eyes at the two, wanting to be in the middle.

"You!" Kurumu roared as she flew into the sky and dove towards Tsukune and Moka with bared claws.

"Are!" Mizore yelled as she dashed towards Moka with her icy glove raised for the kill.

"Mine!" Yukari squealed as she ran to the two love birds with opened arms.

"Ahh! Run Moka, they've gone crazy!" Tsukune cried as he tried to stand infront of her with arms raised as to shield her. "I'll try to hold them off while you go!"

"Tsukune," she simply tells him, tenderly taking his hand into hers.

"Moka?"

"It's okay, Tsukune. I'm not afraid...because in the end, I'm with you."

And with that, without his knowledge, did he finally notice she'd placed his hand gently inbetween her breasts, and around her rosario, and with a noticeable 'plink' that seemed to echo through the night, she yanked his hand away, still gripping the cross shaped pendant that was only recently attached to the chain around her neck.

"Huh?" Kurumu gasped, and then quickly screamed, "OH SHIT!"

Before their frightened eyes, sweet little Moka was caught in a swirl of vampire bats and red, violent energy that engulfed all in the vicinity and pierced their very souls. They watched in awe as they saw her long legs get longer, her buttocks raised and hips toned up, her body became shapelier as expanding breasts strained against the dress's fabric, while the pink color in her long hair seemed to drain away like the very color was sapped out of it, leaving only a brilliant silvery mane that danced about a face that was no longer demure, but steadily sharpened with each passing second, until with a single flash kick from of one of her impressive legs, she now stood before them a completely different person, one who glared at them angrily with red, slitted eyes.

"M-Moka," Mizore stammered. "She purposely lured us in, again!"

"Idiots!" She growled in a low, deep voice, eyes glowing with rage at the three cowering girls. "You would disturb our private moment for your foolish antics?"

"B-But..." Kurumu stammered.

"Know-your-place!"

And with a running start, Moka dispatches all three with a single, powerful kick that sends them flying off, only to come tumbling down in a tangled heap; their fight gone.

"Ou-Ouch!" Kurumu muttered, lying ontop.

"It hurts," Mizore moaned as she laid in the middle.

"Why me?" Yukari groaned as she laid on the bottom.

Moka left her mighty leg outstretched momentarily, proudly displaying both grace and amazing dexterity with her limbs, as well as exposing those pure white panties she always wore, peeking out from between her legs as the flimsy dress she wore did little to maintain modesty during the entire action, but then again she knew the only one conscious enough to be looking was the boy who stared at her with awe. She was the only other woman besides Outer Moka he had eyes for, strange as it was, the sultry side who came out to kick the shit out of anyone who dared disturb them and though they were the same woman, at times it got a bit confusing being involved with both, feeling as though he was two-timing one for the other. He loved Outer Moka's gentle nature and serene beauty, whose jade eyes always looked at him with a love and passion he couldn't find in anyone else, and while he felt Inner Moka cared for him equally so, she was always so distant towards him, even after they began dating and whenever _she_ looked at him with those red eyes, intimidating as they sometimes were, he saw nothing but hunger, be it of a sexual nature or as food or both, he often didn't know; she was still something of an enigma. However, as she straightened herself up and locked eyes with him he noticed something strange in those dangerous eyes of hers, a softness, however minute it may have been, kept partially in check by her pride as a vampire, yet nevertheless was there and was soon followed by a loving smile he rarely ever saw unless she had just drank his blood or defeated an enemy.

"Tsukune," she said to him.

"Moka, look I'm sorry, okay. I didn't know they were going to show up like this, honest!" He tried to plead, worried she was going to kick him, too. However, she simply comes up to him and looks up lovingly at him with those red eyes that seemed to hypnotize him into almost forgetting what he was about to say. She casually strokes the side of his face, her incredibly long nails tracing over his cheek, tickling him at first, but was able to knick the skin enough to draw a little blood, which she seductively laps up from her finger, its rich, warm taste salivating her tongue; he blushed, but didn't protest.

"You're way too modest, Tsukune," she says in her low, sultry voice. "What is there to apologize for?"

"But Moka, tonight was supposed to be...ah!" he stammered as he began to feel her breasts, much larger than before, press themselves deeper and firmer into him, making him feel like puddy in her tender grasp. One thing he had to admit about this side of Moka, she wasn't as shy or reserved as the Outer persona, a sexual and almost animalistic side, which a part of him liked as much as the demure and caring side.

"Why, tonight is just how I like it. You showed up like you promised, didn't you?"

"Well...yes."

"And, you provided a couple of fools for me to come out and put in their place. And then you...well, I'd say tonight wasn't a complete waste."

"What do you mean?"

As she leaned in for a kiss a sudden flash of light shined in their faces and their tender moment was once again ruined.

"Hold it right there you two!" Came a lighthearted voice on the otherside of the orb of light. "Irresponsible youth cavorting after hours will be punished! However, master, if you'd like, we can switch roles and you can do the punishing? I might even be the one who needs it more!"

Tsukune knew there could be only one person who would call him master and make such an unusual proposal.

"Ruby," he sighed in frustration. "You too?"

The flashlight she held magically transformed back into a crooked staff with a crystal orb in the center and revealed what appeared to be a female security guard.

"So, now you're chief of security?" he asked, having by now grown used to her myriad of strange jobs she alternated on a whim around school.

"Yes I am," she replied with a smile, but soon became teary eyed as she recounted, "alas, many, many things have happened...there's too much to recount."

"You can drop the act, we know you work for the Headmaster already, " an impatient Moka said. "Now get out of that costume and state why you dare interfere?"

Pouting, she waved her staff and returned to her usual form of a young, exotic gypsy sorceress with her long hoop skirt and light pink corset top, porcelain skin that stood out in the dark, long raven hair with two braids on either side of her demure face, and large eyes that had a dark violet color to them, unusual looking to behold, which could be as serene as smooth marble stones in a stream when she was kind or as fiery as burning embers of coal when angered. Though, only two years older than they were, she has remained a stalwart friend of theirs ever since a near fatal encounter at her isolated home compelled the witch, once bigoted towards humans, to accompany them back to Yokai Academy and become extremely close to the human Tsukune, even developing a strange, S&M obsession over. Tsukune worried if that was what she was here for, just as the others had been worried about graduation and wanted to convince him to come away with her or just trying to get the most out of him, now.

"Ruby?" he warily asked. "Tell me you're not..."

"Relax master Tsukune, I didn't come to move in on what you've got going," she said cheerfully.

"Then why have you come? Speak!" Moka barked, growing defensive and a little confrontational at this latest intruder.

"I got word that you were planning on breaking curfew and after the disturbance that was made, I'd say I came just in time before Koyou and the Public Safety Commission showed up."

"Got word?" Tsukune asked, puzzled. "Got word from who?"

Moka sighed, as she knew exactly who and grew irritated that she would do such an immature and audacious act against her. It didn't take her long to figure out that she was also nearby.

"Alright, come out!" She yelled to the surrounding trees, to Tsukune's confusion. "Come out now or I'll level every single tree one by one if I have to!"

"Who are you talking to?" He asked.

He didn't have long to wait, though as a flash of red caught his eye, and soon saw a pair of red pony tails start to slowly peer out from behind a nearby tree, which were attacked to two angry, yet meek green eyes staring at them like a wary animal.

"Kokoa," Moka said with a smile on her face, though the 16 yr. old vampire knew better. "So you would tell on me to the school authorities, did you now? Your own sister?"

Nervously, her younger sister awkwardly stood in full view with her large pet bat at her side, hands behind her back with all the look of a guilty child, though only a year younger than Moka. Stubborn and proud as any vampire, half sister Kokoa Shuzen was never a stickler for romance, especially where it concerned Tsukune. Clad in a marroon naval shirt, short skirt and brown knee socks, she wasn't a stickler for the rules of others, either. Being a vampire was bad enough, but the daughter of vampire nobility meant she was just as haughty as Inner Moka was, who was the only other person in the world she admired most. Which was why the angry, young vampire couldn't fathom her idol being so infatuated with a guy like Tsukune, who even as a vampire now, still was not worthy in her eyes.

"Big sister!" she cried, flinging herself into her sister's bosom and rubbing her face in them, annoyingly. "Please don't be mad, I had to do it, he's not worthy of you, sis! Can't you see that? I overheard you two talking, I had Ko follow him and keep tabs on what he had planned! I couldn't let him go through with it!"

"Kokoa, I can't believe it!" Tsukune yelled. "Were you the one who alerted everybody that we'd be out here? No wonder this night's been strange!"

Kokoa then glared at him, her green eyes burning holes into his face and making him apprehensive.

"You," she growled. "You can't even hold a candle to father, he'd chew you up and spit you out! You're not worthy to join our house, don't stay with him, sis!"

"W-What is she talking about Moka?" He asked nervously, afraid she'd spill the beans about his surprise, but a little worried about the whole 'join our house' thing.

"Enough of this," Moka muttered, pushing the girl out of her bosom and kicking her high into the air. "You've meddled in things that are none of your concern. Stay out of our business or suffer the consequences, I won't tell you again."

Dazed and bruised after a brutal landing, an undaunted Kokoa ignores Moka's stern warning and trains her eyes on Tsukune. Ever since this human has been at her side, she rationalized, her sister hasn't been thinking straight and now she was going to sully the Shuzen gene pool by allowing this outsider into their family; she knew something had to be done at once. Grabbing her bat, Ko she squeezes the creature until it magically transforms into an enourmous, heavily spiked mace that she twirled with expert skill and little trouble.

"TSUKUNE, PREPARE TO DIE!" she cried out and charged at him, laughing maniacally.

"AAAAHH! KOKOA WAIT A MIUNUTE! RUN MOKA, SHE'S GONE CRAZY!"

It was instinct for him to tell her to run even though she could take care of herself, and the same instinct that compelled him to stand his ground ready to take the brunt of the oncoming attack just to shield Moka, but Moka calmly steps infront of him and kicks Kokoa again, her foot connecting with the girl's chin, which violently sent her and bat flying into the air. The bat landed first, bumping across the ground, but nevertheless okay, until it noticed a shadow growing all around him and looked up to see a pair of pink panties falling towards him, quickly realizing what was about to happen and tried to scurry out of the way, only to crushed under his master's weight as she tumbles into a bunch of tombstones and destroying much of the cemetery in the process.

"S-Sister, I swear I'll get you away from him before it's too late, I'll bring you back, I sw-urk!" Kokoa tearfully morned before passing out, her butt left awkwardly in the air, revealing Ko now imprinted against the seat of her underwear, flapping and calling out for his master.

"Honestly, Tsukune it's my sister, do you really think there's any danger where she's concerned?"

"She is always trying to fight you, but I guess I can't help it, that's just how I am when I'm with you," he said with a smile that made her choose to forgive him for his slight.

After rounding up all the beaten girls and having to clear up the mess with memebers of the Safety Commission, Ruby started herding them all back to the dorms as they struggled, while Tsukune and Moka, their night ruined tried to make the most of what was left of it before calling it a night.

"WHAAAHAAAA!" Kurumu cried as she and the other girls were being herded through the dorm entrance. "I WANTED TO STAY AWHILE AND TALK WITH MY TSUKUNE!"

"YOU MEAN MY TSUKUNE!" Mizore argued.

"GUYS, DON'T FORGET ME!" Yukari cheerily called out.

"NO, BIG SISTER DON'T GO WITH HIM, HE'S A WEAKLING!" Kokoa cried. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME, WITCH! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM! MY FATHER WILL KILL YOU FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!"

"You created a disturbence on campus grounds after hours, now you need to be punished accordingly!" Ruby scolded, holding them all back with a row of strangely adorned black crows wings she had summoned to appear on her back and using them as restraints. "As Head Chief Disciplinary Officer, it's up to me to decide the punishment suitable for each of you! A round of severe paddlings would do the trick!"

"EEEEK!" cried Ko, still stuck to Kokoa's butt.

"STOP IT, IT ITCHES!" she scolded him.

"AAAAAH! TSUKUNE, HELP ME!" Kurumu cried in a panic.

"What about Moka, why isn't she being punished?" Mizore asked.

"Tsukune and Moka were running late after working on school related activities, and since there's nothing wrong with that, they get off scott free! So for now, I'm sure they have enough time to wrap things up?"

Ruby glances back at Tsukune and gives him a wink as she shoves the girls inside, Kurumu crying all the while. He sighed with relief that it was all over and he was alone with Moka, now. After all these years, though his friends' antics were not surprising and all in all this was just another, crazy day for him, however there was one thing that made it stand out from all the others before.

"Moka," he said softly, whose back was to him.

This whole time she had been staring at the engagement ring on her hand, transfixed at its brilliance, the most brilliant things she had ever seen on any other vampiress, and were now in her posession, she was so touched by the gesture that it made even her normally stoic face blush.

"Yeah, like I said before I'm sorry tonight didn't turn out the way you would've wanted it to. I was going for something romantic, but...there was something I needed to ask and, well I figured..."

She turned around with eyes still fixated on her finger, and he was surprised to see her blushing profusely, with eyes that seemed to be trying to fight back the emotions and maintain her cooll countenance, but he could tell somethine was up. He looked down at her hand and could see why.

_The rings, she found them!_ He thought in a panic.

"When did you...?" he tried to ask, but he knew the gig was up. "I was saving for it a surprise."

"They're beautfiul," she quietly remarked.

"I know. They were supposed to match your eyes, I really wanted something that stood out. Those are real gems, by the way."

"How were you able to...?" she tried to ask, so awestruck that a guy like him could something like this, but the words escaped even her.

"You can thank Ruby for that. She knew of a fortune teller who owned some of the rarest jewelry in the world and that's how I found them, but of course the price was steep. So, over the break I had to do a series of 'odd' jobs for her, don't ask me what, and was finally able to afford them and have them engraved. I waited until tonight to give them to you and, well, ask you an important question. I know the night is ruined and everything, but Moka I...Moka?"

_He went through all that trouble just to get this for us_, she could hear Outer Moka's thoughts say, which seemed to echo her own sentiments.

She at last, flicked her red eyes up at him and their gaze met, his very being transfixed on the spot as she slowly approaches him and slides her hands about the sides of his face, their texture so soft and delicate to feel. Half expecting her to bite him, she instead forces his lips to her own and kissed him long and hard. It felt like heaven to him, his feet lifting off the ground and floating on air as he kissed her back with equal intensity, but then the kiss became so much more as Moka literally poured a portion of her massive power into the kiss, vampiric energy surging with passion and it nearly made Tsukune faint before she finally released him.

"Wow," he gasped, breathless and weak in the knees.

"Save your question for tomorrow, my love," she purred as she stared at him intently with a pleased smile. "Til then, I leave with a piece of you with me."

"Sure thing, uh what? AAAAAH!"

Moka bites him on the neck, deeply at first and then tenderly, her slender arms wrapped about him to keep her lover from escaping.

"See you later, my bloodmate," Moka tells him as she slips the rosario back into place and blowing him a kiss as she slowly reverts back to her pink haired, outer persona.

Her eyes closed, drained from the transfer, his pink haired princess started to lean back and fall, so he quickly regains his composure in time to catch her gently into his arms and when she opened her eyes, greeting him with those large emeralds of hers, she begins to blush so terribly that her entire face almost turned pink and feared she might actually passed out.

"Are you okay, Moka?" he asked, holding her up.

"Oh...yes, I am," she answered with a warm smile.

"You okay to stand up?"

"I am, th-thankyou," she said, standing up and then, standing on her toes gives him another passionate kiss on the lips. It wasn't as intense as Inner Moka's, but it left him breathless, just the same.

_Oh yes, I'm going to learn to love this, _he thought happily.

"What was that for?" He asked. 

"For being you," she said with happy tears in her shimmering eyes. "For being my only hope and giving me everything I need, most."

She starts to walk away, but Tsukune reached for her hand with a sudden desperation that felt, to her as though he was trying to keep her from drifting away. To Tsukune, he had to pop the question now or it seemed like he might never get to.

"Moka, there's...there's still something I have to say."

"I know. Ask me tomorrow, Tsukune."

"But, that's what Inner Moka said. Why tomorrow and what did she mean by 'bloodmate'? Do you need time to think about it?"

"Oh no Tsukune, there's nothing to think about, I just want you to wait and you'll have your answer by then, okay?" She said happily.

"So, tomorrow then?"

"Have I ever let you down?"

"Okay. Tomorrow it is, then."

"See you then."

"Alright," he said, trying to sound up beat, but a little disappointed as he looked down at the half empty box.

"Oh, that reminds me," Moka said and came scurrying back to him, which elated the boy to see, until he found out what for.

Moka opened her fang filled mouth and bit his neck once again, biting in a different area so as to avoid sloppy seconds and getting another healthy dose of her lover's exquisite nectar.

"Ah, Tsukune your blood was like the icing on the cake," she said, eyes closed, hands gripping her face and swaying her hips excitedly. "I'm gonna love looking forward to it everyday from now on! Goodnight, Tsukune."

She hurries happily to her room, leaving Tsukune on the ground, half weak from having his blood drained by two vampires for the price of one, and shakily reaching out for her.

_I'm gonna have to learn to get used to that, too! _He thought.

Once in her room, Moka couldn't help, but dance around happily to herself.

"I can't believe it!" She laughed with joy. "He wants to marry me! I knew it! I knew he wanted to stay with me, I mean the both of us!"

**Calm down. He's asked us, in no uncertain terms, and wants to be mates with us. You know what needs to be done, then right?**

She stopped dancing, but glancing all the while at the beautiful engagement ring she listened to her inner persona's words without any trepidation.

"Yes, I know."

**He mustn't know right away what's about to happen or he may not go through with it. His human mentality often gets the better of him, there's still much he needs to learn, first.**

"M'okay," she said, walking infront of her window where she stares out across the courtyard to the boy's dormitory and sees Tsukune just now walking past his window, where he stops and smiles over at her. She smiles back and waves, he waves back, it was a nightly ritual they made sure to do before going to bed every night since the first night, even though their little ritual was often interrupted by Mizore spying on him as she was doing now, squatting in her old, peeping perch in the courtyard's tree, her butt already red from Ruby's punishment, yet focusing on him with her binoculars, nevertheless.

After closing the curtains and slipping off her dress, Moka stood half naked in her white panties, clutching the silk dress to her bare, supple breasts as she stared once more at the fat engagement ring, its symbol clear and strong of how much they meant to each other. Through thick and thin, Tsukune was always there for her, and now he always would be a part of it, there was no longer any question about it. The name, Moka Aono sounded like an unending song playing in her pretty little head, exciting her and yearning for the day when she would be called that like a child awaiting for Christmas. Tossing her dress to the bed, she eagerly takes off her shoes and starts rubbing away the sores from standing in them all evening before turning on the closet light to put them up, but it's when she bends down to place them amongst her myriad of shoes did she notice a pair that were unrecognizable. They were a pair of dirty loafers, positioned unusually with her girlish pumps and slippers, which she found odd, but she soon noticed that these pair of shoes were attached to a pair of legs partially hidden behind some of her clothes.

Someone was in the room with her.

Panicked, she tried to run, but before she could take one step from the closet she felt a gloved hand smother her mouth and hold her in place, then something sharp painfully pierced the side of her neck, which very quickly caused the whole room to tilt on it's axis and everything gradually darkened. She couldn't scream, couldn't cry out for help or even utter a whimper as she fell limp to the floor and left helpless to whoever was hovering over her, now.

_T-Tsukune, _she thought sadly, seeing his smiling face one last time right before the darkness finally claimed her.


	3. You're Still You

Chapter 3

You're Still You

**6 Weeks ago.**

Miyabi Fujisaki, agent of Fairy Tale, scum, and all-around, two-legged snake was unusually quiet on this particular night as he slithered down the dark corridor, his suave figure, draped in black with his jet black hair all slicked back so well against the surrounding shadows that it made his pale, triangled shaped face appear to hover in midair. However, as sinister as he seemed, descending into the lower levels and passing through slivers of dim light that shown every once in a while, it was evident that this snake wasn't alone and that his company was every bit as ominous, if not more foreboding than he was, even though few might not know it by looking at the two women who trailed behind. Still, he was shrewd and after working in this business for as long as he had, Miyabi knew how to ingratiate himself when in the presence of such dangerous beauties, especially when those beauties happened to be vampires, none more dangerous than these two: the commander of Fairy Tale's operations and matriarch of the Shuzen household, Gyokuro Shuzen, who walked upon his shadow at a menacing pace, yet looked on stoically. A small woman with an oversized officer's coat draped over her spray tanned skin, short blonde hair, bedazzled wrists of jewelry and a short, black skirt she hardly seemed the type that would over run a shadowy organization like this, but a pair of red eyes betrayed any such notions to the contrary. He wasn't too worried about his commander though, as Miyabi could cleverly con his way out of any hostile situation should he ever get on her bad side, heaven help anyone else and it also helped that he was in good with her oldest daughter, Kahlua. It was the other woman however, who was accompanied by a frumpy, goblin servant that trailed behind warily, that had him a little more concerned. Clad in black as he was, with a shiny latex rubber dress that poured over nearly every part of her sinuous body from the neck to the ankles, leaving only her pale face and lengthy, black hair exposed, while leather clad boots and gloves gave a very stern appearance for the raven haired beauty, but whose very countenance would be better suited to gracing swimsuit magazine covers. Nevertheless, he knew better than to underestimate Ria Sekitan or how important it was to never lower your guard around the very woman who had become the Shuzen clan's Right Hand soldier and he knew, even as they walked, that she was watching him, he could feel her dark, red eyes training upon the back of his head, eyeing him like a piece of meat and making him a little nervous. She was a beautiful woman, there was no arguing that, and they have had their fair share of wild nights where she liked it rough, but Ria has many times made it clear that he was just another plaything to her like all her men, that he was there to amuse her and nothing more, and should she grow tired of him then she'll dispose of him without a care; aside from that, he was fine with the arrangement. Yet, even for rat like him, he had to watch his tail when that one was nearby, he certainly hadn't expected that the commander would bring _her _along, but if she absolutely had to come, then he knew something was up and he only hoped what they saw wouldn't incur the wrath of either.

"How much further?" Gyokuro growled impatiently. "I feel like I've been walking in circles following you around!"

"Not much, I assure you," he replied in his usual, casual demeanor. "She's been eagerly awaiting your arrival, trying to keep things in running order. We've been working like mad making sure things were in tip, top..."

"Save your pleasantries, you pompous fool, it may appease my daughter, but it won't on me. If there is any work that needs to be done around here, I assure _you_, I'll be the one doing it."

At the sound of that ominous threat, he knew better than to say anything further.

"Oh me, oh my," he heard Ria giggle behind him. "I do believe you've frightened our host, My Lady. I so love hearing that debonair voice of his. You don't find many lackeys with your charisma, Miyabe. You really should take a position at the castle."

"What, as one of your personal servants? No thank you, I've heard how you 'run out' of servants a lot, besides I'm quite comfortable doing the job I have now. You know going out and meeting new people, oh and killing them, too."

"Really, oh what a shame," she pouted seductively. "I know Kahlua would've been happy to have you around more, and so would I, for that matter."

Miyabi smiled, relishing for only a moment at his past sexual encounters with both Kahlua and this tall, dark vixen for an older sister on the side; in fact he's even had Kahlua's own mother, as well. What was even better about that was that Kahlua knew and didn't mind at all, whereas both mother and Ria were only interested in sex and nothing serious at all; that was what he liked about vampires, they were horny, morally base creatures whose immortality made them care little about matrimony and not concerned with romance like the ones kids read about in books.

"Interesting conversation, now how soon will we get there?" Gyokuro barked.

"We're here."

Descending down the steps, they finally reached a vast, dimly lit laboratory full of tall beakers, Bunsen burners and vats of red fluids. The room was dark, with the exception of a few, lighted transparent vats that showed an eerie glow over the man and his guests, providing them the only light for them to use, if they wanted, but all three were as much at home in the dark as any cockroach. However, there was one area in front of him where any the remaining light seemed to halt, a place that was completely consumed in shadow like a black hole, and it was here he brought their journey to a stop.

"What is this place?" Gyokuro asked.

"An old hold over from the organizations early years, some out of the way place that was barely looked at by the various branches. Call it a 'tax write off'."

"Fascinating," said Ria, who walked about the room like a curious child, looking in at all the beakers filled with the strange fluid, exaggerating the shape of her reflection on the other side. "Ooolock, careful not to knock anything over, I know what a walking disaster you can be."

"Yes, my mistress, Ooolock will be careful," the goblin said.

"Why show me this, now?" Gyokuro asked. "Why were we brought here?"

"Because, if there was one thing you had to see in all your many years on this earth, I wanted to make sure you saw this, presented to you by your humble agent and erstwhile daughter," came a voice that seemed to drift out of the dark void in front of them.

Footsteps were heard walking slowly and calmly towards them, echoing off the massive bricked walls all around, until what at first appeared to be a red eyed, ghostlike woman peering out at them from the darkness with a most, chilling smile. Slowly, the figure emerged and out stepped a short, Chinese vampire in a black dragon dress and matching thigh highs, hair in a pair of black pony tails that seemed to spread out about her like curved horns, and tiny lips that were all the while grinning like a cat, with her pale skin glowing whiter than what would've been acceptable for even a vampire.

"Akua, it's about time," said Gyokuro. "You've disappeared for a while without my consent, only to reappear and start making a mess of things."

"I do apologize for the mess, commander," she said with a sweeping bow. "I've been rather busy as of late sorting things out within the organization."

"You mean sorting things out within _**my**_ organization! An organization that you saw fit to nearly destroy by systematically wiping out many of its branches!"

"Just cleaning house, commander," Akua continued, head still bowed. "Eliminating uncooperative elements within the organization, in a way to ensure a far more orderly organization rather than one where everyone is at each other's throats."

"THAT IS NOT FOR YOU TO DECIDE, YOU FOOLISH CHILD! I decide who is and who isn't expendable, not you! You had no right to create this internal strife!"

"Oh me, oh my, dear mother Gyokuro don't be so harsh on my adopted sister. She was only doing what she had to. By eliminating all, but those loyal to herself, she's trying to achieve something big, once again aiming for lofty goals too high for her own, diminished capacity. It's what she does best."

"And hello to you too, Ria Sekitan," Akua said with a smile as she stood up. "I see you're as warm and hospitable as you've always been. Tell me, do you still play chess?"

"Why of course, as always, it _is_ the game of champions, after all. As I remember, the last time you played you had such a hard time playing that you left a rather poor impression, but I guess it can't be helped, in your case."

"Hm, well I was always more of a Go player, anyway."

"Go? Oh yes, that little peasant's game you foreigners love to play with, well I'm sure it's quite riveting to play."

"'Peasant's game'? I guess you can call the game that the brilliant general, Sun Tzu and the Viet Cong based all their strategies on to defeat the chess playing Americans a mere 'peasant's game', if that helps."

"Oh it does, sister dear, it does."

"Well, my sister, allow me to show you what it taught me?"

With a snap of her finger, over a dozen armed men in black surrounds Akua at her beckon call.

"You see, sister dear, it's all about securing ones territory...or taking it, that is how you play the game!"

"And that is why you went on a killing spree within my organization, Akua?" Gyokuro asked. "Were you trying to secure _your_ territory?"

"If so, then which move were planning when you called us out here, sister dear?" Ria asked, her fanged filled mouth grinning ever so broadly as if eager for the challenge.

"Stay your hand, I didn't bring you here to fight, I know I wouldn't stand much of a chance, anyway. What I have to show you is strictly business related, you see. You remember my beloved grandfather, Alucard do you not?"

"Yes, that failed attempt to revive your relict freak of an ancestor, how could I not remember?" Ria chuckled.

"I remember, so what of it?"

"You know that he belongs to the ancient and all powerful vampire race known as the shinso, a rare and small group whose blood is so unique that it can only be passed down through infusion, making them an extremely exclusive conclave, but whose membership includes one other member besides my grandfather that we know of, father's beloved Akasha Bloodriver, whose blood was the only thing that could've revived him."

"Yes I know," Gyokuro said impatiently. "He was supposed to wipe out all humanity and Akasha stopped him. So?"

"So, she wasn't the only key. Well, we tried to use her to awaken him and failed with her being devoured by Alucard himself, voluntarily keeping him sealed from within him and losing our key in the process, however we still had a trump card in the form of her own daughter, Moka. See, when our sister was born she was gravely ill, so to save her Akasha infused her child with some of her own blood, passing the shinso strain down to her. With that in mind, we decided to use Moka instead and the plan seemed full proof, if not for miscalculating one, important factor."

"Tsukune Aono," Miyabi added with disdain, at which Gyokuro bristled.

"Tsukune?" Ria asked with a peeked interest.

"A young vampire courting your sister," Gyokuro responded.

"Is that so? I don't think I've heard of this one before."

"Indeed, he is quite the curiosity, that boy is, and I intend to learn all I can about him," Gyokuro added. "What we do know is that he, somehow holds the same kind of blood as both Akasha and Moka, but I don't think he is a shinso vampire or we surely would've heard of him by now. Not only that, but he somehow is able to remove Moka's rosario without difficulty."

"Really? But, I thought only father and Lady Akasha had that power, so how is it this stranger possesses such a talent?"

"I don't know."

"What House does he belong to?"

"That's a mystery, I have not heard of this Aono family in all my efforts to gather information on the lad or his lineage."

"So, this enigma of a vampire was responsible for Alucard's defeat this time around?" Ria commented. "And, sister is currently dating him, a man with, as far as we know, no past or household to belong to? Hm, that is interesting."

"I never said he has no past or household he belongs to; I simply haven't found that information, yet!" Gyokuro angrily reiterated. "In any case, his interference cost us dearly all just to make a name for himself."

"Oh, but you are mistaken, commander," Akua corrected. "It wasn't fame and glory he was after, it was to save her, and in the end his resolve became the one thing that we underestimated the most, his resolve for our sister, your step daughter. He was so devoted to her well-being, that he and his friends were able to carry the day against our most well trained operatives and rescued not only Moka, but managed to free Akasha from her long, dormant incarceration."

"Oh me, oh my, it sounds like my dear sister has found herself a most unique pet," Ria purred. "I should very much like to meet with this, Aono character."

_Oh me, oh my, indeed you grinning fool, _Akua thought with sinister intent. _But, I have my own plans with him. You, on the other hand won't be around for long to enjoy him, I assure you._

"This is all very riveting reliving past failures and all, but my patience is wearing thin and I certainly hope, for your sake you didn't bring me here just for that!" Gyokuro angrily demanded.

"Perhaps, she wants to try and revive that gargantuan mess she calls a grandfather?" Ria joked. "Oh, I have an idea, why not reunite them by shoving my dearly, challenged sister into his crypt. It would be one, big family reunion, how does that sound?"

"In spite of my sister's generous offer, I do indeed plan on reviving my grandfather."

"WHAT? I FORBID IT! That project was a costly and humiliating failure! I will not allow a second attempt at abducting either Akasha or Moka and try resurrecting that behemoth of a grandfather of yours!"

"But..."

"NO! I DO NOT WISH TO DISCUSS IT!"

"But..." Akua calmly and bravely continued to say, in spite of Gyokuro's threatening tone, "I never said we would use mother Akasha or Moka, we wouldn't have to. We have another trump card to work with."

"Who? Tsukune Aono? You abduct him, who's to say Moka won't come after him, the way he did for her?"

"Oh me, oh my, I highly doubt it, my Lady. No woman, much less my dear sister would be stupid enough to go through that much trouble for one man, daddy's little girl is far too much of a princess to do anything like that. Besides, surely she is smart enough to know that she could just find another man just as loyal as this, Tsukune person."

"In any case, I wasn't referring to the Aono boy, either."

"Then who?" Gyokuro asked, impatiently. "I grow weary of this game of yours; you had better get on with it!"

"Very well. Lights!"

With the sound of heavy light switches moving, echoing off the large room, in almost an instant all around them seemed to light up and illuminate the strange room, adding a more tolerable atmosphere that had not existed previously, however it wasn't their new surroundings that had both vampires staring in awe, but rather it was who was floating right in front of them, trapped in a large, plexi glass tank for all to see.

"W-What is this?" Gyokuro asked. "Why is she in there?"

There, floating semi-conscious in a container of red, blood like fluid was the nude body of Moka Akashiya, her long silvery hair undulating freely as if alive, while her flawless body suspended freely in a graceful manner with bubbles hovering all around like a life-sized ballerina figure in a large, red snow globe, with the exception of a breathing apparatus and a feeding tube that disrupted this pristine image, whose face was peacefully unaware of her surroundings, as though asleep. A life support system whined and beeped loudly nearby, lines of light swiveling in a rhythmic pattern, indicating that she was at least still alive, and yet her eyes remained closed to all who viewed her curiously.

"Why is Akasha's daughter in that...thing? Answer me, Akua!"

"Oh me, oh my," Ria said, doing little to hide the awe that she, herself was now in, "the hell you are going to catch once father learns of this. Abducting her for your foolish grandfather, is one thing, but kidnapping her again, stripping her naked and then sticking her in a glass container, oh me, oh my, that's bold even for me."

"I didn't authorize this, explain yourself!"

"Well, if you would both cease your boisterous and unnecessary threats," Akua calmly demanded, "I'd be glad to."

"W-Wha...how dare you!" Gyokuro growled, incensed that this mere child dare to say to her, in no uncertain terms, to shut up.

"Commander Shuzen, my Lady," Miyabi tried to calmly interject. "I'm sure my Lady would be much, more interested in wanting to get to the bottom of this matter than punishing your own ward, are you not?"

"...Fine then, explain yourself as to why Akasha's brat is in that chamber? Who authorized you to take her?"

"No one authorized me, because I did not take my sister. Well, you are right about one thing, commander, that girl in there is indeed Akasha's daughter...but the one you're thinking about is currently at Yokai Academy, safe and sound, living happily with Tsukune and her obnoxious Newspaper Club; I haven't done anything to that one."

When Akua saw the confused looks on both Gyokuro and Ria's faces, Ria's expression being especially delightful to the crafty woman, she knew she had them where she wanted.

"Allow me to explain. Does the name, Aleister Faust ring a bell? It should, he was Akasha's personal physician both before and during her pregnancy. He was also a brilliant Alchemist, renowned for his use of the Philosopher's Stone in all of his experiments, but unbeknownst to her and everyone else he was also one of my grandfather's most loyal servants and masqueraded as a trusted confident as he looked after my ailing step mother during labor. Well, you all know the story, Moka's birth was a turbulent one and when finally conceived, she was so weak it looked as though she might not survive the night, so with no other alternative, Akasha infused her with her own blood and revived my sister. How do we know this? Well, mostly because of Aleister, who was there and witnessed the inspirational moment between mother and daughter. What he neglected to tell was how, after he had taken baby Moka from her mother to 'inspect her condition', as was his role and thus unsuspicious, and while alone with her, he took DNA samples. Akasha's noble and motherly act had inspired him, alright, inspired him with the idea of using the shinso blood she injected into her daughter to revive Alucard by himself and bypass any of our difficulties, by secretly creating a perfect, healthy clone of Moka Akashiya."

"But, cloning vampires is impossible," Ria told her. "It's not like he was the first to try, so how was he so successful?"

"You're right about that, dear sister," Akua said, cockily mocking Ria's tone in the process. "Cloning vampires is impossible, the young clones usually die after each attempt, however it was because of the strength of Akasha's shinso blood, which could heal any injury and was strong enough to rejuvenate an ailing baby, that must've made the clone strong enough to endure the process and allowed it to survive. What you see here is the fruit of his labor, years in the making, a successful clone that was flawless in every way, in a way Moka's hidden twin sister, and for the last 17 years she has grown and developed at a normal rate here below, while our Moka has been growing and developing in the world above. Oh, she wasn't completely stunted in her development as you can see, the Doctor was mindful enough to conduct physiological tests and training to increase her strength, mild speech therapy and rudimentary awareness to provide some level of cognition, but for the most part she is a blank slate."

"A blank slate? You mean she's as smart as one of Kahlua's dolls? Oh me, oh my, that is priceless."

"Yes, he figured she'd be easier to control that way."

Curious, Ria walked about the tank, wanting to get a closer look at this curiosity that resembled her hated, younger sister who floated helplessly before her on life support.

"Unbelievable," Gyokuro seethed.

"I know, I was a little taken away when I first saw this," Miyabi said to her. "It really gives a whole new meaning to weird science."

"That _this _was going on underneath her nose, it would have been worth seeing the look on that whore's face if it wasn't so appalling."

"Come now, I thought you hated both mother and daughter?" Akua asked. "Wouldn't this please you?"

"Please me? Hardly. Yes, I loathed your father's whore and her bastard daughter very much, but this comes back to our household and our nobility as a superior race to allow for this...man to clone even one of us! It's distasteful!"

"Uh, sister dear, it would appear that the good doctor's creation wasn't as perfect as you claimed," Ria said, pointing up at a small, dark heart-shaped birthmark on the clones upper left, butt cheek. "Don't take what I say out of context, but I do believe our darling sister has no birthmarks on her body that we know of."

"Oh, but that was done intentionally. See, the 'good doctor' as you put it was about as vain as...heh, well he was vain. He wanted to be able to distinguish his work from the real thing by leaving a telltale mark."

"Hm, so he left his stamp of approval on her, huh; how considerate of him."

"This man's fate will be swift and painful, I assure you of that," Gyokuro growled menacingly.

"You don't have to worry, he's dead," Akua said. "He was one of my targets in my purge of the organization. He thought he could keep this hidden from me, to use her for his own ambitions like trying to control my grandfather. He was a fool, _but_ a brilliant fool, at that."

"Why did he wait in using this girl, at all?" Ria asked.

"He was hoping we'd fail on our end, before he enacted his plan, and once the dust settled from our failed operations, he would begin removing grandfather's tomb from hiding; he would've been quite successful, too had I not caught up to him. Oh, before I forget, there is one interesting aspect about Moka's twin that I think you should bear witness to. The good doctor had been keeping tabs on the original Moka as well and noticed how she interacted with Tsukune, specifically with his blood, so when mighty Aono came barging in to the rescue, he left enough of his blood lying around for the good doctor to wisely collect so as to feed to the twin and...well."

She walks over to a nearby tray table where she picks up a half emptied syringe containing Tsukune's blood and injects it into the clone's feeding tube. Almost instantly, the heart monitor picks up and they saw a noticeable expression come over her once placid face.

"Tsukune, whatever he is, apparently has more than just shinso blood coursing through his veins. I've smelled it, as have Kokoa and Kahlua, and we've all noticed it has a powerful draw to it, stronger than any blood we've tasted before or since; however Moka has an unusually strong affinity towards it, an affinity that her twin seems to share."

"This boy grows curiouser and curiouser by the minute," Ria purred. "A shame you've kept him from me."

"Yes, however it's not so much the physical response that's intriguing. With the first feeding, that's all it was, but by the second and every other since..."

Akua injected more into the feeding tube and again it elicited a response, this time they focused more on her facial expressions and were stunned to see what almost looked like a sense of familiarity.

"As you can see, there is an emotional response. Of all the time he spent with her, she never once exhibited that before until he fed her Aono's blood."

"How would you explain that?" Gyokuro asked.

"I'm not sure. It's almost like what you hear about twins possessing some psychic bond, experiencing the same likes and dislikes, and perhaps in this case they may even share the same, strong feelings for the same boy. Or, perhaps it's just a fluke, but an interesting one worth taking note of, so much so that the doctor had become fascinated by young Aono and had managed to keep a dossier on both him and his entire family, and by the time I intervened he was already plotting to abduct them for study, so as to maintain a constant supply of blood to keep his experiment happy."

"So, what did he learn about the boy, and whatever happened to this dossier?" Ria inquired.

Akua just smiled and replied: "It's in safe keeping."

"Fascinating," Gyokuro muttered. "So, now what?"

"Well, we use her. It should be plainly obvious. At least this way we can resume the original plan of awakening Alucard without any interference from Moka, her boyfriend or that little Newspaper Club of theirs."

"So you still insist on carrying on with this fool errand?"

"Of course."

Akua turns her back to them and looks lovingly upon her secret baby sister, the twin sister Moka Akashiya never knew of, floating so freely and without concern and with Shinso blood there just for the taking.

"Look at it. You may find it disgusting, Lady Shuzen, but you have to admit this is the stuff of miracles. It would be a shame to let her go to waste; she was made to take the place of my beloved sister, my _other_ sister, as was meant for her. I love my sister Moka, and hated putting her through all that drama, but this way works so much better. I hope that by seeing her for yourself, you'll allow for the shock to wear away and fully embrace a new way of think..."

Before Akua could finish the sentence, she felt a sharp pain erupt through her chest, abrupt and suddenly. She couldn't figure out what was wrong at first, thinking it was just some chest pains and that she may have merely misspoken and tried to speak again, only for her words to come out in a hoarse, pained gasp. But then, her thoughts quickly collected themselves and it was there that she smelled her scent right up next to her head, having moved so fast and so eerily close that it surprised even her to not only notice, but see Ria's dark, grinning face in the reflection of the tank and realize immediately what had happened. Akua didn't need to look down, but did so anyway to see Ria's gloved hand, soaked in her own blood, poking out through her bosom, having ripped through the silken fabric, bones and tendons on its way through Akua like a white hot dagger.

"R-Ria," she gasped as her knees grew weak.

"Oh me, oh my, that was the first time you ever turned your back around me, you must be getting slow in your addled mind, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I finally showed you your place," Ria gloated as she violently rips her hand out of the cavity she made in her adopted sister and watched her slide to the floor. "That's what they teach you in chess, appreciating the virtues of patience and waiting for the right time to strike, what a shame you could never learn that."

"Ria you dog, I'll see you suffer slowly for this. MEN, TAKE HER! TAKE HER, NOW!"

Akua looked around at all her men, all those she thought she could trust, but none of them would move on her behalf.

"What? I gave you all an order!"

"Oh, you poor dumb fool," Gyokuro said as she looked down at her, coldly. "Did you really think all your purging of my organization would guarantee you power over me? You forget, these are my men! And your presence in this organization and my family is at an end."

"M-Miyabi!" She turned to her conniving associate, desperately hoping for someone to obey her, for someone to come to her aid.

"Sorry, love," he said in his usual, casual manner. "But, the Commander is the boss, and I'd rather not be 'terminated' if you know what I mean, plus I've got a 10:00 appointment with her daughter which she promised I could go if I didn't give you up, so..."

In her weakened state, Akua Shuzen, the once feared assassin of the underworld looked around desperately for any ally to come, but a forlorn realization soon came over as she was forced to admit that she was alone and at the mercy of her enemies.

"M-Mark...mark my words," she tried to threaten, trying desperately to speak through a waning consciousness, "I'll make sure that you all..."

"Men, take this trash from my sight," Gyokuro ordered, which they all complied without hesitation, and as Miyabi watched her be dragged from the room, half expecting to see a look of defeat on the wounded vampire, he instead caught a small glimpse of what he almost mistook for as a smirk, but shook it off as a figment of his imagination and poor lighting.

"My, that was satisfying!" Ria boasted. "Of all my sisters, I'd say Akua was my second, least favorite. However, thanks to her I found out that my least favorite sister of all had been cloned by a mad scientist without her knowledge; oh me, oh my, what an epic day it's been. Let's releaser her and see what makes her tick, shall we?"

"Destroy her," Gyokuro demanded.

"Come again?"

"You heard me! Burn her, chop her up, drown her, I don't care, but I do not want this..._thing_ to see the light of day, ever! It is an abomination, an eyesore and I want it gone, is that understood?"

"Well, don't you think I have something to say?"

"Do you, now?"

Gyokuro glared down at her petulant stepdaughter, and Ria reluctantly remembered her place.

"Just because you serve my husband as his right-hand officer, doesn't give you status over me! When he is not around, you serve me, got it!"

"Absolutely, my Lady."

"Humph."

"Shall I see to the clone's destruction, commander?" Miyabi suggested.

"No, my overeager stepdaughter will take care of it, if she knows what's good for her. Come, I want to get out of this place and wish to put all of this behind me. I'll have need of your services."

The comment and the tone of her voice suggested a whole lot more to the man that didn't need spelling out, and like an obedient plaything he followed after his commander as they left a clearly vexed Ria alone with her underling, and a tantalizing new sister at her disposal. More and more, she was growing fascinated with the clone in her crimson aquarium, her red eyes transfixed.

"Mistress, shall Ooolock destroy the girl?" Ooolock offered.

"Destroy? Oh me, oh my, whatever for?"

"But, Lady Shuzen ordered..."

"Oh, you dimwitted fool. I know what she told me, but what she don't know...well, won't hurt you, and that's if you should breath a word of this to anyone, got it?"

"Yes, my mistress," Ooolock complied with open dread.

"Akua was right about one thing, she is too good to go to waste, Gyokuro just doesn't have the imagination."

She touches the glass with her bloody fingers, red smears forming along it as her dark eyes glanced up at the girl, who remained completely unaware of this dark fiend staring at her and whose intentions involved this nude ballerina.

"Oh me, oh my, we are going to have so much fun, won't we my dear sister."

**Weeks later.**

**Wake up! **Inner Moka cried from her rosario prison. **I said, wake up!**

Groggily, Moka wakes up and finds herself still lying on the floor of her dorm room, half naked and sore. Sunlight wafted into the room through closed curtains, the only thing that was clearly visible to her blurry vision, but a slight sting to her neck quickly brought her senses to full alert.

_Wha-what happened? _She wondered, frantically looking about the room.

**Someone attacked us in our room, remember?**

She immediately recalled the previous night, her last memory of encountering some unseen presence lurking in her closet; she didn't get a good look at who it was, but the feeling of absolute terror was unmistakable, and then...nothing, everything went black. Worried that whoever it was might still be around, she leapt to her feet, grabbed an umbrella and cautiously stalked toward the closet, the door still cracked ominously open, revealing a foreboding sliver of darkness awaiting her on the other side, a warning of some unforeseen evil lurking within.

"Hello?" She called to the closet. "Who's in there? I'm not afraid of you, show yourself!"

_What am I doing, I should get out of here?_

**Don't be weak! Even though our powers are sealed, we are still a vampires of the House of Shuzen, don't let this coward think he can overtake us! **

Bowing to her inner self, Moka's hand gripped tightly around her umbrella, while the other shakily reaches for the door handle and flings it open ready for an attack, only to find nothing. With the exception of clothes and shoes, the closet stood empty and undisturbed. Feeling relieved, she starts to turn around, but is then startled half to death when she runs smack into a face. However, to added relief it was just her reflection in a dressing mirror staring back at her with the same look of shock, as though mocking her. She wondered if her fears were justified or had she imagined it as nothing else appeared out of the ordinary, and yet couldn't figure out why she'd passed out on the floor. It had all felt so real, the feeling of great terror, the sharp pain to her neck and the vertigo as she fell to the floor, unconscious.

Had he come to rape her? The thought terrified her, but then wondered why she was still in her underwear? For the most part, she was largely unharmed and yet it made no sense.

_Maybe I really did imagine it?_ She thought. _I don't know what else to say. _

**Forget it, then. If nothing can be ascertained, then it is of no consequence to us. We have more important matters to attend to.**

It was only at that did she glance down at the fat, engagement ring still on her finger and instantly her concerns were replaced.

"Tsukune," she murmured as she suddenly remembered his attempted proposal the other night. "I have to..."

**We must contact father, at once. Now, is the time to do so.**

"Right, right," the pink haired vampire said, hurriedly putting on her school uniform, thinking all the while about Tsukune and, with great trepidation, his meeting with her father. "Does it have to be this way? We could elope, wouldn't that be just as fine? It can be just the two of us, well three counting you, and we'd still be happy wouldn't we?"

**No. I want him to be declared our bloodmate by our laws and so do you, done in a proper ceremony.**

"What if he doesn't survive?" She asked, trying to slide her socks on one leg at a time.

**Then he was never meant to be our mate, if he is unable to win this challenge for us.**

"Wh-What? I don't want him to die!"

**He won't die; he has our blood, remember! We've given him our strength and have trained him ourselves, putting him through numerous battles to increase his battle readiness. He's ready. Now, hurry up and make the call when you finish!**

Frightened for her fiancé's well being, but cowed into compliance by her inner persona and perhaps wanting Tsukune to be accepted into their family more so than just eloping, she slips on her green jacket and immediately goes to the dressing mirror to start brushing her long, pink hair for the day, even though her own green eyes seemed to stare back at her with an unnerved expression aimed directly at her.

xxx

**Get up! ** Inner Moka cried from inside the Rosario. ** You have to get up!**

Groggily, Moka wakes up and finds she's lying on the floor, a small shaft of light streaming in from a small, nearby window, giving her something to focus on. But, as her green eyes began to adjust through the fog, she soon learned that she was not in her dorm room, but was instead lying on a small sleeping bag in the middle of a barren floor, inside a large, rounded cell with stone walls encompassing her whole vision. Moka looked about with great fear and confusion, slowly beginning to freak out at where she was and how she wound up as a prisoner. She looked down and saw her fully clothed in a short gown that was as drab as her prison cell, put on her somehow while out cold.

"What's going on?" She whimpered, shaking uncontrollably as her head and eyes darted every which way in confusion. "W-Where am I, what happened?"

**Someone appeared in our room and attacked you. You don't remember?**

Her weary mind worked sluggishly at first, trying to regain the rest of her bearings, but very quickly she remembered what had happened the previous night, of coming back into her room from a night out and finding an intruder waiting for her, of feeling sheer terror and then, nothing.

**You must remain calm. **

_Remain calm? How? _

**Whoever brought us here must want us scared and disoriented so we'd be at their mercy. **

_They probably would've had that, already while I was conscious, _Outer Moka thought with a shudder. _Oh god, what if they..._

**We cannot think that, we have to focus on escape.**

_I just wish Tsukune was..._ it was then that she remembered him and how he had very nearly proposed to her the night before. _Tsukune! W-We were supposed to meet him today! _

**Surely, then he'll know we're missing and will come looking for us. Till then, we have to wait.**

Panicked, she remembers her large engagement that she wore before passing out and finds to her dread that was gone from her hand.

_The ring! They stole my ring! That ring meant everything to me, and they went and stole it!_

"Hey!" she cried out. "Can anyone hear me? Can someone help me! Hello!"

"Oh me, oh my," she suddenly heard a voice speaking softly from behind her, which made her pause and briefly forget what made her upset. She had heard that phrase before, knew remembering where it had come from off the top of her head, quickly knew of only one person in her life that would say such a word and the thought of being alone with this person in her state, seemed to immediately turn her fear into abject terror.

_No, it couldn't be,_ she thought.

"You've certainly had a good sleep," the voice added. "Yoo-hoo, over here."

Slowly, nervously, Moka did as the voice beckoned and glanced from the pointy toed boots, up to a pale face that stared fiendishly at her from the other side of some cell bars with dark eyes, jet black hair that fell over her right shoulder, which blended effortlessly with the surrounding shadows, leaving only a white face, and grinning red lips that sent chills up the young woman's spine and cooled her blood to ice, not because of how ominous she looked to her, but because it was a face that was all, too familiar to her, one she never hoped to meet alone.

"R-Ria," Moka gasped.

"Ah, you still remember me, dear sister," she happily said. "I'm touched. We haven't seen one another since you were a child and father sent you away to go live amongst...well how _has_ that been for you, dear sister? Living with cattle, I've seen it's done wonders on your appearance, I almost didn't recognize you. Still, when I had heard that your mother had created a special magic rosario to seal away your true self, I had no idea the effects would be _this_ drastic, I swear you're a spitting image of your mother, right down to your meak, 'human' personality I'm seeing."

"What am I doing here? Where am I, why have you brought me here against my will?"

"Why, to help you, of course. You see, father sensed there was a threat on your life and, being the concerned parent that he is for your well being, sent me to whisk you away from that dreadful school and bring you to a safer, well hidden location until the danger had passed. It's only temporary, I assure you."

Moka could tell she was lying; if there was one thing she was sure of, it was that Ria lied to everyone but father, and that she loved only him. The fact that father showed all his doting on her alone and not Ria, made her older sister a very dangerous enemy of hers, and if father had ordered her brought here, Ria definetly would not be here having a conversation with her.

"Tell me the truth," Moka quietly demanded. "What am I doing here, really? What have you done?"

Ria stared at her, ominous red eyes unflinching, then she erupted into laughter, cold and mocking as if having just played a cruel joke.

"Oh me, oh my, I just can't get anything past you, can I sister? Okay, you got me fair and square, I didn't bring you here because father ordered me to, actually he doesn't even know you're here, no one does."

"What do you mean?" Moka asked with dread building up.

"Well, I just wanted to spend some alone time with my favorite little sister, that's all," Ria answered, innocently. "Can't two sisters spend some much needed girl time with each other without being interrogated? I've missed you, sister dear."

"Let me out!" Moka begged, rushing up to the bars and gripping them desperately. "Please, Ria just let me go, you have no right to keep me here."

"I don't?" She asked, tilting her head like a confused dog. "Y-You don't like me, anymore sister? Oh me, oh my, why? I don't understand, I try to be nice, try to be a...good sibling, so why?"

"Stop acting, I know you hate me, you've always hated me! So, just let me go and I promise I'll forget all of this and not tell father!"

"Oh no, Moka I can't have you doing that, tattling on your older sister, that won't do either of us any good."

"What do you want? Why are you doing this to me and where am I?"

"I told you, I wanted to be alone with you," Ria said, her tone turning darker. "No father, no mommy, and no friends to interfere, just you and me whenever I wish."

"My friends will come for me. My boyfriend is expecting to see me today, and when he knows I'm missing, he and the others will come looking!"

"Oh me, oh my, it sounds like you have such, loyal friends, especially this boyfriend of yours. Oh yes, I've heard a lot about him. But, I wonder just how loyal he and the rest of your Newsclub, or whatever you call it, really are?"

"W-What do you mean?" She asked with growing frustration.

Moka noticed slight movement over Ria's right shoulder, and out popped what looked like a large, spidery creature with a single, enormous eye for a body.

"See this?" Ria pointed at it. "It's called a shikigami, wretched little vermin, incredibly weak little monsters with no impressive power except for one useful ability. You see, they have incredible talent for absorbing everything they see around them and storing them into their memory that they play back like a living projector. If you have two, though they can relay what one is seeing back to it's partner and play the image back as it is happening. As I speak, I have one following your friends and...well, please play the image for my darling, little sister."

The strange creature did as it was told, hopping down from her shoulder and standing before a wall across from Moka's cell, where it begins to emanate an image before her, showing the roof of Yokai Academy where Tsukune stood alone against its railing, lost in thought and completely unaware of what was watching him.

"Tsukune. Tsukune!" Moka cried, sticking her hand out of the bars as though she could touch him.

"He can't here you, you know. This isn't a video conference, sister."

_We were supposed to meet today. Does he already know I'm missing? Why isn't he..._

What she saw next shocked her to her very core and even caused the red jewel in the center of her rosario to glow, as who suddenly came through the roof's doorway and joined a clearly relieved Tsukune was...herself.

xxx

"Moka, where've you been?" Tsukune asked with a sigh of relief. "Are you alright?"

"Hm? Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I didn't see you coming to school this morning and you missed all of our classes, I haven't seen you all day!"

"All day?"

"Yeah, luckily I was able to get all your make-up work for the day and was on my way to see you."

"Um, thank you. How long was I out?" She asked.

"Well, it's noon. You've missed homeroom and it's now lunchtime."

"Really" She asked with overwhelming shock at the sudden time loss. "Half a day? I was out for half a day?"

"Are you feeling okay, Moka?"

"Huh, oh I'm fine, honest, I was only sick, that's all."

She couldn't tell him what really happened, because she didn't know what to make of it herself, and it all concerned her deeply.

xxx

**What kind of madness is this? **

"W-Wha...What?" Moka stammered in disbelief. "I-I don't under...?

"Oh me, oh my sister, did I forgot to mention, I have the most wonderful news to tell you. Allow me to introduce to you your long lost, twin sister! See, a very long time ago, when you were just an infant swimming with mommy's super blood, your mother's trusted physician at the time, the late doctor Aleister Faust obtained DNA samples of you when you without father's knowledge. He thought he could use that shinso blood coursing through your veins better if he cloned you and raised that clone to serve him, half of which he successfully acomplished, having created a flawless, utterly identical twin version of yourself."

"That's...that's...no, i-impossible!" Moka gasped, her green eyes bugging out as she stared up at the image and saw Tsukune interacting with...herself.

"Oh me, oh my, dear sister, it gets even better, _much_ better. See, I found and rescued your twin from that disgusting insect, but the poor thing lacked any real intelligence at all after being cooped up in a dismal laboratory for pretty much all her life. _So_, being the ever helpful big sister that I am, I went and had you brought here the other night and, with the aid of the good doctor's philosopher's stone and the help of some hired mages, we had your memories and personality imprinted into her mind. That's right, all your hopes, your dreams, everything that makes you **you** was shared with your clone so that now _she_ thinks she's _you_, and then we had you swap places with her so we could see how well she interacts with your friends, to see if any are none the wiser."

"But...but her rosario, it exactly like mine, how did...where did you find another..."

"Ohh, that's the good part, but it wasn't easy, I assure you. I admit that did pose as quite a dilemna, fortunately I remembered that when your mother created your special rosario years ago to protect you from her enemies, she went and made a second one should the one you're wearing is ever compromised for whatever reason, and well since then father has kept it stowed away in the castle's lower levels for safe keeping and collecting dust, with only he, your mother, and myself being privy to its location. So, I dusted it off, slapped it on your twin and was delighted to see it worked just as well as yours. Yes, she now has a dual personality, just like you: one kind and sickeningly cheerful, and the other who is a true Shuzen vampire, cold and dominant, and an over bloated fool like you; really there's no telling you two apart."

xxx

"Moka," Tsukune began to say, "look, about last night."

"Yes?"

"I..." he looked down at her left hand and saw she still had on the ring he gave her, which gave him some comfort. "...Well, I...I just hope that I didn't put any pressure on you or anything. The whole time you were missing, I couldn't help but think that maybe you were, maybe trying to avoid me. I understand, it is a very big decision to make and I just hoped that it didn't make you feel pressured or any..."

"Oh, no Tsukune, that's not it at all. I love the ring you bought for me, it's really beautiful and I hadn't taken it off since."

She held the ruby up in the light and watched it radiate like fire, which caused her to blush to nearly the same color.

xxx

As Moka watched from her prison, she almost grew sick as she saw the clone hold up on her hand what looked to be her engagement ring from Tsukune.

_S-She took my ring! _She thought as she instinctively looks down at her own ring finger where it was just last night, glinting and sparkling, and hers, hers and Tsukune's.

"Oh me, oh my, what a beautiful ring, I wonder where she could've gotten that?"

"You...you gave her my ring?" Moka asked with tears forming. "Why would you do that? You had no right!"

"It wasn't like you were going to use it any time soon, anyway. Oh, why don't you play nice and let your twin sister borrow some of your things for awhile."

xxx

"And, like I said before there wasn't anything to think about...because I've already made up my mind...and the answer is yes, Tsukune, I will marry you."

Tsukune was speechless, even after rehearsing the big moment in his head where she either said yes or no, dreading the no, but thinking on what he might say or how he should handle himself if the girl of his dreams wanted to share his future with finally said yes. He didn't know what else to say or do, but grab Moka in a tight grip and swung about happily, boldly laughing out of sheer joy, with this small and delicate girl, his girl, held in mid-air within his strong arms. He felt her grab hold of him equally hard, her warm body clinging on with dear life, but giggling and enjoying his embrace, which made him even happier; he was the luckiest man in the world and nothing else seemed to matter to the both of them.

"Uh, Moka," he finally said, gently setting her down and looking longingly into her dazzling green eyes, which made him forget what he was about to say.

"Yes, Tsukune."

"...Moka."

"Tsukune."

"Moka."

"Oooh, Tsukune and Moka," came Yukari's voice, shaking the two love birds out of their trance.

"Oh, hey guys!" Moka greeted, with all of her friends/rivals suddenly gathered around them.

"Damn, I was hoping you'd stay sick," Kurumu said, "cause then I'd have Tsukune all day and help ease his troubled mind, but nooo, you had to pull a recovery."

"And leave him with you?" Mizore asked the succubus. "I was watching you the whole day, I knew you were going to try and drug him with your cookies."

"Guys," Moka tried to speak over them.

"I wasn't going to drug him, you snow freak! I was going to give him a specially made love po... uh I mean new recipe. Damn it, Mizore you almost made me slip my tongue!"

"Just as I thought."

"Guys."

"Bite me!"

"Guys."

"Isn't that Moka's job?"

"M-Mizore!" Tsukune yells.

"What?" She legitimately inquired.

"Don't pay them any mind," said Yukari. "Boob freak and stalker bitch have been like that _all_ day, and I was trying to keep them off of poor Tsukune."

"Guys!" Tsukune spoke up, "Moka and I have something important to say."

"Oh, I already know what it is," Yukari said with a clever smile on her face, her purplish eyes belying some hidden knowledge she was already privy to. "You're going to..."

"Kids gathering up on the roof is highly suspicious and as substitute teacher and head Hall Monitor I must look into it," said Ruby who suddenly appears dressed in an all blue plaid shirt and pencil skirt, broad rimmed glasses and clutching a note pad like a serious authoritarian. "Ah, look at the ring!"

It was then that they all noticed the large, ruby and diamond studded ring Moka had on her finger, which she flashed before their jealous eyes, yet blushed with modesty.

"It's so beautiful!" Ruby gasped.

"It can't be real," Mizore reasoned, but drooled like all the rest.

"I knew it!" Yukari yelled. "I knew it!"

"Where'd you get that?" Kurumu asked, though dreading the answer. "Tell me!"

"So, Tsukune you sure picked a nice engagement ring, didn't you!" Ruby asked with a wink.

"En-engagement ring!" Said Kurumu, looking at Tsukune with the saddest eyes he had ever seen.

"Yes Kurumu, that's what I wanted to ask Moka last night, and just now she said yes. I'm sorry."

"You're...getting married?" Mizore asked, she too showing a hint of emotion in her normally expressionless face.

"Yes, I agreed to his proposal, teehee hee!" A gushing Moka giggled as her eye remained transfixed to the gem.

"I was going to tell you guys after, I swear."

"You don't need to apologize, Tsukune, I already knew," Yukari said with a proud grin on her face. "And, I for one am happy for the both of you. If you ask me, it's about time!"

"Thank you," Moka replied, unable to stop herself from blushing this entire moment.

"And, Tsukune went and got you one great ring!"

"Well, I..." he said, his turn to blush.

"Yeah Tsukune, I guess raiding that griffin's nest really got you that fat bonus you needed," said Ruby.

"Griffin's nest?" Moka asked.

"I did say don't ask," he chuckled, nervously.

"Yes, many, many things did happen to him," Ruby added.

"NNNNYAAAAAHAAAAAA!" Kurumu wailed. "That should be on my finger, not yours! You're my Destined One, Tsukune, you should be marrying meee!"

"I'm sorry girls, I've made my choice and my mind's made up."

xxx

"No, that ring should be on my finger, _**mine**_!" Moka yelled as her tear soaked eyes beheld the scene. "He's supposed to be marrying me, not her! TSUKUNE, I'M RIGHT HERE! HEY, I'M RIGHT HERE! TSUKUNE!"

"Ahh! Sister, I thought I told you he can't hear you," said Ria, but Moka wouldn't listen, having given into desperation and with seeing her Tsukune so close, yet so far she half hoped he'd hear her, somehow. It was maddening, that not only he couldn't tell that the girl he was talking to, the one he was hugging and about to marry was a fake, but not he, nor any of her friends seemed to notice, and she felt she had to somehow reach out to them and grab their attention.

"TSUKUNE!" She cried, shaking the bars wildly. "KURUMU! YUKARI! MIZORE! TSUKUNE!"

"Ugh, this is going to be irritating," Ria sighed.

xxx

Tsukune noticed how unusually quiet Mizore was, as Kurumu began crying and Yukari gloated over the wailing, buxom girl.

"Mizore, are you okay?" He asked, his open concern for her almost gut wrenching for the distraught ice girl, who wanted him above all else, but knew she was losing him.

"Oh, forget about her!" Kurumu snapped. "How could you do this to me, Tsukune? _I_ loved you, how could you go and marry Moka when she doesn't even understand you like I do!"

"I _do_ understand Tsukune!" Moka argued. "And, he understands me and that's why I love him very much!"

"Oh yeah, does he know how your father's going to be when he finds out you're marrying a human?"

Kurumu's bold statement sent a chill over their conversation that even Mizore nearly shivered to, and it only reminded the two lovers that there joyous news was anything, but.

"Yeah, your father," Tsukune said to Moka.

"Does he know that Tsukune proposed to you, Moka?" Ruby asked.

"...He knows. Tsukune, that's why I didn't give an answer last night, I had to talk with father first, to inform him of the news so that you might...get his blessing first, before anything could be decided."

"That so, huh?"

"Yes. I've decided to marry, I really want to, but father must be made aware of it, first. And...he has summoned you to meet him in person this coming weekend...to talk."

"Yeah, and everybody in the monster world knows how much he hates humans, so there Tsukune, you can't marry her. _My_ family, on the other hand, aren't bothered by humans, so both you and your family won't have any trouble being accepted."

"Now, hold on, no one said the marriage was off," he rationalized. "Of course, I will have to ask for his permission to marry Moka, being the father of the bride and all, it goes without saying. But, I'm not too worried, I mean Moka will be there, and plus her mother's back and I'm sure she'll help smooth things over with the big guy, heh, heh, heh, heh!"

"Yeah, it'll be no sweat, at all!" Moka said with a nervous smile. "Everything will be just fine, I'm sure."

_He doesn't know the whole truth, though,_ she thought worriedly.

**He will perform the rite perfectly and become a proper, and true bloodmate as well as an accepted member of our family.**

"Well, I hope so, because I want to be your maid of honor during the wedding," said Yukari. "I can't wait! And, when we get to the honeymoon part, we'll..."

"Yukari, it's not going to happen," he says to her. "When are you going to stop trying to get a three-way from us?"

"Until you finally give it!"

"Yukari," Moka scolded.

"Oh come on!"

"Who cares about you!" Kurumu snapped again. "I hope vampire lord Shuzen doesn't approve, so I can finally be with my Mate of Fate."

"Don't say that!" Moka yelled, her voice full of emotion. "Tsukune has to prevail, so we can be married!"

"Prevail?" He asked.

"Uh, prevail in asking father's blessing, of course," she lied.

"The only one who is going to prevail is me, finally being with the man I've chosen to father my children!"

"Kurumu, will you stop it!" Yukari yelled at her.

"Uh, girls," Tsukune tried to reason.

"No I will not, you stole him away from me, Moka!"

"No I didn't!"

"Girls."

"I saw him first, me and Tsukune met long before he met you!"

"No you didn't!" Kurumu argued. "I noticed him way before you did! He showed up in our homeroom class all those years ago and I noticed him the moment he stepped in, it was love at first sight, isn't that right, Tsukune?"

"Uh..."

"And, then _you_ came in late and _you_ saw him and _you _practically threw yourself onto him saying: 'Tsukune, my friend, we meet again!' with that cheesy line like you knew him, or something! That makes you a boyfriend stealer!"

"That is so not true, me and Tsukune met before class on the trail leading from the bus stop! I accidentally ran into him with my bike and when I woke up his hand was on _my_ thigh! You remember that, right Tsukune?"

How could he, he played that moment over and over in his head, including the hand on her thigh part, which made him blush and grow hot under the collar, but right now he felt like he was being put on the spot, right in between his angry, vampire fiance and his angry, wanna be succubus fiance.

"We talked, he let me bite his neck and drink his blood because I was dizzy from lack of blood and that's when we became friends!"

"Girls, look..."

"Oh please, you think that first encounter is romantic?" Kurumu countered. "You two didn't even walk to class together! When he came into class, _we_ locked eyes on each other and that was magic! Not bumping into him on the road or his hand resting on your thigh, and biting him! That just makes you a slut!"

"What did you call me!"

"You heard me, slutty, slut, slut!"

"You have some nerve calling me a slut, when you first met Tsukune, and I mean _really_ first met him, you introduced yourself to him by rubbing those overgrown melons of yours all over him like you were easy!"

"Ooooh!" Yukari gloated.

"What do you call that, huh?"

"Love!" Kurumu responded. "It's the sincerest form of love a succubus can bestow on the man of her dreams, unlike you, who only bite him whenever you're hungry! He ain't your walking buffet table, blood whore!"

"Whore? I am not the one who keeps flashing your breasts in his face all the time!"

"At least I'm not the one flashing those pearly white panties of yours in his face!"

"W-What is that supposed to mean?" Moka gasped, close to being beyond offended by such vulgar claims.

"You know what it means, whenever you change into alter ego and do those high kicks in those short skirts, who are you trying to kid? You think he likes white, huh Moka?"

"...Why you...Tsukune, you like white, don't you?"

"...", was his response.

"To be fair, he saw my underwear during the school festival," Ruby interjected, blushing and trying to appear modest. "Oh, I think I wore red that day, you like what you saw, didn't you, master?"

"...uh," he whimpered.

"Red, white, that's not what he's into at all, it's yellow or green like the kind I wear and he knows it, isn't that right, Tsukune?"

"Don't answer that, Tsukune!" Moka ordered. "Besides, colored panties don't make for romance, anyway!"

"Oh please, you wouldn't know what's romantic if it came and bit you on the neck! And, you've got some nerve trying to use some chance, random encounter all those years ago as proof of romance!"

"You just need to shut up and move on, boob freak!" Yukari yelled. "Tsukune belongs with Moka, not you!"

"Stay out of this, you annoying, little brat!"

"What do you mean it wasn't romantic?" Moka argued. "It was romantic, it was a special moment between Tsukune and me! And, when _you_ first locked eyes with him, you made him into your love slave with your powers just to make me jealous! I had to save him from you!"

"Tsukune loves me, and that's final!" Kurumu grabs Tsukune's arm and yanks him roughly into her impressive bosom. "I'm the only one who'll love you, faithfully, Tsukune. She won't love you like I will, she'll only hurt you!"

"No I won't, and let go of him, he's my bloodmate!" Moka yelled and pulling him back towards her, but Kurumu's grip remains firm.

"He's my Mate of Fate, so he should be marrying me, not you!"

"...Girls, would you please stop!"

"Ooh, I want in!" Yukari yelled, happily leaping onto Tsukune's back as he's rocked back and forth between the combating girls.

"Aww, the painful tug of war with the one you love," a blushing Ruby sighed. "How I envy you, master."

However, Tsukune was in anything, but bliss as he was stuck being pulled every which way by the dueling girls, both dazed and confused.

xxx

"Tsukune," Moka wept in a pained whisper, her voice almost hoarse from her plaintive, yet futile yells.

_Why can't he tell it isn't me?_ Moka wondered, frantically. _He has to know it's a fake, he has to!_

"Oh me, oh my, I think it's finally setting in that thick skull of yours," Ria said, rubbing her ears to see if the eardrums haven't busted from all the yelling. "They can't hear you, sister. Tsukune can't save you, no one can."

Moka watched as the clone and Kurumu continued arguing around Tsukune, as if they were completely unaware of anything being out of the ordinary.

**Tsukune and the others will come,** Inner Moka tried to reassure. **He won't be fooled by that impostor for very long, he'll notice something is off and when he does...**

"You must notice it yourself, right?" Ria asked, as if in response to Inner Moka's words. "They're perfectly happy with the cloned you. You've been replaced, as easily as a spare wheel, they can't tell the difference between the two of you and they don't seem to care."

"You're wrong. You're wrong about him, you're wrong about all of them. They love me, I know they do, and Tsukune..."

"Tsukune, sister, is going to become _her_ bloodmate, not yours."

Those words hit her hard like a sledgehammer to the gut, it almost made her legs buckle underneath and lose any semblance of courage.

"And, seeing as how she just got off the phone with father, it's a safe bet that neither he or your mother will be able to tell the difference, either. But, don't worry sister, I'll be right here with you, I'll always come and visit with you and spend some nice, quality time as a big sister should. Thanks to this little Parent Trap of ours, with cloned Moka out taking your place and father none the wiser, I can finally so you all the love and adoration I feel you truly deserve. No interruptions, no more pretending to endure your crap, for the time being it'll just be you and me."

Ria never before seemed quite as ominous, sinister and terrifying as she did now, her shadow washing over the frightened girl, as her once stalwart green eyes were giving way to fear, knowing full well that while Ria clearly hated her before, she now could do whatever she wanted without fear of father's reprisals, and no one, not even Tsukune would come to her aid.

"I have to go, for now," said Ria, her shadowy figure hovering menacingly over. "As you've heard, father has just summoned your boyfriend to our home, which I'm sure you know why, planning to initiate this boy into the family through father's blessing or have him die trying, am I right? Well, naturally father is going to want all of us, well us meaning everyone, with exception to you, present to see his handling of your lover. I'm sure it'll be an entertaining event, whether your heroic boyfriend meets a grisly fate before your eyes or he wins and marries your twin instead of you, before your eyes; either way I'll enjoy it. Til then, dear sister."

Ria sang happily as she gathered up the shikigami and left her sister alone, her boots tapping loudly against the stone floor and up the stone steps, its sound bouncing against the walls in a maddening pace, with the loud sound of a heavy, metal door somewhere up the steps closing shut with a deafening clamor, which rattled the girl as she sat in her darkened prison, cold and alone, where evil sounds were at their loudest. Moka did the best she could to cope, bringing her knees to her chest and curling herself into a ball, waiting and hoping that someone would come for her, and wondering if she will ever see his face again.

"Tsukune," she wept.

**That Friday.**

The dreaded weekend had finally arrived, quicker than Tsukune would've liked, sitting all morose and scared as he sat quietly in the back of the limousine, he hoped would take a little bit longer. He found it odd that after school a limo was waiting for the two soon-to-be newlyweds, sent to carry them to her family home by her father, however he had hope that would've been the honor of their charismatic, yet mysterious bus driver friend, who usually ferried them to numerous destinations; at least his presence would've brought some measure of reassurance to the young man, instead the one to carry them this time was some solemn faced, pale looking limo driver who more resembled a hearse driver heading toward a funeral and was as about as silent as one, too. He was still adamant about marrying Moka and would do anything to ensure that that happened, but boldly asking her father's permission and fearing his reaction still weighed heavily upon his nervous shoulders. Even though he was a vampire now, and a strong one in his own right, having gone up against the likes of Alucard and other monsters, Tsukune knew Lord Shuzen was no pushover himself; he hadn't become lord of all the vampires for nothing.

"Are you okay?" Moka asked, tenderly holding his hand and meeting his worried brown eyes with her comforting green ones.

"Oh, um..yeah! Never better!" He lied, trying to reassure her that everything was fine with him. "Why'd you ask?"

"Because you've been quiet ever since we left Yokai, and look kind of blue."

That voice of hers, so soft and sincere, it always got to him where it counted and he was deeply fortunate to have her with him, reminding the boy why he was doing this and how important it was to put on a brave front for her benefit.

"I've just...uh, you know meeting your father and all, it's...I'm fine, really! I was just thinking on meeting your parents, that's all. I'm not nervous at all. I'm glad to be doing this for you, Moka."

"He's lying," said Kokoa who, along with Ko sat on the seat in front of them, staring fiendishly at him. "He's scared, I can smell it on him, and he should be. Father is going to tear you a..."

"Kokoa!" Moka pleaded. "Please, be nice and don't say anything to upset him. Besides Tsukune, this will be a joyous occasion, my mother will be there and she's very excited to see you again. I've already told her about the engagement ring you gave me, and she'll love to see it!"

"I'm glad to hear it," he said.

"Hmph, just because he went got you a fancy ring, doesn't mean he's worthy in my book. I highly doubt father will be so swayed too, considering Tsukune is nothing more than a second born vampire without any household backing him..."

"Kokoa!"

"I'm only telling him like it is, he should turn back, now!" She said with a grin.

"Kokoa, tell me again why you're here?" He asked, believing the ride would be much more enjoyable if it was just him and Moka.

"Father requested all of us to appear at the castle, that includes me, as a family! You, however are not family, but I know why he summoned you."

"Well, hopefully I'll become a part of your family, myself," he said with a cheerful smile.

"That's right, he'll officially become an older brother to you, Kokoa," Moka chimed in.

"Don't count on it. He's weak and you know father simply won't accept him without...heh! Well, you'll see."

"What does she mean by that?" He asked Moka, who looked away as though she was keeping something from him. "Moka?"

"It's nothing, Kokoa is just like that. She really is happy to have you coming back home with us for the weekend, though."

"Oh, oh okay, thanks," he said, though all he got from the girl was a scoff.

The ride soon took them through a tunnel, one of the many magic tunnels lying around the school grounds that they took, which he has since gotten used to traveling in, where they usually brought them out to far flung places in almost no time, as was the case this time and much to his chagrin. As they emerged from its abysmal mouth, he very quickly saw they were riding around a mountain country side where, at the end of this road he found himself staring up the dark, forested pathway where stood a massive, gothic style castle looming in the distance, it's shadowy image etched against the afternoon light made it look like a grey gargoyle, perched high atop of a rocky precipice.

"We're here," Moka said with a sense of longing. "We're finally home, Tsukune."

"We are, huh?" He asked with a soft gulp, while Moka and Kokoa looked out the window at the place _they _called home.

He never got used to seeing it, having heard all the stories about how dark the place was, where vampires from all over the world were said to gather at times, but that wasn't his most immediate concern, however.

"I never get tired looking at it, isn't it beautiful sight, Tsukune?"

_Beautiful? _ He thought, forebodingly.

"Um, yeah...I guess."

"I wonder who father has brought home to torture?" Kokoa remarked.

"Torture?" Tsukune asked.

"Yes, father always lets one of us watch, they're exciting!"

"Kokoa, you're making him nervous," Moka scolded.

"So what? He's going to join our family, then he needs to know how things are around here!"

"Kokoa, please stop it!"

"It's okay Moka, maybe, Kokoa is right, if we're going to be married, then I need to become better...acquainted with your culture, though hopefully I won't have to see any tortures. Besides, your sister is just excited to finally be home, isn't that right Kokoa?"

"Don't talk to me," she scolded without even glancing back at him, annoyed by his laid back and gentle personality. "Ria's probably got first dibs anyway, she always does."

"Ria? Who's that?"

"Oh, Ria is our...sister," Moka replied with a sense of wariness evident in her voice that caused him to be concerned.

"Another sister? Is she nice? I mean, do you two get along?"

"'_Is she nice_?'" Kokoa mocked. "Listen to yourself, you're a vampire and yet you still act like a human, you're not going to get anywhere with father acting like this! Of course she isn't nice, none of us are. We're cruel, merciless beings, we are trained to be for our family has many enemies and we must always be ready to..."

"Kokoa!" Moka yelled. "Please stop!"

"Fine! What do I care?"

"...To, um, answer your question, Tsukune, she can be nice...at times."

"At times? Does that mean, you two don't always get along?"

"Well, no. We don't…always see eye to eye on things."

"Is she anything like...Akua? I hope I'm not prying, I mean if I'm being too nosey, if it makes you feel uncomfortable then I won't push into it, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"No, it's okay, really. She's..."

Moka fretted on explaining her older sister to him, she felt he didn't need to know about her, but then again the last thing she wanted was for him to be alone with someone like her and not know what kind of person she is.

**Don't tell him the truth,** Inner Moka ordered. **Don't tell him anything. We'll just have to keep an eye out while there.**

_But, he's going to know about her, eventually. Why not tell him, now?_

**Because we're trying to make a good impression on father with him, to tell Tsukune about the kind of person Ria is would only cause him to be on guard around her constantly and knowing her she'll sense it and try to goad us into an unnecessary fight, which will spoil our chances. We want him presented to father uninjured and the level of his strength concealed until then, got it?**

"...She's not like Akua. Like Kokoa said, though, we aren't all nice. If Akua and Kahlua seemed violent, then it's only because how we're raised."

"Well, I know that."

"You...still want to go through with marrying me?" She asked nervously, worried that she might've turned him off by confirming Kokoa's description of their family.

"Of course, Moka. I don't care what your family is like, I'm sure I'll get used to them eventually and I'm sure I'll get along with your sister."

"You're right, I guess I'm nervous. Thanks."

They smiled and began staring longingly into each other's eyes as they leaned in for a kiss.

_Please don't bite me,_ Tsukune secretly prayed.

"HEY!" Kokoa yelled, barging in-between the two. "No kissing my sister before father has given his blessings!"

"You're kidding!" Tsukune cried. "She is kidding, right Moka?"

"No, I'm afriad not. But, father isn't here and what he doesn't know..."

"Ohh no! You two aren't laying a hand on each other."

"Kokoa!" Moka cried, struggling to get around her petulant younger sister.

"No, stop!" She cried, trying to push her older sister back.

"Kokoa, it's alright, you don't have to keep pushing your sister like tha..."

"Get back!" Kokoa yelled, driving her foot into Tsukune's face.

"Ah, Tsukune! Kokoa, let go!"

"No way, I know what you're trying to do, forget it!"

"But, Kokoa..."

"I said no!"

"But Kokoa, I'm hungry!"

"Yeah, Kokoa you heard her!" Tsukune yelled, "She's hu...eh?"

Tsukune realized that his nose was bleeding from where Kokoa had kicked, and the smell was now filling the compartment, invading the nostrils of both women.

"Aw, it's that smell again," Kokoa sighed, her eyes becoming glazed over.

"I...really am hungry," Moka drooled, her eyes almost appearing manic. "As your future wife, I deserve to have just tinsy, tiny bit all to myself, don't you agree?"

"Uh girls?" He asked nervously.

"No fair, I kicked him!" Kokoa whined.

Even the bat, Ko looked at him like he was dinner and Tsukune tried to back as far as he could in the limo as they drew closer and closer.

"Moka, tried to get a hold of yourself, remember what K-Kokoa said about waiting until your father gives his blessing."

"Hey, that's right!" Kokoa yelled in agreement, but the smell of Tsukune's blood was having it's affect on her sanity. "I should drink his blood, instead."

"No Kokoa, you can't drink his blood!" Moka argued.

"Yeah, you tell her, Moka!"

"He's going to be my husband, I should drink it!"

"What?"

"No, you can't be trusted to stay off of him! As your younger sister, it's my duty to keep you chase, so let me drink his blood!"

"I will not! He's mine!"

"KOKOA! MOKA! AAAAH!"

The three struggled in the limo as it made it's way over the long drawbridge that spanned a wide chasm that seperated Castle Shuzen from the rest of the world, and then made their way up the winding path, through the front gate and around a circular driveway to the castle's front steps where it finally came to a stop, but kept on rocking. When the driver opens their door, poor Tsukune almost spills out of the car, upside down in a daze as Moka and Kokoa appeared ontop of him, trying to bite his neck.

"Oh me, oh my, what on earth do we have here?" Came a woman's voice. "Moka, sister, is that you? Well, I heard you had changed greatly, but...why yes, it is you, isn't it?"

"R-Ria, what a pleasant surprise!" Moka said as she and Kokoa quickly got to their feet, faces flushed and blushing with embarrassment. "I wasn't expecting to see you here so soon!"

"Well, family matters brought me away from the usual affairs, however it's been so long since I last saw you! Oh come, give me a hug!"

"Mm, yes it is good to see you, again!" Moka said, honoring her sister's request and giving a rather petty hug, complete with a broad, yet pained smile etched across her face.

"And is this Kokoa?" She asked and embraced her, as well. "Oh me, oh my, how you have grown. I take it Ko, here has been keeping an eye on you like a good, little pet?"

Ko blushed, but flapped happily in agreement.

"Oh, both my baby sisters have grown up so much while they were away, it makes your big sis so happy to see you've done well living out amongst the humans."

"Big sister?" Tsukune asked as he quickly regained his marbles and, though upside down, looked up to see a tall woman hovering over him, and treating him with a very revealing first look at what he understood was Moka's older sister.

"Um yes," Moka responded. "Tsukune, this is our big sister, Ria."

Even as he hung there from the limo he could see how beautiful, yet odd she looked to him, covered from neck to toe in a long sleeved, black and silver gown that hugged every inch of her sinuous body, except for a slitted opening on the right that exposed a lengthy black, nylon stockinged leg and hands that were in matching evening gloves, with a rosario resembled Moka's, but had an azure colored jewel in its center as it rested against a bosom that was far larger than her sister's, while hair as black as night hung loosely behind her and contrasted against a pale face; indeed she was exotic looking to behold, so much so that it made him extremely nervous to be around her. He then realized that her dark blue eyes were trained ever so intently upon him, followed by a blood red smile that, for some reason, was eerily uncomfortable.

"Ohh, and just who might this be?" Ria inquired, her eyes flicking up and down at Tsukune like he was a side of meat. "Ah, don't tell me, I think I know. You must be the mighty vampire Aono I've heard so much about, are you not?"

"Um no, I mean...yes, yes I am," he stammered, quickly getting back up to his feet. "Tsukune Aono, minus the mighty part; pleased to meet you."

He generously extended his hand, trying to play off the awkward introduction she gave him, and the woman looked at him, finding it a strange greeting from a young vampire noble.

"He's modest too. Modest and a bit nervous, that's rare, but..."

It was then she took a whiff of his scent, and of the dried blood caked inside his healed nose and became immediately captivated. She leaned in a little closer for a stronger smell, making him blush at having a woman like her so near, but Moka caught onto what was really going on and latched onto his arm, tightly and protectively.

"...He is very...intoxicating. Dear sister, you've outdone yourself, managing to grab yourself quite a catch."

"Th-Thank you, sister," Moka replied with a polite, yet hostile smile.

"And he looks so strong, too. I bet a strapping, young vampire like yourself must have his way with my sister whenever he pleases, am I right?" Ria quipped.

His face suddenly turned red with shock and embarrassment, causing Ria to laugh, but made Moka tense as she loathed the sound, along with anything else about her sister. It certainly didn't help things to notice she hadn't kept her distance from Tsukune.

"Oh me, oh my, I hope didn't embarrass you or anything?" She asked, moving closer to Tsukune, who he could feel Moka's grip on his arm tighten, leaving him to wonder if perhaps she was jealous or something.

"Uh no, it's cool, really," he said.

"Then allow me to properly introduce myself," she said, raising one hem of her skirt that inadvertantly or perhaps purposely showed off a shapely, athletic leg as she performed a deep curtsy for him. "As my dear sister has said, I am the eldest sister and daughter of Lord Issa Shuzen, Ria Seiktan, but you may call me Ria seeing as how you've won my baby sister's heart and have taken such good care of her. I even heard how you rescued her from Alucard and our, wayward adopted sister Akua; you have my undying gratitude."

"Thanks," he said as he graciously shakes he bowed, likewise and nervously in a show of appreciation. She, again noticed the smell of his blood coming from his nose and caught hold of her senses even stronger, her sizable bosom undulating with a deep satisfaction. "You know, Ria I've always tried my best to be there for Moka and keep her happy."

"So I can see," She replied upon noticing the huge ruby on Moka's finger. "Why, look at the size of that stone, oh me, oh my! That must've been quite expensive to purchase for my sister."

"Heh, you don't know the half of it," he said.

Ria felt jealous upon seeing that large rock on her sister's finger up close and wanted to lie and say that it was nothing, but a bauble just to get under her skin, however even she had to admit to it's impressive sight.

"It truly is exquisite. You must be extremely lucky to have a man who loves you that much and would go through such trouble to get a massive gem like that!"

"Well…yes, I am," Moka replied, blushing so greatly that it turned her whole face pink.

"No need to blush, sister dear, it's only right that as lovers you'd show your appreciation for one another. You have shown your appreciation to him, have you?"

The question, and the way she asked with a wry smile on her face, almost made the two love birds fall over one another.

"Um, well Moka and I do love each other very much, its just that….uh, n-not in that way!" He said, but quickly corrected himself. "N-N-No, I-I meant our relationship isn't like that, just that we haven't...Okay, what I meant to say was we aren't physically attracted to one another! No, I don't mean that she isn't attractive, she's very attractive, very, very attractive, so attractive that..."

"Tsukune!" Moka complained.

"Uh, oh no, what I meant was...our relationship is so much more than...what you probably think that it is, which it's not...oh boy."

"Ehh, what Tsukune is trying to say is that our relationship is much deeper than focusing on simple love making all the time, and he always makes me happy by being there for me all the time!" Moka corrected, blushing greatly, though uncertain if she herself had said the right thing.

"That's pleasant. So, I take it then that you two _have_ been intimate with each other?"

Both Moka and Tsukune blushed horribly and tried looking away.

"Hmph, they tried to, but I put a stop to that!" Kokoa replied.

"Oh me, oh my, sister you needn't have been so rude," Ria said, her gloved hand tenderly stroking Tsukune's arm and staring into his worried eyes. "For we're all adults here, are we not?"

**Ugh! She's purposely baiting him with her flirting!** Inner Moka growled. **Ever the same, conniving slut!**

"I...um," he stammered, his whole body becoming excited.

"Sister, please..." Moka pleaded, trying to sound more forceful, rather than shy and uncomfortable.

"Oh very well, time to skip the formalities. Come, let us best discuss this in our true forms, these human versions are so beneath us anyway; what do you say Tsukune?"

She slowly reached up for her own rosario resting upon her impressive chest, suggestively implying lude intentions to the shy boy.

"I'll show you mine, if you show me yours," she teased, glancing down at, what he assumed was the rosario chained around his wrist.

With a loud and recognizable ping, Ria removes hers and the three of them became engulfed by her immense aura, surprising the boy who had never felt such terrifying energy come rushing out of someone like her, more terrifying than Moka's transformation, and by the time it was over what he saw in her wasn't a form that was all too different than before with the exception of her eyes, which were now red slits like Moka's, yet much more intimidating to behold.

"Well, like what you see?" Ria asked, standing before him with all of her entire body now toned and leaner, straining against the fabric of her dress as if about to burst, while she placed her hands onto shapelier hips and proudly had her now massive chest, augmented in size on display.

"Uhhh...I... w-well..." he stammered.

To Tsukune, he was spell bound by the woman who stood before him now; though her personality hadn't changed, nor had her overall appearance, that much, the transformation did do wonders for her, making her appear taller and more physically mature than Inner Moka.

"Ahem!" Moka cleared her throat and glared, accusingly at him. "Tsukune!"

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, Moka!"

Feeling jealous, Moka bared her chest, anxious for him to remove her rosario so she could show Ria her transformation and just how much _she_ had grown.

"Moka!" He exclaimed as he stared down at her breasts and grew even more flustered. "What are you doing?"

"Tsukune, release me!"

"Huh?"

"Re-lease me!"

"..."

_Oh brother! _ Kokoa rolled her eyes.

"Oh, the seal! I-I'm sorry, I don't know where my..."

"Tsukune?"

"Right, right, here we go."

He removes her seal and in her swirl of power Inner Moka now stood between him and Ria, making a show of how elegant and physically impressive she now was before her cocky, big sister. As always before, Tsukune was captivated by this silver haired goddess, but Ria seemed hardly impressed.

"Oh me, oh my," she said, clapping her hands in a mocking tone, "there is my sister, my true sister, the one I know and love so much and have missed for quite some time, though I must admit that was quite a show you two put on there!"

"And what might that be," Moka boldly demanded, noticing her older sister's arrogance and visibly bristled from it.

"That your man was able to remove your seal, and that you require him to do it for you. When your mother and our father had your seal created with the express purpose that someone who loves be the one to lift it from around your neck, I assumed only they would be the ones to do so. I had no idea your relationship worked like that with him, being so dependent upon you man, I just think its so cute. I trust it goes both ways, then?"

Moka stood there, glaring at her sister with those ominous red eyes who returned the gaze with her own, conniving red ones, which to Tsukune they looked like two, rival lionesses sizing one another up.

"Moka?" He asked quietly.

"I find it an honor that I can entrust him with removing the seal that binds me."

"Really? How so?"

"Go ahead, Tsukune, show her your new form, show her the you that I had made," she whispered to him without so much as removing her gaze from her sister.

"...Fine," he replied, removing his seal and finding himself swimming in a torrent of his own energy, with every inch of him expanding with a rush of power flooding his body from the feet to his head in such a shocking speed and suddenness that it nearly made him vomit every time this happened, but when it was finally over he felt like a totally new being, one who's senses and reflexes were now heightened to a degree that far surpassed excellence. When this first happened, it felt like he would go mad from all this power and the transformations always left him a bit overwhelmed, yet it now felt like second nature to him and gave him an ego where he could challenge anything; needless to say, he now knew how Moka felt every time.

"What do you think, sister?" Moka asked with a cocky flare in her eyes. "Is he not worthy to be with me?"

"...Oooh, I like what I see," Ria purred with delight as her red eyes flicked up and down at Tsukune, taking in his now impressive physique as if he was a buffet table, but especially relished his red eyes, eyes that before were pleasing for her to look at, but now carried with them a strange intensity and familiarity she could not explain. "He is indeed impressive and quite worthy. So strong and well built, oh me, oh my."

"Th-Thankyou," he said. "I've had alot of training, thanks to Moka. She can be a task master, believe me, I've got the bruises to prove it."

"Training?"

"Uh, yes we...sometimes spar together to past the time," Moka corrected.

"I bet. It's not surprising she'd give a bruise or two, father trains us to be the strongest of our kind, so naturally she'd be a fierce fighter. I, however, being the oldest and one of the elder vampires, am stronger than her."

"Elder vampire?"

"The upper elite of our species, you should know that, silly. Though, I'm sure you've had your own, adequate training growing up as well, right?"

"Uh well, sure my old man, he's an elder too, he's taught me everything he knows, hehehe!"

"Ha!" Kokoa scoffs.

"Then, perhaps you and I could train together sometime while you're here, if you think you can handle it," she said in an almost suggestive tone.

"He trains with me, sister and only me, and he is plenty strong, by the way, having faced down numerous challengers for me," she boasted.

"Ah, that is impressive and I'm sure he is the crowing jewel of his family, uh which family are you from, by the way?"

"What difference is it of yours?" Moka replied.

"I'm just curious, sister dear. Um, _mighty _Aono, if I may? I do not mean to pry, but I ask out of simple curiosity, mostly because your blood has a certain..._taste_ that I can smell from here."

"It-it does?" He asked, nervously.

"Yes. Don't get me wrong, you are a nice vampire, by all means, but you wouldn't be so kind as to tell me where you are from? I'm only jealous of Moka's success in finding such a strong specimen like you, maybe I might have the luck of the draw if I knew where to go."

He was less than willing to tell her or anyone of Moka's relatives that he was really human and came from a human family, even though they were planning on marriage, he at least wanted to wait for Akasha to show up, hoping that her presence will help smooth things over with his soon-to-be in-laws.

"Um, well..." he started to say.

"You do not have to answer!" Moka ordered. "His business is mine and its none of yours."

_O-kay? _ He thought.

"Well, that may be true, but that aside I did learn something about you, that your beloved man can unseal himself perfectly, but _you_ cannot and must rely heavily upon him," Ria quipped.

Moka's hands began to ball up at her sides as she seethed with anger that only brought further delight in Ria's eyes and increased concern in Tsukune's.

"It's not her fault, sister, blame him!" Kokoa came to her defense. "For some reason he's the only one who can free my big sister, I don't know why, must be gli..."

"Kokoa, I don't need your help!" Moka griped. "Like I said before, it's our business. In any case, I hadn't brought him here for your amusement, we came to see father, now take us to him."

"Oh me, oh my, but you are no fun, sister dear. Besides, there's no need to be in a hurry, father is not here at the moment."

Tsukune almost let loose a sigh of relief, but tried to maintain his composure.

"Oh he's not? That's too bad," he said while not trying to sound too relieved, which apparently wasn't as subtle as he'd hoped as Moka turned briefly to glare at him for displaying such cowardice before turning back to Ria.

"What do you mean he isn't here?" She asked.

"He's dealing with pressing concerns and won't be arriving until Sunday morning."

"So, no victim to torture?" Kokoa asked, a little disappointed.

"Not today, I'm afraid," Ria said with a depressed smile; both it and the statement concerned Tsukune, a great deal.

_Not today, huh?_ He worried.

"But, I thought he wanted to meet my intended partner, that's why he summoned us here!"

"Oh, but he does, that is why he sent me on ahead to examine him and make my judgement."

"I don't understand?" Tsukune asked.

"My sisters didn't tell you? As the oldest of father's daughters, I am also his most trusted lieutenant, his righthand if you will, and its my job to protect his interests, and nothing interests him more than the happiness of his beloved Moka."

Tsukune could almost hear a note of bitterness and venom in those words, despite the pleasant demeanor that she continued to play, and for some reason Moka seemed almost pleased about it in seeing her older sister be a little pissed.

"I guess that makes sense," he said.

"Now come, come let's take this inside."

With a loud clap, the double doors opened and a stocky, dark skinned, dwarf looking man emerged and hurried down to the steps.

"Ooolock, here will carry your bags."

"Oh, no need, I can carry them, it's no problem really," Tsukune offered.

"Oh me, oh my, don't be ridiculous," said Ria. "You're a vampire lord who's marrying my dear sister, don't lower yourself by doing the help's work for them."

"It is Ooolock's pleasure, sir, Ooolock will carry your things," the beastial man said.

"If you are worried that Ooolock will damage or steal anything, then I assure you he _will_ take good care of your luggage without fail or else, won't you, Ooolock?" Ria asked, with the hint of a threat.

"Yes, Ooolock will care for your belongings."

"No, really it's not a big..."

"Tsukune, let him carry our bags," Moka ordered. "Now let's go, I want to go to my room."

"Alright, fine."

"You better not scuff any of my new shoes, toad," Kokoa threatened.

All of this felt uncomfortable to him, having servants catering to their every will like it was nothing and seeing them being treated with little respect, but against his better judgment he decided not to press the issue any further.

_He acts like a commoner,_ Ria mused. _But, his blood does smell, incredibly well, Akua's description didn't do it justice. Aono, you are indeed a mystery._

"Please, make yourselves at home," Ria said with a sweeping gesture to the door, allowing them to walk closely on by, especially Tsukune whom she got another whiff of and arranging it to where he just barely grazes some of her pert nipples as he went by. Though she had seen young Aono on the image of the shikigami, this was her first time meeting him face to face, and she had to admit there was much about him that she found very pleasing.

As they walked through the grand halls, surrounded by even more servants Ria had summoned, Tsukune was amazed at just how big the castle was on the inside, there very voices and even footsteps echoing off of the marble interior and bouncing against everything around them like a hollow cavern, making him feel so small and out of place. It was dark too, just like cavern, with lighted candles being the only source of light; a reminder that he was in their world now, as vampires craved the dark and his own vampiric eyes seemed to have adjusted to the change in light quite readily.

"So, will your soon-to-be fiancé be rooming with you, sister dear or will he be sharing a room alone?" Ria asked, almost teasing.

"We will be sharing a room, together," Moka said.

"We will?" Tsukune whispered.

"Yes, of course, Tsukune! Don't be stupid!"

He was both thrilled, to finally get some alone time with his girlfriend, and nervous about this being his first time and all.

"What is that?" Kokoa roared. "I won't permit it! You can't be alone with him, big sis! I don't trust him, at all, he might try to infest you with his hu..."

"Kokoa!" Moka yelled back at her, stifling her boisterous mouth with an angry glare.

"Is there a problem?" Ria asked.

"No, no concern of yours," Moka replied.

She watched Ria, carefully to see if she might've caught Kokoa's little slip up, however she was always difficult to read and Moka secretly hoped she might not have noticed anything.

"You know, dear sister, if there _is_ a problem with the living arrangements, why I could personally see to..."

"That isn't necessary, Tsukune is _my_ guest and I insist he stays with me!"

"Okay."

"Wait a minute, why should I care what happens with this fool!" Kokoa demanded.

"Kokoa, I swear," Moka warned.

"So, is everyone going to show up when Mr. Shuzen arrives?" Tsukune asked, growing uncomfortable between the warring sisters and wanting to change the subject.

"Mr. Shuzen," Ria chuckled. "Oh me, oh my, Moka he is adorable, that little boyfriend of yours."

Tsukune wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a put down, worrying if he had something wrong, while Moka certainly thought so and chafed even more under her sister.

"_Lord_ Shuzen, is head of this household, and if he demands an audience with someone, then it goes without saying that everyone in the family will show up."

"Does that mean, Akua will be here?" He asked with foreboding, not having forgotten how it was her who arranged for Moka's kidnapping and the events that led to her rescue.

_He's still upset by that,_ Outer Moka's consciousness echoed in Moka's head, voicing her own concern about their older sister.

"Oh me, oh my, I would certainly hope not."

"If she does show, then she wouldn't dare try anything here," Moka reassured. "Father does not tolerate violence in his house unless he orders it."

"And, what if he does order it?"

"...You needn't worry about that now, I won't let Akua interfere with our lives, ever again."

"I highly doubt she'd be interfering with anyone's lives, ever again," said Ria.

"What do you mean by that?" Tsukune asked.

"Our sister has been 'dealt' with, so she won't be bothering anyone for a while."

"Really?" A surprised Moka asked.

"Dealt with," Kokoa repeated.

"Dare I ask, how?"

"...Let's just say, better to let sleeping dogs lie, Tsukune."

"I see."

"Does that make you feel any better?" Ria asked.

"Uh, yeah it does," he said, though it didn't stop him from turning blue from wondering what exactly might've happened to one of their most chilling adversaries.

"Good riddance," Moka muttered under her breath.

"Indeed, dear sister, but the rest of our happy family will be there, like our stepmother and Kokoa's mom, Lady Gyokuro Shuzen."

_Oh great, _he thought with great trepidation, having not forgotten her.

"There will, of course be Moka's mother, Lady Akasha Bloodriver, along with myself and..."

"SISTERS!" Shouted an elated woman that bounded toward them, and before long a figure in white shot through the darkened halls and enveloped both Moka and Kokoa in a tight, bear hug.

"Kahlua!" Moka grimaced.

"Sister!" Kokoa winced.

Elegant looking as always, Kahlua Shuzen embraced her sisters and shook them in the air like they were life-sized dolls, happy to see after so long. With a silken white, sleeveless dress adorned over a spray tanned skin similar to her mother's, with matching evening gloves and thigh high boots, a diamond studded tiara in her long, and wavy blonde hair which fell, elegantly about her shoulders, she was always striking to behold, however as was often the case with this family, Tsukune knew you should never judge a book by its cover. In many ways, she was a female version of Lennie Small; an almost childlike innocence that could be placated by playing with dolls, but if ever upset she would become an unstoppable killing machine, her tears a psychological factor where, it was believed cleansed her of any wrong doing as she went about brutally assaulting the hapless victim, along with her ability to turn her arms into razor sharp batwings, an incredible power kept in check by her cross-shaped, diamond studded earrings, making her dangerous to all around, including her own family, a fact that both Tsukune, Moka and their friends found out to the hard way when they first encountered her. Only a few people can handle her when she is like this, from her parents to even Miyabi himself, however it was because of this unpredictable nature that their father only allowed her out for one reason only: to kill or send a message that someone of her finesse could handle, but needless to say no one dared upset her, which left Kahlua's two younger siblings stymied.

"Oh, I'm so, so happy to see you two again!" She squealed with joy.

"We're thrilled, too," said Moka. "How have you been?"

"Fine, real fine! It's been so boring here though; Ria is no fun at all! But, daddy has been bringing me a new doll to play with, every day. You have got to come see, I..."

She then sniffs the air like a dog, and Tsukune who had hoped she wouldn't notice him, felt butterflies in his stomach as he watched her turn her brightened, red eyes towards him and smile.

"Hi! Tsukune Aono, isn't it?"

"Um, y-yes," he stammered as he tried to back up a little ways. "Ria was just showing me to my roo..."

In an instant, Kahlua tossed her sisters down like they were a pair of dolls she grew disinterested in and grabbed Tsukune instead.

"It's been awhile," she cooed.

"Yeah, too long, uhh you're hugging me, too tight!"

He became unsettled when he saw her sniff his neck, but was unable to move because of her vice like grip.

"You smell nice," she said in a longing manner. "I always like this smell. I knew there was a reason I came downstairs for something, but I forget. I picked up your scent, though and grew hungry, you wanna join me for a snack?"

"I, uh..."

"And then, you can play tea with me and my dolls!"

"Kahlua, sister, would you like instead to see what we got for you," Moka pleaded, which caught the older sister's attention. "Tsukune said he got something for you."

"Something for me, ooh what?" She eagerly asked.

"I'll show it to you, if you put me down," Tsukune winced.

"Oh, I want to see!"

"You promise?" Moka asked.

Kahlua had to think about it, but the prospect of a new toy was too alluring and she gently puts him down.

"Hey Ooolock, can I see my bag for a second?" He asked the goblin.

"Oh, don't be so modest around him," said Ria. "Ooolock, hand his bag over to him, at once."

"Yes mistress," the troll did as told and Tsukune immediately rummaged through his belongings to find what he was looking for, and pulls out a classic Barbie doll, still in its original packaging.

"It's a 1970 doll, never been open, had to outbid someone on Ebay, nearly cost me all I had left of my summer earnings just to get it, but I hope it was worth it," he said showing her the doll

The childlike woman's face light up with joy at the sight of it and eagerly snatched it from his arms with lightning speed.

"OH, I've always wanted this!" She cooed. "Thank you."

"Yeah, no problem."

"Her hair even looks like mine too, see Moka?"

"Yes, I see sister. Now, if you don't mind…"

"Ohhh, that's pretty too."

Moka noticed Kahlua suddenly drooling over her engagement ring and grew defensive. Moka knew once Kahlua set her eyes on something, she'll immediately try to have it for herself.

"Uh yes, yes it is, Tsukune had gotten this for me."

"Oh, I want one too. Did you get me one?"

"Uhhh, I…um."

"You did get me one, too right?" She begged, her eyes coming close to tears, which terrified everyone, but Ria. "Can I please see it, Moka?"

"Um, well you see its mine sister, I…"

"BUT I WANT IT, I WANT IT! I NEVER GET TO HAVE ANYTHING SO SHINY, IT MATCHES MY EYES EVEN, AND I ONLY WANT TO SEE HOW IT LOOKS ON ME!"

"You're absolutely right!" Tsukune intervened. "And, you know what? I…will…get you one, just like it! That's right, exactly like what Moka has, maybe even better!"

Tsukune could feel Moka's eyes glaring icily at him and all he could do was look back and mentally tell her to just "play along".

"You promise?" Kahlua asked with weepy eyes, but appeared to be calming down.

"Yeah. The next time I come back, I'll have you a new ring, how does that sound?"

"Alright."

"Till then, how about you enjoy the doll I bought for you, huh?"

"Fine," she said, but almost as though she was being forced to put up with an item she no longer had any interest in, her mind now completely on Moka's engagement ring. "You…also promise I can drink some of your blood before you leave too, right?"

_She still wants to bite me!_ He tiredly thought.

"Sure thing," he said and she skipped away with a smile.

"Phew!" Tsukune sighed.

"Oh me, oh my, you were so highly generous to have gone through that much trouble on account of my sister, trying to find an outdated doll to make her happy? You must be fond of her, as well."

"No, not that way at all, you got it all wrong!" He nearly freaked.

"Ugh, he's like that with all the girls," Kokoa groaned.

"Girls?"

"Yeah, his obnoxious harem that constantly follows him around, and whenever they're sad or pissed he tries to cheer them up by being sickeningly nice to them, ugh! He even tried that with me, and if he does it again I'll give him a taste of Ko!"

"Really, even though you are with my sister, you try to be nice to others, huh?"

"I'm just trying to be a gentleman," he said with great modesty.

"And you even went out of your way to find a rare doll for Kahlua just now, for no other reason but to be nice?"

"Well, yes, what other reason would there be. See, we've met before and…"

"I've heard, and from what I hear she nearly killed you and Moka, too."

"Yes but, she's really not a bad person and since I was dating her sister, I figured we could at least be friends."

"Hmm?"

"Indeed, his niceties are a rare trait to be found," said Moka.

"I agree, sister, it's not often seen in our kind."

"It can be a bit irritating at times, however, seeing him be kind to others so damn much!" Moka said with an annoyed tone as she stared at her ring with mild insecurity. "And Tsukune, love, I sincerely hope you didn't mean what you just said, there? That, you can find another ring just like mine or better, anywhere?"

"What? No, I swear, those rings I found are one of a kind! I only said that so Kahlua wouldn't freak out and kill all of us just to get her hands on them, but I promise they're genuinely rare!"

_At least they'd better be! _He thought. _ I found them in a cave full of treasure, guarded by a live dragon!_ _I went through a lot of trouble to be able to afford them and I still had to deal with the 'guard dog'! I better not have been ripped off!_

_He's only trying to be nice, _Outer Moka's consciousness tried to reason. _That's just how he is!_

**True, but it's so unbecoming of a proper vampire. I'd hoped he grew out of that, by now.**

"Well, Tsukune I don't think I'd be any less thrilled to hear you say that to another woman, especially if it was my sister," Ria playfully chided. "In any case, I'll lead you two love birds to your rooms."

"I thought I was staying with Moka?" He asked, blushing after realizing how boldly he pointed that out.

"Oh me, oh my, I had almost forgotten, how nice of you to have pointed that out for me, Tsukune."

"Oh, uh, sure thing," he gushed, which made Moka fume.

Kokoa had reluctantly went on ahead to her own room, practically shooed away by Ria, and so for the rest of the way it was just the three of them for the most part, with the exception of Ria's manservant following close behind with their luggage, walking in uncomfortable silence until they reached Moka's room where Tsukune stared around in awe at its splendor. The room was massive enough to fit his parent's entire living room in, so plush and furnished with a massive canopy bed against the far wall and an ornate, gold framed dressing mirror nearby. It wasn't empty though, as a row of maids were all positioned in line as though having just finished with the preparations and awaiting inspection.

"Good evening Lady Bloodriver!" They all bowed in unison.

"Bloodriver?" Tsukune asked. "Oh right, that's your mother's maiden name."

"It's Akashiya, now!" Moka indignantly corrected. "Get it right, next time!"

"Help, these days," Ria said. "Make a mistake like that, again and you will all find yourselves without bodies to hold your heads, got it!"

"P-Please forgive us, Lady Akashiya," a blonde maid fearfully replied. "We've prepared your room for you and Master Aono's accommodations."

"Good," Moka acknowledged.

"Oh no, you guys don't have to call me Master or anything," he kindly told her. "Believe me, I get that enough from Rub…"

"Have a bath drawn as soon as possible and inform me when it is ready, _Master_ Aono and I would like to be alone!" Moka interrupted, abruptly correcting him.

"Yes my Lady," the maid said and all filed out.

Tsukune, a little put off by Moka's rudeness, couldn't help but notice how distraught the young maid seemed and wanted to at least ease her and the other maids' burden by taking care of things himself.

"Moka, really I can…"

"Tsukune, let them do their jobs," she whispered to him. "Do not show weakness in front of the servants!"

"If you don't mind me asking again, but what clan did you say you were from, Mr. Aono?" Ria inquired.

"Clan?"

"Yes, a noble family. You do belong to a noble clan, right? I'm curious, see you seem to behave so politely and humbly around our servants, and was wondering if that is how you treat yours. I trust you do come from a wealthy household with servants under your employ, am I correct?"

"Um, yeah," he lied. "Oh, we have tons...of...uh, servants, it's a big house we, I mean my parents, own."

"Like I said, we are here to see father, not you," Moka replied. "And, his business is none of your concern."

"Hm," Ria replied with a curious gaze at the two. "Fine. Ooolock come, I have other things for you to take care of and I don't have all day. Let's leave them."

"Yes, mistress," he said and shuffled out the room, moving past Ria who looked at her humble servant as though he were a lowly mutt.

"Please, let me know if my mongrel for a servant has misplaced anything of yours and don't be afraid to ask me for anything."

"Fine, we won't," Moka responded impatiently.

"Um, thanks Ria," Tsukune politely responded.

"The pleasure is all mine, Tsukune," she purred and blowing him a kiss that she knew would rile Moka and embarrassed him, before leaving the two lovebirds alone.

"Well, your sister's very nice," he said. "No offense, but she's not at all what I expected, after running into the likes of Kahlua, Akua and even Kokoa, it's nice to meet a sister who's kind of…normal. Not that I'm saying you guys aren't normal in your own way, I like that you're different and unique, it's just that it's refreshing for a change to meet a relative of yours who _wasn't_ trying to kill us, hehe!"

He noticed how quietly she sat on the edge of her bed, removing her school jacket and methodically taking off her shoes and black, knee socks from her long, slender legs.

"Is everything alright?" He asked. "I've noticed you being more than a little bit irritable around your sister, do you have any issues with her, because she seems like a nice person."

"Nice?" Moka said, thoughtfully. "Hmph."

"Or, if I said something I shouldn't have around the maids, well I was only trying to help, I mean I appreciate the courtesy you were trying to show me and I didn't mean to seem rude or anything, having maids wait on me, hand and foot and call me Master, it just new to me. I don't want anyone making a fuss over me if they don't have to."

"You never told me you went through all that trouble for Kahlua?" Moka finally asked without looking up, thoughtfully running a hand along her smooth, sore ankle. "Looking for a doll on the internet, just so you can give it to her as a present, Tsukune you are always too nice."

"Is that what this all about? Look, I didn't think you'd mind since it was your sister, I was only trying to be…yeah nice! Okay, I get what you're saying and I'm sorry, and don't worry I'm not looking for another ring like yours, it really is one of a kind, trust me you don't know the dangers, eh trouble, I went through to afford them, but you saw how Kahlua got; maybe she'll forget."

"And if she doesn't, what then? Will you have to buy her another ring or give her some of your blood to keep her satisfied, instead?"

Tsukune looked at her, puzzled and worried that he _had_ done something wrong.

"Ria noticed your blood, too."

"I can't help the way my blood is like, you know that."

"Not only that, but she noticed how kind you can be to others, which bothers me."

"Moka?"

She glanced up at him with those red, hypnotic eyes and patted the bed next to her, beckoning him to come sit next to her. He felt excited sitting so close to her, as he always did, gingerly touching the fabric of her skirt and the soft skin of her leg against his fingertips, smelling the shampoo of her hair as a silvery strand or two lightly clung to his green jacket while looking longingly into those haunting eyes.

"Tsukune," she said in her throaty voice that always sent excited shivers throughout his body.

"Moka," he whispered.

He tried to look away from her chilling, yet alluring eyes, still also unsettling to stare into for very long, but as soon as he felt her delicate hand rest upon his and entwined her spindly fingers with his strong ones and all resistance melted away.

"Tsukune," she said, mounting his lap and straddling him with her bare, well-toned thighs, as though cutting off his escape.

"Moka," he gasped.

He could feel the warmth of her crotch as her bare thighs pressed themselves on top of him, while her slender body leaned up against him, and he soon realized something, they were alone! Far away from the interruption of their friends and now secluded inside Moka's room, her folks away, no one to disturb them and about to be officially engaged, now seemed like the perfect time to have sex!

_YES! _ He thought excitedly. _I'm finally going to do it with her! Of course, I've always imagined I'd do it with Outer Moka first, and then Inner Moka, and we never actually discussed how that was going to be done, but whatever, I guess we'll cross that bridge later! Should I wear a condom? Will she like me afterwards? I hope I don't screw this up!_

"Tsukune," she said whispered again as she stared intently into his eyes. "It's time I laid a few ground rules."

"Huh?"

Without warning, Moka's grip tightened and then aggressively shoves him down onto the bed and viciously clamps down on his neck, drinking his blood hungrily like an animal while he remained stunned and in pain. After a brief moment of this, she lets up, licks the wound and with crimson eyes that radiated brilliantly, looked down upon him with a show of primal lust and dominance.

"Let's get something straight, my love," she said.

"M-Moka?" He said.

"You belong to me, you're my man, my mate not some other woman's. Your blood belongs to me now, and I will not tolerate you being kind to anyone else, especially to my sisters, is that understood?"

Tsukune thought he should resist, though a part of him didn't want to and instead laid there underneath her, the strength of her hands restraining him, his strength all but gone, and her warm body straddling over him as she stared down at him with hunger in those red eyes.

"I'm not hearing a response, Tsukune," she said.

"U-Understood."

"Good," she said, easing herself up on him, and then places his hands against the sides of her buttocks as she proceeds to unbutton her shirt. "I'm glad to hear that, glad that you understand of how important it is not to show any sign of weakness in our family, we tend to prey on that, and it's important for you to remember that if you are going to convince my father you are worthy of me."

"Uh, I'll try," he said though he found it hard to focus as he felt his fingertips sink into her flesh and gazed upon her disrobing down to her lacey, white bra while still on top of him.

"Don't get me wrong," she said with a gentle stroke of her sharp nails across his cheek with one hand, while the other gripped the hem of her skirt. "I admire your compassion, your gentleness, as does my other side, and it served us both well during our school years, but we feel it's time for you to change that, now. You're a vampire, not a human anymore, and my mate, whose blood now courses with my own, don't forget that."

He wasn't sure how to respond, it never occurred to him that changing who he was, those qualities that she adored, even mattered with her and perhaps he should've thought more on those words, yet found it increasingly difficult to dwell on as Moka now sat half naked over him and was giving him a pleasurable view of her perfect body.

"Uh, yeah," was all he could say.

"Good boy," she purred and leaned in closer.

He could smell her, with his sharp senses, he could smell everything about her and it drove him mad. Was she just teasing him or did she actually want to do it with him? Tsukune wasn't sure about anything, even if he was ready, but he refused to fight it and decided to let it happen, let her do what she wanted and be lost in the situation. However, before they could go further, a knock came at the door and rocked him from his euphoria.

"Um, Lady Akashiya," the maid's voice announced, "your bath is ready."

"Very good, we'll be in there at once!" Moka replied.

"Bath time, huh?" He asked, disappointed.

"Yes."

"I guess, we'll continue this later, then."

"Yes we will," she said, getting up and removing her skirt in front of him.

"Uh Moka?"

"Well, are you just going to lay there like an idiot or are you going to get undressed?" She asked, standing before him in just her white panties.

"…."

"I've asked the maids to draw bath, or did you forget?"

"Yes, but…OH, you mean…you and me…togeth…?"

Her seductive smile was all the confirmation he needed, though he was a little shy about undertaking what she wanted to do.

"We're going to walk to the bathroom…naked?"

"The bath is just down the hall, Tsukune," she said with an annoyed tone.

"Yes, but I mean," he started to say, blushing, "doing it in your parents' bathroom and, what if the maids or Kokoa find…"

"Don't be such a coward Tsukune, and who cares about what the help thinks, I've told you about this weakness you have, so prove to me you have what it takes to be my husband," she teased.

Tsukune looked at her, standing before him half naked with her perfect body in full view, turning her back to him and lifting her long hair to present the back of her bra as to suggest for him to undo its clasps.

"C'mon Tsukune," she purred, and giving him a 'come over here' look. "You want to get wet with me, right?"

"Yes," he said in an almost trancelike state, "I definitely would like to get wet with you."

Tsukune was still nervous about doing this, but he _was_ going to finally be alone with Moka and wasn't about to let his own modesty get in the way and, the way he saw it, it appeared nothing was going to interrupt them, now. However, as they prepared for their bath time escapade, down below a compact, beaten down old school bus pulled its way around the castle's circular driveway and curiously stops, prompting Ria and a small contingent of armed guards to immediately encounter their strange and unwanted company. The windows were oddly tinted for a school bus and she could barely make out the shapes moving around inside, furthermore she found it equally odd that such a thing would find its way onto her father's grounds undetected, as this was a highly inaccessible location and the pathway towards here well defended, making it not only difficult, but abnormal for just anyone, let alone a strange school bus, to roll up here in one piece, and even they were lucky to have made it this far, such "guests" would have to contend with her.

_Who could this be? _She wondered.

"Stand back," she calmly ordered. "But, stay on guard. Whoever is bold enough to come here unannounced, I wish to see for myself before we kill them. Oh me, oh my, I must say you are either very brave or very stupid to come all the way up into our domain! Come, show yourself!"

"Oh me, oh my, yourself!" A mysterious voice replied from inside the bus.

"I would hope our guests reveal themselves and meet with me in person soon, lest you try my patience and we celebrate your foolish bravery in coming here on board, anyway!"

"Well, since you asked so nicely!"

With a loud squeal, the doors slowly opened and she found herself staring up at an odd, lanky man in a blue, old fashioned bus uniform, who's cigar smoking, mustachioed face remained partially concealed by his hat as he sat casually looking down upon her with what she mistook as being a perverted smile.

"Oh me, oh my," he said in his gruff voice, eyeing her like a piece of meat. "I knew Moka had some lovely sisters, but never this lovely."

"I'll say this for a dead man, you've got balls. I would've killed lesser men for such an offense."

"Then allow me to say I'm honored you haven't killed me, yet."

"The day is still young," she said with a wry smile. "But first, I would like to know who has had the audacity to come to the Shuzen estate and be so kind as to state your business."

"TSUKUNE!" A big breasted girl with aqua colored hair suddenly appeared out of nowhere and hopped down the steps. "Tsukune has been here, hasn't he? I can smell him, him and that pink haired, jezebel! Oh, I know she must already be doing it with my Tsukune, I just know it, please you have to let us in!"

"I'm sorry?" Ria asked, puzzled.

Kurumu leapt off the bus, her enormous breasts bouncing wildly, causing even Ria to stare at them wide eyed.

"You're Moka's sister, right?" She asked, grabbing hold of Ria's hand in a plaintive manner. "Please, please, _please_! You have got to let us see Tsukune, he's making a terrible mistake, oh please let me see him!"

CLANG!

A large, metal basin fell on top of the blue haired succubus, once again knocking her out and prompting Ria to look to the sky for its origins.

"YOU BIG BOOBED….BOOB!" Yukari cried, floating down the steps with her little wand aglow. "Don't listen to her, she's a jealous idiot. Hi, I'm Yukari Sendo, witch and butt buddy to your sister Moka and Tsukune."

"'Butt buddy'?" Ria asked.

"Yep, and that jiggling retard down there is Kurumu Korono, an _annoying_ succubus who doesn't know when to give up trying to get into Tsukune's pants; that's for me and Moka, fool! Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you and you are?" Yukari extended her hand to shake, but Ria refused to reciprocate.

"A witch, a succubus, and…"

"Oooh, look how big your breasts are!" Yukari remarked upon noticing Ria's chest. "They're bigger than Moka's and I bet they're as big as this boob freak too, if not bigger!"

"WHAT?" Kurumu cried, finally coming around. "Like hell they are! You don't know what you're talking about, you little witch!"

"Oh, but they feel so…so thick and…" Yukari said as she boldly groped Ria's breasts in her hands. "Aww, I bet I can hold on to them all day, better than I did with Moka."

However, she noticed Ria's cold glare and wisely decided to maintain her distance.

"A curious witch, and a loud mouth succubus," Ria continued. "So you must be Tsukune and my sister's friends I've heard about, you are quite a strange bunch and…oh me, oh my, I wonder what on earth might your driver friend be?"

He took a long drag of his cigar, and then patiently replied: "I'm complicated."

"So you are. Well, then allow me to ask a less complicated question, how is it that all of you managed to come up here in one piece, and why do you think that as friends of my sister and her intended, that I won't…"

"You see!" Kurumu boasted, standing next to Ria with her sweater shirt raised and green bra exposed to chest size for all the men to see; they all seemed to eye and favor Kurumu's instead, much to the girl's pleasure. "My breasts are way bigger and better than hers!"

Ria glared at her men, who quickly averted their gaze from the busty teen, and appeared ready to violently yank Kurumu's breasts right out of the sockets.

"Uh, Kurumu..." Yukari warned. "You might not want to anger big sis."

"Big sis?" Ria asked.

"Yeah. Me and Moka are practically sisters, because we're that close, you see, well sisters with benefits. Anyway, we're only here to see our friends, that's all. _And_, if they're doing any _loving_, then I want to be apart of it."

"Speak for yourself ya perverted freak, I want to win back _my _Tsukune from your sister!"

"Over my dead body!"

"Oh me, oh my, that much I can arrange, I assure you," Ria said with a chilling smile. "I don't care if you're their friends, play sisters or what, I won't let you go any further than this."

"Oh yeah, want to go because I will," Kurumu said going into a fighting stance, her large breasts jiggling with her excited movements.

"And, here we have one who doesn't know her place. However, I must say that fake tits here has moxy, you must really love young Aono, perhaps even more than my sister. That must make you his whore, correct?"

It wasn't so much the "whore" comment than it was having someone call her breasts fake, which caused the succubus girl to radiate with fiery energy and extend her nails into terrifying claws.

"You called my breasts...fake?" She hissed. "Yeah, they're more real than yours, vampire!"

"Ooh, such moxy Tsukune's whore displays," Ria said, hardly threatened by Kurumu's display of power. "Tell me, is this the foolish pride of you lower species or are you instead thinking with those gargantuan, fake tits you have?"

"That's it!"

"Wait, oof!" Yukari intervened, stopping Kurumu in her place and getting a face full of her tits. "Yuck! Idiot chick breasts! I'm sorry, forgive the jiggling clown here, but we didn't come to fight, honest!"

"Well, I am here to kill any intruders and so far I've found three," Ria tells her. "So, unless my sister and her guest have been expecting you, then..."

"Bring it on, small tits!" Kurumu challenged, but Ria only smiled as she relished in the thought of ripping this large chested girl apart.

"Rein in your bloodlust, girls," the bus driver calmly says. "As much as I'd like a bloodthirsty catfight like the next guy, I don't think Headmaster Mikogami would approve of you murdering two of his star students and his trusty confidant."

"Mikogami?" Ria asked with familiarity. "Of the three Hell Kings, alongside Akasha?"

"Oh good, so you have heard of him. Yeah, the kids have been bugging the old man in letting them go see old meat bag, I mean Mr. Aono or rather soon to be Lord Aono if he plays his cards right, and the Headmaster thought it would be okay to have them come attend the ceremony, that is unless you still want to kill us?"

"...No," she replied. "That wouldn't be very cordial at all, now would it?"

"No. And, how we made it up here, well it doesn't really matter, some questions are better left unanswered."

"So I see."

"Anyway, have you seen my Tsukune?" Kurumu asked frantically, shaking Ria by the arms.

"They are upstairs, at the moment," Ria replied, batting away Kurumu's hands and brushes her arms like they were touched by diseased hands, frustrated that she won't be killing anyone today. She then got the devilish idea of allowing this friendly rival of her sister's to barge in on their alone time and cause all sorts of trouble. If she couldn't kill anyone, then she might still have some fun at of Moka's expense. "Why, as we speak they are on the second floor, having a bath together."

"M-My Tsukune, MY MATE and...having...having a ba..."

Kurumu was off before she could even finish her sentence, tearing through the front doors like a bat out of hell.

"KURUMU!" Yukari yelled after her. "YOU BETTER NOT DO ANYTHING TO THEM! I'M GOING TO JOIN THEM SO DON'T YOU DARE START ANYTHING!"

"Hehehehe!" The bus driver laughed. "Young love, eh? Makes me glad I'm not that young and foolish, anymore!"

"Oh me, oh my, yes. In my many years in this world, I've learned to appreciate the values of no longer being so blind, naive...and easy, like some people."

Tsukune stared in awe, the bathtub was a huge, round marble hot tub, big enough to hold several people, with warm steam floating up from it and through out the entire room, creating a sauna like atmosphere that was both comfortable and relaxing, while a strong aroma wafted up into his nostrils from the green water, tinted from the special herbs added to it that made it possible for two vampires like themselves to enjoy. However, as extravagant as all this was, the one thing that captivated him the most wasn't so much the atmosphere, but how it made Moka's nude, fantastic body glisten before him with persperation as she stood infront of the tub in all her glory, and causing him to sweat a little more. He stood there naked and shy, having made the short distance from the room in the buff, expecting with baited breath of having his first, bath time sexual encounter with Inner Moka alone, only to find his paradise plagued with some maids waiting around the tub with towels at the ready.

"Umm, is it necessary for all of them to be here?" He asked, covering his penis.

"They will not bother us," Moka simply said as she bound and pinned up her long hair. "They're here to stand guard over the room and be nearby in case we need anything."

"I don't know if I feel comfortable doing this in front of them," he responded, but Moka was already walking up the steps before him and slid into the water, teasing him all the way and beckoning to him with her eyes.

"Tsukune, you're going to live forever. Don't waste your time being such a prude; it's time you learned to live a little."

She was so inviting and of all the times he had difficulty getting close to Outer Moka because of her, it felt special that it was Inner Moka trying to initiate a romantic encounter and he didn't know when he'd have a better time, but having all these servants around felt so odd to him.

"Um, well okay," he said, glancing around at the servants.

"W-Would you like a loofah, sir?" Offered the blonde maid who suddenly appeared next to him.

"Huh! Oh-uh, thank you, that's real...real thoughtful of you."

He sheepishly takes the cleaning implement while trying to keep himself covered, which caused some of the other maids to giggle.

"Leave us," an impatient Moka finally commanded and the maids all left. "Is that better?"

"Sorry."

"Baby."

"Well, I never thought of doing anything like this with you, before."

"Maybe you wouldn't with the other me, but then again I'm not like her and this is how I truly am," she told him, her eyes almost aglow from the steam of the tub. "I am not so shy or reserved, if you're going to be my mate you'll have to keep up."

She was taunting him, even teasing him like he was a young boy, but gazing upon his nude, ripped figure, with a broad muscular chest pot marked with battle scars, among them a large, cross shaped one over his heart, it made her hot and bothered everytime she saw him like that. Like Tsukune, she too wanted both sides of him: her outer persona had _his_ outer half, which remained the same gentle human since they first met, whereas _she_ wanted the stronger, leaner, more muscular version of his vampiric half, who had grown so much stronger over the years and defeated every foe with ease now. Unfortunately, unlike her both sides of him weren't any different in nature and she secretly wanted him to loosen up badly to her, and hoped to goad his ego into action; these years of being unable to get close to him because of his humanity and her pride as a vampire were nearly as agonizing on her as it had been to him and now that he was very nearly hers, she wanted him inside her.

"You like the other me, don't you?" She asked him.

"Huh?"

"Well, do you?"

"Y-Yeah, I like both of you."

"And, like I said to you once before, if you want _**us**_, you'll have to seduce me as well. So, don't disappoint me, love."

There was no hesitation in him, he did want both sides of her equally, and he wasn't about to waste any more time. He tested the water carefully, its temperature warm and soothing.

"Well?" She asked impatiently. "You afraid of the water, now?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Fully immersed, chest deep in the warm water and seeing her across from him, he no longer felt insecure about any of this and eagerly swam towards her.

"Would you do my back?" She suggested.

Blushing, he lathered up the pad and rubbed the suds gently about her slender shoulders first, then moved down her smooth, bare back, taking his time to familiarize himself with every feel of her sinuous body, slowly and softly until he felt his hands run over perfect buttocks, sliding along the crack with messaging effect. She moaned with delight and backed up even closer against him as he came around to the front, guiding his hand playfully inbetween her breasts and then over her pert nipples where he could feel them hardening against his hand through the loofah. All the while their eyes never left one another, both lovingly entranced, and he wrapped his arm about her in a firm embrace and boldly went into a long, passionate kiss, her left hand sliding up to the back of his neck to press him into her hard as the other continued to guide his hand further down her body, teaching him every inch of her and what pleased her, letting him know her intimately. She could feel his dick hardening against her, feel his heart beating faster, the aroma of his blood growing stronger as Tsukune's testosterone levels pumped excitedly, causing her to grow even more excited, hungry and ravenoush, and she dug her nails into him while his grip got tighter and he became a little bolder. After awhile of this, Moka felt that the foreplay had run its course and was anxious to get serious, so she turned about in his grip until she faced him, and pressed him into the tub's side to where she could mount herself onto of his lap, trying to position herself on top of his erect dick. Moka positioned his hands on either side of her sculpted hips, helping guide her as she eased herself down onto him, as he gazed up into his fiance's eyes, lost in paradise, awaiting for his first sexual intercourse and not wanting this moment to end.

"TSUKUNE!"

He thought he heard a distant voice cry out, and found it funny that he could've sworn it sounded familiar.

"Hey, did you hear that?" He asked, but Moka didn't respond nor appeared to care, kissing him deeply and focused on easing his penis into her further into her.

"Just a little more," she whispered as she slowly allowed the shaft to tickle the walls of her labia and began to feel the tip lightly touch her clitoris. "A little more."

He could feel her begin to envelope him deeper and deeper, the strange sensation was like a warm, wet gloved hand gripping tightly around his penis and sliding down its shaft. He had reached her spot now, and she was in perfect euphoria, teetering on the edge of climaxing.

"TSUKUNE!" Came the voice again, but Moka couldn't hear it or anything for that matter.

"Yes!" Moka gasped.

"TSUKUNE!" Yelled Kurumu, suddenly busting down the door with incredible and desperate force.

"AAAAHHHH!" The two lovers screamed in shock finding the love lorn succubus, of all people, standing before them.

"KURUMU!" Tsukune yelled. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"T-Tsukune?" She stammered, tears forming as she beheld her 'Destined One' in a bathtub with a naked, and clearly irate Moka.

"TSUKUNE, MOKA!" Yukari cheerfully greeted appearing right next Kurumu. "Ohh, you guys started already!"

"I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!" Moka roared, standing up furiously, her wet nipples bouncing with boisterously for Yukari's enjoyment, but whose balled fists and fire filled eyes showed no amorous greeting. Disturbed from her euphoria, just moments away from experiencing her first orgasm with her lover only to be interrupted, yet again by their 'friends' interference, Moka was all but anxious to remove them from their lives, permantly.

"Guys, how did you get here?" Tsukune asked.

"FORGET THAT!" Kurumu wailed. "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?"

"That is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" Moka screamed, face blood red and menacing. "HOW DARE YOU COME INTO MY HOUSE AND RUIN OUR SPECIAL MOMENT!"

"I'm terribly sorry, Lady Akashiya!" The blonde maid cried, following in after the two girls. "Th-They slipped past us, the blue haired succubus was especially resistant to our efforts, her illusion c-casting made it difficult to subdue her and she ransacked half the place!"

"Please excuse my booby brained friend, here," Yukari explained. "But, my papa is good at construction and home renovation, I'll come get him to fix up the place."

"D-Did you follow us?" He asked.

"Yes! I'd do anything to win back my Tsukune and keep him from making a terrible mistake with her! How dare you, Moka take advantage of my Mate of Fate by seducing him in the bath!"

"Oooh, it looked like you two were about to get down and dirty in the bath," Yukari teased. "I hope I hadn't missed anything."

"Oh, I don't _believe this!"_ Moka growled, furiously.

"That's just great!" He yelled. "Wait, where's Mizore? Don't tell me she's been spying on us this whole time, too?"

"Nah, she decided to stay back at the school," Yukari replied. "She's been acting weird since your announcement, like she's not being herself."

"Really?" He asked with open concern.

"Who cares about her!" Kurumu ranted. "Tsukune, how could you? How could you let yourself be seduced by Moka!"

"I'm warning you, you flabby chested succubus," Moka venomously warned, literally in a killing mood. "Get out of here now and leave us alone, and I might forget this ever happened, if not I will do what I should've done in the first place and remove those things from your chest!"

"Oh yeah, Moka."

Before him, Kurumu leaps up to the top of the pool's steps, strips her clothing off in a single movement and stands over him proudly naked, her exposed, monstrous breasts bobbing wildly as though fully animated with a life of their own, their erect nipples staring down at him like a pair of pink, hungry eyes while the succubus' own violet ones looked down at him with both a teasing sort of pride and eyed Moka with a sense of mocking pride.

"You want to have some fun in the bath, then look no further than me and my girls," Kurumu purred, letting him get an eyeful of her curvaceous figure.

"Oooh, I want to jump in, too!" Yukari squealed as she rips off her own clothing and begins jumping excitedly in the nude, her little tits bouncing before him.

"Step off, you twerp! This is adult swim, not for little kiddies like you."

"Come in here and this water and it'll run red with your blood," Moka warned.

"Humph, if it'll run red, then it would be because of you, Moka! Maybe, it's your time of the month!" Kurumu joked.

"Come down here and say that!"

"Bring it on, Moka!" Kurumu challenged, her wings and tail whipping out, and nails sharpening into claws. "I'll take you in the nude if I have to, and then maybe Tsukune will see who's the better woman!"

"Why don't you and your boobs fly off!" Yukari defended Moka. "Can't you see me and Moka are trying to have alone time with our Tsukune!"

"Both of you leave!" Moka yelled, her aura flaring dangerously and actually churning the water.

"Oh come on, don't you want to have a three way? I promise I won't get in the way!"

"Nobody wants you here, you small chested witch!" Kurumu yelled. "So, why don't you go grab a broom and _you_ fly off!"

"I'll send you both flying! Argh! Everytime you idiots constantly interfere in our love making, I swear if this happens again I will rend your bones from your bodies!"

"Hey, what's going on?" Kokoa asked, suddenly appearing with Kahlua. "T-Tsukune! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE TUB WITH MY SISTER, YOU PERVERT! KO!"

"Oooh, its _lovemaking_ in the tub," Kahlua cooed as she danced excitedly. "Oh, that's so romantic. I want to join, too!"

As Kahlua began taking off _her_ clothes, while Kokoa grabbed Ko and transformed him into a spiked, metal bat to clobber Tsukune with, and Yukari and Kurumu continued argueing with Moka, who was growing even more livid by the uninvited guests who continued to interfere with her special moment with Tsukune, Ria casually waltzes in and seemed all too thrilled at the circus that was going on.

"Almost done, I'll be in there in just a second you two!" Kahlua said, teasingly clutching the discarded clothing to her nude, tanned body, her thigh highs boots being the only remaining article of clothing.

"I'm coming too, I'm so excited and going to get wet whether you want to or not!" Yukari squealed with delight as she struggled with Kurumu, who was trying to get in the water and fight Moka for Tsukune.

"Prepare to die, Tsukune!" Kokoa roared, raising Ko over her head.

"Please, Tsukune, it'll be much better with me than with Moka, I promise," Kurumu offered.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Moka roared. "GET OUT OF HERE, ALL OF YOU!"

"Oh me, oh my, what is the commotion in here?" Ria finally asked.

"Ria; you had something to do with this, didn't you?" Moka accused.

"Me? I'm hurt that you would go and accuse me of something I had nothing to do with. They simply showed up out of the blue, wanting _so_ much to see their friends, and I just allowed my younger sister's friends in with the hopes of surprising you. Was I not supposed to have done that?"

"Drop the act!" Moka snapped. "You're always doing this, everytime I'm happy, you come along to ruin it and then act all passive aggressive, it's sickening, sister!"

"And you are always blaming me for everything that goes wrong with you, sister dear. Just the same old story eh, use me as your proverbial scapegoat, well as I said before I had nothing to do with your friends showing up on our grounds unannounced, and I would hardly call almost getting to third base with you happy."

"Nobody cares about your sibling rivalry," Kurumu intervened. "I'm here to make my Tsukune happy!"

"No, I am!" said Yukari.

"No, me!" Squealed Kahlua. "Are you jumping in too, sis?"

"Oh me, oh my, I wonder? Maybe I should, that certainly sounds like fun."

"What!" Moka freaks.

"Well, I'm sure our sister won't mind if we all got naked and spend some time with our, ever popular guest, but he may not be quite up to the task." She shrewdly points out the situation, as they all noticed Tsukune, hunkered down in the water underneath all their naked bodies, half catatonic with embarrassment and red as a lobster.

When dinner came, they were all treated to a lavish, candle lit meal at a grand dinner table, draped in a blood red table cloth adorned with silvery plates and neatly placed gold silverware. All were given new clothes to wear, suitable for the occasion, with the most of the girls wearing corsetted gowns that augmented their features greatly. Perhaps, in part because of this, Tsukune could hardly focus on such royal trappings, and yet it seemed he was once more in the hot seat in another war for his attention, caught sitting in between his newly made fiance and clearly agitated Moka, and the ever tenacious Kurumu. Yukari, who sat next to Moka, had brought out her tarot cards and spread them out on the table as they awaited their meal; she'd asked him if he wanted to know if the odds of the three of them doing it before the weekend was over were good, he said no, but she was checking the cards anyway. The bus driver sat across from him to his right and was chain smoking at the table, all the while glancing at his predicament and smiling devilshly, Kahlua sat down to his left and stared doe eyed at him, perhaps eager to drink his blood or play with him some more, whereas Kokoa and Ko both sat directly across from him with an icy stare, and holding a cutting knife firmly in her grip.

"So Tsukune," said Kurumu who wrapped her arms around his and snuggled up against him, "what do you think, romantic or what? At least it would be if it was just you and me, sitting in this large dinning hall alone and uninterrupted, can you just imagine?"

Whether by accident or intentionally, Kurumu pressed his arm into her gigantic breasts, which had begun to spill out of her bodice and treated him with a full view, making him extremely uncomfortable.

"W-Well, Kurumu I think…"

Moka, whose fingers were interwoven with his in a show of solidarity and commitment, a message she wanted to stress to her intruding frenemies, squeezed his fingers hard and caused him to wince.

"This is my home, Kurumu," she calmly tells her while still gripping onto Tsukune. "This is _my_ family's dinnig hall and Tsukune, _my_ intended husband, is here with me. I cannot begin to imagine you alone with him, here. Can you, my love?"

"N-Nope, can't begin to, Moka!" He said through clinched teeth.

"Good," she says, easing up on her hold of him. "You can let go of him, now?"

"No way!" Kurumu argued. "You let go of him!"

"I am being cordial by not sending you flying through the ceiling, do not test me by holding onto my future bloodmate in my presence."

"Well, he's still my Mate of Fate, we were destined to be together and I came all this way to prove it!"

"Look, guys lets not start at the dinner table," Tsukune tried to say. "I'm sure a nice meal will…"

"His 'destiny' lies with me and only me! Don't continue this sad little delusion of yours, its pathetic to hold on to it."

"What's a 'delusion' is the fact that you let him _think_ he's the most important person in your life! He is with me, but to you all he is a piece of property."

"Do not try me, succubus, or you will regret ever coming here."

"Hey, do any of you want to hear what our futures hold?" Yukari cheerfully asked.

"No!" The two warring girls said in unison as they stared daggers across from Tsukune.

_Things were so great, why did it have to turn out like this?_ He wondered.

"Still having lady troubles, are we Meatbag?" Joked the bus driver.

"He hasn't begun to have trouble," Kokoa growled.

Finally, Ria enters the room at the head of a train of personal chefs wheeling in their, and eases the tension in the room.

"Dinner is served, everyone," she says upon taking her place at the table to the left of Kokoa. "Since we have guests with 'special' tastes, I have had special meals prepared much to your liking."

"You shouldn't have," said Moka. "Really, you shouldn't have."

"Oh me, oh my, sister I hope you don't believe I had them poisoned? Would I really do something that callous? Honestly, you are all father's guests and I am your hostess, as such I will do what is neccassary to make each and everyone of your stay here as comforting as possible."

Her reassuring words, accompanied by a toothy grin, weren't quite so comforting as they looked at the covered trays being laid out infront of them with mild trepidation.

"Why Tsukune, ever the popular guy," Ria said who noticed his predicament. "First the bathroom and now the dinning table. Are you sure you intend to become my sister's mate, because if not then..."

"Why yes, I do and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that! I love Moka and my heart does belong to her, its just our friends..."

"Tsukune is only saying that because she's here!" Kurumu argued. "He's heart really belongs to me!"

"Keep this up, succubus, and I will show you your heart," Moka warned.

"Bring it!"

"Tsukune is right!" Yukari intervened. "His heart _does_ belong to Moka, infact so does mine and you need to butt out and quit being a fourth wheel!"

"Shut up!"

"Girls, lets not fight infront of our host!" He whispered. "She had this nice meal prepared for us, the least we can do is be a little courteous.

"Oh me, oh my, you're ever the gentleman. I certianly do hope you all enjoy it and if not I can always have the staff taken care of."

It made the chefs glance at one another nervously and Tsukune shared in their sentiments.

_They don't really kill their own servants, do they?_ He wondered.

However, the smell of the food made him momentarily forget what he was thinking, it's potent aroma very nearly made Yukari lift out of her seat and become lost in its enticing pull.

"Mmm, whats in it?"

The covers were removed to reveal an assortment of hot, well cooked food and pastries all neatly presented like a buffet line.

"Help yourself," Ria offered.

"Wow, don't mind if I do," said Tsukune. "Food looks great! The cooks really outdid themselves, we should thank them. Hey Moka, can I fix your a plate for you, just tell me what you want and I'll get it for you."

"Oh me, oh my!" Ria laughed.

"You are so stupid," said Kokoa.

"Huh?"

"Tsukune," said Moka, shaking her head in shame at his request. "I don't want any of that and neither should you!"

"What? I don't..."

"This is peasant's food," Ria chuckled openly and with little shame. "We do not eat this, it's far beneath us, you should know that!"

"Good to know we, as your guests are still beneath you," said Kurumu.

"O-kay, so where is our food?"

The chefs then placed a large, silver cauldron on the table, the smell emanating from it was strong and metallic, and yet felt strangely alluring.

"Ohh, I'm hungry," drooled Kahlua. "Hurry _up_, I can't hold out much longer!"

They removed the lid, letting flow out a cloud of steam that shot into the air and immediately began filling their porcelean bowls with a thick, red liquid that bubbled from the heat, placing each one before the vampires and one infront of Tsukune who merely stared at it, while the others began readily sipping theirs.

"Oh, so this is a kind of broth, right?" He asked.

"No Tsukune, it's blood," Moka answered.

"Blood?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Eww!" Yukari went.

"Oh," he said.

"You don't like it, Tsukune?" Ria asked. "I had this prepared for you, I'd be offended if you didn't try it and enjoy it."

"Oh no, I've had blood before so..."

The smell left a strange, yet inviting taste in his mouth, a taste he has had before and if not for his vampire side he would've forgotten how much he hungrily craved it, a craving that prompted him to pick the bowl up and allow its metallic taste invade his taste buds and slide down his throat.

"It's good!" He said with a grin.

"Ahem, you have a..." Moka points out a small dribble of blood running down his chin.

"Oh!"

"I got it," she said and amorously licks it off his chin, which earned the ire of Kurumu.

"Yeah, it's been awhile since I've tasted blood," he says. "Most of the time me and Moka would share a can of tomato juice, and that keeps us fed for awhile."

"Oh, I'm glad you like it," said Ria. "It's good to see someone find this substitute to be quite palatable."

She notices Kokoa slurping up her bowl and coming back up with a red ring around her mouth.

"Nine out of ten vampire children usually can't tell the difference, of course," she added.

"Substitute?" He asked. "Come to think of it, where exactly did you get the blood from?"

"Oh me, oh my, you look pale all of a sudden," she giggled.

"All of our blood supply comes from transfusion packs, kept refigerated," said Moka. "I thought I told you that, once before? I grew up living on this and became used to it before I realized how much more delicious it is straight from the source."

Tsukune blushed and felt a little uncomfortable.

"Oh I agree, dear sister," said Ria. "When it comes straight from a warm vein, nothing else compares."

"But, what did you mean by substitute, though?"

"Oh, I was simply referring to the good old days," Ria said, taking in a spoonful of blood, all the while staring at him, intently. "See, while good enough to eat, it's not the same as back when we would take our blood straight from the source on a daily basis. Hm, _that _is always good blood."

"...Really?" Tsukune said after a nervous gulp.

"Oh me, oh my, it is. Why, back in the day we used to keep human slaves in the lower levels and bled them for our meals, and they were always good to the last drop. Ah, those were the days."

The look of shock on the faces of most of the people present could've spoken volumes on what Ria had said, but none more so than with Tsukune.

**Ugh, sister!** Moka groaned.

"Y-You're joking, right?" He asked. "She is joking, right Moka?"

Moka's silence was as loud as it was frighteningly clear to the shocked boy and he felt like he could fall right out of his chair.

"Joking?" Ria asked. "It was a way of life for us once, why would I joke about it? I remembered it like it was yesterday."

"Y-You really kept humans as slaves?" Kurumu asked. "And you killed them for food?"

"Yes, of course succubus, and what of it?"

"That's...that's barbaric!" Tsukune stammered. "I can't believe what I'm...and you're okay with that?"

Ria stares at him in a moment of disbelief at what she heard, but suddenly bursts into raucous laughter.

"Oh me, oh my, Moka your lover is quite the comedian!" She laughed. "Barbaric, th-that is a good one, Tsukune!"

"I wasn't trying to be funny, slavery is no joke, its wrong, especially if you treat human beings like cattle!"

"Now, how is that barbaric?" Ria calmly argued. "Before the advent of refigeration, all vampires needed a steady food supply in order to survive, so what's wrong with that?"

"By keeping humans as livestock?" Kurumu asked. "How is that _not_ sick?"

"Really? Ha! Humans, themselves keep animals for food all the time. They bred them, raise them, keep them well fed and cared for, up until the slaughter. Hell, some they don't even allow to grow up, I've seen videos about the poultry industry and how humans murder male chicks simply because they have no value. At least we allowed our human slaves to mature before devouring them, and if we had no use for them, then we put them to work."

Tsukune couldn't believe what he was hearing, the way she went on about breeding human beings for slaughter without any hesitation or shame.

"So, you're going to judge us because we kept humans instead, when humans do the same thing with lesser species in order to survive or else they'd all starve. How is what we used to do any different?"

"It...it's different!" Tsukune argued. "Humans are intelligent!"

"So, the difference between humans and say, cattle or poultry, lies in a level of intelligence, hm? If animals could speak, would they not argue about _their_ rights, as well?"

"We...I mean, humans aren't livestock and they are not a lesser species!" He tried to defend, nearly slipping his tongue.

"Well, say what you want, but at least we never wasted our food. While humans are weak, they also make for good slaves. This has been our way for countless centuries, Aono and you should know this, so its just strange that this would bother you so much, why is that?"

"...I..." Tsukune was at a loss for words after the morbid discussion he just had and now backed into a corner, he couldn't figure anything to say.

"He feels the way he does, because of me, sister," Moka spoke up for him, holding his hand in a show of solidarity and reassurence. "In answer to your question, Tsukune, no it isn't a joke, nor is it a topic to be taken lightly at all. We did keep humans in the manner Ria mentioned, but it was a long time ago and the practice has since been abandoned. And, sister, Tsukune is right, keeping human slaves is wrong."

"I agree," Kurumu jumped in. "How could you treat humans like they're property, like that?"

"Food is food," Ria said as she casually slups up a sliver of blood running from the corner of her mouth. "All that matters is where you are on the food chain, oh me, oh my, has spending time in the human world made you soft, my baby sister? Or all of you, for that matter? Have you each forgotten the order of things in nature?"

"Yes, my opinion of humans has changed, sister," Moka responded. "While they are not our equals, I certainly do not view them as only food."

_Not your equals?_ He wondered.

"So, you really believe that, sister?" Ria asked. "You really believe your view of humans has changed that much?"

"You know something, toots?" Kurumu asked, jumping in before Moka had a chance to respond and who also held Tsukune's hand reassuringly, but a grip far firmer than Moka's. "You may have your opinion about humans, but like Moka, I too see them in a different light."

"Really?" Ria asked.

"Yes, really. I used to view all human men as sex slaves for my pleasure, like all succubi do."

"But, no longer?"

"No. After...after a while, after I befriended a human, a very special human, I've learned their more than just that."

"Fascinating."

"And I no longer view all humans as a bunch of witch hunting, bigots!" said Yukari, whom Ria also noticed glancing up at Tsukune.

"And I no longer call them meatbags," the bus driver chimed in.

"But, you call me 'meatbag'!"

"Yes, but with love."

"Oooh-oooh, me next, me next!" said Kahlua. "And-and, I no longer think of them as just food, either, but food with feelings."

Her comment wasn't what anyone wanted to hear, but Tsukune recognized its sincere intent.

"So, I guess we did forget your outdated view point," Kurumu added. "And you know what, I'm glad for it!"

Tsukune smiled as his tensions ebbed away from this show of support.

"So I see. And you feel this way, too I take it, sister?"

"...I do. I can no longer share in your sentiments."

"Hmph. Is that the truth, my sister?"

"It is," Moka said a little more firmly, but Ria had her doubts.

Ria then glances over at Kokoa, expecting her to say something in agreement with her companions, but the red headed vampire only said in her usual, apathetic demeanor: "Don't look at me, I think they're all nuts!"

"Look, lets just forget about all of this," he said. "Like Moka said, it was a long time ago and should be forgotten. Besides, you've shown me and my friends such hospitality, and I shouldn't have started a debate over the meal you've prepared for us."

"Ever the humble one, aren't we Aono?" Ria inquired. "You can save your compassion then, a little fighting at the table was quite common amongst our kind, something that used to be our way to let certain upstarts know their place, during more _barbaric_ times."

"Ugh, this discussion really _is_ pointless," Moka sighed. "Here Tsukune, you're consuming it all wrong."

"What?"

"Drinking it from the bowl like that, you're going to waste some of it on you."

"Oh. Well, I saw Kokoa and Kahlua drink their's like that, and just assumed..."

Moka laughed as she wipes another dribble of blood and slurps it up, finding it amusing that her lover would try to mimic her eccentric sisters.

"Don't get me wrong, though," she whispered into his ear, making him excited. "I'd much rather have your blood for supper tonight than this, but waste not, want not, there is such a thing as decorem we must observe. Here, use a spoon."

She picks a spoonful of blood, puts it in her mouth, kisses Tsukune, dispositing the contents into his mouth.

_Whoa! _He thought, his very breath taken away and growing hot under the collar as he realized everyone was watching, including a shocked Kurumu.

"That's it!" She yelled. "You've got some nerve, Moka! Thinking because you two drink blood, that you can get away with something like that!"

"...Hmm, of course," Moka tells her after finishing with the kiss and proceeds to gather up another spoonful of blood.

"Oh yeah? Well, if that's what it has to take to care for my mate!"

Kurumu grabs Tsukune's bowl and downs the whole thing of blood into her mouth infront of every, astonished eye in the room. She tries to hold it in her mouth, intending to diposit it into his, but winds up swallowing it in a single, sickening gulp.

"Dude!" Yukari managed to mutter.

"Idiot!" Moka scolded.

"...Sorry about that, Tsukune," Kurumu said to a shocked Tsukune. "I was trying to do like Moka, but at least it proved to you that I, too can hold down blood just as well as she can."

"Are...are you alright, Kurumu?" He asked with concern, which soothed the love sick succubus greatly to hear.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"You just...I mean..."

"Now, get me another bowl, I'm going to feed it to Tsukune. Now get ready, my mate, I'm going to show you how it's..."

Suddenly, Kurumu's face began to turn as blue as her hair, as her eyes became glossy and dazed, and doubled over in extreme discomfort.

"Kurumu?"

"Tsk-Tsu-Tsukune, _blaaaahh_!"

Kurumu unleashes a red torrent of food and blood all over Tsukune's lap, shirt and even the bottom half of his face. She grabbed hold of him, trying to keep herself steady, shaking violently as though she needed him to keep from collapsing.

"Oh-ohhh..."Tsukune stammered in shock.

"Oh man, that was _sick_!" Yukari laughed.

"Wow, it's going everywhere!" said Kahlua.

"Tsukune," Kurumu wept, looking up into his eyes with blood and vomit on her face and all on her bare bosom, now with the stuff seeping through it's massive crack. "I-I-I-I...BLAAAAAAHHHH!"

"Oooh, some of it got into his hair!" Laughed the bus driver, who was enjoying every moment. "Having trouble with the ladies, somethings never change."

"YOU IDIOT!" Moka blasted the succubus. "Let go of him or you'll make him sick!"

"BLAAAAAAHHHHH! COUGH! COUGH!"

"Too late, he's already turning green!" said Yukari.

Later, after able to leave the craziness behind, Tsukune was finally able to have time to himself and walked the massive hallway alone, clad in a black and silver robe, and brooding over the recent turn of events that have taken place and just how much worse things could possibly get from here.

"What a mess," he said to himself. "Everything was going great until the gang showed up. I hope Moka isn't mad at me, I mean how did I know they'd follow after us, not to mention there's still her parents to deal with. What I wouldn't give for one moment alone with her. All I wanted was to marry Moka and finally be the two of us and maybe plan on having children together, is that too much to ask? What else can go wrong?"

Lost in thought, he didn't see a bustling load of white linens and dirty clothes hurrying around the corner in time and found himself tumbling ontop of the blonde maid, scattering the soiled laundry all over them and the floor.

"Oh, I am sorry," Tsukune started to say, "I didn't see where I was..."

He noticed her blushing and staring down chest, where he happened to see his hand resting on her right boob and his knee inbetween her legs.

"WHOA!" He cries, leaping to his feet and bowing before her profusely. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean...please forgive me!"

The maid was a little perplexed at first that a vampire would be bowing to her, but soon turned her attention back to the mess made and begins to freak out.

"Oh god, what have I done, lord please forgive me!" She said to him, bowing fearfully. "It is I who should be sorry, I did not see where I was going and I dropped the laundry! Please, don't kill me, I'll get the mess up right away, I promise!"

She quickly starts gathering up everything, all the while averting her gaze from his as though she would being punished for doing so. He reaches down to help hand over a towel she was reaching, and she instinctively shrinks back.

"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you," he said to her. "Here, let me help you."

"No, my lord, you must not! I'll clean up this mess, it is my pleasure do so!"

"You don't have to call me lord, it's just Tsukune and it's my fault you dropped all of this, anyway."

He surveys the mess made on the floor and notices great quantities of sheets and clothing strewn about, taken aback at the daunting task of having to pick all of this up alone.

"Were..were you carrying all of this, by yourself?" He asked.

"It is my duty, Master Aono, to gather all of the laundry to be washed and have them ready for you and your guests."

"All of this is for us?"

"Yes, my lord, I was instructed to have your clothes cleaned and linens prepared by tonight or...or I will be severly punished."

"Don't you have anyone to help you, at least?"

"With the sudden arrival of your guests, we've had to be pulled off from other duties to accomodate them. Much of the servants are still cleaning other parts of the castle for our master's return, while the rest are cleaning up guest rooms and making the appropiate accomodations for your wards. B-But, please do not think that it sounds like I'm complaining, it is my task and my honor to see that all your needs are met, my lord!"

Tsukune felt a little guilty, most in part because it was his friends that have brought an added burden to these servants, but also he just made her day alot harder.

"Now please, my lord, if they find that I made you do my work, they will..."

"Would you relax, and for the last time it's not lord, master or whatever. Look, some of this appears to be mine and it is my fault you deal with all of this, causing you to waste the laundry."

"N-No my lord, the fault is mine, I should've watched where I was going!"

"Well, its not like you could handle all of this by yourself, no wonder you bumped into me, let me carry some of the load?"

"No! You mustn't!"

"Why not?"

"You are one of the vampire elite, and a guest of Lady Akashiya's, you cannot be expected to sully yourself with my problems, and if my Lady catches you helping me, she will punish me for sure."

"Really? Because, I already got my share altogether. How about you let me worry about Moka and we work on your load, next?"

She couldn't understand it; why would a vampire want to help a lowly servant girl like her carry laundry? He wasn't like any of her masters or other vampires, his kind nature and gentle smile made him seem a world apart from what she knew, it was almost unnerving.

"I-I really shouldn't."

"Well, since you keep calling me lord and all, I guess its not up to you, now is it?" He asked with a simple smile as he had already begun gathering up her share of the load. "Shall we?"

"B-But, your load is larger than mi..."

"Nah-uh, no buts. The decision has already been made, I carry the larger load and you carry yours. Now, which way were you going?"

"..."

"Well?"

"...Uh, this...way to the laundry chute," she stammered and lead the way.

"You know, I'm really sorry you got stuck with all of our crap?"

"My lord?"

"The mess we made. I know it added to your work, and working in castle as big as this it must be hell. And, for the last time its Tsukune Aono or just Tsukune, you don't have to keep calling me lord."

"If...that is what you wish me to say."

Tsukune was a little dismayed at the formal treatment, he certainly didn't like having this maid be frightened of his shadow, so he thought about putting her at ease.

"So, what's your name?"

"Excuse me?"

"You have a name, don't you?"

There was a long, awkward pause and he worried if this was a waste of time before she came back with: "Ezumi, Nami Ezumi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Ezumi."

Her face turned red.

"Y-Y-You don't have to call me that!"

"What, Lady Ezumi?"

"Yes. I'm not a lady."

"Well, then I'm not a lord, either."

"..."

"I tell you what, how about we just call each other by our first names, how does that sound?"

"Well I...o-ok-okay...um...Ts-Tsu-kune."

"That sounds much better. And, you're wrong, though, you really are a lady."

She shrunk a little smaller and felt like she was going to pass out from embarrassment.

"So Nami, how long have been working for the Shuzen family?"

"...Awhile. Less than a year ago, to be exact."

"What made you want to work here?"

"...It was because I needed the money...to take care of my daughter, Kimiko."

"You have a daughter? How old is she?"

"She turned one today."

"If you mind me asking, but is it just you taking care of her?"

"If I don't mind?"

"I mean, its your business, I don't mean to pry. If you don't want to tell me, I understand."

"...Yes, it's just me."

"Oh, that must be really hard on you then, being a single parent and all."

"...Might I ask a question, my Lo...Tsukune?"

"Sure."

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" He asked, a little thrown off by the question. "I just wanted to help."

"That's what doesn't make any sense! You're an all powerful vampire, a supreme monster and a higher being than myself, why would you care about being kind towards me? None have before."

"Maybe I'm a little different. Does that bother you?"

It was her turn to be thrown off by a question.

"But, you are supposed to be cruel and merciless," she responded. "I've seen vampire lords kill their servants for less, they care for no one, but themselves."

"I guess working for us vampires must suck, huh?" He joked. "I'm sorry, that probably wasn't very appropriate."

_He's apologizing to me, again! Thought it wasn't "approrpriate"? What is he?_ She wondered nervously.

"Is-is this some kind of test?" She asked out loud. "Ar-Are you testing my loyalties to the family?"

"What?"

"Because if it is, y-you're wasting your time! I have nothing, but kind things to say about the Shuzen family and I will lay down my life for them!"

"Whoa! Take it easy!"

"I'm not a traitor or thief or anything dishonorable to their name! You'll get nothing from me that'll say otherwise, my Lord!"

"Would you relax, it's not a test and I'm not going to tattle on you or anything, honest!"

"Th-Then why are you..."

"I told you I only wanted to help, that's all! You need to relax, okay?"

They walked the rest of the way in uncomfortable silence, Tsukune worried if it was pointless to try and be polite to a servant who's frightened of him.

"May I ask, have you seen the people you work for behave like what you described?" He asked, trying to break the ice. "Because, I happen to know that they're not all like other vampires."

"All vampires are like that. Just because you haven't seen it, yet doesn't mean you won't."

"...I've seen how proud and stubborn Moka can be and Kokoa for that matter, too, and they can be a little scary at times, but really they're kind people and you mustn't judge everyone so quickly."

"...You'll see," he heard her mutter.

They walked the rest of the way in silence once again, but at last they reached the laundry chute and he tried to pull the lid down with his busy hands, but was having little luck.

"Here, let me," she said, her tiny voice breaking the silence.

"Do I dump them in or...? I haven't done this before, so..."

"Y-Yes, dump them, they'll slide down the chute to a laundry basket waiting below."

"Oh, okay. You go first."

She looked at him funny, still thinking he couldn't possibly be for real, but didn't argue with him further and let her load slide on down.

"And, my turn," he said, letting his tumble down. "There, I bet that was alot easier than doing it by yourself? Must've felt better taken the load off?"

"...It is hard, actually," he heard her say.

"Huh?"

"You asked earlier if it was hard raising a daughter alone, well it is.

"Oh."

"My husband, her father, died before she was born, in case you're thinking he ran out on us or something, because he didn't."

"Oh, okay, I'm real sorry to hear that."

"You...you don't have to apologize, it wasn't your fault. He died and...yes it still hurts not having him in my life, we always thought we'd be together, but...well with him gone, Kimiko is all I have left of him and I don't know where I'd be without her, she's my whole world. But, working here gives me the money to provide for her and it gives us a roof over heads, so we make do."

"That's good to hear. Do you like working here? I mean, is it so-so or, you know?"

"Its alright. I can't complain, the pay is better than anywhere else."

"Yeah, its good to have something that really pays the bills, you know. How is Kimiko, is she happy?"

"She is, actually. She plays around on the grounds, but I make sure she doesn't get into trouble; she can be handful at times."

"I can imagine, and who knows, when she gets a little older maybe she can start attending Yokai academy like I did."

"Yokai academy? Isn't that the school for monsters only?"

"Yeah, but don't let that fool you, it's really not that dangerous a place...Well, not too dangerous."

"But, me and Ako aren't monsters, she wouldn't fit in."

"Oh, that's okay, neither was...I mean..."

"Sir?" Nami asked, looking at him curiously.

"I mean, I'm sure she can find a place to fit in there, I've known one or two humans who've gone there and come out in, relatively one piece, so it's no biggie."

"Okay. Um, thankyou for taking the time to help me and...talk and stuff. No one has ever done so, you're the first. Sorry if I seemed a little hesitant around you, but you understand right?"

"Sure, and it was no problem, really. To tell you the truth, I sort of lied about having lots of servants, my family doesn't have any, so I'm kind of used to cleaing up after myself."

"I kinda tell that you didn't have servants. Are you poor?"

"Huh? No, well not really. We're just...kind of ordinary, you know."

"Oh."

They smiled at each other, in which Nami noted was the first time since working here that she felt safe to do so. Whenever a vampire smiled, barring his glittening fangs and evil stare it usually froze her blood, but even while Tsukune himself was a vampire in every appearance, seeing him smile and being around him made Nami actually feel at ease, like he was someone she could talk to and befriend; strange that he was vampire, as she could almost swear he was human.

"Well, thanks again Lord, I mean Tsukune," she said.

"Yeah, no sweat, and if you ever need any help with something, don't be afraid to ask me."

"Okay."

"Oh me, oh my, I hope I'm not disturbing anything?" Ria asked, suddenly appearing outside an opened room. "It did sound like you were having a very enlightening conversation with the help, though, Tsukune."

"L-Lady Sekitan! I didn't know you were...Oh please forgive me, I shouldn't have been fratenizing when I should be working!"

"Ria, we were just talking," Tsukune tried to explain. "I ran into her and made her spill her work load so I helped carry some of it, and we got to talking."

"Interesting. So, you had to help our maid clean up her own mess and kept her busy with idle gossip, did you now?"

"Please, _please _do not kill me, I'm sorry, it won't happen again, it was all my fault I should've watched where I was going and it will not happen again, please forgive me!"

"Hey, it's alright," he tried to reassure. "Look, I bumped into Nami, I was the one who should've watched where he was going, so don't blame her for it."

"_Nami, _huh? I suppose its customary where you're from to refer to your staff by their first names? That'll be all, Ezumi, just don't let it happen again or else."

"Th-Thankyou my Lady," she humbly bowed. "My Lord."

"Yeah, see ya, and good luck with your daughter," he said, but the frightened maid was already scurrying away down the hall without a second glance. Tsukune was a disappointed after having good progress in getting the maid to feel safe around him and not feel so intimidated, only for it to come undone at Ria's sudden appearance.

"Oh me, oh my, I wonder how my sister would act if she knew you were cozying up to one of our maids. Of course, its not unheard of to sleep with them, its quite a favorite past time, though you should have better tastes."

"What?"

"Really, if some after dinner entertainment is what you wanted, then all you had to do was say so and I'd have picked far more supple servants for your pleasure."

"No! No, no, you got it all wrong! Like I said, I bumped into her and she started freaking out, so I simply tried talking to her and wanted to help, I mean she had a load of laundry that was taller than she was, I couldn't let her deal with all of that on her own!"

"Really?"

"Yes."

"And, that's all that happened?"

"Yes, that's all, I swear!" He said, though blushing profusely.

Ria laughs and laughs and wipes tears from her eyes as though she had pulled the best prank ever on him.

"I was only trying to be charming! You looked so tense just now, I couldn't help."

"Y-You were kidding?" He asked.

"Of course, we really don't have any servants that are at all supple, in any way," she replied, and then laughed some more.

"Oh, oh, right, th-that was pretty funny, you got me."

"Actually, I am glad to see you."

"You are?"

"Oh me, oh my, yes. I was going to...unwind after dinner and hoped you would accompany me."

"A-ccompany you?" He asked, beginning to break out into a nervous sweat.

"Yes, I'd do it alone, but it's really more fun if I had someone else with me and, well I thought of you."

"..."

"So, what do you say, are you game?" She asked with a wry smile, her red eyes staring him down with so much suggestive and mysterious intent.

"Are you asking me to do what I think you're asking?"

"Oh please, Tsukune," she begged with her thick lips all pouty and hands in a pleading gesture, "I'd truly appreciate it, it's just no fun being all alone."

_I can't believe it!_ He freaked. _Is Moka's hot, older sister is hitting on me? I just can't believe she's asking me to do what I think she is, I mean in the same house, after I had proposed to her sister, she wouldn't? No, this must be another trick, she has to be joking!_

"You _are_ joking, right?" He asked. "If not then...well I think you're beautiful and all, but..."

"Ugh, would you just come on!" She said and suddenly begins dragging him by the hand against his will. "Oh me, oh my, I don't have all day, silly!"

Tsukune tried to pull back, but was shocked to feel how abnormally strong her grip was.

"Wait!" He pleaded. "Look, I don't think we should be doing this, couldn't you find someone else? Stop! I said stop!"

But, his pleas fell on deaf ears as Moka's sister literally drags him into the room with her and shuts the door behind him.

"Checkmate," Ria said as her black queen took his white king.

"Oh, did I lose again?" He asked.

"Yes. We've played three games already, I thought you'd know that much, by now?"

"I _was_ trying to focus on the game, um when did you find an opening to strike, I thought I had all my defenses in play?"

"Not nearly enough, I'm afraid. There was an opening that just screamed attack, and so my queen attacked."

"Oh. Well, you're really good at this game."

"Care to play another round?" She asked, already clearing the board and resetting the pieces.

"Sure, I don't mind."

"Good. Now, please tell me more about you and my sister, and the exciting adventures the two of you shared at that little school you went to."

"Well, I wouldn't call it little, Yokai is actually pretty big."

"Yeah, yeah, but tell me more about the times you saved my sister from danger."

"Uh, I can't say that I ever, actually saved her, most of the times, practically all of the time, she saves me."

"But, she did write in some of her earlier correspondence how you were the one who stood inbetween that big Saizou character when he attacked, did you not?"

_What should I say to her? _He wondered. _Half the school thinks I won that fight, when really Moka did! Should I lie to her, again?_

"...Yeah."

"And, you are a great fighter, sister has told me so, herself. You two trained together, and training with one of us, even with dear Kokoa is no mere feat, you must be indeed quite strong."

"Thanks, but I do owe some of my training to other people who helped me along the way, though. The Headmaster for one, and his assistant, my friend Ruby, were the ones who gave me a holy lock to use before getting my rosario chain, and even trained me at honing my skills."

"Holy lock?"

"Uh...yeah, it was like the rosario chain I wear now, but not as strong."

"And, why would you be wearing this 'holy lock', if I should be so bold?"

"...Uh, be-cause I had lost my original rosario, and they were kind enough to allow me to wear a temporary one," he stammered, hoping she didn't catch his mistake.

"Hmph, I'm afraid these things we're forced to wear aren't worth the material they're made of," she casually tells him, "I swear I've lost mine I don't know how many times. How I long for the days when powerful vampires like you and me didn't have to wear these ridiculous 'power limiters', and be free to strut about with our powers unchecked. But now, thanks to these new laws that prevent beings like us from revealing ourselves publicly so as to promote 'peaceful co-existance', its practically mandatory. Hah! I guess the elders are afraid another Alucard will spring forth or they worry too much in trying to fit in with our prey; _so_ irritating."

"...Yeah, tell me about it."

"However, I find it odd that Mikogami would take such a vested interest in helping you with your dilemna, I'm sure there was some ulterior motive behind it, no?"

"Not really, they're all my friends and wanted to help. And then, after Akua kidnapped Moka I trained like mad under Tohofuai, infact if it hadn't been for him then I don't think I would've had the skills neccessary to save her."

"Oh me, oh my. So, two Hell Kings, your Headmaster Mikogami and Tohofuai, aided in your training enough to defeat the mighty vampire Alucard, thus making you, by all means a Hell King yourself!"

"A Hell King? Me? No, you've got it all wrong, I didn't do all of it alone, my friends to helped me. You don't know what they all went through, I couldn't have done it without all of them."

"Modest, modest, modest. Tsukune, you are so unique a vampire its strange. Sure, your 'friends' serve their purpose well, like every good vassal should."

"Vassals?"

"And though, Mikogami and Tohofuai are Hell Kings themselves, they both served Lady Akasha in defeating Alucard the first time, elevating her status in the monster world. However, this time around you are the vampire lord who defeated him, and it is you who deserves the title of Hell King and it is you who is now trying to become my sister's bloodmate and son in law of my Lord Issa Shuzen. Your household must be proud."

"...Sure."

"I'm sure your father will benefit greatly from your status and the union of our two families. But, I wonder what it is that he will bring to our house?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, don't worry about it, I'm sure when the time comes for father to bless the two of you, our fathers will hash out the details amongst themselves."

"Uh-huh," he said nervously.

"What is your father's name, by the way?"

"Um, Ko-ji, Koji Aono."

"Koji? Mm, don't know if I've heard of him. And you say he is an elder vampire?"

"Y-Yeah, the eldest, heheh."

_Smooth one, Tsukune,_ he thought.

"Hey, you must love chess, don't you?" He asked, wanting to change the subject. "I mean, because you're so good at it."

"Of course, chess has been the game of choice for generals for centuries. It teaches strategy, vigilance in surveying your enemy's defenses, and above all patience, patience to strike, much like a snake, you might say."

"I see. I have to say, when you wanted me to join you in the game room, I...I really had something else in mind!"

"Why Tsukune, you naughty, naughty boy."

"N-No, I wouldn't think that, honest!"

"So, you don't want me, then?"

"What!"

"Just kidding!" She laughed and resumed resetting the board. "To be honest, I rarely have anyone to play this with."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Oh me, oh my, yes. It can be so boring playing on your own, you know."

"Don't your sisters play with you, often?"

"No. Moka's been away for so long, but besides I can tell she wouldn't have the kind of patience neccassary for this game, am I right?"

"Yeah. She's never been one to hold her punches or kicks when it came to a challenge. If someone tried anything, she wouldn't waste anytime in kicking them into orbit. But don't tell her I said that!"

"Sure," she laughed. "You're right about her, though, and Kokoa is no different. Kahlua, I doubt she'd understand the game well enough, and Akua just doesn't have the proper focus. So, you see my predicament?"

"Oh."

"It so lonely playing by yourself, but I do anyway just to pass the time and sharpen my mind."

"Why'd you choose me, I don't know the first thing about playing chess."

"I don't know, you seem observant enough to be a good challenge and I wanted to be alone so we could get to know one another better, away from my sister and that circus that followed you."

"I'm real sorry about Kurumu and the others, they're good friends and have been a big help to us in the past, but they can be a bit of a hassle sometimes."

"All the more reason to find somewhere quiet where a man can think. No one bothers me in the game room and we can play our game in relative peace, and like I said, it'll be nice to have someone to play with me, for once."

"It's no problem, I'm glad I can be of service."

"But, I must ask, you haven't been letting me win, have you?"

"Uhh, no. Really, I haven't."

"Because, I would be upset if you've been going easy on me. I don't like to be patronized, Tsukune."

"Oh no, no I swear, I wouldn't," he said, though he had been nervous about beating her and worrying how a vampire might take to losing a game, but now he worried that if he didn't at least try harder at beating her, she might do worse to him. "I told you, I've never played chess before."

"Okay, just checking to be sure. I want a good challenge, Tsukune, so please don't disappoint me."

Tsukune watched as she rearranged the pieces, all pretty large, wooden pieces that were easy to handle, but though he sucked at the game, he did learn much about being vigilant when playing against Ria, like for the last three games they've played she had always played the black pieces and seemed to relish holding them inbetween her black, gloved fingers, especially when she moved that queen of hers to finish him off. Everything about her was black, she was covered head to toe in such dark, conforming clothing like she was in mourning and in some odd way the black queen seemed to suit her.

"You really like black alot, don't you?" He asked.

"Pardon?"

"Well, I don't mean to pry, but you play the black pieces alot and I guess it has to do with the way you dress. Mind if I ask why you dress the way you do?"

"What's wrong with the way I dress?"

"Oh nothing! I...well, you know you're always covered so formally and I thought..."

"Oh me, oh my, Tsukune! Are you trying to get me to take off my clothes?"

"Wh-What?"

"Is that what you want?" She asked with an innocent look. "You want to see me naked, don't you? For shame on you, I don't think my sister would like hearing that from you!"

"WHAT, NO! I wouldn't..."

Ria laughed and he realized it was just more ribbing from her.

"Oh me, oh my, you are so easy to scare, its adorable."

"Yeah," he laughed, nervously.

"I dress this way because I choose to. Is that a problem for you?"

"Uh, no! No, that's...perfectly fine, didn't mean to be so nosey," he said, choosing to leave it at that.

"As for the chess pieces, I prefer playing the black ones, especially the black queen."

"Just because?"

"No. I prefer the black queen because she reminds me of myself."

"It does?"

"Yes, because it is the queen's job to protect king."

"Oh, like your father?"

"That's right, Tsukune, you're catching on. Her role is to look out for her king at all costs, as is the job of the pawns, rooks, knights and bishops to challenge the invaders, who sacrifice themselves in the process to protect the king and if all of them should fail, then it his queen who goes forth and eliminate said threat to his rule."

"I see," he said, having taken note of the graphic details described.

"And then, when the all of the pawns have done their jobs in wearing down the enemy and presents an opening, she moves immediately towards the white king and effectively capture him."

"...Oh."

"You see, that is my job, Tsukune. I am my father's black queen, entrusted to watch over him and see that his interests are met. I cannot fail, ever!"

"So, that's the job of a Righthand, then? So, who would be the white king or do I want to ask. I mean, who would be a threat to your father or yourself?"

He saw her smile before him like a hungry predator eyeing its prey, which nearly chilled him to the bone by simply sitting across from her.

"Why, the king doesn't do much of anything," she said to him. "You can move him from his space, but as the prime target his movements are a bit restricted and is generally no threat, rather its his queen and all the pawns, knights and rooks who act on his behalf and defense that are, with the white queen being my biggest obstacle, but if I play my moves right and bypass them all, including the queen, I'll be able to take him with ease and win in the end."

"Sure, I get it," he said, having noticed she didn't quite answer his question, but decided not to pursue it any further.

"So, it's your move," she said.

Tsukune played on, trying to make his moves as confusing as possible, making every effort to get close to her king, but she beat him everytime with a skill that seemed demoralizing. He began to wonder if this whole time they played that she wasn't just studying his moves, she was studying him, with her desire to get to know him being more than simply wanting to associate, but to learn everything about him for some ulterior motive.

Did she see him as the white king? It was a thought that terrified him, wondering about this woman, whom he knew nothing about, who seemed nicer than the others. He remembered that one should never judge a book by its cover when dealing with Moka's family, however she was the only member of Moka's family who so far hadn't shown any hostile intent towards them and has been amazingly kind, whereas all the other sisters and even her step mother have been anything, but cordial in their initial meetings. Ria was different, she was funny, courteous, polite and basically pleasant to be around, and with the exception of her description of the past and what they did to humans, there was nothing in her to suggest that she could be an immediate threat to the two of them. Still, there was Moka's earlier reaction towards her, frosty and generally unpleasant.

Sibling rivalry?

There was the maid's reaction upon seeing her talking with him, she seemed frightened at the very sight of her, that much he couldn't ignore.

Though Nami was frightened around Moka, too, and they all weren't partically nice to the servants.

_I've seen vampire lords kill their servants for less,_ the maids words came back to him and he wondered if she had referred to Ria in particular.

She did threaten Ooolock in front of him, but surely she hadn't meant it.

There was still that talk about owning and killing human slaves, that they were nothing, but food. On the otherhand, Kokoa didn't view humans with high regard, either.

_They may not be our equals,_ he remembered Moka saying, which weighed on him. What had she meant by that? Surely, she still didn't think that? After everything they've been through together, and all the times he protected her, even while still human, and the times she met his family and gotten along with them she still couldn't view humans as being beneath her? But, why did she wait until after he became a vampire like her to allow him to become intimate with her?

_Why am I thinking about this, now? _ He wondered. _I've asked her to marry me, so that shouldn't be issue, now! And Ria, she's just concerned about who her younger sister is about to marry. She's been nothing but kind towards me and Moka, I can't believe I'm worrying about that, and like she said she's checking me out for their father and if I play my cards right and make a good impression then maybe she'll put in a kind word for me. I should stop worrying and just relax._

"And checkmate, again!" She said, her voice snapping him out of his funk in time to see him lose again. "Too bad, it looked at first you really were catching on, but I guess if you're too patient your mind starts to wander, hm?"

"Yeah, guess I had a lot on my mind just then."

"Oh, I hope I didn't scare you with what I said about white kings and so forth?" She joked.

"Huh? Oh no, I wasn't thinking about that. How about one more round, I promise I'll pay more attention, this time."

"You sure? I've beaten you four times already, I don't know if I should."

"Its like you said, I'm starting to catch on and I think I do have the hang of this. C'mon, I think I can win, this time."

"Fine, shoot yourself, I guess you're a real glutton for punishment," she said and immediately starts rearranging the board. "So, what were you thinking?"

"I-I..." he stammered. "I'd rather not say, it's nothing serious."

"It must've been serious if it was enough to break your concentration. Oh me, oh my, I wonder, dare I say it, were you thinking about me?"

"What? No! I...I wouldn't do anything thing like fantasize about my fiancee's sister, it wouldn't be proper! Not that there's anything wrong with you."

"I sincerely hope not. Well then, what was it?"

"It's nothing, really! You sure like to ask alot of questions."

"It is my job to know what kind of man is entering my family? You find that uncomfortable or what?"

"No, just that you're able to learn so much about me and, so far you've been kind of vague about yourself."

"I believe a lady deserves her secrets, I don't think it's anyone's business, do you?"

"I guess not."

He noted that was one thing she had in common with Moka, they weren't big on sharing anything significant with him or anyone, whether it was Outer Moka's penchant for innocently pressing her index fingers together in nervous fashion or Inner Moka simply telling him it was none of his business, and Kokoa wasn't any different. These vampires were proud in maintaining their secrets, but weren't shy in getting what they wanted from anyone else, and Ria didn't seem to be all that different.

"Okay," she suddenly said. "You want to know so much about me, what is it you'd like to know?"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Anything?"

"Well, except about my clothes, unless you truly are interested in seeing what's underneath."

He started to turn red, though he tried hard not to show it, much to her delight.

"Maybe I have some hideous deformity or scars that I try to hide," she suggested. "Care to take a peak?"

"Uhh, no that's, that's okay, I won't go there, about the clothes I mean!"

"Fine, you're no fun," she muttered and resumed resetting the board.

"Um, what I do want to ask is...your name."

"My name?"

"Yes. Sekitan, is that right?"

"It is."

"Well um, you got that name from your mom, like Moka?"

"Hmph, obviously I didn't get it from our father," she retorts.

"O-Of course. Duh!"

"Though, I would hardly call Akashiya her mother's maiden name, surely you've noticed that by now?"

_Oh yeah, Akasha Bloodriver is her mother's name,_ he thought. _And Akashiya isn't her father's last name, either._

"The name, Akashiya, means 'Pride of Akasha', which my sister gave to herself in honor of Lady Bloodriver's brief and sudden departure."

"Oh. I remember someone told me that, once before, but...she never told me about it, herself."

"Strange, my sister didn't tell you something that important, being that you're about to share her life as her mate."

"Yeah," he said thoughtfully.

"Just one more thing you know about her, but not about me," she said rather mockingly.

"Okay, is Sekitan _your_ mother's maiden name?"

"It is."

"And, where is your mother?"

"Gone."

"Gone?"

"Yep."

"Did she...was she devoured by Alucard, too or did she just...leave?"

"...All of the above."

"Excuse me?"

"I guess it all depends on a certain point of view, but the woman who was mother was devoured by a mindless monster long before she ever left here."

"Do you miss her?"

"It all depends."

"...Okay."

_There she goes again, being evasive, I wish I can get a straight answer for once, _he thought.

"Well, I'm sure your father must've loved her like Akasha, am I right? Treated her like she was his wife, despite being one of his mistresses."

That comment elicited a glare from Ria, her charitable mood taking a breather as if he had said something offensive.

"Oh, I'm-I'm sorry, I didn't mean...so she wasn't his mistress. I thought that, since he's married to Kokoa's mom, I...I completely misunderstood. But, I get it now, she wasn't a mistress. Okay, cool."

He was all relieved when she returned to the board without a second thought, half worried she would 'show him his place' like Moka for that slight offense, and still he was nowhere near to learning anything about this strange woman. Tsukune decided to just drop it right there and play chess, allowing her to continue reading him like an opened book without any objections, while for the most part remaining silent unless spoken to; it just seemed easier that way to him.

"So, do you still wish to learn all there is about me, hm?" She asked him. "What I do and what I'm all about?"

"...Sure, yeah I want to know."

"Good, then you can accompany me on a little business venture I have lined up for tonight. Apparently, something very serious has come up and father has required my _immediate_ touch in handling it."

"This would be one of his 'interests', right?"

"That's right, and you can come see for yourself just what I do for my father."

"May I ask what this is?"

"Just matters concerning the family business, young Aono. Since you're about to become apart of this family, it's only right you get a look at it."

"This family business you talk about, I think I already know enough about it."

"You do?"

"Yes, it has something to do with Fairy Tale, right? I already know they want to wipe out all of humanity and that two of your sisters work for them as assassins, I don't know if I want anything to do with the group that's caused me and my friends so much trouble."

"Oh me, oh my, you've got it all wrong. Those were mere rogue elements within our organization, groups that have since been removed from the business. I assure you, the real Fairy Tale isn't about that world domination, comic book villain crap! It is a legitimate business. Besides, wipe out all humans? Heh, now where would we get all of our cheap labor from?"

"Aside from that," he said, not wanting to go into that discussion again. "Your stepmother is the Supreme Commander of the enitre organization and she..."

"Oh no, she maybe the Commander, but she only runs the day to day operations, my father is the absolute Head of the organization and as such, he relies on me to ensure things are going according to _his_ wishes."

"Okay. So, what is it that he wants you to do or do I want to know?"

"There are some missing shipments and he wanted me to investigate and weed out the culprits responsible, that's all."

"Really?" He asked, kind of impressed that it was something so simple.

"And after that, I need to stop by one of our main offices in Tokyo, so it'll be an all nighter. He wanted me to check on you and my sister first, before heading off to work. If you're interested, I wouldn't mind if you joined me, perhaps I can use you. Come on, see what the family business is really about, you might find a place in it, who knows."

"An all nighter, huh? I guess we wouldn't mind if..."

"Oh me, oh my, I hope you weren't thinking on dragging sister along, were you?"

"You mean, just you and me for the whole night?" He asked, growing nervous.

"It's not too much for you, is it? You did say you wanted to learn all there is about me and father's interests, hm?"

Tsukune had to think on it, not expecting to spend all night alone with Moka's sister and worried what she might think.

"I hope you don't think I'll bite?" She chided him, resting her head in her one of her hands and staring at him in playful manner.

"No. I...well I do want to know about the inner workings of your father's business, its just that...can I at least run it by Moka?"

"You need your woman's permission to go anywhere, now?"

"It's not that, I just want to let her know what's going on, first."

"Fine, do what you feel you must, but I leave within the hour, so if you're going I'd be quick about it."

Tsukune got up and headed toward the door, on his way to ask Moka, his fiancee, if he could spend the night alone in another city with her attractive, older sister on an overnight business trip; understandably he was more than confused and uneasy by the whole thing, but curiousity and a willingness to learn more about Moka's family compelled him forward.

"Oh and Tsukune," Ria asked from her chair.

"Yes."

"Wait for me down by the steps where the limo will pick us up, oh and please...don't keep me waiting long," she said with a wink and a smirk.

"I don't like it," Moka said, sitting on the edge of her bed cross armed and hesitant.

"She did say it would be a great way to learn more about your family, so why not?" He asked.

"You shouldn't worry about my family's business at the moment, besides we have training to do and I want you well rested."

"Training?"

"To get you ready to greet father, it'll be better if you show him you're a strong and suitable fit for me, the better to gain his approval."

"Okay? But, wouldn't it be better if I learned everything I can about what he's into, as well, maybe I can help him on somethings and have something to talk aobut. You know, smooth the ice with your old man."

"...How long will it be?"

"She said for the whole night, so we'll probably be back in the morning."

"I still don't like it."

"C'mon, Moka what will it hurt? By the way, what exactly does your father do for a living?"

Moka looks up at him as if suddenly brought out of a haze by his question.

"Yeah, your sister didn't say much, just that it was a legitimate business and not what Akua was into. Is he in stock trading or something? What?"

"...It's just a business, that is all you need to know," she abruptly tells him, which didn't surprise him in the least. "And, I certainly do not want you going with Ria."

"God, Moka how am I going to be a part of your family if you don't tell me anything."

"Because, there are somethings you don't need to know. It is better that way."

"So, you won't at least tell me why? And, what do you got against your sister, anyway?"

"...You wouldn't understand. Now, drop it, let Ria go and do whatever it is father has for her to do."

_I guess that's that,_ he thought.

Just then, their bedroom door swings open and in fall Kurumu and Yukari.

"Kurumu, Yukari!" He cried. "Seriously guys, a little privacy!"

"Ugh, and how long have you been eavesdropping on our conversation?" Moka growled.

"Long enough to hear you dodge Tsukune's questions," Kurumu countered.

"Kurumu," he started to plead.

"_I _wasn't eavesdropping," said Yukari, "but I happened to see this flabby chested, succubus here listening to the door and tried to stop her from disturbing you."

"Yeah, yeah, 'whatev'," said Kurumu.

"Bothersome gnats," Moka grumbled.

"Tsukune, I heard you're trying to go somewhere with that small chested, vampire bitch."

"And what if he was," Moka intervened. "This discussion is none of your business."

"Well Tsukune's interests are always my business, so I'm making it mine, Moka," she argued.

"Kurumu listen, I..."

"Tsukune, don't go anywhere with her."

"...Why not?" He asked.

"Because, I don't trust her and neither should you!" She flat out told him, which was more than he got from Moka, but he shrugged that little detail off.

"What's not to trust about her, she's been anything, but nice to all of us."

"Yeah, Boobarella!" Yukari retorted. "You're just jealous he isn't going on a one night trip with you! This is between Tsukune and our future sister in law, so butt out!"

"Shut up! Anyway Tsukune, how can you be blinded by all that charm, the woman just got through talking about how her family used to own humans like cattle, and yet you're going out with someone like that?"

"I know that was unsettling, and I'm glad they stopped doing it, but it _was_ a long time ago," he tried to rationalize. "I don't want that to come between Moka and me."

"Besides, I'm sure you succubi were just as guilty of crimes against humanity," Moka pointed out. "I wonder how many of your relatives owned human men as sex objects?"

"Hey, let's not go into that, okay," he suggested.

"Fine, so my people aren't any more perfect than yours, Moka, either way I still don't trust Ria. Like my aunt Caro always says: 'All that glitters, ain't gold, honey,' and I wonder what how much that would apply to you, Moka?"

"And, what's that supposed to mean?" He asked.

"It's nothing, but the ramblings of a foolish, insecure succubus who doesn't know when to shut her mouth and stop interfering in other people's matters," Moka simply told him.

"There's a time for everything, Moka, maybe there are times when someone should interfere in your business! Why don't you tell Tsukune the real reason he's here? In fact you haven't you told him much of anything about yourself since you two met, he's had to find out everything on his own!"

"Shut up!"

"If I was marrying him, which I should be, I'd be honest with him from the get go. What about it, Moka?"

"I don't have to prove myself to you, him or anybody!"

"...She's right, Kurumu," he said. "If there are things Moka doesn't want to talk about...then I should respect that and let it be."

"Is that so? You know Tsukune, before I met you I had a very low opinion about your species, thinking that humans were made to be our sex slaves, but now that I've met you and fallen for you, I view them as the same as me, no better or worse."

"Get to the point and make this quick," Moka demanded.

"Well Ria, Kokoa, _and_ you, Moka, all seem to think that humans _aren't_ your equals."

Tsukune had hoped to forget about that, but has now come back as a bad taste in his mouth.

"After all this time with Tsukune, Moka, are you saying your opinion of humans hasn't changed, at all?" She inquired with a cocky smile. "In fact, you didn't start dating him until after you made him into a vampire, so what gives?"

"What are you saying, you moron?" Yukari asked. "Moka has always had feelings for Tsukune!"

"Yeah, but she wouldn't touch him while he was still a human!"

"My opinions about humans _have_ changed a great deal over time," Moka defended. "Just because their place on the evolutionary hierarchy is below my species, doesn't mean I don't have some respect for them, and I value Tsukune as a companion worthy to be by my side."

"Yes, now that he's a vampire!"

"In spite of that, I would care for him even if he wasn't."

"Then why did you wait so long, before now?"

"I don't need to explain myself, least of all to the likes of you."

"Girls please," he pleaded with them. "Let's not get into this, right now. Just forget I asked about the damn trip."

"Kurumu, let it go," Yukari joked. "You lost your _Mate of Fate, _and now you're bitter and alone. Oh wait, I forgot you have your twins to keep you company for the rest of your life. Sad."

"What's sad is how you can be so blind, Tsukune. Can't you see they're hiding things from you, instead of coming right out and being honest with you? They're taking advantage of you, are you okay with this? Moka, can you consider yourself worthy of being his wife and still let him always wonder about you and your family?"

"Consider myself worthy? How dare you talk like that to me within my own home!"

"Everybody, calm down!" He tries to tell them. "I'm not going, you don't have to go berserk about it! If Moka doesn't think I should go, then I won't, end of story."

Moka, however, began to grow concerned, thanks in part to Kurumu's meddling. She had no doubt that Tsukune loved her unconditionally and would do anything for her, but with Ria and Kurumu's interference, she worried it may have started giving him unneccassary questions about everything. Moka simply wasn't ready to introduce him to her father's business and was more concerned in getting him accepted. Tsukune was going to find out sooner or later, she wasn't deluded about that, she just never anticipated that he become acclimated to their inner workings so soon, wanting that honor for herself, but if anyone else was going to do it, Moka preferred it wasn't Ria. She began to worry that preventing him from going would only serve to confuse him and lose focus for the training and everything she had planned for him.

_What should we do?_ The Outer Moka persona asked. _Can't let him go with her, can we? Maybe we should explain to him about everything._

It was a dilemna she had to grapple with right then and there, should she come clean and explain the truth rather than let him go with her sister, if so he might want to know more than she was willing to reveal and in the end he might change his mind on joining her family and want to elope instead. Moka balked at the idea of living away from the world she knew to live amongst humans instead and wanted to remain in her world with Tsukune sharing in a good part of it, but could she simply let him go with Ria and learn all he wanted to in the off chance that nothing will happen between them, was that the kind of a chance she wanted to take?

"Oh good, I was beginning to wonder if my dear sister wouldn't let you come out to play?" Ria asked, standing at the bottom step, once again dressed all in a black, form fitting dress that covered her from her neck to her ankles. She had on her rosario too and once again seemed almost human to Tsukune, with her long, black hair tied back into a lengthy pony tail that hung loosely over her lower back as she stood, waiting patiently by an opened limo with hands on her hips like an eager vacationer. "All set, Tsukune?"

"Yeah, I'm ready if you are?" He asked, a little hesitant but ready to go.

"I love your new duds, a black evening suit and matching pants, what impeccible tastes."

"You can thank me, sister," Moka said, who walked down the steps beside him. "I picked out his outfit for him, I figured if he was going out with you to conduct business, he might as well look appropriate."

"How considerate of you, sister dear, I'm sure he appreciates your coddling."

"Oh, it's really nice, actually, so I don't mind," he said. "Though I don't know what we're going to be doing, exactly, but I guess if I'll be working around an office, this would be the right attire."

"R-ight," Ria replied, strangely. "Well, lets get going."

Just then he hears a the theme of Psycho playing and Ria immediately starts digging around in her purse.

"Oh me, oh my," she says as she pulls out her cellphone, its ringtone playing the odd music. "Excuse me for a sec, I must take this. Hello."

"Well," Tsukune turns to Moka, "I guess we're heading out, soon. I'm glad you changed your mind about all of this."

"I didn't do so, lightly," she explains to him. "But, you do need to become familiar with how things are for us, and this seems to be the best time to do so."

"You're making a mistake, Tsukune!" Kurumu yelled from the top step.

"Shut up!" Said Yukari. "See ya tomorrow, be sure to bring something back, okay?"

"The limo awaits, my lord," Ooolock said, bowing to him.

"Yeah, thanks Ooolock," he replied. "I'm never going to get used to that. I'll see you tomorrow morning, Moka."

"Ooolock, you will make sure nothing happens with my Tsukune or else you will answer to me," Moka threatened. "Got it?"

"Yes, my Lady. Ooolock will comply to your wishes."

"O-kay."

"You disturbed me for this, you little worm!" Tsukune heard Ria hiss over the phone. "You know, I've killed subordinates for disturbing me over less!"

"I know, my mistress," replied a Fairy Tale operative, over a mile away in another castle. "However, the prisoner continues to be obstinate, she refuses to take her meals, and is constantly screaming for someone named, uh Tsukune."

xxx

Down below, trapped in her darkened cell, Moka Akashiya continues to violently rattle and shake the cage of her prison, calling out for her freedom and screaming for the one man who's name has never left her mind.

"HEEEEELLLP! Does anyone hear me! Let me out of here, please!...Tsukune, where are you? TSUKUNE!"

xxx

Back at the Shuzen castle, as Tsukune was about to climb into the limo, he suddenly stops.

"Tsukune?" Moka asked. "Did you forget something?"

He couldn't explain it, but there was a sudden, nagging feeling deep in his soul as though there was something or someone important needed his immediate attention.

"Tsukune?"

He turned around, took a long look at Moka, standing up behind him with a concerned look over her face, and then walks back up to her and puts her into strong embrace, planting a long, hard kiss that literally took the vampire by surprise.

"Oooh," went Yukari who, like everyone else felt like they were treated to quite a show, except Kurumu who felt like dying inside, and Ria who eyed the display with contempt.

"Keep the prisoner contained, also I want you to search through Akua's posessions for those missing documents. I'll call you later," Ria said in a dispondent tone and hangs up.

"Tsukune," Moka finally responded after the kiss, all breathless and overwhelmed. "What was..."

"Just to show you...in case you don't already know that I...that I love you."

Moka blushed, she could feel all eyes on the two of them and hear Yukari giggling in the back, and tried in vain to maintain her pride and composure.

"Just go, you fool!" She whispered, but Tsukune only smiled and climbed into the limo.

"I'll be sure to bring your boy toy back in one piece," Ria said to her as she joined Tsukune, and Moka watched as the two rode off.

Standing all flustered, but happy, she held up her large engagement ring up into the sunlight, marveling at how its red gem radiated with a sentient, crimson light like her eyes, while the diamond studs lit up with a silvery white light like her hair, and she had to admit that she, too loved him.

"Hmph, you must feel pretty smug about yourself don't you, Moka?" Kurumu growled. "Well, don't think for a minute you've won!"

"Back off from my sister, you low class monster!" Kokoa yelled, suddenly appearing behind them. "Now that idiot, Tsukune is gone, my sister and I can finally spar together for the whole night! What do you say?"

"I have a better idea," she said, glancing over at Kurumu.

"And what would that be?" An indignant Kurumu asked. "What, you wanna go at me? Well go ahead, Moka, try me! I've had training, so I'm not afraid of..."

Without any hesitation, Moka sends the succubus flying with a swift kick, relishing the sight and proudly taking her time to let her leg down.

"Oh, I think I'll have plenty to do to pass the time," she remarked.

Moka took another look at her ring and with his strong kiss still tingling her very lips, Moka felt that no matter what Ria does, it wouldn't matter.

"Yes," she said to herself, "I've won."

**The next morning**

It had been a week since Moka Akashiya was taken by her sister and locked away in a dank, dark dungeon with no sign of help coming. Nevertheless, she had been banging on the cell doors until her hands hurt, screaming until her voice became hoarse, but continued clinging onto hope that help will come, that no matter how convincing this clone was, her friends, especially Tsukune would discover the ruse and come for her. In fact, every sound that came in the dark, every groan of that large, thick door up those stone steps and the thunderous noise of footsteps descending down those very steps gave her hope that it was perhaps one of them, of Tsukune finally coming to her rescue like he always had so many times before, only to have those hopes dashed with the appearance of, yet another one of her sister's goons to give her her meal. They tried to make her eat, bringing a can of tomato juice or transfusion pack to keep up her strength, but Moka would not touch them, both out of defiance and also because she no longer had a taste for either one, having since developed a strong affinity for Tsukune's blood.

Why hasn't he come?

Where were her friends?

It started to hurt thinking about them, having already missed them terribly; she hated being alone, despised the feeling of it ever since she was young, the soul crushing isolation was like an age old, molesting enemy that she thought had died away long ago, but now came back with a vengence, beginning to creep up ever so quickly upon her sanity and that by Saturday morning it began planting cruel suggestions in her fear strickened and doubt filled mind.

_What if he's forgotten about me?_ She began to wonder. _W-What if Tsukune has already moved on?_

**Don't be stupid, it hasn't been very long, he'll see through that fake and realize what's going on.**

_Tsukune, where are you? Where are you? Please, don't leave me alone here! I need you, where are you!_

There came the old, familiar sound of the large, iron door groaning loudly upstairs, followed by the usual sound of footsteps slowly and methodically tapping their way down to where she was, and even though she was starting to feel an indifferent loathing to these sounds, almost numb to it, there was still some flicker of hope shimmering warmly in her belly that this was him, only for it to be dashed, once again when it turns out be another Fairy Tale soldier, this time carrying on his shoulder another shikigami.

"Aww, what's with the sour look, princess," he mocked. "You're not happy to see me, I thought you started to like me, now?"

Moka snubbed him disdainfully and turned her back on him as if to drown out his repugnant presence.

"Oh, don't go to sleep on me just yet, my mistress has a little show for you."

She would not budge, refusing to give her sister any satisfaction in tormenting her further.

"That's how its going to be, eh?" He reached inbetween the bars and pinched her butt.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She snapped, whirling around to face him with fury in her eyes.

"Whoa! Now, that got a response. Anyway, like I said your sister has a special presentation she ordered for you to watch, so I'd be attentive if I was you, you wouldn't want to earn her displeasure, trust me."

As if on cue, the shikigami on his shoulder aimed at the usual spot across from her cell and began playing an image that, at first rose her hopes high once again, only to plunge what was left to new, lower depths and rose her fear to new, unimaginable heights.

_Tsukune?_ She wondered, gripping the cell bars so tightly that her knuckles turned white. _W-What is...what is he doing with her?_

He was sitting quietly in the limo as they head out of Tokyo, the morning traffic brutal as usual and making the return trip unbarebly slow, far too slowly for him. A shikigami had purposely been placed underneath the opposite seat to record all that was about to happen in the rear end of the vehicle, but Moka could see he was visibly unnerved, downright uncomfortable and knew why as she saw who he was with, whom he now maintained a healthy distance from on the seat he shared. Ria, however sat casually on her end, sipping on a glass of wine in her hand and her shoes kicked off as she sat with lengthy legs crossed in the plush, leather seat. She smiled over at him like a cat eyeing a hapless bird, instantly creating a chilled atmosphere that Moka could feel all too well from where she sat.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" She asked the operative. "Why is he with my sister, what's going on?"

"I Thank you for coming with me Tsukune, you made what was a boring series of tasks pretty fun," she heard Ria say, almost answering her questions.

_H-He...went with her, willingly? _She wondered. _Why, Tsukune?_

As dismayed as Moka was getting, it didn't look like Tsukune was enjoying the ride at all and fear gripped tightly about her heart as she mistook his silence as guilt, guilt over something she didn't want to think about.

**Don't be ridiculous,** Inner Moka reassured. **Tsukune isn't that kind of man, he wouldn't dare betray us, he's too loyal for that!**

"..." he mumbled softly and morosely.

"What was that, Tsukune dear, I didn't quite hear you."

"What you did to those men at the docks..."

"Oh me, oh my, yes! Now, that was fun! I mean, really I wanted to swoop in like Batman did, _but_ I had on a new dress and didn't want to get it scuffed up, so..."

Moka looked on, confused.

"You...you didn't have to killed them, you didn't have to kill those people, and yet you carried on like it was business!"

Ria looked at him like he was coming down with something, then giggled and took another sip of her wine.

"Ohhh, don't tell me you're still mad about me kicking you yesterday?" She cooed. "You had it coming, you know, trying to stop me from having fun!"

"Fun? It was coldblooded murder!"

"They were thieves robbing my father blind, what did you expect? I had to set an example, you of all people should understand."

"Should understand? One minute, you're murdering people and setting a place on fire,"

"Again, they were theives, Tsukune, I told you I had to take care of father's interests."

"...And, the next day you're having a meeting surrounded by people in suits like it never happened, like this is a casual for you!"

"Yes, well for me it is," she told him. "I'm surprised its not for you."

"It's not!"

"Hmph, well you are an odd one, Tsukune. And besides, as I said before father's interests are many and varied, so I go wherever I am needed and do what is required. Except for the occasional chances for violence it's actually pretty tedious."

"So what did you do in your meeting? What could you possibly talk about after committing murder and arson?"

"Oh, I just told them about some acquisitions my father is interested in. Nothing that would interest you. Most of these fools don't even know who really owns the company as my father controls about 80 percent of the stock using hundreds of front men. I don't even have an official position within the company. They just know the majority ownership trusts me and my recommendations and mostly I let the CEO and the rest run things day to day. I simply go in when I need to talk to the Special Tasks Division."

"Oh please, no," Moka whimpered.

**She's shown him the family business?** Inner Moka asked out of shock, as she was not ready to introduce him to anything like that, least of all have one of her sisters do it for her. **Oh god, what else did he see?**

"And...what does that mean?" he asked warily. "What are they supposed to be doing?"

"Oh, all the things that make us money, but don't go on the balance sheet. Arms deals, drug manufacture, extortion, prostitution, assassination, and of course all the activities that touch the monster world or the realm of the occult, this is what Fairy Tale is really about," She finished off her wine as Tsukune stared at her blankly. "Something wrong?"

"Ar-Are you saying y-you and your father are criminals?"

Seeing the look of shock on his face, Ria put her head back and erupted into laughter. "Oh Tsukune, how delightful you are! I swear I can't remember the last time I met someone as pure and innocent as you are! I can see why Moka likes you so." Her laughter subsided. "Of course, I am surprised she didn't tell you anything."

"...When I came on this trip with you...I thought we were going to balance some books or-or do some shopping and pick up some laundry or something like that! Now I've seen you slaughter a bunch of men in cold blood and you tell me your family business is in organized crime."

"Actually the criminal operations are a very small side line. Fairy Tale made over 110 billion U.S. dollars in revenue last year, of which only six billion came from Special Tasks, about five and a half percent. The largest criminal organizations and drug cartels in the world don't have a fraction of the wealth and power of our multi-national corporations."

"Then why do them at all?" He demanded.

"Because we can," she answered. "And its profitable."

"First, you gloat about owning human as cattle over dinner and now...what are you?"

"...Why, I'm _complicated_, dear boy!" She retorted. She then scooted over the seat right next to him and leaned in closer than he would've liked. "Why do you care, Tsukune? So what if we used to own humans? So what if we make it possible for humans to poison and shoot each one another? They die anyway, why shouldn't we survive off of that? Its our birthright as the superiour species, surely your father has taught you that?"

"What is she telling him_?" _ Moka wondered aloud, freaking out and growing restless. "What is she trying to do to him?"

She wasn't the only one growing uneasy, as having Ria suddenly rubbing up against him, with her going on and on about this sick topic made Tsukune extremely nervous. However, he soon became besett by a new set of troubles; despite her depravity, Ria was still a very beautiful woman and though the odd way she dressed hid everything, it couldn't completely disguise the incredible curves of her body nor the size of her breasts, and having been smothered by Kurumu countless times he had become an expert on large breasts, judging Ria's to be only slightly smaller than Kurumu's, and yet just as pleasing. Nevertheless, she was a cold blooded murderer and an unrepentant sadist and he tried to put more space between them only to come up against the door.

"Look, my father taught me that thinking the way you do and hurting people is wrong," he said, in which that much was the truth. "And, if he believed that, then don't you think you should, too?"

"Oh me, oh my, no, I would think that your father is a rather strange vampire who should be examined," she simply said as she crept closer and he slid back as far as he could.

"Look, don't you care what you're doing to people?"

"Humans don't count as people, silly," she told him, happily pinning him to the door. She was sitting right up against him and deliberately pressing her chest into his arm. "They're nothing, you should know that, Tsukune, absolutely nothing. All the lesser races are beneath us. Even Moka feels that way and she's about as soft as a vampire can be."

Hearing that comment stung a little, and Moka tried vehemently deny that in her heart.

"Moka doesn't feel that way!" He said sharply.

"Well, she doesn't feel it as strongly, that's certain. But, even she would never think of a human or anyone from a lower race as an equal."

He opened his mouth to deny it, but then he recalled some of the things she had said to him back when he was still human. How Inner Moka wouldn't even so much as allow him to kiss her, even if it was Outer Moka he wanted to kiss or get close to, once saying to him that a high born vampire like herself, would never get with a lowly human such as himself.

And he recalled what she had said after he had been turned into a vampire.

'My blood flows in your veins and you have my strength. I acknowledge you as my equal Tsukune Aono. Which means we can become lovers, and one day mates.'

_What is he thinking? _Moka wondered, but she got no reply back from Inner Moka. _He can't possibly be listening to her?_

Tsukune had always understood that she, her inner self, had not seen him as an equal in the past. But, he always assumed she still cared about him and respected him. Now he was suddenly wondering.

He looked back at her coldly and asked: "How can you stand to think that way?"

"Well, dear boy because it's the truth. The cold, hard truth." She pouted and made a girlish face at him. "Don't be upset with me Tsukune, we vampires are all such wicked creatures. Once you accept that, the world can be sooo much more fun." She put a hand on his thigh and gave a playful squeeze, the sight of which made Moka jump as it did him.

Despite being in a car he tried to scramble away from her. "Hey! W-What was that?"

Smiling at him she licked her lips and began to pull off her gloves. "Oh me, oh my, don't pretend you didn't like that? Or like my attention?"

Not too long ago he would've thought she was playing around with him, but now he no longer took her actions lightly and slowly started to panic.

"L-Look, you don't have to grab my attention or anything, okay? I happen to love your sister!"

"Yes, you are her lover, I know. But you still want to see me naked don't you?" Reaching around her back he heard the sound of a zipper being pulled down. "You are such a naughty boy, Tsukune. I've seen the way you look at me, and I thought I would give you what you really want, as a way of saying thank you for coming with me and sorry about hitting you."

As he watched, the top of her dress slipped down exposing her black bra that was straining to hold back her magnificent, full breasts and then slid the rest of it down her body infront of his entranced eyes. Then, as the dress was slowly pulled down he saw a garter belt on over black silk panties, and matching nylons covering her silky thighs and legs that were just inches away from him.

"GYAAAAAAAHHH!" He freaked, falling onto the floor and looking up like a deer caught in the headlights. "R-R-R-RIA, W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Why giving you what you want, you naughty boy," she giggled as she slowly crossed her lengthy, magnificent legs and ran a single hand over them. "Well, you like what you see?"

"I AM NOT A NAUGHTY BOY, YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG IDEA ABOUT ME!"

"Oh me, oh my, you sell yourself short," she said

Tsukune knew it was wrong, way wrong, but found it difficult to make himself look away.

Moka could barely maintain her composure herself, forced to watch her older sister try and come onto her boyfriend turned fiancee, she literally wanted to break apart the bars so as to stop this.

"Tsukune!" Moka squealed in anger.

"T-T-This is wrong, okay!" He said, practically pleading to the sultry, half naked woman looking down at him.

"No, it most definitely is not, which makes this all the more right. And you didn't answer my question."

He could see one hand begin to play, tenderly with one of her breasts through the soft bra and watched it harden.

Something was wrong with him, he never felt this way before with anyone. It wasn't like Ria was the first woman to try and come inbetween Moka, and he didn't fall for any of their charms, mostly because some wanted to eat him (literally). And yet, looking at her he couldn't help, but admit there was a terribly strong attraction to her, making things that were forbidden seem almost fun, and no matter what an awful person she might be Ria was still stunningly beautiful and putting on a show just for him. She was only inches away from him and the possibility of what might happen was created panic in his heart and his body to grow hot. Tsukune was only a few feet from Moka, and yet he felt so far away right now that it was the cruelest form of torture to inflict on, watching the love of her life about to have sex with another woman, it was more than she could bare to watch.

"Hey!" Said the guard, striking the prison bars to make sure she opened her eyes. "Wake up, you're missing the money shot!"

"I… I can't deny I'm turned on right now," Moka heard Tsukune admit in a shaky voice, which heightened her anxiety to hear him say that. "But…I really want you to stop."

Her foot reached out and she playfully rubbed the inside of his thigh and he jumped. "What if I don't want to stop?" Ria asked as she slid off her bra and let it fall to the floor, letting him now stare at her full, luscious firm breasts, at least a size bigger than Moka's, wobble freely before his face. He immediately closed his eyes, not wanting to see anymore, but then felt her grab hold of his hand and pressed it firmly up against her tit, felt her hardened nipple squish against his hand, whose fingertips sank in her warm mound of flesh, prompting him to squeeze them, almost involuntarily.

_Don't do this, Tsukune! _She prayed desperately_. Please, don't do this! Not to me, not to the both of us, please!_

_What the hell is wrong with me_! He thought. _You can't do this, you're about to become married!_

"What about the driver?" He suddenly said desperate, to make her stop.

"What about him?" She asked as her hand rubbed slowly along his crotch.

"What if he'll tell everyone about this!"

"...Ooolock, will you tell anyone what we're doing?"

"No mistress," the goblin answered instantly.

"And why is that?"

"Because mistress will kill Ooolock if he does."

"There you have it! Goblins aren't completely stupid. He won't say anything and I certainly won't. So it'll be our little secret." She leaned forward bringing herself closer to him, where he could smell every inch of her. "You like that, don't you?"

"No," he croaked, unable to get himself out of this situation.

"I don't believe you," she said as she sat in his lap, her voice becoming low and thick, which reminded him of Moka. "How do they feel? You like touching them, don't you? You like touching me?"

"Ria… I…" he whimpered.

"Look at me, Tsukune," she cooed, gently running her hand along his face and through his hair. "Look at me."

He refused, but he could tell she was right up against his face, breathing softly with wine still heavy on her breath and the hear the sound of her low, throaty laugh lightly chuckling in his ear, the feel of her long now fell loosely about him and he all, but waited for her lips to touch his. Tsukune kept wondering why wasn't he doing anything, he can stop this, so why wasn't he and simply allowing this to happen, it was though his body had a mind of its own and it wanted Ria.

_I just want to go back home!_ He prayed. _I never should've come on this trip! I should've stayed back at the mansion with Moka and the others, and I'll never go anywhere with her, again!_

Suddenly, Ria let go of his hands and grabbed hold of him, her strength constricting him fast and before he knew it her mouth meshed against his, kissing him savagely.

"Fuck me," she said when she pulled back. All pretense and subtlety was gone. He could smell her pheromones filling the air. She wanted him; her body wanted him and was ready for sex.

"What?" he asked in a stupor.

"Stop it, sister, please stop!" Moka screamed.

"I said fuck me!" Ria whispered, almost in defiance to her sister's wishes as she shoved him hard to the floor and was on top of him. Her mouth sucking his, her breasts rubbing against his chest, and her hips grinding into his crotch, exciting and hardening him.

"Tsukune," Moka began to weep, her composure now broken down as she couldn't endure anymore. "...No, Tsukune, please don't."

"Wow, look at those two go," the guard gloated, but she couldn't hear him and didn't want to hear anymore, but unfortunately the sound of their lovemaking was something she couldn't escape from no matter how hard she covered her ears. It was all over for her, she had lost everything, everything that mattered in the world, _her_ world, which now crumbled into the very dust that surrounded her dungeon floor.

As Tsukune laid there on the limousine floor with a stunningly beautiful woman forcing herself on him, Tsukune's heart _was_ pounding, but not for Ria. Even through his clothes her body felt amazing and the way she kissed was turning him on more and more with every second, but his mind wasn't on her, as an image popped into his head. It was of Moka, not the silver haired, proud Moka, but of the gentle pink haired girl he had first come to know and cared for with all his heart. He saw her looking at him with those trusting eyes, could smell her hair, touch the gentleness of her skin, and saw her crying in darkness at what he was doing and suddenly thought about what this would do to her, how this would betray the trust that they had, how it would hurt her.

He could never do this to her.

"NO!" Moka heard him yell, and watched as he roughly grabs Ria's arms pushes her off him so hard that a part of his suit ripped in the process as she was flung onto her ass.

"Tsukune," Moka said, startled out of her depression.

Ria looked over at him a little startled, lying in nothing but her panties and nylons, still reeking from primal lust which he could smell choking the air around them, however he was no longer intrigued by her, seeing only Moka, his fiancee, his lover and friend. Nevertheless, Ria wasn't the least bit discouraged by his response and if anything seemed more turned on than before. "Ooooh, so that's how you want to play?" She asked, reaching for him again, but this time he caught both her wrists and brought her up short. Even this did not upset her. "Do you like it rough, Tsukune?"

"Lets get something straight!" He said angrily. "I love Moka, not you, Moka! I'm sorry, but there's no way I'll ever feel the same way about you!"

She grinned slyly. "Who said anything about love? I just want a good time and I'll be happy. Don't worry, I don't intend to try and steal you away from her, you can have us both."

"What?"

"It goes without saying. Every vampire has more than one lover, my father has had many over the centuries and so have I, it's practically expected when you live as long as we do, surely you know that silly!"

"...No."

She laughed at him, thinking he's some curious, little monkey and not a genuine vampire.

"Don't pretend to be anything different, you yourself are surrounded by so many beautiful girls, well girls who don't even come close to me, but pretty girls nonetheless, plus you're 'nice' towards my sister Kahlua who's had guys calling on her and giving her gifts all the time, you 'pal' around with the hired help and really what lord hasn't, and you even enjoyed it when I did my little strip tease, I saw the way you looked at me and I could _smell_ the excitement on you, the body never lies!" Her eyes dropped a bit towards his penis. "Especially not _that_ part. You're a vampire male, hell a guy period, so admit it, you want this! You want what every guy wants, no matter where or with whom."

His face turned a deep, deep red, but more out of shame than nervous excitement. She had excited him and it showed, and there was nothing he could do to deny it, but this girl didn't anything about him and he became offended by her accusations.

"It is true, you are sexy and maybe I am a little turned on, there's no denying that, and I'm sure you're every boy's fantasy come to life!"

"Lucky you then," she tried to kiss him, but he kept his hold on her and kept a safe distance. "What? Stop teasing me you naughty boy!"

"But," he told her firmly, "even though I am a guy, I love _one_ girl, and just because I'm polite to other girls doesn't mean I'm willing to betray her for the first hot girl to come along, she means too much for me to do that!"

"Oh, honestly what does my sister have that's so important for you to pass up a once in a lifetime moment like this? Please, don't act so high and noble when you have that little harem following you ever, you never once done it with either of them!"

"N-No!"

"You never entertained thoughts, lying in your empty bed at school, of sleeping with either of them...or all of them at once!"

Tsukune's shamed silence caused Moka to turn red, and fume on Inner Moka's part, and yet caused Ria to grin even more.

"So you are indeed your average, run of the mill guy. Then come on, fulfill some of your fantasies right now, you know you want it? I'm not some bubbly little schoolgirl, but a woman, a _real_ woman! Forget about my little, 'baby' sister with those itty, bitty tits of hers and let me show you what a real Shuzen woman, with centuries of experience can do."

"No! I said no!"

"Why so coy, Tsukune unless...oh me, oh my, this really is your first time, isn't it?"

"No."

"That is it, isn't it? And, you're too ashamed to admit it, right?"

"No!"

"Or, do women not interest you, well I've made gay men straight before, so don't worry, I know exactly what to do."

"You want to know why? Because you just don't compare to her!" His bold proclamation was loud enough to surprise both girls, the very sound of those words reverberating throughout Moka's skull and then down throughout the rest of her poorly fed body like an electric shock.

"What?" Ria asked.

"Yes, you're beautiful, you're one of the most beautiful woman I've seen, but when it comes to Moka you just can't compare to her, no girl does, that's just how I feel about her!"

"Tsukune!" Moka said, blushing severly. "Oh dear."

"I'm sorry, but Moka is the only one for me, she means everything and I won't lose her over this!"

With those very words, Ria's eyes opened wide and she reeled back from him as if he had slapped her. He half expected to see her become touched by his words of sentiment toward Moka, being her sister and all, and hoped she understood how he felt and not be the least bit offended. However, he only saw a look of bewilderment that slowly melted into a dark, bottomless rage as she stared at him in disbelief.

"How dare you," she whispered. "How DARE you!"

"I'm sorry I…"

"SHUT UP!" She screamed, glaring at him with murderous intent, her lips pulled back and baring her fangs like a snarling beast, the scent of animal lust quickly eclipsed by the sense of an animalistic aggression. "How dare you say that to me! How dare you look me in the eye and tell me I am in every way inferior to that little bitch!"

"B-But, she's your sister, I thought..."

"I SAID SHUT UP! I know what the hell she is to me!" Ria grabbed her bra from off the floor and quickly put it back on followed swiftly by her dress and the rest of her clothes, her hands literally shaking with the uncontrollable anger and shock of what was said to her. "You have no idea what you've missed out on, fool. Do you know how many lovers I've had? Thousands! And, you something? Every one of them has fought to be with me! Everyone of them has died for one night, just one night to be with me! Every one of them has cried when I got bored with them, only to come crawling back, begging for Ria Sekitan to love them again! There sniveling would become so burdensome that I'd kill them simply to put them out of their MISERY, because they could not live without me! I could have given you the most amazing, mind blowing time of your life! And instead you reject me? You, who should be grateful I even give you the time of day, you reject me? For her? Why? Am I not beautiful enough for you? Am I not sexy enough? Am I not willing enough? Do I not interest you in the least bit, what the hell is wrong with me?"

"You're not Moka!" He blurted out.

The second he said it, Moka knew it was the best thing she could've heard out of the entire week in hell. Tsukune, however knew it was the worst possible thing he could have uttered.

"You would dare say that to my face, again," Ria snarled as she appeared ready to lunge at him, with all her emotion pooled into her eyes that stabbed right into him. He instinctively reached for his rosario chain about his wrist, ready to meet whatever she had for him, but she simply slides on her gloves and snorts as if he had done something unneccessarily stupid to her.

"Please," she chuckled. "I wouldn't waste my energy pummeling you now, I'm in too foul a mood. But, I swear to you you are going to regret this."

She climbed up off the floor and took a seat again on the far left. "Get up and sit down, it'll still be awhile," she said in a cold, indifferent voice.

Carefully he got up and sat all the way over on the right, as far from her as possible, though he continued to warily look over his shoulder.

"Um...you're not going to attack me are you?"

She looked at him coldly. "No," she sneered. "That's not my way, as you pointed out I am _not_ Moka."

"I'm… I'm glad," he replied, trying not to sound too relieved.

With that, the guard wisely decided to end the screening there before he saw anything more, however the damage had already been done and he remained silent upon leaving, but not without Moka making sure to give him a warm smile as he left, knowing full well that her sister doesn't take humiliation very well, nor anyone who happens to witness it. With the sound of the heavy iron door clanging shut, Moka was once again left to rot in the dark, though this time not completely so.

"He still loves me," she said aloud, her heart racing and her rosy cheeks turning redder.

_"You don't compare to her," _his words continued to echo in her mind. "_You're not Moka!"_

"Oh..." she giggled. "Thank you, Tsukune."

**I told you he was loyal, **Inner Moka chimed in.** An idiot at times, but a loyal idiot, nonetheless.**

Tsukune's words to Ria turned into words of encouragement for the beleagured girl, encouraging her to hold on. Moka knew he hadn't forgotten her, that he hadn't moved on with someone else or would ever cheat or betray her for any reason, that even though Ria had physically replaced her with a clone, she did not do so in his heart; afterall her plotting to bring her down, in the end Tsukune was still Tsukune and that was all she needed to bring back her hope from the depths, as well as give her the courage to weather whatever storm her sister would cook up in the nearby future.

XXX

Moka waited as patiently as she could, though patience was not one of her strongest virtues, infact it was said that Ria had that in spades, rumored to have the patience of a spider.

"Are you going to attack or just stand there looking afraid?" She yelled at Kokoa, who stood panting and beaten down at the other end of their family's combat room.

"Afraid? Me, never!" She yelled back in defiance, her battle lust just getting ready as she gripped the battle ax that Ko had transformed into. "PREPARE YOURSELF, SISTER!"

Moka simply got into a battle stance and with a wave of her hand beckoned the arrogant younger sister forth. All last night and this morning Moka, to pass time and get over her anxiety, had been sparring with her sister as they had as children, and getting the same old results with Kokoa attacking and Moka showing her her place. However, even as she was cleaning Kokoa's clock, the proud vampire's mind could not stay on the battle. It didn't help things further that he hadn't called the previous night; she could've called him, but worried that it might make her seem desperate infront of Ria, and though she hid it well, it drove her crazy having him so out of reach and not hear from him.

**I should've made him promise to call, **she thought.

Thinking of Ria she began to chew her lower lip, having known her sister too well. There was always a hidden meaning behind everything she did and she could only imagine the sort of things she had shown and told Tsukune or was doing with him, right now. It made her anxiety even worse when she felt her stomache rumbling, having skipped breakfast because she was too frustrated to eat and thought about his yummy blood.

**Oh, that bitch had better not sank her teeth into him!**

"EEEEYAAAAAHHHHH!" Kokoa screamed as she brought the ax down with all her force upon her partially distracted victim without any hesitation, only for it to come to a dead halt when Moka suddenly snaps to and catches the blade inbetween her hands, just inches from her scalp. Using Kokoa's momentum against her, Moka flings the ax over her shoulder and sends her sister flying fast into the far wall.

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" Moka coldly said to her sister, her patience wearing thin with this. "You can never defeat me, I have years of power and experience over you, so why continue this foolishness, leave me be or else!"

"Or else what?" Kokoa growled, groggily trying to get back onto her feet. "I'm not giving up until I've beaten you, even if I have to skip lunch!"

"I have grown tired of this game and am going to my room. Don't come at me again, or the next time you ever get up again!"

"Heh, that's the spirit, sister," Kokoa said with a smile, almost relishing in the heightened intensity going on between them now. "For a moment, I thought that fool had really dulled your fighting spirit! I won't stop fighting, not until I've proven myself to be your equal!"

"Hmph, that will never happen. But, challenge me at your peril, fool. I'll end this the hard way, if I have to, I am no longer in the mood of playing around with you."

"Moka, you wouldn't kill your own sister?" Yukari asked while sitting off to the side. "Kokoa, Moka is tired now, why don't we call it a break."

"Shut up, witch!" Kokoa snapped. "I'll say when we have a break, not the likes of you!"

"Ha, I am not exhausted," Moka tells her, "I'm simply tired of fighting these one-sided games of hers, that's all. I keep beating her senseless and yet the little fool wishes to test me further! Besides, Kokoa knows the consequences if she continues to aggrevate me, and I tell you now, I am no longer in the mood for your games!"

"I'm not either," Kokoa said as she nearly loses her balance for a brief moment. "Let's go!"

"Oh dear," Yukari said and turns away from the battle to glance at her pacing companion. "And, what's the matter with you?"

"Shut up!" Kurumu snapped. "He's been gone for too long! Oh, why didn't he listen to me, there's no telling what they're doing right now, or what they did last night! I should've at least gone with them!"

"Oh, I get it, now!" Yukari realized. "Duh, I should have known this was because you're worried about, Tsukune!"

"So...so you understand how I feel?" Kurumu asked.

"Not you, Incredible Boob, I meant Moka, that's what's bothering her. I knew she was worried, but poor Moka must be ten times as worried as we all are. Kokoa, don't you think your sister has had enough."

"What?" Kokoa yelled at her sister. "You really are worried about that idiot!"

"Of course not, Tsukune isn't a child anymore, he's a grown man and a vampire. Yukari doesn't know what she's talking about!"

"And, why not, Moka?" Kurumu raved. "How can you not be a little worried? He hasn't called, we don't know where he is! I mean, he could be in trouble or-or that sister of yours could be doing something with him."

Moka snapped her head over at Kurumu and glared.

"Heh, she probably killed and drank that poor fool's blood," Kokoa boasted. "And then dumped his body in a ditch somewhere. Serves him right for going off and leaving you behind, big sis!"

"How can you say that!" Kurumu wailed. "Your sister had better not have done anything to him or..."

"BE QUIET!" Moka barked. "I'll thankyou all to stay out of my affairs. I know who he's with and I know he hasn't called, but it's my affair and I shall deal with it how I see fit, got it?"

The room was left quiet, with the exception of one, lone drawn out clap from the enigmatic bus driver, who so happened to show up with Kahlua in tow.

"Great speech, young Akashiya," he says.

"Your friend and I were having fun together," a beaming and flushed Kahlua said. "He has this thing he does which tickled!"

"Oh, you give me too much credit, love, but you're the one with real talent," the bus driver complimented. "Hey Moka, your sister can do this thing with her hands that...well lets say I can see why they're lethal weapons."

"W-What is it, now," Moka demanded.

"Oh its nothing, just that I was coming to tell you that we saw your sister's limo approaching the front gate, is all, but since it's not my affair, well..."

Moka and Kurumu didn't wait any longer, they were both already heading down the stairs and on the front steps where, to her relief, Moka finally spotted the limousine coming around the bend and across the bridge to the castle.

"Moka," Kurumu said nervously, "what Kokoa said, you don't think..."

Moka could clearly tell without looking that Kurumu was thinking of his safety, though she herself was ashamed to admit that his safety wasn't foremost on her mind, but his chasity. She wondered if that made her a poor, would-be wife for him and that her succubus rival a better choice, but quickly shakes such notions from her head and stood impatiently as she watches the limo come to a stop, the back door pop open and Ria leaps out, her back rigid and head held high, but her demeanor so very cold and unwelcoming.

"What happened, where's Tsukune?" Kurumu demanded, rushing up to the woman, who quickly and coldly knocks the girl to the side, sending her crashing down without missing a step. Moka could tell she was mad, but it was rare to see her this infuriated.

"Buy him a leash, sister dear!" Ria snapped, stalking ever so menacingly towards her. "He makes a really good pet."

"What do you mean by that?" Moka asked with some mild reservations. It was when her sister drew close to her that she noticed a smell on her. "What happened between you two?"

Ria stops and stares, just inches away from Moka's face and for a brief moment the two vampire sisters locked red eyes at one another as the object of either one's interest was already out and tending to Kurumu's prostrate form.

"Are you alright?" Tsukune asked.

"T-Tsukune!" Kurumu gasped.

"Tsukune!" Moka called to him.

"Ah Moka, man are you a sight for so..."

"Yahoooo!" Kurumu screamed as she embraces him in another one of her breast smothering hugs. "Oh, Tsukune I was so worried, you were gone all night and didn't call once, I couldn' t sleep, eat or fix my make-up, I must be hideous, please don't look at me!"

"It's good to see you, too," he tried to say, but his face was muffed by her gigantic breasts which enveloped every inch of him.

"You must be hungry, Tsukune, why don't I feed you while rest!" She said with cheeks blushing while the poor boy was left flaling this arms about in this rather unique, morning spectacle for all eyes to see.

"Why don't you ask him!" Ria tells Moka and storms past, deliberately bumping into her as she passes.

Perilously watching after her sister, Moka looks back down at Tsukune still struggling with Kurumu.

"Oh Tsukune, you don't know how much I miss..." Kurumu's nose began to twitch as she too noticed a smell on him, a certain stench, one that was unmistakable for her kind and filled the succubus with dread that it was coming from her own destined mate.

"Whew!" Tsukune went when she finally releases him. "Kurumu, you really have got to stop doing that, I mean what if Moka saw that? Oh, what am I thinking, she did and knowing her she must be really...uh guys?"

He looks up and suddenly sees both girls glaring down at him, their eyes suspcious and accusatory.

"Uh...is something wrong?"

"Is there something you wish to tell me?" Moka asked in a frosty tone.

"Um, no, nothing at all, hehehe!"

"You can't lie to me!" Said Kurumu. "I can smell it all over you!"

"Smell 'it'?"

"Her, you idiot!" Moka yelled. "We can smell her on you!"

"...As in sex! As in, how could you do this to me, your own Mate of Fate, Tsukune?"

"W-What? How?"

"You idiot, because we can smell her all over you!" Moka snapped. "Care to explain what happened between you and my sister!"

Tsukune felt like shriveling up and dying right there on the steps; realizing how difficult it would be to explain to Moka and the others what actually happened, he'd hoped to keep it between him and Ria, but fat chance of that happening.

"Guys, I know how it must look, but you got to believe me nothing..."

"Is that why you didn't call us to let you know everything was okay?" Kurumu asked, tears forming in her eyes.

"N-No, I have a perfectly good explanation for that, too."

"What is it, Tsukune, tell me the truth! W-Was she good?"

"What?"

"Were her breasts better than mine? Is that it? Their not as big as mine, but I guess you're into that type, huh?"

"Kurumu, you got it all wrong, nothing happened between us!"

"Liar! I can smell her all on you! What is it Tsukune, you had me at home, I mean if Moka wasn't doing it for you, you could've come to me, you didn't need to go cross country with her sister and, hey!"

"That is enough!" Moka said, roughly yanking Kurumu out of her way. "Now, tell us what happened and you better make it good!"

"Alright, but can we go inside first, please, there's alot I've got to tell everyone."

Moka and Kurumu cast an uncertain glance at one another, but let Tsukune pick himself up as they were anxious to hear what he had to say, most especially how Ria's scent got mixed with his.

xxx

Back in Moka's bedroom, they all gathered around Tsukune as he sat nervously on the bed's edge, with Kurumu and Yukari hanging onto every word and sharing his revulsion, while Moka and Kokoa stood over him, arms crossed and stoic.

"And, that's it," he tells them. "That's why I didn't call, I was too...too shocked by everything I saw and I didn't know what to say."

"That's awful!" Yukari gasped.

"What do you mean awful?" Kokoa asked. "Hmph, I can't believe you're freaking out like that over a bunch of human thieves getting what's coming to them! Of course, Ria is going to kick you, it serves you right for trying to interfere in a vampire making a kill!"

"How could you say that, Kokoa?" Yukari asked.

"Simple, I just did."

"And, you're okay with this?" Tsukune asked. "Murdering people, making underworld deals for no other reason, but to wreak havoc and profiting from it? That's acceptable?"

"Uh, yeah it is. After meeting Kahlua and Akua are you surprised? Yes, we're involved in the underworld, yes we manipulate humans and yes we profit from it! And so my big sis snapped a few necks, she had every right to kill the vermin who were stealing from father! Hell, I can't wait for the day when father sends me out on one of sisters' missions, maybe I'll get to snap a few necks like her some day!"

Tsukune was flabbergasted, he didn't know what to say at this, and looked at Moka to see if she, too felt the same way, only for her eyes to avert his as in thought, as though she knew all along.

"Unbelievable!" Said Yukari. "What do you think?"

She glances over at Kurumu, only to find the well-endowed girl well engrossed in tears.

"Now, what's wrong with you?"

"So, that's how you really feel about me, Tsukune?" Kurumu sobbed. "No other girl compares to Moka, huh?"

"Y-eah, that," he replied with a nervous grin.

"Well, duh bubble chest, of course you don't compare to Moka," Yukari chided.

"So Moka is sooo perfect and I can't ever measure up, is that it?"

"No Kurumu, I didn't mean it like that! Y-Yes, I love Moka, I always will and I think no girl can come close to her, but then again no other girl can ever compare to you either, or Mizore or Yukari, you know, an-and like Moka holds a special place in my heart, the rest of you all hold special places in my heart as well, as my frien.."

"Oh shut up!"

Kurumu looks away and sobs in despair as though Tsukune had struck her and reeled away in shock.

"You're just heartless...just plain heartless!" She sobbed.

"Kurumu."

"Oh please," said Kokoa with a roll of her eyes. "'You just don't compare to her', how sappy can you get?"

Moka glared at her and the younger sister didn't say anymore.

"Will you all please leave us," Moka requested. "I would like to talk with him, alone."

"Sure thing, Moka," Yukari complied and tried to usher the inconsolable Kurumu out.

"You...know..something...Tsukune, I think no boy compares to _you_, bbbwaaahaha!"

"Whinning is never the answer," said Yukari as she pushes her out.

"Idiots," Kokoa muttered and slams the door behind them, leaving Tsukune and Moka alone at last.

"So, what you tell me is the truth?" She asked.

"Yes."

"You saw her naked, she kissed you and you touched her, but it didn't progress from there?"

"Y-Yes, that's the truth, I swear it! I would never betray like that, Moka!"

He wanted to stop right there, never meaning to tell her the whole story as he worried how she might've processed everything, but if she had already convicted him in her mind, Tsukune felt more should be said in his defense.

"Look, Moka, when she stripped and presented herself to me, a part of me...may have been tempted, but then I thought of you, saw you in my head, even thought I heard your voice and...just knew I couldn't go through with it. Do...do you believe me?"

Her arms crossed and red eyes staring ever so strongly into his, he waited in agony for her response. Would she believe every word that was said or would she suddenly kick him into orbit, yelling that he should learn his place. However, he was both shocked and relieved when she gently nodded: "Yes, I believe you."

He nearly had a heart attack after hearing her say that, the relief washing over him like a strong wave.

"Thank you, for a moment there, I thought you wouldn't believe me and be angry."

"Oh, I am a little upset with you," Moka said. "But, I do believe nothing happened. It was practically written all over my sister's face, I've never seen her quite so mad before, and it was obvious it had something to do with you."

"I'm sorry Moka, I never wanted to get inbetween you and your sister."

"Don't be so quick to blame yourself, this is exactly the sort of thing she does all the time. I wanted to keep this from you, however...well, it seems she hates you now."

"So, she's done this kind of thing before?" He asked as he couldn't believe how calmly she was taking all this.

"Unfortunately yes, I know her too well. For as long as I've known her, my sister has always tried to hurt me in some way because she's jealous of the affection our father bestowes upon me. To that end, she'll go out of her way to see me fall, even if it meant destroying everything I hold dear. She's a liar, backstabber, sadist and a cheat, you name it, but most of all she's incredibly patient when it comes to dealing out vengeance upon someone she hates."

"Which would be me, now?" He nervously asked.

"I'm afraid so, but just know I will do whatever I can to protect you."

"Great. You know, this would've helpful if you'd told me all of this before I got into a limo with her."

"Perhaps; I wasn't sure how you'd handle it, but what's done is done." She then reached out and lovingly touched his cheek. "But still, thank you Tsukune. Thanks for being so faithful, I am very glad that my trust in you was well placed."

As comforting as her touch was to him, regretably he had take her hand away, as there was more he wante to discuss with his future bride. "Moka, there is a lot we need to talk about."

"Of course," she complied solemnly, "I'd hoped to keep this from you until the time was right, but...ask me whatever you want. It's time you learned the harsh truths about my family."

XXX

Ria entered the game room in as refined a demeanor as possible, calmly walking over to the chess table where she had played with Tsukune in a bid to get to know the boy little, by little.

"AAAAAAARGH!" She roared, smashing her fist through the chess board and destroying the table beneath, scattering pieces all about her feet where she proceeds to stomp and kick like a petulant child until most of them were rendered nothing more than wood chips. When she had finally worked off enough of her frustration she slowly allowed herself to calm down, and surveying the mess she made, felt a little embarrassed.

"Well, that was adult of me," she muttered. "I might as well be Kokoa or Moka."

The very mention of her sister's name only reminded her of what _he_ had said and how badly she was humiliated by him. Ria felt that if the boy was smart, and knew what was good for him, he'd keep it a secret from Moka, but realized that Tsukune was a frustratingly confusing young man and most likely blabbed to her everything, recounting her humiliation to Moka's delighted ears. Tsukune would never have guessed that Moka was the one person she hated above all others, but to be compared to her baby, half sister and found to be inferior to her was the worse insult anyone has given to her and lived! Ria clenched her fists just thinking about it, her heart filled with a white hot rage, her very mind drowning in a bile of hatred she had for both her sister _and _her mate.

A timid knock came at the door.

"Enter!" She barked.

The door opened and in peered Ooolock, who perilously stuck his head in and looked upon his mistress with fear.

"...Well!" She snapped.

"M-Mistress, your father has sent word that he will be delayed until tomorrow morning."

"Fine," she said. "I'll keep things going until he arrives, I look forward to seeing him soon."

"Yes, my mistress," said Ooolock who tried to leave, quickly.

"Oh, Ooolock!"

"Y-Yes mistress."

"Come in, I would like to speak with you.

"Ye-yes mistress?" He entered nervously.

She looked down on his stunted form, her cold eyes unreveling of true intentions.

"You saw me humiliated today, didn't you? You know I can't have that."

The goblin stared up at her in open terror. "Ooolock would never talk!"

"Oh me, oh my, I know, I know, I know, but you also know I can't stand having anyone, much less a worthless goblin like you know my shame?"

"Please don't eat me mistress!" He cried out.

"Eat you?" Her mouth twisted in rank distaste. "Huh, I would sooner drink water fresh from the toilet than goblin blood."

A look of relief came over his swarthy face, which made her laugh and suddenly grab his neck with one hand.

"So, I'll just kill you."

Snap.

His body jerked once and then crumpled to the floor, his lifeless body lying at her feet for the longest as the woman simply stared at his prostrate form, admiring her handy work, before screaming for the maids to come in and begin cleaning up the mess. Ezumi was one of the first to come in and took one look at the motionless body lying on the floor and though unnerved, she was not visibly shaken as she had come to grow used to how these vampires, especially Ria took care of business around here.

"Do take care of this.._thing_," she ordered the maids, forcing them to haul his heavy body from the room. "Not you, Ezumi, I want you to clean up these chess pieces on the floor!"

"M-Me, my Lady?" She asked, nervously.

"Do you care for me to repeat myself, Ezumi?" Ria threatened.

Ezumi could tell she was not only in a bad mood, but seeing the dead Mr. Ooolock served as a clear indicator that Ria was in a murderous temperment, and it made her extremely agitated to be left alone with her.

"M-My Lady, I have a dau...ah, perhaps I can have some of the other maids..."

"You're the maid who was getting cozy with Tsukune Aono, right? Oh me, oh my, I guess you thought you can slack off and be disobedient with the rest of us, right?"

"N-No, ma'am."

"It would explain this sudden disobedience and forgetfulness of how kind we've been to you and your darling, sweet daughter."

Reluctantly and fearfully, she gets on all fours and proceeds to gather up all of the broken pieces on the floor, her neck growing tense as the almost readied for Ria to chop it off or bite it. Having gathered up nearly every chess piece, she sees both the white king and white queen lying together in pristine shape and goes over to pick them up.

"Oh, and _Nami,_" Ria said.

At the sound of her first name being mentioned, Ezumi looks up and suddenly feels Ria's stilleto heeled foot come crashing down on the hand grasping the chest pieces.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" She shrieked, her hand caught underneath Ria's punishing foot as she put all her weight on it.

"'Nami Ezumi'," Ria said as she looked down at her with a cruel smile, "remember to always, _always_ know your place, especially around me, got that?"

"Y-Y...YESSS!" She cried.

"Now, get out of my sight, you worm!"

The pressure now removed from her hand, Ezumi didn't waste any time to focus on the pain and quickly fled the room. Stooping down, Ria picks up the white king, while leaving the white queen firmly underneath her foot as she mused to herself. She would have to get the servants to clean up the broken table. She would also need to get a new chessboard and pick out a new personal servant, and yet all that could wait.

_You're going to pay for humiliating me, Moka, you and Tsukune Aono,_ she thought bitterly as she applied pressure and a little bit of her own power to the foot that was now crushing the white queen so hard it snapped into two seperate pieces, popping its head out across the floor.

Giggling to herself like a fiendish school girl, she then holds the white king firmly inbetween her fingers, red eyes eyeing it like a toy to be played with, her mind dancing with all sorts of fun she could have with it, and never once forgetting Tsukune.

"Like I said, I'm not Moka," she said with an evil smile. "Because, I can be a patient woman, Tsukune, _very_ patient. Beware."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Strong As I Am**

Moka had a hard time opening her eyes, having seemingly enjoyed the rest and wanted to keep them close and sleep forever, however what little clarity that remained in the back of her mind came roaring to the forefront like a loud alarm clock blaring off in the darkness. Something wasn't right, she knew, realizing that she hadn't had a single night's sleep ever since arriving at that specially made dungeon her sister had arranged.

_Sister, _she groggily remembered, slowly recalling where she was and what had happened.

Steadily her eyes cracked open, all sore and encrusted like awakening from a dead sleep and wearily scans her surroundings. Moka noticed that she wasn't in her cell, but an empty room illuminated by a weak light bulb in the center above her, and fleetingly hoped that she had somehow been freed. But, it took her awhile to discover that she was hanging a few feet off the floor by a rusty chain wrapped painfully tight about her bruised wrists. She couldn't tell how long she had been hanging there, but she could already feel numbness around her hands and see blood, her blood seeping through the chains.

"Wh-What is...where am I?" She asked aloud and began kicking wildly to free herself dangling in midair like a gymnast, desperately trying to get loose.

"Oh me, oh my, so you decided to wake up, that's good," she heard her sister say from somewhere in the shadowy room.

"Ria? Show yourself, why am I here like this?" Moka demanded.

"Oh? You mean you don't remember?" She playfully asked.

Moka's clouded memory began to take shape, remembered how she watched Tsukune shoot down and humiliated her sister, lifting her spirit enough for her to consume a whole can of tomato juice offered as a meal, and then nothing.

**She drugged our meal,** Inner Moka finally spoke up. **Whatever she has planned for us, I can't believe it could be anything worse than what she's doing now!**

"You drugged me, didn't you?" Moka asked her sister. "What are you planning to do to me now?"

Slowly, Ria started to emerge from the shadows, boots tapping methodically on the smooth, barren floor as she stepped ever so slightly into the small circle of light. She was oddly dressed from neck to toe in a black skin tight, leather suit and gloves, her long hair tied up into an incredibly long, single braid and in her hands carried a strange looking rod of some sorts that was as large as a billy club, all the while staring at her younger sister with the most disturbing and unhinged glare Moka had ever seen in a person.

**What are you up to now, you bitch? ** Inner Moka wondered with a steely resolve that, regardless if she felt any fear at all, Outer Moka was jealous of right now as she could barely find her own.

"Oh me, oh my," Ria responded in almost a trancelike state, "how easy you forget, dear sister, it must be that seal of yours that's caused you to addle your mind."

Ria reaches up and starts tugging on Moka's Rosario cross like Tsukune had done, and yet gets nothing for efforts but a lot of unnecessarily pained grunts from Moka and mild frustration on her part.

"Hm, so I guess he really is the only one, besides your mother and our father, who can remove this thing?" Ria asked with disappointment. "Funny. I had hoped to do this with the real Moka, my real sister, but I guess you'll have to do."

"Do what? What is going on?"

"Oh...my, you really _have_ forgotten haven't you?"

"I remember how you made me watch as you tried to seduce my boyfriend, _my_ fiancée, but failed. This whole time you kept me here, all you've done was try to break me down by robbing me of everyone I've cared about, but even if you somehow managed to take everyone else away from me, you would still underestimate Tsukune, because no matter what you do he is still my boyfriend, my fiancée, and _my_ friend."

Ria's vacant look showed a slight twitch at Moka's bold statement, but remained stalwart before her.

"Yes, he's quite the trained pooch," Ria said, her trancelike state unwavering. "But don't worry; I know what needs to be done in order to get him to do tricks for me."

"W-What does that mean?"

"We, on the other hand, have other plans or did you forget what I said, that you are now here for my pleasure, without fear of anyone coming to stop me and if I need to come play with you, to let off the 'frustrations' of an otherwise stressful day, then I will."

"What are you going to do with me?" Moka asked with hesitation rising in her voice.

Ria walked up closer towards her sister, all the while brandishing that heavy club, firmly in her grasp, in which Moka could hear a slight humming sound coming from it.

"This?" Ria asked as she holds the rod in between her hands like a showgirl. "You may or may not have remembered father's torture sessions that he would use on would-be assassins and anyone who generally displeased him, and as his ever faithful right hand, I have participated in a few times and became privy to all of his expensive implements, this here is one of them. It is called Pazuzu's Rod, a crude device, yet effective in delivering a nerve rending shock by hardly ever touching the victim with it. The pain, I hear is said to be _gargantuan_, I love using that word, but anyway it's effects are so gargantuan that it's still doing damage long after the initial shock had been administered, and what's interesting about it is the fact that it was designed to inflict other 'persons' hiding within the subject himself; see, father was aware of how most of his adversaries were actually possessed individuals and that none of the tortures would really afflict the true culprit, who simply hid within their host while he or she was being tortured senselessly, so he had this handy tool invented so that both would feel something."

"Sister," Moka pleaded.

"I have no idea if the same applies to that crowded soul of yours, but we shall see. I am most curious to see how this will work, so won't you be a dear and help your older sister?"

Moka frantically began looking around, hoping out of sheer desperation to spot some avenue of escape despite her predicament, but found none.

"If you're thinking of escape, oh me, oh my I would certainly advise against it. Even if you somehow got free, and by some miracle got past all the dozens of guards posted about this castle while in your weak and pathetic sealed state, you'll find escape all, but impossible what with a 20x30 foot deep moat of _fresh_ water surrounding the place, so unless mommy's specially made seal gives you the gift to withstand water, which I'm sure it doesn't, then well I guess we're not going anywhere, now are we. Better brace yourself..."

"Sister, please."

"You may feel a slight sting."

Moka tries to kick and dangle violently, not wanting to make it easy for her, but Ria dances out of the way flawlessly and lightly touches the rod to Moka's leg, sending a violent shock reminiscent of a lightning bolt coursing through every nerve ending in her body, causing her to painfully arch her back in a silent scream. When it finally subsided enough for Moka to become coherent, her pained breaths coming out quick and shallow, its sounds joined by a sadistic, sickening kind of giggle from Ria who just stood there watching her sister twitch involuntarily, but Moka was half surprised that she wasn't doing anything as it felt like she had struck her with the rod several different times.

**T-TH-THAT BITCH! **Inner Moka shrieked, having felt some of the effects even from within her seal. **I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL HER!**

Moka couldn't stop twitching, her body having a mind of its own, urine involuntarily spewing out as she could barely feel it run down her partially numbed legs, but was at least relieved that the first part was over.

"Oh me, oh my, that had quite the effect, now didn't it?" Ria asked with a smile, taking perverse pleasure from this. "Let's try it again, shall we?"

Moka began to break down and cry, struggling to slip out of her chains in her weakened state, not wanting to go through that again, but another jolt slices its way through her body before she even knew it, this one lasting longer than the first. Ria, however was having the time of her life, smiling and laughing at her sister's pain and moved in to deliver another jolt. Angered and frightened, Moka did what she could and deliver a sharp kick to Ria's head, only for her leg to wind up in her sister's grip before even landing a shot and Moka was now caught in an even more uncompromising position.

"Oooh, so that's how you want to play it, eh you naughty girl?" Ria asked, a sickening smile spreading across her demonic face.

Moka screams grew even louder as she saw her sister lift the rod towards her crotch, and buckled furiously to get free and close up her legs, yet Ria stood out of the way with her grip as solid as a vice, as she playfully hovered the rod along the further up her thigh, and with Moka left with no other choice, but to braced herself for what would surely be the worst pain to come.

XXX

Tsukune was slammed hard against the far end of the wall, all sore and dismayed. It had been like this ever since he had returned from his agonizing trip with Ria as Moka began training him like a beast in the combat room and after hours of fighting he was already felt like one, big bruise.

"That was pathetic, Tsukune!" Moka snapped. "I'd have thought you were better than this!"

"You want me to teach him a lesson, big sister?" Kokoa suggested, petting little Ko on her shoulder with an anxious look on her face. "Let me show him how it's done!"

"No! This is a private session and he is _my_ intended mate, I will deal with this!"

"God, Moka would you take it easy?" He asked.

"Take it easy?" She repeated as though he had said something offensive to her.

"Yes, this is supposed to be a trip to see your parents not the UFC, relax!"

"_Relax_? Take it easy? All I've been doing with you up to today has been taking it easy with you, now you tell me to relax? You honestly think we're on some vacation?"

"No, I just.." 

"Listen to me, Tsukune, as my mate a lot is going to be expected of you, among which your physical prowess and..."

"I thought I already proved tha..."

"Do not interrupt me!" She snapped.

"Okay, okay."

"Your physical prowess and tact in combat, these are qualities that we vampires look for in any newcomer to a family such as mine, remember that!"

"Then, what about when I helped rescue you from Fairy Tale all those years ago, won't that count?"

"Sadly no if you continue with this disgrace. All the skills you learned from then seemed to have gone away since, why?"

"They haven't gone away, just that...I never had a need to use them as much since then."

"That's your problem, you're too soft and laid back, a vampire never relaxes his battle skills, for there are always enemies waiting for him to slip up. I've had you fighting opponents around school to help keep those skills fresh."

"But, I don't see why it matters what your family thinks of my skills, as long as..."

"No buts, just get on your feet and come at me again, we'll do this all night if we have to!"

He was dismayed at her sudden aggressive behavior; after they'd talked about everything her family was involved in, he felt relieved that she was able to confide everything with him and they wouldn't have any more secrets to hide from one another, but almost immediately afterward she had him undergo this grueling sparring session and seemed hell bent on improving his skills like never before. She said it was to impress her father and he wanted to believe her, but couldn't help wondering if there wasn't something more to all of this. Nevertheless, they've been going at it non-stop, him slowly regaining his fighting strength and she not pulling any of her punches in an aggressive attempt at helping him. He noticed she wasn't make this whole process easy, in more ways than one as had chosen to train in her tiny mini skirt, which showed a lot of herself to a sexually frustrated young man, easily distracting him at every move.

"Think fast!" She tells him, snapping him out of his thoughts in time to see Moka's fingertips aiming for his head like a dagger, quickly dodging and countering by hooking both her arms in a tight hold. "Not bad, you're catching on."

"Just decided to turn this into a game," he said, relishing in dominating her like this and almost becoming turned on.

"A game, huh? Then how about we turn things up a notch," she says, letting her arms go limp and slipping out of his hold where she slides to the floor and sharply kicks him back. "Still anxious to play?"

Focused, he runs toward her as soon as she jumps to her feet and throws a series of jabs, which she dodges effortlessly, but undauntedly Tsukune's movements start to become faster and more repetitious, keeping up with her every move. Nearly overwhelmed, Moka dives backwards and does a cartwheel, right underneath his nose, granting him a close up view of her crotch and her lilly white panties, which sends his focus into a nose dive and left him exposed to a spin kick that she suddenly shifts to, sending him flying once more into the wall.

"Pitiful," she said.

"Oww, it's not my fault, I was distracted!"

"Of course you were distracted, your enemies are going to do all they can to distract you, but you can't let it happen or you're finished, got it?"

"So you did that on purpose?" He asked, but quickly realized by the murderous look in her eyes that he had said more than he should have.

"Tsukune, love, what kind of woman do you take me for?" She asked, cracking her knuckles.

"Ehh, did I say anything I shouldn't have, hehehe? No, no, I meant I learned my lesson and we should continue with our training."

He could hear Yukari giggling off to the sides, who watched the whole thing and enjoyed every minute of it. It made him feel nervous having the girls watch he and Moka spar, always humiliated whenever she kicked his ass and get chastised for it, especially whenever Kurumu, who was still mad at him, would always cheer seeing him get creamed.

"Distraction, eh?" Kurumu said to herself as she watched Tsukune and Moka go at it. Immediately, she comes up with an idea and reaches underneath her sweater, unhooks her bra and waits until Tsukune appeared to be getting the upper hand of Moka, then yells: "Oh Tsukune, how about I help you with your training!"

Tsukune instinctively turns to Kurumu in time to see her flash her ginormous breasts, fully bared and jiggling, distracting him long enough for Moka to deliver a vicious kick that, whether out of training or spite, sends him flying faster into a wall and left his whole head throbbing.

"Ku-ru-muru," he muttered as stars danced in front of his eyes.

"I don't compare to Moka, huh?" She yelled. "Humph!"

"You stupid idiot!" Moka scolded. "What did I tell you before, how dare you let yourself be distracted by that girl!"

"It's not my fault, Kurumu...forget it."

"Humph, so I see. Its big breasts you really like, is that it?" She accused.

"Come again?"

"I saw the way you were looking at her breasts, a lot longer than you were looking at my legs, it's because of her, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That's right, Moka!" Kurumu yelled. "He's finding out that _you_ don't compare to me! They're getting larger, Tsukune, and they'll only get softer as I mature, it's not too late to get what you're missing!"

"WHAT, say its not true, Tsukune!" Yukari cried.

"It's not, Moka I don't know what you're talking about, Kurumu is always doing something like this."

"Not her, you moron, my sister! I'm not blind, I know she has bigger breasts than me, and that's why you haven't been able to concentrate, obviously she's been on your mind this whole time, hasn't she?"

Tsukune was almost speechless and dumbfounded by the bold accusation, he hadn't thought too much about what happened this morning and hoped to forget it, but to be accused of fantasizing about her made him incredibly uncomfortable.

"Moka, how could you ask that?"

"Oh, so you were thinking about _her_ and not me, huh?" Kurumu asked. "I see, you want a vampire sister sandwich, what with fake boobs Ria and leggy Moka, but not me! You're so stupid, Tsukune, both me, my mom and my aunt would've given you a better time than these two..."

"Will you shut up!" Moka snapped. "Well, how about Tsukune, is she still on your mind?"

"No, I'm not thinking about her at all, in fact I haven't seen or heard from her all day and it's kind of a relief."

"Don't lie to me, Tsukune!"

"I'm not lying, honest!"

However, just talking about her made him suddenly remember seeing her near flawless body, half naked and taunting, and the feel of her large breasts meshed against his hands, causing him to feel a little embarrassed simply thinking about it.

"Really, I'm not thinking about her," he tries to tell her, but he saw her looking at the unsightly bulge in his pants and knew there was no winning this argument. "Well, I wasn't before. I'm...sorry."

Moka turns her back to him and he could tell she was mad at him.

"Moka?" He asked.

"So, you really do like bigger breasts then, don't you?" Moka asked with a note of insecurity in her voice, as she slowly turns around, unbuttons her blouse and cups her breasts with her hands.

"M-Moka, I think you're being..."

"Don't patronize me, it is all about breasts with you, isn't it? How big a woman's chest should be, eh?"

He saw her unbutton more of her blouse as if lost in thought, exposing even more cleavage with both tits firmly in her hands for his viewing pleasure.

"M-M-Moka, what's gotten into you?" He freaked. "Please, the size of your chest doesn't matter to me at all."

"Liar!" Kurumumu yelled.

"Whoa, go Moka," a drooling Yukari cheered.

"I know my chest isn't as big as my sister's."

"...That's...okay," he says.

"But, they are supple and round and..."

Just then, Moka finally snaps to and realizing what she was doing, proceeds to beat the crap out of Tsukune for making her striptease.

"You arrogant fool!" She growled, but blushing. "H-How dare you make me debase myself like that! Why, if you ever allow me to do that again, I shall show you your place, got it?"

"...Y-Y-Yes," an injured Tsukune mumbled, "even though I didn't make you do it in the first place."

"What was that?" Moka angrily snapped.

"N-Nothing, Moka nothing."

"Good. That'll be all for today, we should retire for now, we have a big day tomorrow."

"What time is it?" He asked.

"It's a little past midnight."

"Past midnight! We've been in here training for a whole day, no wonder I haven't been able to focus."

"Hm, I wonder," Moka glares, accusingly at Tsukune, prompting a nervous smile in response.

"Where are we all going to sleep?" Yukari asked. "Well, where will boobilicious here and the bus driver going to sleep, as if I have to ask where I'm sleeping."

"You have guest rooms that have been set for you," Moka replied. "I'll order the servants to show you where you'll be sleeping."

"Ohhh, but I wanna sleep with you and Tsukune!"

"That's not going to happen, Yukari," he said with a flustered smile.

_Same old Yukari, _he thought.

"So, I guess you're really going to sleep with Moka, aren't you?" Kurumu asked.

"Kurumu, listen..."

"Save it! I just don't compare to Moka or any of her sisters."

"You got that right," Kokoa intervened.

"You know I didn't mean it like that, I wasn't trying to be insensitive, I think all of you are unique and special, it's just that I love Moka more. I'm sorry."

"Forget about her, will ya," Moka tells him.

"Lady Akashiya," Ezumi said upon meekly entering the room, "your bath is drawn, as requested."

"Good. Tsukune, we should go before it gets cold."

"Oh right," he said with excitement brewing inside of him, remembering how close they came the last time they had a bath together and hoped he'd get further this time.

"Uh-uh, I'm not letting you take Tsukune with you into the bath tub!" Kurumu challenged. "I'll be joining you, this time."

"What?" Moka asked.

"What?" Tsukune asked.

"Your sister, ole' small tits, said we can all have a bath together just before she left. She felt your daddy wouldn't like you having sex in his home while you were away, so she entrusted _me_ with making sure you didn't do anything amoral."

"You cannot be serious?" Moka argued.

"Begging your pardon, my mistress," Ezumi very meekly intervenes, "but, your sister did s-specify th-that you and your male guest not be alone while she was out."

"And why was I not informed of this!" She yelled, causing the little maid to shrink even further.

"Moka," he tried to console, but she was too livid to hear any of it.

"This is _so_ like her, always scheming new ways to interfere with my life and all because she couldn't take Tsukune away from me! That vindictive...nnnnghh!"

"Hmph, well at least this way I can keep an eye on you, pervert!" Said Kokoa, glaring at Tsukune.

Flustered beyond relief, Moka storms out of the room, knocking Ezumi out of her way in the process.

"Wee! I'm sitting next to Moka!" Yukari cheered as she tagged along, followed by Kokoa.

"You go on ahead, you flat chested witch, and I've got my place next to my mate!" Kurumu yelled after her, stopping by Tsukune briefly to give him a forlorn look, before snubbing her nose, indignantly at him and walking on. Tsukune followed behind, not exactly thrilled at the prospect of sharing a tub with so many other girls and a pissed off fiancé, though most in his position would envy him.

"Hey, I'm sorry about Moka," he told the maid upon helping her up and where he noticed some gauze wrapped around her right hand, which appeared to be bruised. "Nami, what happened?"

She instinctively tries to shield her hand from his view, as though too ashamed to show him her pain or tell him anything, nevertheless he brazenly grabs hold of her hand and looks at it more closely.

"Please," she quietly pleaded.

"Who did this to you?" He insisted.

"Please don't. I'm in enough trouble for talking to you."

"What?" He asked with a look of genuine confusion on his face.

She pulls away from him and refused to look him in the face, even more frightened than she had been when he'd met her.

"TSUKUNE!" He heard Moka yell after him from down the hall.

Unable to get Ezumi to talk to him, Tsukune had no choice but to catch up with Moka, though he had no idea how he was going to relax in the bath knowing something was wrong around here.

It was, indeed difficult to relax, however not for what he imagined as he sat in the large hot tub, nude, with not just the women around him, but the Bus Driver too, all nude with a cigar still in his mouth and hat on his head.

"Uh...Moka," he sheepishly spoke up, "would you like me to...get your back?"

"Let me, Moka, let me!" Yukari cried.

Moka only growled in response. Just as at the dining table, Tsukune was once again caught in-between an angry Moka and a desperate Kurumu, who constantly rubbed some body part of hers up against him. The Bus Driver sat across from him, as he relaxed next to a naked Kahlua whose brown breasts seemed meshed, affectionately against his pale chest.

"My compliments to the lady of the house," he said to Moka with a fat grin on his face. "Hey, meatbag, you should be enjoying this, it's not every day a guy is surrounded by so many lovely ladies in a hot tub."

"Don't get any ideas," Kokoa growled, sitting alone on the far side.

_Ideas, _he thought in a panic, _what ideas!_

He felt someone swim underneath him and was shocked when a naked Yukari suddenly latched onto his back and forced to feel every inch of her.

"How do you like them?" She asked him. "They're coming along nicely, aren't they?"

"..._Y-Yes_, they are coming along, alright," he replied in a shrill tone.

"Get your flat chest off of my mate, you stupid witch!" Kurumu yelled and then returned her attention back to Tsukune, her gigantic breasts floating dangerously close to him. "So, what do you think, Tsukune? Do you still think Moka is a one of a kind compared to yours truly?"

"Kurumu," he said.

"Tread carefully, you big breasted rat!" Moka seethed. "Don't make me regret not killing you."

"What was that!" Kurumu yelled jumping up, her glistening wet body jiggling droplets off everywhere as she openly challenges her rival. "You think I'm scared of you, just because we're in your home and in your bath?"

_Oh man, feel a nose bleed coming on!_ He freaked.

"No, I think you've been steadily losing some of your sanity over the years, until now it's come to where I must put you down, permanently," Moka responds and stands up, her glistening wet body over shadowing Tsukune, who was busy fighting what would surely be the worst nosebleed he'd ever had.

"Bring it then. Don't think I won't take you down just because we're in the water," Kurumu responds, brandishing her claw like nails. "Hmph, I don't compare to you, what a laugh!"

"You really enjoy testing me, don't you? Why must you court death, succubus?"

"Why don't _you_ court death and leave me Tsukune, he'll be better off with me than you, anyway!"

Kurumu grabs Tsukune's arm, but Moka shoves her back and stands virtually in-between his legs, while the fiery Kurumu very quickly gets back up and angrily stands breast to breast with Moka.

"Oooh, a bath fight, I love it!" Kahula squealed, jumping up with delight.

"You better back off from Moka, you...you...boob!" Yukari yelled at Kurumu, finally getting up and standing infront of Tsukune.

"Hey, if any of you idiots even so much as lay a hand on my big sister, I'll give you a taste of Ko!" Kokoa growled, trudging her way over to the combatants.

_I can't hold it! _Tsukune freaked. _ I don't think I can hold it much longer!_

"Don't compare to you, huh?" Kurumu ranted as she was literally pushing against Moka with her big breasts in some kind of show of strength. "It should be the other way around, it's you who don't compare to me!"

"You insane little..." Moka growled as she pushed back, her breasts almost lost within Kurumu's, but whose strength was enough to hold her back.

"Your itty breasts don't even come close to mine, so why don't you back off from my mate and hand him over to someone who'll care for his needs."

"Shut up, you little..."

"Little? Who the hell are you calling little?"

"Come on, big sis, don't let that weakling show you up!" Said Kokoa.

"Alright, come on Moka, show her what you're made of!" Yukari cheered on.

"Oh, I want to play, can I play, please?" Kahlua yelled, bouncing up and down in the water.

"A-hem! Oh ladies, I'd hate to interrupt your play time," the Bus Driver intervened and pointed at Tsukune. "But, I think your prize just went belly up."

The girls all looked down and noticed Tsukune passed out in the water in a daze, with twin trails of blood running down from his nose into the water around him.

"Oh, grow up," Moka groaned.

"He probably fainted at the sight of your poorly developed, naked body!" Kurumu gloated.

"Kurumu," Moka said with an unusual smile about her face, "...know your place."

"Itty titty!" She cried before as she was sent flying from the tub by one of Moka's well-placed kicks.

As Tsukune lay in Moka's bed, its blood red colored, satin sheets seemed strangely alluring, while at the same time unsettling, he nevertheless was all relaxed and relieved to be here with Moka lying next to him. Given the previous night with Ria, it put him at ease to have Moka so nearby and not feel so alone, and though they were both naked, as it seemed to be normal for Inner Moka, perhaps being in such familiar surroundings, they both felt okay simply cuddling.

"I know this wasn't what you were planning on," he whispered to her. "Sorry everything turned out the way they did."

Moka was annoyed at the recent turn of events that have plagued them, more so at his laid back and gentle nature, but looking up into his soulful red eyes and smooth face, his toned arms wrapped securely about her like a warm blanket the way he always did and his tasty blood so nearby, she couldn't stay too mad at him, being reminded why all of this was necessary in the first place; still, she couldn't show weakness even in front of him.

"You're too nice Tsukune, forget about it and get some rest, we have a big day ahead of us."

"Oh...sure," he said and reluctantly began to withdraw his arms from around her. Desperate to maintain this cuddle, without seeming desperate, Moka danced her delicate little fingers up along his arm and made a suggestive glance at her lover.

"I didn't tell you stop what you're doing," she cooed. "Why not enjoy one another's company for the time being, my love."

"Yeah?" He asked with a tender smile, a radiant smile in the darkness that warmed even her blood.

"Yes. After all, you touched my sister when she was naked, right?" Moka lifted the covers and taunted him with _her _naked figure to move in closer, his excitement shamefully becoming evident underneath the sheets and yet he didn't seem to care.

"Moka...you know I'd love to give you anything you wanted," he said as he began to pull her in closer, "but, you see that's going to be kind of hard to do now, because..."

"Oh Tsukune," he heard a girl's teasing voice whisper seductively in his ear and felt two, enormous breasts with hardened tits pressing up against his back and slender arms wrapped about his neck, pulling him even further into her massive mammaries. "Why don't we ditch the third wheel and get right down to it? I'm sure Moka won't mind, won't you Moka?"

"Get-out-of-my ROOM you bugs!" Moka roared, eyeing Kurumu with a primal challenge.

"Na-uh, remember we were supposed to keep you two off each other until your daddy showed up," said Kurumu.

"Which means, it's our job to make sure Tsukune doesn't get any ideas in his stupid head," Kokoa complied from her cot at the foot of the bed.

"Why are you accusing me?" He asked.

"Because you're a guy and can't be trusted with my big sis, hell you had your way with my other big sister and even had the nerve to insult her, don't think I'll let you get away with treating Moka like that!"

"Oh Kokoa, you know Tsukune wouldn't do anything like that," said Yukari who slept next to the obstinate vampire. "Well, not without me, and now that I'm in here with them, why don't we let them get intimate."

"...Well, you see what I mean?" He asked Moka with a heavy sigh.

_She's so close to me, just right there! _He thought. _And yet, I can't get to third base with her! Oh man, I wish these guys would give us a break!_

"...Goodnight Tsukune," Moka groaned, turning around her back to him, but maintaining his grip about her.

"Goodnight, my Mate of Fate," Kurumu cooed in his ear.

"Yeah, goodnight Kurumu," he nervously replied.

"Goodnight you two, I'll be dreaming about the two of you," said Yukari. "You're not going to say goodnight, Kokoa?"

But, all she got was a very loud snore as the irritable red head appeared to be sleeping soundly with her pet bat lying next to her.

"Good night everybody," he says to them all, trying to be as nice as possible, but still wishing they didn't have to all sleep with them. Still, not wanting this night to be a total waste he tries to lean in closer into Moka, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her long, silvery hair and whispers softly in her ear: "I love you Moka, I love you."

Moka smiles softly and nestles cozily into his warm embrace before drifting off to sleep.

XXX

Moka woke up on her prison floor, lying on her stomach dazed, wounded and half out of her mind from the tortures she had endured at Ria's hand. Never had she experienced such unimaginable pain before, and worse still was the perverted smile she saw her own sister through it all.

**When we get out of here, Ria will know true pain!** Inner Moka seethed from within in her seal, and then added: **So will that fool Tsukune, for taking so long to come get us! I'll really show him his place!**

_I don't...want to...hurt him,_ Moka weakly thought, tears rolling down her face.

**We have to get out of here, must find some way to break out of the jail cell, there's no telling what Ria and that impostor has done.**

_But, how? I can barely move! Besides, I can't fight, what am I supposed to do?_

**You can start by stop your sniveling and get up, this pain can't keep you down, you're sharing my body, that means you also have my strength. Now, the moment one of the guards comes by, you lure him towards you and I'll tell you the rest.**

Moka tried to budge, but she could barely wiggle a toe as her whole body was far too numb.

**What are you waiting for, get up!**

_I...I can't, _she wept.

**Yes you can, don't be such a baby!**

_Don't...call me that._

**Then do as I tell you and move, dammit. We have to get ready. Are you listening to me?**

Try as she might she just could not budge, powerless to do anything but lay there on the floor and listening to her inner personality bicker while currents of pain continued to course throughout her body. In her mind, she wanted to call out for her mother, for her father, but as she drifted in and out of consciousness, the only person's name she managed to mutter through a pained whisper was: "Ts-Tsukune...help me."

XXX

It was in the wee hours of early morning, during the time when it was darkest just before the dawn that Ria stood outside, waiting patiently on the front steps with a contingent of guards at attention. She had returned hours earlier and frantically made sure everything was in tip top shape for as a lone, black limo silently pulled out of the shadows across the draw bridge and up the driveway, she knew with baited breath that the lord of the manor, her father, had finally arrived.

"And that is the situation, my lord," Ria tells him as she stood in his private chambers and having just recounted the events prior. "The last I saw of them, they were training diligently in the combat room."

Her father, Lord Issa Shuzen, sat casually in his massive chair, looking upon his obedient elder daughter with hardened vampiric red eyes, a stoic demeanor about his slender face and long dark hair which rested about his broad shoulders as he listens to how she assess the man one who mate with one his other daughters.

"The last you saw of them?" He asked firmly.

"Yes, my lord, there was a matter concerning a prisoner that needed to be looked at."

"And where are they now?"

"Asleep, my lord, I made sure that they didn't touch one another while you were out without receiving your prior blessings."

"Very good. So, after your meeting with this Aono person, and your...interactions with him, what do you make of him?"

"Oh yes, do tell, Ria," said Gyokuro who sat at her mirror and methodically began taking off her jewelry. "Tell us how that mere boy rejected your advances; I'm sure we'd all love to hear what you felt about that."

"...There's nothing much to tell, my lady," she said with veiled disdain.

"Hmph, I bet. He's here, I could smell his scent before we even reached the bridge. I am so glad you decided to invite him here for the weekend, my beloved husband, after a long couple of days, I really could use a refreshing bite."

"Ria, tell me what I want to know," Issa repeats impatiently. "What can you tell me about him."

"Well, as I'm sure you must already know, there is no vampire house known as the House of Aono, I've searched through all the vampire clans, even the smaller ones and nothing exists. Not only that, but his very behavior is also questionable as well, he's non-confrontational, treats the servants with respect, is sickeningly nice and balks at slave labor and lacks any kind of bloodlust, and pretty much everything about him just isn't like a true vampire."

"What does that tell you?

Ria looked at her father, wanting to smile evilly, but tried to maintain her composure as she delivered her judgment.

"My assessment, my lord, is that I do not think he is a full blooded vampire, but a recently turned vampire, a second born who quite fortunately dodged the complications that would ensue and that Moka was the one who turned him. That is right my lord, your daughter is trying to marry a second born vampire of her own making, and is now trying to pass him off as a true vampire."

At first there was nothing, but then that silence was broken by Gyokuro bursting into laughter.

"That is hilarious!" She roared. "The little whore's daughter has truly outdone herself! Turning some misbegotten creature into a vampire and then trying to pass him off as one of us! I have to admit, it certainly explains a lot about the boy, here I thought he was some brash, retarded young vampire from a meager family; well this does change things, doesn't it my dear?"

"Yes..." Issa said, thoughtfully, "...yes it does change things. Were you able to ascertain his former species?"

"No I haven't, my lord," Ria replied. "That detail continues to elude me, but I have no doubt my dear sister, Moka knows the secret. What is odd, however, is that he is the only one, aside from Lady Akasha and you of course, who is able to remove Moka's rosario seal without difficulty."

"...That _is_ odd," Gyokuro remarked. "Blast it child, here you made the boy seem like he was nothing and now you've made him into an enigma, yet again."

"What would like done, my lord?"

Lord Shuzen sits back in his chair and drinks down a full glass of red wine, a sliver of it trickling down his chin as he contemplates deeply, before replying:

"Order the cooks to have a meal prepared for us Ria, I've had a long day and will deal with this...Aono person at sun up."

"...As you wish, my lord. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, I would like to speak with Akasha about this, alone."

"Oh yes, indeed we would have much to say to her about her daughter's choice in men," Gyokuro remarked.

"Alone," he reiterated in a gruff tone, stressing that she, his chosen wife was not allowed in the discussion.

"I beg your pardon," she tells him. "Am I to understand that- that whore is gets to just waltz into these chambers and discuss your little secrets with you and that Imust gracefully bow out? _Me_?"

Issa glared at her, silently stressing that this was not open to discussion, yet Gyokuro refused to be complacent about this.

"This is outrageous!" She growled, jumping up from her chair. "What an indignity! Why, I won't hear of this, not over that girl and her little boyfriend. I have a good mind to go and rip open the boy, right now and show the girl whose boss around here!"

"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!" He bellowed, causing her to stop in her tracks. "I told you I will deal with this boy myself, and I shall do so by sun up! Do I make myself clear?"

Gyokuro was too proud to admit she was afraid of crossing him, however she was wise enough not to tangle with him, especially over the Aono boy, though the idea of relenting was about as painful to her as a stake being driven into her heart.

"Go get a drink of blood, my bloodmate," he tells her. "Calm your nerves and wait for me at the dinner table, do I make myself clear?"

"...Nnnngh! I needed a drink, anyway," she mutters and storms out of the room.

Ria let a sigh of relief, strangely enough for Tsukune as she didn't want him to die so suddenly, and knowing her stepmother, she wouldn't have taken her time about it.

"Ria," he ordered, "go get Akasha, now, and leave us."

"As you wish, my lord."

Not wanting to press him further, even though she wanted to know what he planned on doing with Tsukune after learning everything, she nonetheless obeys his wish and leaves to fetch the only person he would choose to talk to about anything alone and Ria couldn't help, but feel jealous.

_I guess I don't compare to her, do I father? _ She wondered, bitterly.

As dawn came Tsukune was aroused from a rather peaceful sleep by Moka, who had her servants quickly escort him to the bath without her, where they, despite his protests, begin cleaning him up furiously as if he were a child.

"Look, I can...take my own bath!" He tried to tell them through all of the scrubbing and rinsing of buckets with warm water, but the women wouldn't heed his requests.

"Begging your pardon, my lord," Nami said as she scrubbed his shoulders, "but Lady Akashiya has requested that you be properly cleaned up for our lord."

"Your lord?" He asked, with dread filling his heart as he realized that the moment had finally come. He then remembered seeing Moka acting strangely this morning, practically yanking him out of bed and flying about the place as if she was worried about something, though her stubborn pride would never admit it. "What time will he see me Nami, do you know?"

Nami would not answer him and he remembered how she'd gone back to being submissive again.

"...Ezumi," he said with a sigh, "do you know when I'll be able to meet with him?"

"No, my lord."

"Fine."

He heard some commotion behind him and attempted to look through soapy eyes to see what it was, but a maid roughly turns his head around, even as the sounds of familiar voices could be clearly heard entering the room.

"What do you mean I can't go in?" Kurumu asked. "That is my future mate in there, I demand I be the one to bathe him!"

_I'm glad to hear she's not mad at me, anymore,_ he thought happily.

"Move your boobs out of the way, boober-naught!" Yukari's scolded. "Can't you see they're only trying to help make sure Tsukune look more presentable?"

_More presentable? _He wondered. _What's wrong with me? I hope I don't smell bad or anything?_

"But, I want to at least watch them clean him off, that's all," she added to his further dismay.

"Um, will this take long?" He asked. "Not that I'm in any hurry, I'm sure Moka's father is very busy and wouldn't be interested in seeing me right away."

"Not much longer, my lord," Nami replied.

"Oh...When I get out, you _will_ leave so that I may dry off, right?"

"We're ordered to see you become properly cleaned, my lord," answered another maid. "We must tend to your needs! Afterwards, we will shave your face and drape a hot towel over it."

"WHAT!"

"Please, sit still, my lord," she says, firmly holding him in place.

"You are in luck, Lord Aono," Nami tells him.

"You're almost through and you were only kidding about the whole drying me off and putting hot towels on my face?"

"No, my lord, our master's personal masseuse has finally arrived; he will be tending to your muscles in preparation for your confrontation with the master."

"Confrontation?"

One of the other maids nudged Nami sharply, who realizes her slip up.

"Oh, forgive me, lord, I meant meeting with our master, only meeting."

"Smooth," one of them whispered to her.

"Why would I need a massage to meet her dad? Though, a massage might help me relax and it was awfully nice of him to loan me his masseuse. So, what kind of person is he, dare I ask?"

"He's one of the best..."

"Oh really."

"of his kind," she finished.

"His kind?" He asked warily.

"Of the mountain troll race, with hands strong enough to crack boulders; only the best for a vampire lord soon to be accepted into our master's household. Lord Aono? My lord, are you okay, you don't look well, is our scrubbing not satisfactory to your liking, my lord?"

He was still monumentally sore from his visit with the masseuse when Kurumu and Yukari escorted him back to his room.

"Wow, I never knew you could bend like that," Yukari commented.

"...Neither could I," he whimpered. "So, Moka's father is really here?"

"Yep, arrived early this morning."

"I thought so," he said with great trepidation.

Even before he had woken up, he felt a very strong presence that permeated throughout the castle; Tsukune didn't want to think of the possibility that Lord Shuzen was back, but Moka's actions suggest otherwise.

"Not only him," Yukari added, "but both his wife and Moka's mom, too."

"Well thank god, with Akasha here maybe I might stand a chance of speaking to Mr. Shuzen. Still, Moka's been acting weird all morning. She literally yanks me out of bed, starts quizzing me on all that I learned from training, and barked at the maids to do all this stuff for me."

"Stupid Moka," Kurumu said, "she's up to something, I just know it."

"And, what would she be up to, Kurumu?" He asked. "I know you're jealous of her and all, but..."

"It's not just jealousy, Tsukune. She took you away from me because she's the one who's jealous of me, but really I'm worried about you. Moka may have been trustworthy in the past, but you're about to spend the rest of your life with her and she's holding secrets from you when she should be trying to share everything with you."

"Moka has her reasons for withholding all her secrets and I should respect that, I love her enough to respect her privacy."

"Besides, you _are_ jealous and trying to hate!" Said Yukari.

"Look, I trust Moka and whatever she's doing, I'm sure it's for both our best interests."

"I just think you're making a big mistake, that's all."

Not wanting to get into another debate that'll risk breaking Kurumu's heart again, Tsukune painfully straightens up and tries to walk on his own.

"Hey, why don't you guys go on back to the room," he suggested. "I need to get rid of some of these jitters, you know."

"You sure you don't want us to come with you?" Yukari offered. "I know a spell that'll take care of those nerves for you, all it requires is a bat's foot and..."

"That's okay, I want to do this alone, you guys go rest and wait for me, I'm sure the servants can get something for you two."

"Okay," a worried Yukari replied, watching him head down a different direction.

"Tsukune," Kurumu tries to call to him.

"I really think you should give Moka the benefit of the doubt, instead of attacking her, Kurumu."

"Benefit of the doubt, for what? For being bossy, manipulative...bossy?"

"...That maybe she isn't as bad a person as you make her out to be...and that maybe I might not be the mate you were destined for."

He left a stunned Kurumu behind, uncertain if he had said the right thing or made things worse. As harsh as it may have seemed to him, he couldn't bring himself to worry about it, but on what she'd said about Moka keeping secrets and questioning his decision to marry, that she had actually succeeded in casting doubt upon him.

_What am I thinking? _ He wondered. _Of course, I want this! So what if Moka is keeping things from me, I still love her and she loves me, so what's to be concerned about? God Kurumu, I wish you weren't so jealous of her, I really want all of us to remain friends in the future. I really hope you can move on._

It was moments like this, that Moka's outer persona, the warm and comforting alter ego Inner Moka has expressed was a false image of her, would've been quite welcoming right now. He liked the Moka he's been with thus far and she had her attributes that were great at certain moments, however he dearly missed Outer Moka's encouraging atmosphere, which he could really use at this moment. There were other things that troubled him, as well, like meeting her father and soon to be father in law, so long as if he's willing, on top of that was Kokoa and Kahlua's own mother, Gyokuro whom he had met once before and knew she wouldn't be very receptive. His only ace was Moka's mother, Akasha Bloodriver, the kind yet powerful leader of the three Hell Kings and a powerful shinso vampire whose very kicks could blast flesh off of her opponents, destroy their nervous system in the process, who curiously was not Lord Shuzen's wife, but his mistress; Tsukune thought it would be a whole lot easier if she _was_ his wife instead. As these thoughts plagued him, there came a soft humming to his attention, a sweet lyrical tune on the lips of a feminine voice, one that drew him towards an unlocked door where he cautiously peers, ever so slightly into an opulent bedroom where, to his surprise, he found its source.

_Moka?_ He asked, stunned to see Moka back in her outer, pink haired form, just standing before a dressing mirror in a black bra and garter suspenders trying on different outfits. Her long hair was tied into a high, lengthy pony tail, her physique strangely impressive and rivaling Inner Moka's, but still there was Outer Moka standing before him.

"A-hem," he went.

She looks up to see him staring at her and immediately smiles.

"Oh, I didn't hear you come in," she greeted in her tender sounding voice, so warm and soothing, very welcoming after what he's been through, but he was still confused.

"Um, sorry, I didn't mean to...can I ask what's going on?"

"What's going on? I'm changing, silly, like you should be," she said with little care, even though a few hours ago she was in her original form acting all panicky. "Well, you want to come in?"

"...Okay," he said and nervously comes in, blushing profusely. He couldn't understand the sudden change or why she was wearing such exotic lingerie and not her usual, lily white panties, but he didn't try to press the matter, remembering what he'd said earlier about learning to trust Moka in spite of any secrets she kept from him. He'd had a bathtub tryst with the other Moka, and though he didn't actually go all the way with her then, it hadn't diminished his awkward nature around her. Still, seeing Moka standing there, her amazingly fit body bending over in front of him as she pickups one outfit after another, it made him want to know the experience of making love to her and he boldly wraps his arms around her, gently. She looks up at him, blushing, her innocent green eyes igniting his very soul and strengthening his need to hold her closer.

"Uh...love," she stammered as she tried to conceal her blushing face, "are you sure now is the right time? I-I mean, I'm not even dress..."

"Let's forget about that," he told her, gently cupping her small chin in his hands. "I hadn't forgot the first time we had a bath together, so let's pretend we're back there again and forget about everything else that's happened, just focus on the two of us."

Slowly, but uninhibited, he leans forward and is met halfway by an eager kiss from Moka, the two locked in one another's embrace as his hands ran over her magnificent, half naked body. It felt strange to him, though as her body felt so well fit and toned while his fingers caressed every inch of her defined figure almost as if he were touching Inner Moka, only smoother and firmer, which was not at all like Outer Moka. Her kiss felt different too, but whatever had happened, he was glad for it and didn't fight it as he never wanted Moka so badly before. She hummed and sighed, her hands running through his hair, and his hands about to undo her bra, when she breathlessly said: "...Ohh, Issa."

"Issa?" He asked as she began nibbling his neck. "Moka, what are you talking about?"

She pulled back and looks up at him funny.

"Moka?" She asked.

"Tsukune!" He heard a voice bark from behind and looks over his shoulder to see an irate, silver haired Moka with mouth agape, and staring daggers at him with her murderous red eyes.

"Oh, hi Moka," he casually greeted. "Now, where were...wait, Moka!"

"Tsukune?" Asked the woman in his arms.

"Moka!" He went, doing a double take.

"Tsukune!" Moka growled.

"Moka!" He responded back to her, confused and freaking out.

"Tsukune!" The woman said again.

"B-But, wait...if you're over there," he tried to reason, "then, who..."

"MY MOM, you idiot!" Moka yelled.

It was then Tsukune remembered something else about Moka's mother, of how she was the spitting image of Outer Moka, in fact her very image and demeanor were based off of her, and it didn't take him long to realize that the "Moka" he thought he was making out with was not only the great and powerful Akasha Bloodriver, but his future mother in law as well.

"AAAAAHHH!" He shrieked, falling back on his ass. "Ak-kasha? I-I mean, M-M-Ms. Bloodriver! I thought you were...were...!"

"Oh dear," Akasha merely said, blushing as if this was some random mistake.

Tsukune looked back at Moka, who was just standing there looking down at him with accusing red eyes trained upon him.

"M-Moka, you have to believe me, I thought she was...that you had...that she had...it isn't what it looks like!"

Even though he was in the hot seat, Tsukune had forced to admit that Moka looked elegant in a silver and white corset gown, with her long hair well brushed; however her countenance wasn't one of a gentile nature as she continued emitting an icy reception upon his groveling form.

_Great, great, GREAT! _He freaked. _First, she finds out about me and her sister, and now she catches me with her mother! Real smooth, Tsukune! I am such an IDIOT!_

"Moka," he said, hoping to find some level of understanding from her that this wasn't how it looked.

Moka just looks at him for what seemed like an eternity for Tsukune before her icy countenance gave way to a calm, serene smile.

"You're smiling," he said. "Why are you smiling?"

"Tsukune, my love," she said. "You needn't explain yourself further."

"I...don't?"

"No. It's become quite clear to me, now."

"What has?"

"All those times you wanted my mother to show up, you secretly hoped to have your way with her, behind my back, weren't you?"

"What? No, that isn't true?"

"No?"

"No. It was an accident I swear!"

"Why not, Tsukune, she looks exactly like my altered form, the one you really want, it seems obvious that it was her you truly wanted."

"No, you're wrong! Look, I know I screwed up, but it isn't how it looked, I thought she was you! Tell her, Ms. Bloodriver!"

"Ohh my, I feel so embarrassed," she said with a smile and pointing her fingertips together, nervously. "But, he is telling the truth, daughter...I think."

"Y-You think?" He yelled.

"No, I'm pretty it was a mistake, I mean he did call me by your name, though I am curious about what happened in the bathtub."

Tsukune's face turned blue.

"So...this was just a misunderstanding, was it?" Moka asked. "You simply stepped out of place?"

"Yes, Yes, it's what I've been trying to tell you."

"So all that is needed now is to show you your place, is that right?"

"Yes, that's exactly...uh-oh."

"Tsukune."

"Moka!"

"KNOW YOUR PLACE!" Moka yelled and gave him a swift kick that sent him flying out the window.

"Moka, dear I think you kicked him a bit too hard, that time," her mother noted. "Daughter, I really think it was a harmless, little accident."

"Oh I know, mother. I know he's the type of man who wouldn't cheat on me, it's just after what happened with my sisters, especially Ria, I have to remind him that I still won't tolerate his interaction with any other women."

"Not like your father, am I understanding you correctly?"

Moke replied with a solemn, quiet glance at her mother, but Akasha smiled at her daughter with almost a show of pride in her rosy cheeks.

"Come, Moka, help me pick out a dress, I have much to discuss, like what _did_ happen in the bathtub, mm?"

Moka blushed, a trait she had never seen in her daughter before.

_This Tsukune must've really changed her for the better, _she thought, smiling even more.

As Moka helps pick out outfits and chatting with her mother about everything that's happened with Tsukune, leaving out certain details that she hoped her mother would not figure out, the two casually talk together like a couple of friends and forget that ugly mishap from earlier.

"That all sounds so exciting and wonderful," Akasha said, slipping on a scarlet corset gown.

"Yes, mother, I am pleased that things have been going well, so far."

"Mm, Moka would you be a dear and help tie my corset, please?"

"Fine, but I don't see why you cannot simply summon one of the maids to do this," Moka grumbled as she pulled the strings about her mother's waist as tightly as she could.

"Oh, I didn't want to bother in waiting for them to show, and besides you're here so why not?"

"Mother, sometimes your mood is too...carefree."

"Is that a bad thing?" Akasha joked.

"...You're almost like Tsukune," Moka mumbled.

"Oh, I see. Moka dear, do you love him?"

The question nearly made Moka fall over herself and accidentally yanked the strings too tightly.

"Yelp!" Akasha cried. "Not so tight, Moka, I want to look presentable not in pieces!"

"Sorry mother."

"...Well?"

"Well what?"

"You know what. Do you love him, Moka?"

"Mother!" She nervously replied. "W-What kind of question is that? I mean, I am trying to become his bloodmate."

"Now, now it's a perfectly legitimate question to ask, and in my experience many young vampires become bloodmates with love on the table. So, is love a factor for your union, mm?"

"...Of course it is. There is no other reason why I would agree to his hand."

"Even though he is a human?"

"_Was_ a human, mother."

"Yes, of course, but he still comes from a human background, are you okay with this?"

"Where he comes from has no bearing on our future together, I've accepted him and that's all there is to it."

"Very good, daughter, I'm so proud of you! I know these years with me gone have been the hardest on you. I regret all the times I've missed out. I...wonder if things had been a little different,...well."

"Mother, you don't have to..."

She raises a hand to stop Moka, wiping tears away with the other as she recalls the tragic events that tore her away from her daughter.

"But," Akasha added, "when I placed that spell on your seal, allowing only someone who loved you dearly as much as I have, I knew one day you'd find someone who would always be there with you through all the tough moments, and for you when I could not. I'm proud you were able to find that someone, I really am, Moka."

"Th-thank you, mother. I know your intentions were wise and for my well-being, but there were times when it hampered me in rescuing Tsukune from danger all the time, waiting on him to remove the seal first."

"I see."

"And, with me and my separate personality being bonded to him as his wife, it may pose as a problem, if you catch my drift?"

"Ahh, yes I do," she said with a wink. "Actually, I was waiting for just such a moment, when I thought you were ready. Do you still have the cross from your rosario, dear?"

"Yes," Moka replied, fishing it out of her bosom. "But..."

"Put it back on."

"Put it back on, but why? Why must I talk to you in my altered form instead of my true self?"

"Because, dear there's something I want to show you, a wedding present that I'm sure the both of you will be able to enjoy with him."

Moka blushed, but intrigued by this sudden revelation, complies with her mother's unusual request. After that had been taken care of, she next went on to search for Tsukune and to see about his feelings. She knew he was a good man and an ideal choice for her daughter, but marriage was a big commitment, even amongst vampires and she had to see if he was truly ready for it. But, after their awkward meeting, he wasn't being very forthcoming with her. Wanting to make things clear, she led him down a dark corridor in the castle's lower levels, leading the way with lighted candles into a cavernous basement where the only sound that existed were their voices echoing throughout, which only heightened his anxiety.

"L-L-Listen, Ms. Bloodriver," he tried to beg.

"Please, Tsukune, you don't have to be so formal, call me Akasha," she said cheerfully. "You did rescue me, after all, it's the very least I can do."

"O-Okay...A-Akasha, I just wanted to apologize for what I, um, for what happened...between us, in your room, which I had no idea was yours, by the way. See, I thought you were Moka and I completely forgot how much you two look alike."

"Why, thank you young man."

"You're welcome and I hope you...you won't...you're not going to kill me, are you?"

"Kill you? What in heavens for?"

"What for? Because...Well, don't you remember anything that happened?"

"Yes."

"And...you're not mad or anything?"

She remained strangely silent as she gazed about the room and he felt that his life was officially over. Remembering all that she was capable of, Tsukune immediately got on both knees and began pleading for his life.

"Ohh, pleeease don't kill me! I'm sorry for everything, I swear all that stuff you heard about me and Moka in the tub, it wasn't what it sounded like, in fact we didn't even get that far! No, that wasn't I meant! I meant I would never, ever do anything to disrespect her or you; I love her with all my heart, and would never be unfaithful to her or even cheat on her, even with her mother! So, please, _please_, don't kick me to death or anything!"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down! I'm not going to kill you, Tsukune!"

"Y-Y-You're not?"

"No. That is, unless you didn't find me enjoyable, then well we will have a problem."

Tsukune looked at her with both dread and confusion, but Akasha laughed and prompted him to ease up, a bit.

"You can relax, Moka and I know it was all a big misunderstanding and that you would never hurt her, so I'm sorry if I scared you there for a moment."

"Oh...That's...alright, I wasn't too, well...So, why did you call me Issa back there?"

"Oh, Issa is the name of Moka's father," she in a matter of fact tone.

"You confused me for her father? Why?"

"You really don't know?" She asked with genuine confusion in her emerald eyes. "Well, it was an honest mistake."

"Really?"

"Mm, it's not a big issue, we'll discuss it later, but right now I wanted to talk to you in person."

"Where are we, anyway?" He asked, watching her gaze around the vast room with a mixture of foreboding and deep reflection. "It looks almost familiar, but I can't place my finger on it."

"We're in the chamber that once housed Alucard's coffin."

"A-Alucard? He stammered. As he looked around, he did start to notice a strong tremor in the shinso vampire blood that coursed through his veins, reacting to the creature's former presence. "You used to keep him in this room?"

"Yes, but not anymore. We finally decided to move him to a more secret location, one in which someone like Akua could not get her hands on."

As she talked, he could see her begin to tremble with emotion and trying to hold herself, in which she didn't need to explain why as he quickly remembered all that happened in this room. He learned from one of Akasha's closest allies, Tohofuhai, of how when Moka was very young, Akua had ambushed Akasha within this very chamber in a mad attempt to revive the beastly vampire from his sleep by using her unique blood to awaken him, and how after being awakened it tried to consume Moka, only for her mother to jump in between them and swallowed before the frightened eyes of her child, where she used her power to keep the behemoth asleep for over ten years so he wouldn't menace anyone, especially Moka. It was a traumatic experience for Moka, one he wished she could've confided in him about rather than finding out about it the way he did, but rationalized that the whole thing was a very personal thing for her and so, too for the mother who was once separated from her child by the monster.

"I still get shivers coming down here," Akasha whispered. "Alucard was a beast, a vampire who allowed his bigotry and arrogant pride to turn him into a destructive force that now must sleep for all of eternity. Being a shinso vampire like him, my blood was the only thing that kept him dormant, still I always feared for Moka, worrying that my power alone might not be enough to protect her from that kind of reckless hate, that was why I created the rosario made especially for her, so that someone who's love for her was as strong as mine may always keep her safe. And, on that faithful day when...when I was torn away from her, I secretly prayed Moka would find that someone to look after her while I was gone; imagine my surprise when you appeared by her side, I was so happy...and a bit relieved."

"I..I do the best that I can for her. It hasn't been easy, at first, being a human and trying to protect her from monsters that could eat us, but if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't hesitate every single time. I love your daughter."

"Enough to become her bloodmate?" She asked, as she turned to face him with hardened, green eyes.

"Of course."

"Are you prepared for all the necessary requirements to make such a commitment, because I don't want to be proven wrong."

" Yes ma'am, I am. Mrs. Blood...Akasha, I thought I made that clear already?"

"Well yes, I saw the impressive ring on her finger, but marriage for both human and vampire is considered a very serious thing, especially for us who live forever and where 'death do you part' does not apply, are you sure you're up to it? Are you up to belonging to my daughter for all of eternity?"

"Ms...Akasha, I've never been surer about anything," he said without hesitation, strong conviction in his red eyes. "I want to be your daughter's mate for all time, I _want_ this!"

Akasha smiled warmly after being so shaken by such a strong resolve in this boy's voice and appearance, a resolve she has never seen in one so young in all her immortal life.

"You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you?" She asked him.

"I've thought about this for a long, long time. If I was going to live for eternity, I couldn't think of anyone else I'd want to spend it with."

"Does that refer to my daughter's natural form or the altered version that I based off of me?" She inquired in a flirty way.

"Uh..." he stammered, blushing profusely as the thought hadn't weighed on him quite considerably.

"Well, young man, is it my daughter you wish to be with or..."

"Um, the why I see it, outer Moka seemed to embody qualities that already were there in inner Moka."

"And you hope to bring those qualities out, when I could not?"

"Yes, I mean no, no. But, they are what make Moka, Moka, so I guess it's your daughter I want and not necessarily you. Not that you aren't an attractive woman, you are, it's just that, that, crap."

"You can relax, I'm not going to hurt you," she giggled. "Actually, Tsukune, you've helped me confirm everything I brought you here for. It's clear you've always had my daughter's best interest at heart and always will. You are the man we've been hoping for, and I wish you both all the happiness."

"Thanks, but I just wish I can convince her dad that. With the way he hates humans, I doubt I would have had much hope in talking to him and coming out alive if you weren't here."

"Me?"

"Yeah, with you around now, I figured I have a pretty decent enough chance to talk to him and coming away with Moka's hand in marriage. So, how about it? Will you vouch for me and put in a good word?"

Akasha looked deeply into his eyes, her dazzling green eyes playing with his heart the way he felt around Moka and lucky she was blessed with such an inherited trait, but this pleasant woman then smiles ever so pleasantly, and responds: "No."

"What?"

"I'm sorry Tsukune, I do like you, really I do, and I do think you'd make for a great mate for my daughter, but you must convince that to Issa yourself, I cannot make up his mind for him."

"But, but, but."

"You don't come from a vampire family or a family with any influence what so ever, so it'll be much more difficult for you, and even though I'm one of the three Hell Kings and a shinso vampire, my say alone won't convince her father or the other vampire clans to accept you as a member of this family. In order to show how much of a perfect mate you'd be to our daughter, you must prove your commitment by demonstrating great inner strength as well as, if not more so than your outer strength, but do not worry. I've seen the strength in your heart, I know you'll carry the day as you've always have."

"But...without your support, I'll..."

"You must have heart, brave Aono," she tells him as she gently places both his hands over his heart. "And, above all else, do not show fear or you will not earn his favor, okay?"

Maybe it was the hopelessness of the situation or maybe it was her voice, at how much he heard Moka's voice in her as he gazed into Akasha's strong, emerald eyes, the same colored eyes that always encouraged him before, but her words gave him a just bit more confidence, however little it may have been, which eroded away some of the doubt he felt.

"...Okay," he sighed. "I'll...I'll do my best. I can't promise in winning his favor, but I didn't come all this way to leave empty handed. Whatever I have to do to prove myself, I'll do it."

"Just be yourself, I'm sure it'll be enough, it was for me."

"Thank you, Akasha. I'll try to remember that."

The time had finally come, it was a moment Moka had mentally prepared for, but still the walk to her father's throne room wasn't an easy one. She knew her father loved and adored her, and yet coming before him was always an intimidating one as he Lord Shuzen was a man who radiated with both awesome power and fearful respect. She was also aware of his intense prejudice towards human, for which has become known for and trying to sell this engagement to him wouldn't be easy, however she walked up before him with dignity and respect, just the way he himself taught her. Moka stopped just a few feet short of the raised platform where her father sat, as if sitting in judgment of her. With him was the whole family out at his behest, to bear witness to this important meeting between father and daughter. At his right, sat her stepmother Gyokuro, glaring down with such veiled disdain it could've choked the vampiress to death, standing behind them both was Ria, who likely shared the same sentiment, but standing behind Issa on his left, however was her mother who smiled down, encouragingly.

"Step forward my child," he said to her.

Doing as ordered, Moka carefully keeps her gaze down and kneels in front of him in a show of humility to the elder vampire.

"It is my understanding that you have found and chosen a bloodmate, is that correct Moka?" He asked.

"It is, and I have," she replied.

"And, might I inquire the name of this person for which you wish to become bonded with?"

"His name is Tsukune Aono, father."

"Aono. That name does not belong to any of the vampire clans, does it not?"

"...No, my father, it does not."

"Why, might that be the case?"

"Becasue, father he is not a pure blood vampire. I made him into one."

At first there was silence amongst the group, but then Issa spoke up and asked: "You know the dangers of making a second born vampire?"

"I do, father."

"You risked either killing the wretch or turning him into ghoul, thereby endangering your own life. With that in mind, you still would dare to turn him? Please explain your reasoning."

"Yes, father. As you may not be unaware of, the hardships I endured while amongst the human world, alone and under restraint from using my powers, I found it difficult to cope with. Tsukune Aono, however has been a good friend and companion to other form who would always risk his life in a feeble, yet noble effort to protect me, and the only one aside from you and mother to unleash my powers. I...have grown fond of him, and when he was in danger of dying, I gave him some of my blood to preserve his life and maintain his companionship."

"...I see. So, rather than let him die, you took it upon yourself to ignore the risks to you and him and turn him into a vampire. Is that what happened to him, immediately?"

"...No, father. There were complications, at first."

"Complications, what complications?"

"...He had become a ghoul."

That last comment illicit troubled gasps from some of the women there, but Issa remained rigid as he eagerly listened.

"However father, all had been worked out with him."

"Worked out? Moka, when creature is transformed into a ghoul, there power is such that they become a threat even to our kind, not only that, but the wretched creature that has turned into one is mindless, ravenous, and thus as good as dead. That is why it is mandatory for a vampire to kill any ghoul before it takes shape, a law I have enforced, personally. Why, then did you not put this Aono boy out of his misery."

"Because father, for the same reason I have chosen him to be my mate. After various tribulations, Tsukune had overcome ghoulification to become a full-fledged vampire when all else would not, that time and again his proven himself worthy to at my side, and it's for this reason I have brought him here, on this day, to ask for your blessing to bond with him."

"You truly expect me to agree to your bonding with this...aberration?"

Then, Moka stands up tall and looks him dead in the eye, red eyes steely and resolute, a look he had never seen in her let alone any of his daughters.

"I do, father. I've thought long and hard about this, and I won't pass him up for any substitute, he _will _become my mate today father, nothing else matters."

Her father looked Moka in her eyes, seeing his daughter for who she was and for a moment it almost shook the vampire lord.

"...I have to admit, daughter, you've never shown such audacity before in your life," he quietly responds. "From the day you left here you were, but a small and uncertain young girl, now you stand here before me, having made bold choices over the years and talking to me like a woman. Very well, I will see this Tsukune Aono, but my decision to bless your union has not been decided on. As you must know, no second born vampire has ever been welcomed into a vampire clan easily without first proving him or herself to the lord of the manor."

"Yes, I know father."

"If he is as impressive as you say he is, then you will have your bonding ceremony, but if he is not, then no fault will be placed on me for the end result and I would've done what you should've long ago."

"If he fails father, then he would be because he was weak and I a fool."

"Ria."

"Yes, my lord."

"Have the servants bring this Aono person to me. We shall see what this boy is made of, today."

"As you wish, my lord."

_Oh me, oh my, I certainly hope we see exactly what he's made of, _Ria fiendishly thought. _It is unfortunate it would have to come to this, Tsukune, but it is your own fault. If only you decided to play ball with me, none of this would've happened. 'I don't compare to my baby sis'? Poor boy, if only you knew how your precious Moka is ready to disavow you after your grisly murder, that deep down she's really more like us than you think._

Tsukune waited impatiently in Moka's quarters with Kurumu and Yukari in Moka's room, decked out in a handsome black suit and tie, but trying hard not to sweat in them. When Ezumi arrived informing him that Lord Shuzen had summoned him to the grand hall, he thought his heart would pop out and is solemnly led through the castle like a man awaiting execution. Though he did not look around, he could feel all eyes upon him as if they waited with baited breath to see what the dark lord of the vampire world will do to him; Tsukune knew this, because that was what was going through _his_ mind.

_"Just be yourself," _came Akasha's words.

_Just be myself, yeah right, _he thought.

"Don't worry, Tsukune," Yukari spoke up, almost startling him half to death. "It'll be alright, you can do it."

"It's not too late, Tsukune," said Kurumu. "Just give the word and we'll get out of here right now, and make for the U.S., we can hide with my aunt, they wouldn't dare try anything with her."

"Thanks guys," he responded, "but this is something I chose to do, for Moka."

"Screw Moka, I bet she wouldn't give a damn about what you're feeling, now," said Kurumu. "Where the hell is she, anyway?"

"She's with her family," Yukari replied. "Look, why don't you go back to the room, me and Tsukune have important business with the big man, himself."

"Actually, only family and specially requested guests may enter," said Ezumi. "I am afraid you are not invited."

"What! Tsk-Tsukune!"

"I'm sorry Yukari, you're gonna have to wait outside," Tsukune said, his mind lost in dread.

"Awww."

"Tsukune," Kurumu continued, but he did not answer as he could already feel Lord Shuzen's ominous energy growing larger with each step he took. He could tell Kurumu felt it as well, for her voice shook with fear: "Tsukune." But, he didn't know if it was fear for herself or for him, either way she did not stop walking with him.

"We are here," Ezumi said, standing before a pair of huge, French double doors with ornate handles. He could feel them, all of them, the entire Shuzen family present on the other side and awaiting his arrival.

"Tsukune, don't do this, please!"

But, before he could respond, the double doors swung open with a gust of cold air coming through and the boy found himself staring at the vampire patriarch sitting upon a throne at the far end of the hall, eyes dead set upon him, along with every other member of his family seated around him, and there in the middle of the floor stood Moka, waiting for Tsukune to come join her.

"Come..." Issa's voice, though low and relatively calm, boomed throughout the candle lit hall, snapping the boy to.

"Tsukune," Kurumu whispered, fearfully.

"Wait for us," he told her, "we'll be out, shortly."

Taking a deep breath as if about to take a huge plunge, he stepped forward, reminding himself that this was for the woman he wanted to spend all of his immortality with, but Kurumu grabbed hold of his arm and silently pleaded with him to reconsider.

"Well," came Issa's voice again, this time growing impatient and by its tone, seemed unlikely to repeat himself.

Tsukune calmly freed himself from her grasp, now past the point of fear, and putting himself firmly in the moment walked in, leaving his friends behind the closing doors as he walked up to Moka's side who gently took hold of his hand as they both faced her ominous father. As Tsukune glanced around he saw none of the faces present seemed particularly inviting except for Akasha, who had an encouraging smile upon her face.

_I have to remember to appear strong and make my intentions clear, _he coached himself. _Prove to him that I'm worthy of marrying his daughter._

He made sure to straighten himself up, look them dead in the eye and held his head up high for all of them to see, including Ria.

"Uh...ahem!" He started to say. "Mr...I mean, my Lord Shuzen, I wish to..."

"I did not give you permission to speak," Issa ordered.

"My, quite the arrogant, little prick, aren't you?" Gyokuro remarked, her tanned legs crossed seductively and regally as her smug gaze rested upon him. "And, ever the liar as well. I can smell the fear all over you, boy. Tell me, Kokoa, is he always this predictable?"

"Enough," Issa growled. "Moka, are you adamant in entering a blood bonding ceremony with...him?"

"I am, father," she replied, looking into Tsukune's eyes and then back at her father. "After spending much time with him, he and I have both come to care for each other very deeply and wish to share our lives, together."

"I see. And what of you, boy? Are your feelings the same for my daughter? Speak!"

"Yes, uh, my Lord, I wish to marry your daughter after graduation."

"And, let's say I agree to this...union," Issa added. "What will you joining this family bring to my household?"

"...I beg your pardon?"

"The boy seems to be as confused as he is stupid," Gyokuro commented, which illicit a glare from Issa for her to know her place.

"You should know, Tsukune," Issa continued, "that by agreeing to bond with my daughter in holy matrimony, you aren't just bonding with her, but this entire clan itself. Therefore, before I consent to anything, I would like to know what you intend to give to us in exchange?"

Tsukune didn't know how to respond to that, it was certainly something he hadn't planned on.

"Even though my daughter may be illegitimate, she is still my daughter and I had planned on her marrying a vampire of noble birth and status, whose family connections would have benefited not just her, but this entire family. What of your family, boy? This Aono clan doesn't exist, nor do I know anything about your background aside of what I've heard, so I ask again, what do you hope to give in exchange for my daughter's hand?"

Tsukune was again speechless.

"Well...speak?" Issa barked, more affirmatively.

Tsukune tried to stand straight and look him in the eye, despite them being every bit as intimidating as Moka's and struggled for an answer.

"...Well, your highness, I, Tsukune Aono, promise to...bring...great fortune and..."

Tsukune heard Ria attempt to stifle a giggle from her throat and saw Kokoa roll her eyes; he was determined not to look like a fool in front of them, at the very least.

"Lord Shuzen," he said, this time a little more firm. "I don't know what you expect of me, but all I can tell you is that I love your daughter and I swear to do right by her, that's all I can give to you. My background is of no merit, just that I am here before you, right now standing side by side with your daughter ready to do all I can to be with her...sir. And, if it's caring for her wellbeing that you're concerned, then I promise I'll do and give her everything she needs. That is my only answer, sir."

"Impressive," he heard the vampire lord say, and for a moment he felt relieved. "That was a pretty bold statement you made. Few people of your pedigree have the stones to look me in the eye and say all of that without having their throats ripped. Nevertheless, it was an impressive act and nothing more, for a half bred, second born vampire!"

Tsukune froze with fear, he tried his best not to show it, but the utter surprise and dismay was hard to hide.

_He knows? _ He wondered. _How? God, it's over now! He must know I'm a human, but how?_

He looks over at Ria, who continued smiling like a satisfied cat and wondered if she somehow knew. He glances over at Moka, who remained stoic and unflinching, and Tsukune wondered if she knew more of what was about to happen that he did not.

"Did you really believe I would not uncover the truth about you, boy?" The vampire lord asked. "Did you think nothing goes on under my nose without me becoming aware of it? You hoped to come into my house and make a fool out of me, while you abscond with my daughter or that I would let her enter a marriage with a mongrel mistake!"

"Now, wait a minute," Tsukune started to say, but Moka cut him off.

"Father, listen to me..."

"Daughter, now that I have seen this mistake for myself, I can tell you with all honest that I am not terribly impressed. He speaks with a bold flare, but boldness is all that he has going for him. If you are so fond of him then you can make him your lover, but he will not become your bloodmate, I forbid it. You took a great risk in saving his life, and you took an even greater risk in bringing him before me, but because you are my daughter and he has been kind to you, I will allow you to take him from my sight, unharmed."

"But, father if you would just..."

"There is nothing further I have to say, Moka, you will not become mates with a person who is unworthy for such. Dismissed."

Issa rises as if to leave and Tsukune, despondent that his efforts to marry Moka had all for naught, desperately steps forward and yelled: "Excuse me, your highness, but we are not done!"

The room fell silent as though a Tsukune had said something truly damning; no one had the audacity to speak to Issa Shuzen in such a manner and get away with it. A clearly irked Issa stops in his tracks and slowly turns toward the boy, staring chills that were colder than anything Mizore could conjure up.

"How could you say that?" Tsukune carried on with hardly anything else on his mind. "I _am_ worthy of being with your daughter, everything I've done since meeting your daughter has been for her, I even helped save her life from Alucard and defeated him! I've proved myself over and over again with more than just my words, I've bled for her! And yet, I'm still not worthy?"

"No, you are not," the angry vampire calmly replies. "Your flare for courting with danger as well as my daughter notwithstanding, I do not doubt your physical prowess, but then again it is a borrowed power you wield, not your own. Whatever you were before, you are no vampire. Shall your offspring become tainted with your genes, young man, and still bare this family's blood? You, who have a harem of lesser females at his beckon call. You, who's very blood you flaunt around my daughters and addle their minds. You, who had brought violence against my wife, my adopted daughter and my organization when you charged after my own daughter like a mad man when she did not need your help and can take care of herself! You, who have shamed my eldest daughter, and you who have just tried to copulate with my mistress!"

Tsukune started to sweat under the collar and felt like shrinking out of sight.

"With every right I should see have you destroyed on the spot, were it not for my daughter. And, your pedigree leaves much to be desired; you come from no wealthy family, none with any political standing that I am aware of or identity, you have nothing of value to me or this family, and yet being as you are, you would dare come here and ask, of all things, for one of my daughters', order me around in my own house and think yourself to be my equal, you must be mad! I will not allow my household to be sullied by you; you are nothing, Tsukune Aono."

Hearing him say that angered Tsukune, yet he tried his best to suppress it if only to convince the lord that he was wrong about him.

"Then what will it take to prove myself worthy?" He asked. "Because, I will not leave here without Moka as my fiance, my lord."

"You are trying my patience, boy."

"Wait father!" Moka finally speaks up. "There is something Tsukune can do to win over my hand in marriage. According to our laws, when a male vampire without land or title wishes to bond with a mate of his choosing, then he must challenge the father to a duel for that right...Is that not so, father?"

Everyone was a little stunned at the bold proclamation, especially Ria, but none more so than Tsukune who almost went pale after hearing it.

"A-A duel?" He whispered into her ear. "Moka, what are you...?"

"...I am aware of such a law, I was present when it was drawn up and utilized. You wish me to fight your intended mate to the death, with the purpose of marrying him?"

"I wish for my mate to prove to you and every other vampire that he is indeed a true vampire."

"Even if it may kill him to do it?"

"...Even so, father."

"Moka?" Tsukune whispered.

"Well, daughter, you may take such a route, if that is what you are determined to do, however it is not up to you issue the challenge, but rather your intended," Issa said with an evil grin that froze Tsukune's blood.

"...Well, Tsukune?" She asked, staring at him as though expecting him to go right ahead with challenging her father.

"Moka, what the hell is this?" He whispered. "I didn't come here to fight your father, I only wanted to talk to him!"

"The time for talking is over, my love. This is the only way to secure our union, by fighting my father for my hand, the way it must come down."

"Wha...y-you knew this was going to happen? You knew your father wouldn't accept and that I would have to fight him before we married."

"Tsukune, you have no title or birthright, nothing of value to my father, you're not even a pureblooded vampire; how did you expect it would turn out?"

"I can't fight your father!"

"You can't or you won't?"

"I..."

"So, you will fight any monster for me, but not father? Not to become my mate? I guess you never had any intention of being my bloodmate, after all. Your proposal was just a waste of time, wasn't it?"

"Hold on."

"If you are not committed to fight for what you want rather than have it handed to you, then how could expect you to be worthy of being by my side."

"But I..."

Tsukune then remembered Akasha's words earlier, that in order to prove himself worthy of being Moka's mate, he must be willing to demonstrate great strength and will power, even if that meant fighting her old man, who was no pushover.

"Why, father I do believe Moka's pet is really all bark and no bite," Ria joked and Moka appeared to be a little dejected.

"As I thought," said Issa. "You may leave now, boy, your very presence tries my patience. Dismissed."

But, as everyone began to disperse, Tsukune once again steps forward and declares: "I challenge you, Issa Shuzen!"

Everyone stopped and all eyes were back on him, now.

"Come again?" Issa asked.

"You heard me, I said I challenge you. Do you accept?"

Issa, for a moment appeared stunned as he looked upon the boy who just issued a fight.

"Are you afraid of me, a mere second born?" Tsukune boldly egged on. "You don't know how many monsters I've had to fight to prove myself to your daughter, but if I have to fight her father to prove to him I'm worthy, then so be it! I'll do anything for her."

He looked at her, all fear now gone from his eyes and one with his feelings for her, and she smiled back at him, letting it seem to him as though both Mokas were smiling at him, now. Issa's loud clapping brought him out of his euphoria.

"So, you wish to fight me for the love you have for my daughter, well I must commend you," Issa said. "Most have challenged me for greed, glory or because they wanted to die, but never for love; I guess fighting and dying for it makes the most sense."

Akasha smiled and blushed.

"Oh please, darling," said Gyokuro. "Don't feed us such nonsense. Love has nothing to do with it, the boy is simply trying to impress his 'wittle girlfwiend'. Stop joking around with him and oblige the children with some bloodshed, already."

"So, we're not going to fight?" Tsukune asked, his hopes being raised. "And, you'll let me and Moka get married?"

"Of course not," Issa responded. "I simply couldn't ignore such an eloquent cause for suicide; if this is what you want and are that eager to meet your death at my hands, then so be it! Prepare yourself, boy, for you are not dealing with some mindless beast! I didn't get to where I am by being a weakling, legions of fools have challenged me and perished!"

"Ooh, this will be fun, father," Kokoa said.

"I must say, it's been awhile since I've witnessed you annihilate some poor fool with your bare hands," said Gyokuro. "But, do leave some of him behind, I wouldn't want that tasty blood of his go to waste."

"Moka," he muttered under his breath.

"Do not show fear to him," she whispered to him. "Remember everything I taught you, okay?"

"I wish there was some other way."

"Stay strong for me, you can do this, I believe in you."

"...Okay," he said after taking a deep breath.

Everybody spreads out to give the men room, with Moka going to stand next to her mother who continued to support the boy, who felt all alone standing across from the vampire lord.

"You're taking quite a gamble, sister dear," Ria whispered to Moka after slithering her way next to her and Akasha. "I thought you loved the boy; you don't really think he stands a chance against father?"

"And, what would make you say that?" Moka inquires.

"I just know. After spending two days with your pet, I know he lacks what is necessary to win this duel."

"You don't know him, like I do."

"I know you like to take this boy for granted, _and _that you've just signed his death warrant and will be leaving here with a corpse."

Though Moka tried to fight it, she began to show a look of worry and wondered if she may have been mistaken in setting this up.

"Issa is indeed strong ," said Akasha. "But, so is Tsukune, and while Issa has cunning on his side, Tsukune has a lot of heart; I think he'll win."

Ria looked away, a little miffed at Akasha spoiling her attempt to upset Moka, but a part of her hoped that was an accurate assessment as her interest in the boy grew. Tsukune stared out across the floor at Issa, who prepared to remove his long, flowing cape his broad shoulders as he eyed him like a disgusting, little gnat that needed to be squashed. Tsukune felt all eyes were on him, perhaps expecting he'd fall after only a few minutes like a flock of vultures, but there was only one pair of eyes that mattered and he tried to recall everything that Moka had taught him.

_I didn't want it to come to this, _he thought to himself._ But, if this is what I have to do to prove myself worthy, then so be it._

Outside, Kurumu paced about nervously, completely unaware of what's going on inside and going crazy, while Yukari pressed her ears against the door to listen with little success.

"Well, can you hear anything or what?" Kurumu asked impatiently.

"No, they must've reinforced this door with extra wood or something, I can't hear a thing!"

"That was the idea when they built this thing," said the bus driver, coming out of nowhere and scaring the two girls.

"W-Where did you come from?" Kurumu asked.

"Oh, from around. I wasn't going to miss this for the world, but it would appear only family is allowed in and no one else, including me."

"What? Do you know what's happening in there?"

"Tell us," Yukari demanded.

"Knowing the vampire lord...I'd say Tsukune is about to have the fight of his life."

As they wait with baited breath Tsukune goes into a battle ready stance, meeting the gaze of the dark lord with fierce determination.

"I'll say this for you, boy, you have balls," the Issa said as he allowed his cape to float, effortlessly from his broad shoulders. "But, you are nevertheless a poor, dumb fool."

"I've faced monster after monster because of my love for your daughter, if that makes me a fool then so be it and if I have to face you to marry her, then so be it, I won't..."

But, before Tsukune could finish his sentence and even before Issa's cape came within inches of the floor, the vampire lord had already dashed across the floor in a flash and knocks Tsukune off his feet with the palm of his hand so hard, it hurled him back against the reinforced door, nearly smashing every bone in his body.

"TSUKUNE!" Kurumu cried upon hearing his startled cry from the other side, followed by a loud thud against the door.

Blood spewing from his lips, Tsukune's body bounced off the door, his limp form falling to the floor almost in slow motion before Moka's shocked eyes, watching him land face first and cease movement.

"Hold it!" The Bus Driver cried as he held back the hysterical succubus. "I don't think going in there, now will do anybody any good."

"I don't care, let me go!" Kurumu begged.

"Tsukune," a worried Yukari muttered.

"Well, that was quicker than I actually thought it would be," said Gyokuro. "It would be a shame to let all of that blood he's spewing go to waste, I can smell it's aroma from here, and its spilling all on the floor, too."

"Oh me, oh my, dear sister, it seems your faith in your boy-toy was misplaced," Ria giggled, which illicit a quick glare from Moka before she returned her gaze upon Tsukune's prostrate form.

_Tsukune! _Outer Moka's consciousness cried out.

"Come on, Tsukune," she muttered under her breath. "I trained you better than this. Get up!"

"So, it's as I thought," Issa gloated, "you really _were_ nothing, after all. Your noble efforts to defend my daughter against weak monsters and winning your pitiful, little battles against them were as worthless as you. You came here trying to seek my approval; instead all you've received was your death."

As Issa turned his back, satisfied that this was over, he heard a stirring behind him and the astonished gasps from some of the spectators caused him to turn to see Tsukune already staggering to his feet and ready for more.

"I...am _not_ worthless," he said as firmly as he could.

"Unbelievable," Issa replied. "Either you're desperate to die or there may actually be something to you; either way I'll make sure you won't ever get up, again."

Tsukune tried to shrug off how woozy he felt from that last hit, but found it difficult to focus. His fight with Alucard was tough and upon defeating him he thought no one else could be anywhere near as tough, and yet Issa had completely surprised him and seriously staggered the boy; he was indeed formidable, so much so that it began to seed doubt into his ability to win.

"Your move, boy," Issa challenged.

Determined, Tsukune charged at him with lightning speed, feigning to his right before leaping straight up and homing in on him from above, but lord Shuzen was quick to respond with a defensive block, resisting the tremendous force Tsukune had put in his fist with little effort.

"Good, you've decided not to hold back. Nevertheless..."

Issa catches Tsukune and flings him across the room like a rag doll, but the boy managed to land on his feet and skid to a stop, ready as ever to meet whatever else came next, which he didn't have long to wait. His eyes glowing with intensity as though this was a grand game to him, Issa dashed forward and maneuvers behind him where he delivers a fierce kick to his back, hard enough for Tsukune to hear some ribs breaking as he's sent flying to the other side of the room, but Issa wasn't finished. Literally running at break neck speed, he ran ahead of his flying target and met him with another hard kick, this time to his lower stomach and punted him across the floor like a kick ball. Tsukune landed pitifully on the floor, motionless and seemingly lifeless.

"Come on, Tsukune!" Moka yelled. "I taught you better than this, get up!"

"No, boy, listen to what common sense remains in your heart for once, and stay down," Issa chided. "Stay down and I might forget about you. Trust me, an insect like you do not wish to continue this."

"Tsukune," Moka desperately muttered.

Tsukune, coughing up his own blood, which was never tasty when it was on his lips, slowly but bravely got up to his feet and met Issa's eyes in a manner that essentially told him in no uncertain words to go fuck himself. All his life he has been there for Moka, he swore to always protect her, to do so much for her and has never let her down. Now, with so much at stake and everything riding on him, he couldn't let her down, now.

"Very well, boy. So be it."

Issa dove in for another attack, but this time Tsukune was ready, leaping to his left at the last second, performs a midair twist and backhands the vampire lord in the jaw with enough for force to make him skid to his right.

"Don't worry about me, my lord," Tsukune told him out right. "Because, I'm just getting started."

"Indeed, I do believe it's time to drop the warm up and take this seriously," said Issa and almost immediately his vampiric aura flared with a violent, ominous energy that engulfed the entire room, making almost everyone stagger. The power was so strong that it caused the stalwart double doors to shudder, freezing the three eavesdroppers outside at such a marvel.

"Guess the real fight has begun," said the Bus Driver; Kurumu whimpered.

Tsukune hadn't felt such a terrifying power before, Issa was already faster and more maneuverable before, but this? Tsukune felt he was at a disadvantage; nevertheless he refused to his fear hold him back and unleashed his own full power in preparation to meet him head on. Ria was amazed at this sudden turn, not remembering a time when her father had unleashed this much energy, all his other challengers lacking any real potential, until now. Tsukune made the first move, but Issa merely unleashed a blast of energy with a single wave of his hand, knocking him off his feet and sending him crashing into the wall so hard it brought down boulder sized pieces of rubble on top of his fallen form. As the dust settled, most half expected Tsukune to be dead, only to be stunned when they saw a shadow begin to stagger out of the rubble, gasps of surprise escaped their lips to see the boy battered, bruised and with his shirt nearly ripped off of him, but still alive and ready for another go.

"Tsukune," Moka said with a hint of relief.

"Insolent whelp!" Issa hissed and unleashed another wave of energy, but this time Tsukune managed to block it with both arms and began pushing forward against the intense wave of dark energy, trudging towards his adversary with all his might. Aggravated, Issa poured on more which only succeeded in momentarily halting his advance, but still he pushed on. His torn shirt was now blasted off of him, scarred muscles strained with all his might as pieces of the floor flew past him like paper caught in a hurricane, scraping on by and yet Tsukune didn't relent, too much was at stake and it was all or nothing. Finally, after an agonizing effort, Tsukune saw he was within inches of his target, close enough to hit him, so he concentrates what energy he could spare into a readied stance and releases a vicious kick straight into Issa's chin, but to his amazement his leg went right through him as though he was really vapor.

"Oh…" Tsukune said to himself as he realized too late what had happened, that Issa had seen his attack coming and dodged it so fast it left an after image. The revelation did little to prepare him for the violent hit from behind that smashed the poor straight into the floor.

"A novice trick, at best boy," Issa gloated, "for those of us who rely on speed; a pitiful and amateurish brat like you could not know that."

_This is going to be a long fight, _Tsukune thought as he staggered to his feet, head ringing with pain.

"Tsukune," Moka muttered under her breath. "You can do this, don't give up!"

Issa quickly struck, but Tsukune was quick enough to recover and catch on being fast, dodging him with lightening reflexes, running around and trying to punch him in the back, but the vampire lord caught his fist before he could land a punch.

"You learn quick, you little gnat," Issa growled and attempts to elbow him in the gut, but Tsukune blocks it painfully with his arm and tries kicking him again, this time delivering a sharp blow to his pelvis that releases Tsukune's hand.

Now free, he puts some distance from Issa as watched him double over on his side and half expected him to be somewhat wounded from his attack, only to hear ominous laughter erupt from the vampire, who stood up erect without any look of trouble whatsoever, as if he hadn't done any damage to him at all!

"And now..." he heard Issa say before he instantly bombards the boy in a blur of punches, kicks, and all manner of bone shattering pain and damage that Tsukune had trouble countering, bouncing from one spot to the next, knocking him down, then kicking him up in split seconds like a soccer ball. Issa was just too fast for him and he could do little to protect himself. All the women watched, especially Moka, watching the spectacle stoically as Tsukune was pummeled relentlessly, with the only show of concern coming from Outer Moka deep within Moka's subconscious. Finally, after such a vicious assault, Issa had him by the collar and held him close to his face, so close Tsukune could smell the wine on his breath, as Issa savored the look of defeat in his eyes.

"...its time we ended this ridiculous, little sideshow," Issa added, holding his hand flat as a dagger and raised upwards for a killing strike. "In the end, you were never right for my daughter, you should've made peace with this a long time ago and saved yourself a lot of meaningless pain."

_I...I can't let it end this way! _ Tsukune thought frantically as he stared into the murderous eyes of his opponent. _Think! There's got to be something I can do!_

Tsukune could hardly see, his body was in so much pain and nearly every bone shattered, yet he could feel Moka's eyes upon him, seeing him like this and thinking that he let her down, that he failed _her_, but her father was just too much and everything Tsukune threw at him didn't work; everything felt in vain.

_Moka, I'm sorry._

"For what it's worth, boy, you put up a good enough fight worth remembering, I can't recall a time when I this much fun. Goodbye."

Moka looked away, expecting it to be over; though he knew Tsukune was no match for her father, physically she had hoped that by some miracle he would succeed; it was a gamble to take on his life, but was saddened to see such an expected outcome, but then suddenly:

"TSUKUNE!" Came Kurumu's cried out after she had ripped the doors, weakened by Issa's blast, off the hinges with her bare claws and intrude on their gathering, with the Bus Driver and Yukari latched onto her. "LET HIM GO!"

"Kurumu?" A weakened Tsukune called out.

"RIA!" Issa barked and immediately his daughter rushes toward the girl and rammed her out of the room to the far end of the hall, her elbow slammed violently in between the girl's breasts and causing immense pain.

"Na-uh, fake tits, this affair is private," Ria mocked as she stood over the girl. "Now, I'm going to miss the big finale because of your meddling. Tsk-tsk, I guess I'll have to get my fun out of murdering you."

"...Don't...get in my way you...small chested..."Kurumu stammered, trying to get up.

"Kurumu!" Yukari yelled from behind.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Ria warned and gouged one of Kurumu's breasts in a vice like grip, "unless you want your friend to undergo a breast reduction surgery."

"Meddlesome creatures," Issa growled as he glanced back at the spectacle. However, Kurumu's efforts weren't in vain as it distracted Lord Shuzen and offered Tsukune the break he needed.

Seizing this opportunity, Tsukune strikes a jaw shattering jab to Issa's left cheek that rocked his head back, briefly stunning him and releasing his grip. Once free, Tsukune wastes no time to backflip away, putting some distance from him while strategizing on what to do, next.

"...You little!" Issa hissed, nursing the sore jaw.

Tsukune knew he had to end this quick or both he and his friends were done for. He looks about for a weapon and finds an old battle ax nestled on the wall and leaps to pull it out for battle, holding it straight out infront of him.

**Tsukune, what're you doing? **Moka wondered. **I didn't teach you to rely on weapons!**

Fuming, Issa paid no heed and blitzed towards him without any hesitation, but Tsukune remained still, ax in hand and eyes unflinching as Issa came in for the kill. However, there was method to his madness: the ax was used as a reference point, because Issa moved too fast for him during his attacks, Tsukune recalled some of his eastern martial arts training from Tohoufuhai, slowing down the moment he was in and patiently waiting for his enemy to reach a point that he could strike. As the vampire lord drew near, he had come past the ax blade and Tsukune was able to judge the distance between them, granting him the moment he needed and quickly made his move: he threw down the ax, rushed forward and, without holding anything back, poured all his power into a well-placed kick that caught the vampire lord by surprise and sent him flying into the far wall that caved in. The move stunned all who witnessed it, even Ria who was distracted from throttling Kurumu and come rushing back to find her father under a pile of rubble that was once a wall and Tsukune still standing.

"W-What?" Kokoa stammered, while her mother remained speechless. Never before have they witnessed anyone striking the feared Lord Issa Shuzen so hard as to knock him off his feet and put him through a wall.

Ria couldn't believe her eyes either, this mere half breed who seconds earlier was near defeat was able to come back and deliver a devastating blow, caused her to be spellbound and in awe; she concluded that perhaps Akua was right about his resolve, and as she glanced over at Moka, who had a pleased look slowly come over her face, she knew it had something to do with it.

_Is it over? _Tsukune hoped, looking at the debris that covered Issa's prostrate form, lying under there for what felt like a long time.

Cautiously, he walked forward hoping the fight was over, but also worried he might've got carried away. Suddenly, in a flash, the vampire lord roared to life and had Tsukune's throat in a vice like grip, before he could even defend himself. He lifted the boy up like a rag doll, strangling the very life out of him, and then flinging his limp body, sending it smashing into his throne. Moka looked on, but even her stoic nature couldn't hide a look of concern, already expecting Tsukune to have made his move when his body appeared lifeless.

"C'mon Tsukune," she whispered. "Get up, I know you can."

_H-He's dead! _Outer Moka's consciousness cried. _Father's killed him! He's killed Tsukune!_

**No. No, he isn't dead, he's still alive. It'll take more than that to kill him!**

Issa didn't appear to be willing to waste anytime debating it with himself, he was already moving towards the boy's body to make sure he stayed down, but with a burst of strength and iron will, Tsukune shot up tossed the demolished throne like a mere toy at Issa, who knocked it out of the way effortlessly. Issa was astonished, he fully expected the boy to be have no fight left in him after this much time, not standing and ready to continue this.

"Hmph, I'll say this for you," he grumbled, "you're a hard man to kill; I see now why Alucard had such a hard time with you."

He was bloodied and bruised, he couldn't see out of one eye, his shirt gone and exposing a battered chest that ached everywhere, and yet Tsukune showed no signs of backing down. Even as Issa calmly and casually moved towards him, his menacing shadow creeping ever closer to him, Tsukune remained resolute with fists balled and ready for whatever the dark lord had left to dish out. A cruel smile was all the indication Tsukune needed, before a jaw shattering blow nearly knocked him off his feet, followed by another, and a grab for his neck that smashed him straight through the marble floor. That should've been the end of him, by all rights Tsukune should be dead at Issa's feet, but he could see the boy stir and begin to rise up, so Issa brought his foot down upon his head, driving him down further. Still, Tsukune continued to rise, burrowing deep into his reserves of power to push himself upward, yet the more he pushed, the more power Issa had to apply in keeping him down and it became a duel of strength and endurance.

"Stay down boy, and you may live through this!" He hissed at the boy, but Tsukune continued to resist.

Finally, Lord Shuzen inexplicably relents, allowing Tsukune to spring forth, momentarily unguarded, and as he was in midair Issa sidekicks him in the head and sent him flying over the women's heads, where he quickly recovers by landing on his feet into a skid. More frustrated than ever before, the vampire lord speeds towards him, determined to end this, but Tsukune dances out of the way of a lethal jab and delivers a fierce upper cut, followed by a very determined beat down which this time had the vampire lord stymied. A quick judo chop to the back of his head put a stop to it however, flinging Tsukune away some considerable distance and separating the two combatants, but by no means stopping the young warrior's mettle. He wasn't winded, but Issa was nonetheless stressed by this whole ordeal as he wipes a dribble of blood from his chin, staring at it as if it was the first time he ever saw the substance coming out of him.

"It's been awhile since I've seen my own blood," he mutters, then glared back at Tsukune. "I'd say it's time we ended this."

"...I...I came here to talk," Tsukune said. "But, if this is the only way, then so be it. Bring it!"

The two sized each other up, tensing and focused, then unleashed a torrent of monstrous energy that almost rivaled one another, with Issa's being the stronger of the two, and yet both were like two storms colliding with one another to create a perfect storm of chaos and destruction, both dead set on bringing this to fateful conclusion. All present stood in quiet awe, dreading the father's power, but amazed at this newcomer's strength having witnessed it for the first time, all except for Moka who knew about what potential he all along and eagerly awaited the outcome.

"Ready, boy?"

Tsukune didn't respond and Issa smiled, and with a mighty roar the two combatants' race towards one another, colliding in a blinding burst of energy that made the room, granite infrastructure, and all who witnessed it shudder tremendously. By the time the dust settled, both men were in opposite sides of one another, their backs turned and wearily hunched over, so eerily still after such a violent, all or nothing attack. Moka had no idea what happened, neither of them was speaking or making any kind of move and the waiting became nearly unbearable for her, she hated waiting, especially for something like this.

_Wh-What has happened? _ Outer Moka asked.

"...Come on, dammit," she hissed impatiently.

Finally, Tsukune spoke first, saying in a barely audible whisper only two words:

"Sorry...Moka," before he fell flat on his face, motionless.

"Ts-Tsukune!" Moka cried, running to his prostrate side.

"TSUKUNE!" Kurumu cried from the doorway.

Moka looked him over, surveyed every bruise and scar upon his battered and broken body, trying to determine out if he was alive or not.

"Tsukune, speak to me, can you hear me?" She asked as if he could hear a word she was saying. "Please, don't die on me. C'mon, wake up!"

But, with no movement or even a whisper of air from him, Moka feared the worst and glared up at her father, who slipped on his cape that Akasha had handed him without a care in the world.

"...Well, don't just leave him, bleeding on the floor, Moka," he scolded. "It's unbecoming for a vampiress to allow her bloodmate such an indignity."

"...What...y-you mean?" Moka asked, her eyes lighting up with both surprise and relief.

"I'm not for admitting defeat," he grunted, "but, your mate proved his mettle against me, very few would have. I will call it draw and leave it at that. Ria, see to it that my future son-in-law's injuries are tended to."

"...Y-Yes, my lord," she said, overcome with shock.

"Tsukune," Moka whispered to him as she cradled his unconscious form in her arms, noticing the faint signs of life slowly returning.

"What just happened?" Yukari asked.

"Well, it's as the old man said," the Bus Driver replied. "It was a tie, though I'd say meatbag _did_ win at something; earning the good lord's respect."

"I can't believe it!" Kokoa muttered.

"Yea! Way to go! Alright!" Kahlua cheered, which earned her a look from her mother.

"Issa, dear you cannot be serious?" Gyokuro marched on over to ask him. "That...aberration, now one of us? You _can_ kill him, he's just too stubborn to die, that's all! Let me do it, I'll end his misery!"

"Do so, and you go at your own peril, wife!" Issa growled. "Besides, his stubbornness carries with it more mettle than any so called pureblood, you might have as a hard enough time as I had."

"...But..."

"My decision is final, Tsukune Aono shall become Moka's bloodmate, and my new successor," he said with a smile.

"WHAT?" Gyokuro, Kokoa and Ria all said with equal surprise.

"Thank you, father," Moka said in typical stoic fashion, though deep down she was elated at the news.

"Come," Issa tells Akasha as the two leave the room.

_In-Incredible! _Ria thought, her eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets as she tried desperately to take in the situation. In the time she had known Tsukune, she had learned more about this boy than any other in her long life, things that have challenged everything she thought she knew and understood. True he was handsome, carried strong blood, but what she thought was a simple boy toy that belonged to Moka has now not only proven to be strong physically, but also possessed a strong inner character as well, and has now become her father's coveted heir. _Tsukune Aono, you truly are something wonderful._

Moka carries her confirmed fiancee back to her room, their friends following in tow, where she gently places him beside on the bed and cuddles by his side, running a hand along his scarred and bloodied chest, and licking the blood off her fingers as she stared at him with both pride and lust at the same time. He had become stronger than ever before now, stronger than she had ever imagined, had fought and won for her, and thanks to him she they would both one day become co-rulers of the vampire world.

"You were wonderful," she cooed into his ear.

"Tsukune!" Kurumu suddenly cried as she knelt by his side, followed closely by Yukari. "How is he, how is my Tsukune? Will he...?"

"_My_ Tsukune will be just fine," an annoyed Moka growled. "He will recover; it's only a few, insignificant wounds."

"I'm not talking to you!" She yelled. "Yukari? You've been studying medicine, how is he?"

Yukari looked at Moka, then back at Tsukune.

"Well...he is pretty badly beat up, but Moka said..."

"There, you have your answer; now I say again he is my mate, now leave us!"

"How could you?" Kurumu asked.

"What?"

"How could you put him through this? You should be ashamed of yourself! You knew this was going to happen, knew Tsukune would have to fight your father and possibly die!"

"It was unavoidable, the only way to get him accepted as my mate according to my people's ways."

"There were plenty of other ways, you didn't have to put him through this, and yet you didn't even tell him what was about to happen!"

"Enough! I did what I had to for the sake of our love, for our future as husband and wife, and now that has been secured I won't tolerate you holding onto my mate, again."

Moka stood up in bed and towered menacingly over the succubus, radiating with dark energy, but Kurumu wouldn't back down and glared back at her.

"I'm not afraid of you," said Kurumu.

"That's exactly what I'd come to expect from an idiot like you to say, but as such according to vampire law I'm well within my right to eliminate you as a rival, and I will. But, I have valued your friendship over the years and that's why I'm giving you fair warning now, I will not consent to Tsukune keeping you and the others around as mistresses!"

"Don't worry I don't intend to, that's _my_ warning," Kurumu threatened, extending her nails into claws and ready for Moka.

"...Guys," Yukari whimpered, watching fearfully as her two friends flared up with violent intent.

"Stop," they all heard Tsukune mutter as he slowly came to. "Don't...don't fight, please."

"Tsukune!" Kurumu cried, kneeling backdown by his side. "But, Tsukune she lured you here to be beaten up like this, she wanted you to get into a fight and was going to let you die and all just to marry you!"

"So, I won, didn't I?"

"Yes you did," Moka replied, "and not only has father consented, but he has named you his heir."

"Really? That's...great, I think."

" Yes, unfortunately this blue haired fool refuses to accept it."

"Tsukune!"

"Kurumu, Moka didn't deceive me," he tried to explain. "In a way...I kinda knew it would come down to a fight; in a way, I think Moka not telling me was her way of trying to protect me or something. Now, I'm just glad to be marrying her, at last."

"Tsukune, don't do it! You can't marrry her!"

"I grow weary of your jealousy, succubus! Tsukune, allow me to finish her off, once and for all!"

"Kurumu...I'm sorry, but now it's official, I do intend on going through with marrying Moka after graduation."

"Fine!" Kurumu exclaimed through tear soaked eyes. "If that's how you feel then so be it, but I tell you this, not as a lover but as a friend, don't marry Moka."

"Why?"

"Why? Because she doesn't love you!"

"I don't believe this; will you please leave, you little worm!"

"Listen to her, so cold and emotionless, just like this whole family! Everything they do, everything that they are about is either controlling or destroying or both, and now that you're Moka's, she'll do the same to you!"

"Are you crazy or something!" Yukari yelled. "Moka isn't like that at all, you're just jealous!"

"I am not jealous! Well, yes, maybe a little, but I'm also speaking the truth, if you go through with marrying her you're going to regret it!"

"Unbelievable, and after all the times I've saved your worthless ass," Moka groaned. "I'm beginning to regret my actions."

"Moka's right, she has rescued us countless times in the past, Kurumu," Tsukune argued. "Her family is one thing, but that doesn't dictate Moka's actions."

"And what if does, it's no business of yours, you big chested slut! Now leave us, before I show you what my family has taught me in dealing with insolent fools like you."

"Oh, you heard Moka, you boob, get out of here so that we can be alone," Yukari declared, but earned an annoyed glance from Moka suggesting that she too leave. "Can't I at least watch?"

"So you're going to take advantage of him in his state, Moka?" Kurumu inquired. "He can barely move, much less handle you."

Tsukune blushed.

"His wounds will heal, anyway I will tend to him as his mate, all he needs is a fresh packet of blood and he'll be good as new. He is no longer a weakling, but is now a true vampire like me. Now leave us, I want to be alone with him, I won't say it again."

Moka's eyes glared threateningly upon the girls and Kurumu glared back, determined to keep her Tsukune from making a terrible mistake. He sensed he had to do something or the girls would tear the whole room up and him with it.

"Look, Kurumu how about you give Moka and me some time alone, please?"

"But, Tsukune I..."

"If you really see me as not a lover, but a friend, then please respect my decision, okay?"

"But, you're making a big mistake."

"I don't think I am."

"But..."

Feeling bitter, yet unable to sway Tsukune's feelings for Moka, Kurumu had no choice but honor his wishes and drag Yukari away.

"Hey, put me down, he said you leave not both of us!" The young witch whined as she was carried away, kicking and screaming.

At last alone, Tsukune's blush grew a little brighter as Moka's angry eyes became more teasing and tantalizing, leaning in seductively with a lust he had never before seen.

"You did good out there, lover," she said.

"Thanks. One question."

"Hm?"

"Did...did you know this would happen? Between me and your father, I mean."

"...Yes," she flat out replied and Tsukune felt a little flabbergasted. "Of course, you had to fight him to earn my hand and marriage, you have no title or land to speak of, he would never have consented to our union, the only option was to face him in combat and force your intentions, it was the only way to prove yourself worthy of joining this family. I didn't tell you, because I had no way of knowing if you would back out of this and look for some peaceful measure, as you always do. That's why I've been training you and pushing you into fights so much, to prepare you for this, and you did great out there, Tsukune, I knew you had it in you."

"...I-I just...just wished you would've given me the heads up, next time."

"Forget about that, what's done is done," she abruptly dismissed. "It is a time for celebration, my bloodmate, and to start it off I believe there is someone who wishes to congratulate you."

She fishes out her rosario and snaps it back on, instantly reverting back into her pink haired outer persona once again, who fell into Tsukune's outstretched arms, and suddenly his wounds didn't hurt so much as he held her close.

"Moka?"

"Tsukune?" She wearily said, with a pleased smile.

"Moka," he said with a smile.

"Tsukune!" She yelled, wrapping her arms about his neck joyously, and causing him unintended pain. "You did it! You did it! Oh, I was so worried that you might not survive, but you did it!"

"So, wait, you knew too?" He asked, holding her back. Not quite as blunt as her Inner counterpart, she nervously touched the tips of her fingers and sheepishly nods her head. "I'm sorry, Tsukune, I didn't want to keep any secrets from you, it's just that...I really did wanted to marry you, and when you finally proposed, I didn't know how to explain what would happen. I hope you're not mad at me, are you?"

"No, I'm not mad, I think I understand. Besides, I'm just glad this is all over. Now that this done with, next we'll have to go see my folks, and explaining everything about...us to them will make what I went through seem like a cake walk."

"Yes, your family," Moka said thoughtfully. "Let's forget about that for now, right now there's something I want to show you, you're not going to believe this, something my mother taught me; okay are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

Moka stood at the foot of the bed, wraps a hand about her rosario and, with an unmistakable clink snaps it free and transforms her before his very eyes.

"M-Moka, how did...?" He stammered as the silver haired Inner Moka stood smiling triumphantly.

"A secret technique handed down from my mother. Now, I no longer need to have you take off my seal, I can remove it anytime I wish and both sides of me can enjoy you."

"Oh."

"Hmph, I figured you'd like that. Now, you get to sleep with both of us."

"Oh, I-I wasn't thinking about...well I was only happy that you can change at will, that's all."

"Hm-hmph."

Moka snaps the rosario back on, all the while eyeing him hungrily and Tsukune did not like the looks of it.

"You know, I've always wondered how you'd taste in mid transformation. Care to help me find out?"

"What?"

Before he could move, she had reverted back into her outer form and by instinct he catches her in his arms, now trapped underneath her.

"Uh, Moka?"

She opened her eyes, her green gems transfixing him on the spot and an innocent smile curling her pink lips.

"One bite, Tsukune, pleeease!"

"But...I'm injured, see."

"It'll be interesting, this time, I bet! And, I promise I'll make it all better."

"Uh...well."

"Good, thanks!" She says and bites him, then removes the rosario again, this time catching him in a swirling torrent of both intense energy and intense pain as the experience was anything, but interesting for him.

Inside Issa's chambers Gyokuro paced furiously about the room, fuming at what had happened, while Issa calmly stands in front of a roaring fire as Akasha patiently removes his cape.

"How can you just stand there?" His wife asked him. "How could you simply let him go like that?"

"I did not simply let him go," he replied. "He won that fight, fairly and honorably; I have never met a man his age with the kind of strength he has."

"Indeed, he's no pushover like you assume, Gyokuro," Akasha complied. "He did well in his fight and proved himself, tonight."

"He's no weakling, fine! But, don't be so hasty as to let him in this family and name him your heir, at least until we've ascertained enough information on him!"

"I know all I need to know about him, now if you don't mind my dear bloodmate, I would like to be alone with Akasha."

Gyokuro glared at Akasha and then the back at him wanting to say more, but was too flabbergasted and frustrated to speak, opting instead to storm out looking for something to take out her anger.

"Our daughter did well for herself," he said to her. "She has indeed picked a worthy suitor, one worthy enough to take my position one day. He is everything you said he was, my dear."

"Hm, though I was a little worried that you might go too easy on him," she joked.

Issa looks over at her incredulously, and responds with a smirk.

"But," she adds, "I know you, it would've been too much of an insult to you, Moka, and maybe even him if you had."

"No, it would've been an insult to you," he said as he embraced about her tiny waist, making her blush.

"Are you sure this is okay, making him your heir? You heard what Ria said, he may be a second born vampire and not a pure blood, if the other clans learn of this..."

"What the clans don't know won't effect this family. Our race needs new blood if it is to survive, and as far as they know he is a pure blood, nothing more. Now, would you care to do the honors?"

He holds up a golden rosario chain and slips it into her fingers, wanting her to wrap it about his wrist. She smiles and the two lock in a passionate kiss as his form begins to change. In the meantime, Ria was hardly in the loving mood as both father and sister were, storming through the hallway with the events surrounding Tsukune playing away in her head like an addictive tune. He had been the first man to resist her advances, turned down her naked body, this prudish, compassionate man with a strange and alluring aroma about him, who has displayed such sickening generosity for a monster and has now earned her father's blessing to be his heir. Tsukune was only a second born vampire, a half breed, and yet he exhibited such strength and tenacity in battle that she found herself even more captivated with him. All of this proved vexing for her, she wanted to know about him, and she even found herself wanting him. But, as she neared Moka's room, she could plainly hear the two of them fooling around in there, giggling and chatting, making her more and more jealous. Yet again, it would seem, her younger sister had everything that she herself wanted, including a man as unique as him, and it infuriated her to no end that he couldn't be hers no matter how hard she tried. Wanting to punish Moka for her joy, she takes out her cell phone and makes a call.

"Yes, my mistress," came a voice on the other end.

"Give the phone to her, immediately."

"As you wish."

In the lower depths, Moka was now awake and resting up against the wall, brooding over the current predicament and trying to figure out how to escape this prison when the familiar groan of the upstairs door interrupted her thoughts and footsteps methodically started coming her way. She had stopped hoping it was Tsukune or her other friends coming to the rescue, now expecting the usual Fairy Tale operative to taunt and humiliate her according to her sister's whims; she wondered what was in store this time.

_If only I had more strength, _she thought bitterly, _I'd show them something!_

"Look alive, sweet stuff," said the grunt. "Your sister would like to have a word with you."

As he hands over the cell phone, she looks at him warily of his true intentions, but takes it anyway and listens.

"...Hello?" She asked.

Upon hearing Moka's voice, Ria carefully cracks open the bedroom door and lets the sounds of conversation waft into the other line. To Moka's astonished ear she could hear Tsukune as clear as day, the very sound of his voice causing her heart to leap, but she could also hear him talking with another person, a person that sounded eerily like her, and she knew it had to be the other her.

"I have to admit, I was scared I wouldn't come out of it alive," she heard him say. "Even after all I'd faced before, I was still nervous about going up against your dad, but I knew you were there watching me, and...I couldn't let you down, I had to try and give it my all."

"And you did, Tsukune," she heard her say. "I knew you could do it, even so I must say you've exceeded even my expectations."

**The duel! **Inner Moka's words rang inside her head. **Tsukune must've already fought and won!**

The revelation of Tsukune's success wasn't lost, in fact Moka was elated and relieved to find out he not only survived it, but won the right to become her bloodmate, however what came as a severe blow to her morale.

"Now, we may marry as we planned my lover, and become one," the other Moka said to him.

"No," she muttered.

"How do vampires marry, I've always wondered."

"No!"

"I will teach you what needs to be done when the time comes, though we call it the Blood Bonding ritual."

"Blood Bonding?" He asked.

"Yes, it's quite simple actually, first we consume each other's blood and after the ceremony, we will be alone and..._consumate_ our union."

"NO!" She screamed into the phone. "TSUKUNE! TSUKUNE!"

Ria pulled the phone out of the room and shut the door before Tsukune could hear anything.

"Did you hear something?" He asked Moka.

"Hear what?"

"It sounded like someone was calling my name. Ah, it was probably nothing. Anyway, after meeting your parents, next weekend we'll have to go meet mine."

"Your family?" She asked as if a little caught off guard.

"Yeah, they gotta know we're engaged."

"Tsukune, you can't."

"Why not?"

"Because, we're vampires, you can't reveal anything about us to them."

"...I guess you're right. I can't exactly hide the fact that I'm married from my folks, though, eventually they'll find out. We wouldn't have to tell them about monsters and such, we'll keep that part a secret, though I wonder how they'll attend the ceremony?"

"They won't, only vampires are allowed to attend such a gathering. If visiting your parents for the purpose of informing them of our engagement will satisfy you then so be it, now no more distractions, we've been putting this off long enough and now that you're promised to me...," Moka said as she mounted him, although her weight created some embarrassing pain to Tsukune.

"Oooh, I'm still a little sore!" He said.

"Good, I love it when you're tender and helpless before me, my vampire man," she said, leaning in closer to him, her red eyes mesmerizing him in his place.

Fortunately, a knock came at the door and disturbed the mood.

"Oh me, oh my, I hope I'm not disturbing anything," Ria said poking in the door.

"Ugh, WHAT!" Moka snapped.

"No need to get ugly, sister, but father did say he wanted his newly christened heir to be looked after."

"I will take care of his needs, we don't need you!"

"I normally I would agree, judging by the looks of things, but father's orders are orders. I think a nice, therapeutic bath with a couple of transfusion bags will be in order, so please let me know when you are ready, 'Lord' Aono," Ria said with a grin and closed the door on the two despondent lovers.

That taken care of, Ria returns to the phone and finds Moka still screaming Tsukune's name.

"I'm afraid he can't hear you, anymore," Ria taunts, "no one can."

"You can't do this!" She cried. "Tsukune is supposed to be my blood mate, I'm going to attend the Blood Bonding Ritual with him, when father and mother hear of this, they'll..."

"Oh me, oh my, it's a wonder that those slow moving gears inside your head haven't caused you to walk into a river by now. If Tsukune was able to fight father and win, then it means both father and your mother were there and didn't even notice anything different about you. It means, the clone has done her job and fooled even your parents."

The following silence made her smile fiendishly.

"I guess it finally sank in, hasn't it. Nobody is coming for you, dear, you're all alone."

"...TSUKUNE!" Moka screamed. "TSUKUNE, COME SAVE MEEEE! TSUKU-!"

Ria hangs up the phone and knocks on the door, signaling Tsukune to hurry up and further harassing Moka.

"Mistress," came one of the servants.

"What is it, worm?"

"You have a visitor in your chambers; he requests to see you immediately."

"He requests to see _me_?" She asked as if offended.

"He said it's an urgent matter, my mistress."

"...Hmph, very well, but this had better be good for your sake."

Escorted quickly towards her room, she finds a Fairy Tale operative waiting patiently inside, holding a thin vanilla folder in his arm.

"Leave us," she tells the servant. "Now, make this quick you cur, I'm already in a foul mood."

"Oh, you're going to like this, mistress Ria," he replied. "It took us weeks to find, but we were able to find Dr. Faust's dossier on Tsukune Aono."

"You have?" She asked, quickly snatching the folder from him and began leafing through it. What she found caused her whole body to flinch as if stung by some electrical current and slowly, but surely calmed herself down as she read on.

"As you can read, the stuff in there is quite...intriguing. The good doctor had done a thorough investigation of the boy, he got down everything about him, his family, even the names of all their relatives, where they lived, his ancestral background and even their blood types, and if word of this gets to Lord Shuzen it would spell the end of this kid."

"...So, you've read it?" She asked.

"I have, mistress Ria, to make sure it was worth looking into."

"And, I trust no one else has, right?"

"No, mistress, I personally made sure no one, but you laid eyes on..."

Without warning, Ria snaps his neck and was back reading the files before his body hit the floor. As she read, however, what she found out made her evil grin spread wider and wider, until it became a hideous, joker's mask.

"Oh me, oh my," she muttered.

_Think you've won, haven't you sister, dear?_ She thought, giggling uncontrollably to herself. _Believed your precious Tsukune was safe from me, right? Oh, but I'm not through yet, not by a long shot, and like I said, Tsukune, beware of a patient woman, because sometimes patience pays off!_

Back in her cell, Moke was curled up against the wall of her prison, feeling even more lost and dejected than the first time arriving here; if her own parents could not spot the fake, then what hope was there that her friends would.

"Tsukune was supposed to be my mate," she mutters to herself. "He was supposed to be mine."

The following week had been mostly uneventful for Tsukune and Moka, there were no fights to deal with, however for the most part word had yet spread of how he went up against the vampire Lord Shuzen and survived and suddenly he was the talk around school, admired by women and feared by guys, though it made him feel uncomfortable to be treated so differently. It was an ironic twist for a guy who wondered into a world full of monsters, hoping to lay low in order to survive, only to now be treated like royalty, the future heir to the most prestigious of vampire families and in a relationship with one of its daughters, the mighty vampire Moka Akashiya; ontop of that word about their engagement spread fast around school and most treated it as if it was the Royal Wedding. As for his friends, Ruby and Yukari couldn't have been more happy, but Kurumu was incredibly morose about the whole affair, whereas Mizore remained strangely quiet about it. At last, the weekend came and it was Tsukune's turn to break the impending news to his family and while he was just as nervous as before, Moka felt apprehensive about it. Outer Moka wasn't too worried about leaving a good impression, having already had a good repoire with his mother, she still hoped Ms. Aono would accept her as daughter-in-law, but Inner Moka was more resistant about the meeting with human parents concerning over a ritual that she felt they had no affair in, and Outer Moka could feel it.

"You look a little nervous, is everything ok?" Tsukune asked as the school bus rode closer to the Aono residence.

"Huh? Oh, oh yes, everything's fine," she cheerfully replied. "Just thinking on what to say to your mother. I know she doesn't know about...us, I mean what we are, and everything."

"I know what you mean. Believe it or not, seeing your family was the easy part, I don't know how I'm going to explain all of this to mom and dad, but I'm sure they'll accept you."

"Your mother already approves of me, I remember the first time we met."

"How could I forget, you and the other girls showed up out of nowhere and gave her a heart attack," he laughed.

"Yes, but after we sat down and talked, I really warmed up to her and she me, and she really seemed glad that I knew you and we were so close. I'm sure, whatever happens she'll understand."

"I really hope so."

"Hey!" The Bus Driver yelled back to them. "Meatbag residence coming up, get ready!"

"Well, here it goes," Tsukune said.

"Yes. Don't worry about me, I think it'll be fine, especially with the others not coming with us."

"Yeah, I had to lie that we were going to my parents' cabin up north and even convinced Yukari to go along with it. I hated lying to them like that, but I didn't want another incident like last time."

"I didn't know your parents had a cabin?"

"They don't, but hopefully Kurumu doesn't know it."

"Here's your stop, meatbag!" The Bus Driver said, swinging open the doors to a quaint, middle income home in a quiet neighborhood.

"Are you going to joining us, this time?" Moka asked him, to which Tsukune mouthed from behind her "No."

"Uh, not really, no offense meatbag, but your house seems a little too...pleasant for me, I'll come back later to check up on you kids, 'kay?"

Relieved and finally alone with her, Tsukune escorts Moka up to the "pleasant" house, where inside was a messy interior left ransacked from hours of spring cleaning at the hands of a simple, petite woman with cropped brown hair and a pink apron draped over khakis and a white dress shirt who sat idly in front of the TV, taking a much needed lunch break and watching a talk show.

"Kids marrying kids," said the announcer. "Children these days are in such a rush with their relationships that they're getting married early and before you know it, its kids having kids. Ma'am, do you have a child who's rushing into love? Please, point out the warning signs; don't let them make a foolish mistake before it's too late."

"Oh my," the woman said, her narrow brown eyes full of worry. "Kids these days."

Just then, her concerns are interrupted by the doorbell and scurries carefully through all of the rearranged furniture to get the door.

"Okay, coming!" She yelled in a hurry, half tripping over all sorts of things strewn out between her and the door, so much so it was like a dangerous obstacle course that required uncanny skill on her part to maneuver, but as soon as she opens it the lady is greeted by a pleasant sight that brings a quick and surprised smile back to her frustrated face.

"Hello mom," said Tsukune.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Aono," Moka said with a gracious bow.

"Tsukune, Moka!" Ms. Aono exclaimed, embracing them both strongly. "It's so good to see you both! I had no idea you were coming by, oh if I had, I would've tidied up the place."

"I should've called, I know, but I wanted it to be a surprise," Tsukune replied.

"It's my fault, Ms. Aono, I kind of talked him into it, sorry," said Moka.

"Oh, don't worry about it, and please Moka, call me Kazumi. Come in, come in, just watch your step."

Tsukune surveyed the house and saw what a mess it was.

"Spring cleaning again, mom?"

"Yes, I always have to keep things looking new after winter has come and gone, I hope you don't mind Moka?"

"No, not at all!"

"So, I decided to pay you, dad and Kyoko a visit and wanted Moka to come with me and spend the night, if that's okay."

"Spend the night?"

"Yes, see there's actually something I, I mean we, Moka and I wanted to tell you guys. It's something important."

"Well, come sit down at the table and we can talk."

Being led to a small dining table near the kitchen, Tsukune noticed how it was not as grand as the one Moka's family used, but Moka paid no heed to it and once comfortably seated they wasted no time in breaking the news to Kazumi Aono.

"Ms. Aono, I mean Kazumi, this may come as a shock to you," Moka said and then she looked to Tsukune, signaling for his turn to go ahead with the news.

"Well, mother you see...Moka and I..."

"Yes."

She noticed the two kids casting glances at one another, and then saw them hold each other's hands, and immediately her pulse began to quicken.

"Tsu-Tsu-son," she stammered. "You're not going to tell me..."

He slowly nodded.

"Ohh, oh dear," Kazumi said, very nearly about to faint.

"We wanted to tell you in person," he said.

"And we would've told you sooner, it's just that we had to see my family first, and they accepted the news and our decision, and..."

"W-What?" Kazumi barely gasp, "How could they?"

"Huh?" Tsukune asked.

"This is such a big deal, how could your family be okay with it?"

"Mom!"

"I-I promise I would be a good choice for your son!" Moka tried to say.

"No offense, but I think you really should reconsider, young lady!" Kazumi argued. "I do not think this is right for you, you're just not ready!"

Moka was devastated, she was sure that this woman adored her, but it was apparent that all of her latent fears and prejudices were coming true and from a woman she trusted.

"Mother, how could you say that?" He asked. "I thought you liked Moka, how could you hurt her like this?"

"I'm not trying to be rude! It's just that...raising kids, when you're kids yourselves, it just isn't right, you still have your whole lives ahead of you!"

Moka and Tsukune looked at one another almost as if they hadn't heard her right.

"Th-that isn't what you wanted to talk me about, is it?" Kazumi asked.

"Um, no," Moka replied.

"Mom, we're not having a baby, what we were going to say is that I proposed to Moka not long ago and she said yes...we're getting married."

"See," said Moka as she flashed the large, ruby engagement ring that caught the little woman's eyes.

"Oh, oh, _ohh_, marriage!" Kazumi exclaimed, in which she slowly began to nervously laugh. "Well, why didn't you say so! Son, where'd you buy that ring, how were you able to afford it?"

"Sorry if we scared you," Tsukune laughed. "I mean, I know this is all alot to take in, but I promise I'll explain...all that I can about this as soon as possible."

"Yes, and though we'd love to have children, I don't think we're quite ready, yet!" Moka nervously agreed, secretly relieved that it was all a big misunderstanding.

"I'm certainly glad to hear that, that you're not having children yet, but are...MARRIAGE!" Kazumi yelled and quickly fainted.

"Ahh, mother!"

When she came two on the couch, she looked up through her fuzzy vision at her son and, who was soon to become her daughter-in-law, Moka.

"Mother, are you alright?"

"M-M-Marriage, you two are..."

"That's right," Tsukune said smiling and holding hands with Moka.

"That's what we wanted to tell you," said Moka.

"You're getting married, and you're still in school? Aren't you r-rushing into this?"

"No, mom we're going to hold off until after graduation, we only came to let you guys know ahead of time."

Hearing him say that they were going to wait until school was done and not rush into matrimony helped put the housewife a little more at ease.

"Oh, OHH! I see! Hahahaha!"

"Are you okay?" A concerned Moka asked.

"Of course, for a moment there you two nearly took years off my life! When you said marriage, I thought you two were planning to...I mean, you know, elope right away, but I am so glad you two are being responsible about this and hold things until you've graduated."

"So, you're okay with this, with us getting married?" Tsukune asked.

"Okay with it? Oh, I'm so happy for the both of you!"

"Y-You are?" Moka asked.

"Yes, oh Moka I'm so sorry for giving the wrong impression," she said as she hugs the surprised girl. "You don't know how happy I am to hear that my son is marrying you! Will you be staying over for the weekend, Moka? Oh, wait of course you are, where is my mind today, I'm just...oh, I can't wait to tell Kyoko and your father!"

"By the way, where is everybody?" Tsukune asked. "I was hoping dad would be here, by now."

"Your father is still at work and Kyoko is still away at college, but she should be back soon. Please, come sit and have some tea, let's talk!"

"Th-Thanks," Moka said, warmed by Kazumi's strong generosity as she's led back into the dining room.

"No, thank you," she replied. "I'm just so happy that my son has found someone like you, someone who will look after him when I'm not around."

"Mom."

"No, I mean it."

"So, y-you do approve of me, then?"

"Of course I do, I couldn't think of anyone else more perfect for my son. Now sit, I'll get the tea going."

"Oh, let me," Moka offered.

"No, I insist, it shouldn't take long."

With Kazumi in the kitchen, Moka couldn't help notice how much she was radiating with joy.

"That went better than I thought," Tsukune said. "She really likes you."

"Yes, I'm glad," Moka said, but a part of her felt uneasy, mostly because Kazumi, a woman who was as kind and as caring as her own mother, and would soon become her mother-in-law, still remained in the dark about everything and worried how she might react.

After a while of Kazumi going the extra mile to make Moka at home and chatting away excitedly over details about their engagement, Tsukune's father, Koji, eventually came home and reacted to the news in his own, unique way.

"Ha ha! My boy's finally become a man, this is great!" He yelled as he danced around the room with Kazumi.

"Dad!"

"Koji, dear we have guests," Kazumi said.

"Oh, I'm sorry Moka," he said and then suddenly hoists her high in the air. "Ah, you're the lucky lady who's going to become part of the Aono family, you picked a nice one, son!"

"Dad, would you put her down!"

"M-Mr. Aono!" Moka stammered with surprise.

"Please, call me dad or father or daddy. Ooh, on second thought, you better just call me dad. Anyway, you're a part of the family, now and I want to treat you as such. Besides that, I want to thank you for looking after our son and making him the luckiest guy in the world. You know, me and his mom worried our son might come home with some questionable girl with amoral standards, if you know what I mean, but boy were we relieved when he met and decided to settle down with you!"

"Th-Thankyou, Mr...I mean...dad," Moka said.

"Uh, dad, could you put my fiance down now, please!"

"Koji, put Moka down this instant!" Kazumi demanded.

"Oh! Sorry about that," he replied, gently setting the petite girl down. "Guys, this calls for a celebration!"

"Now dad, we don't want you guys to stress over this."

" Nonsense, you don't need to worry about us!" Koji said.

"We insist and your father's right," Kazumi joined in. "I'll get dinner started and we can talk all about it!"

"And I'll break out some champagne I had saved over."

"Champagne?" Tsukune asked.

"Oh, I don't really want you to go through all of this trouble for me," Moka tried to intervene.

"It's no trouble at all," Kazumi replied. "Since you'll be staying the weekend, you will join us for dinner tonight, right?"

"Well...sure, why not."

"Good, uh what do you got cooking tonight, Kazumi?" Koji asked.

"Whatever I decide to make, dear," she replied in a chaffed tone.

"Well, none of last week's stuff, please, we have a guest!"

"I'll have you know my meatloaf is good for any occasion _and_ healthy!"

"It's not even real meatloaf, its tofu!"

"Uh, don't mind them, they get like that sometimes," Tsukune whispered to Moka while his parents argued about meatloaf. "But, I want to say thanks."

"It's the least I can do, seeing how you ate dinner at my house."

Dinner came and went, the meal indeed being tofu, but Moka hadn't complained and enjoyed the down home atmosphere of their gathering, though a part of her found it difficult to let go of her apprehension toward humans. Afterward, she joined Tsukune outside on a porch swing, taking in the night air while being alone with her lover and fiance, but secretly glad to be outside of a human dwelling.

"I really enjoyed dinner tonight, Tsukune," she said to him.

"Thanks. I know it's not like...your home and all, where everything is so much bigger and grand, but..."

"Oh, no I find it interesting and simple. It's a refreshing change from where I'm from."

"That's good to know."

"...Tsukune."

"Yes, Moka."

"...Tsukune," she repeated, leaning in closer as his smell gradually became intoxicating.

"Moka," he replied, leaning forward.

"Tsukune."

"Moka."

"Tsuki!" Came a girl's voice from out of nowhere, just as the two were about to lock lips.

Annoyed, they look up and noticed a tall, dark haired, sporty looking girl in a blue denim skirt, yellow T-shirt with a red jacket draped over, staring down at them with playful, yet earnest blue eyes that eagerly tried to read the two love birds for some kind of explanation to a burning question.

"Is it true?" She asked. "Are you getting married.

"Kyoko!" Tsukune exclaimed.

"Tsuki, talk to me!" Kyoko exclaimed, shaking his shoulders excitedly. "You're getting married and I'm just now finding out about it?"

"Well, you were gone and, I mean we were going to tell you sooner, it's just..."

Kyoko goes to Moka and holds both her hands together, staring all teary eyed at her.

"Is it true, Moka?"

"Yes," she said, happily showing her the engagement ring Tsukune gave her, and nearly laughed when she the look on Kyoko's face, especially how her jaw simply dropped.

"Tsuki, where'd you...how'd you...whoa!"

"I know, right?" Moka asked.

"Oh, I'm so happy for the both of you! I knew you two were meant for each other, I just knew it!"

"You did?" Moka asked.

"Yes, from the moment I first met you Moka, I knew you were the one for my little Tsuki."

"Kyoko, would stop calling me that," he muttered.

"Even though I'm...you know, a monster?" Moka warily asked.

"That's right, you know about Moka and, um me, don't you Kyoko?"

"_Yes_," she responds, "and I also know I can trust you, Moka, because my cousin, Tsuki trusts you, it's just like what you said to me the first time we met, remember?"

"Thank you," Moka replied, wiping a tear from her eye.

"So, when is the ceremony?" Kyoko asked.

"After graduation," he replied.

"Does aunt Kazumi and uncle Koji know about...you know what? I mean, are they aware what you and Moka are?

The question brought back all of her insecurities even closer to the surface and she tried to suppress it so as to not upset Kyoko and Tsukune.

"Um...no, we haven't told them, yet," he replied. "I don't even know if it'll be a good idea to do. Actually, Moka's parents don't even know I'm hu-er, _was_ human."

"We've decided not to tell are parents yet, at least not for some time," said Moka.

"Then, how will you guys hold the wedding if..."

"That...is..._sssomething_ we're working out," Tsukune nervously explained. "We haven't gone through any of the details, quite yet."

Kyoko looked at them funny, but a timely intervention from Kazumi came to relieve the soon-to-be newlyweds.

"Kyoko, give them some privacy, you're embarrassing them," she tells her.

"Oh alright, but you've got to tell me everything you got planned, I _so_ want to be your maid of honor, Moka!"

"Sure," she replied.

Finally alone, Moka and Tsukune tried to resume their romance, but the recent discussion quickly plagued the two.

"Mm, Tsukune?"

"Yes, Moka."

"How _are_ we going to hold the wedding?"

"Uh..."

"Your family cannot attend the Blood Bonding Ritual, it is against vampire law to invite non-vampires to the ceremony, especially humans, and besides it'll expose your human heritage to my family."

"...I know," he responded.

He hadn't really given it much thought, but the notion that his own family would not be allowed to attend his wedding, much less explaining why to them seemed almost unthinkable; it left him scrambling for a solution to all of this.

"I know, why not hold two weddings," was his response. "We can do the blood thing, first, and after that we'll hold a traditional human wedding for my parents to attend."

"But, we would already be joined as a couple by then, and you want a sham wedding? I don't know, are you sure that's going to work?"

"...I guess not, it was worth a shot."

Unable to come up with a solution, his brown eyes grew a little depressed, which she hated to see, his normally upbeat and compassionate eyes always brought a smile to her rosy cheeks, and she felt compelled to cheer them up.

"Don't be upset," she giggled. "Maybe we can come up with something else later, right now let's not think about any of that, lets enjoy ourselves, please. We're getting married, we're finally spoken for each other!"

"You're right," he said softly, his eyes warming up as he wrapped his arms around her delicate figure. "Whatever happens, we'll work through it."

"No more distractions, no more having to fight off other girls."

"Or me fighting off more monster."

"Just you...and me."

"...Moka."

"Tsukune."

"Moka"

Inside, Kyoko kept her ear to the window, trying to listen to their conversation in a vain show of concern.

"Kyoko, what on earth are you doing?" Kazumi asked.

"Shhh! I can almost hear what they're saying!"

"Young lady, that is spying! Now, you stop that this instant...So, what are they saying?"

"I think they were talking about the wedding."

Kazumi wanted to think better than to eavesdrop, but her curiosity as a mother would not allow letting her son have any intimate moments with the love of his life.

"What are they saying, now?" She asked Kyoko, hovering over her.

"They keep saying each other's names."

Then, Kyoko gasped.

"What? What is it, Kyoko?"

"I think Tsukune's going to put the moves on her, they're about to kiss! Oooh, this is juicy!"

"J-Juicy?" Kazumi panicked. "W-What do you mean, juicy?"

"Oh aunt Kazumi, you know exactly what it means, lighten up."

"Of course I know what it means, but why did you say it was juicy, are-are they going to make out? My little boy, already engaged, is about to make out!"

"Ugh, his old enough, aunt Kazumi."

"What are you two doing?" Koji asked, catching the two women in the act.

"Shhh! We're just...trying to make sure the kids behave themselves," Kazumi explained. "Now, our boy wouldn't do a thing like that, he's much too inexperienced."

Kyoko casts wry smile in her direction.

"Oh well, he will be after tonight," she joked.

"I can't believe you would... Anyway, I need to see what's going on outside and make sure that he won't...do anything...indecent."

The girls continue on with their eavesdropping.

"You two," Koji said. "And if my son is going to put the moves on his girl, then I'd say it's about time. Our son's a man, after all, and that's his woman."

"Hmph! And what is that supposed to mean?" A very cross Kazumi asked.

"I'm saying there's nothing wrong in our son proving his manhood to his woman, like I do with you."

"Oh, so want our son to treat his fiance like a piece of property the way you 'claim' to do with me, eh?"

"Come on, dear, let's face facts that we both know who's king in this house."

"You wanna bet?"

"You know I got the goods, babe!" Koji boasted, striking a pose. "And, my boy's got the genes."

"Don't insult our son, he is not an overblown, ego-tistical slob with delusions of grandeur!"

"Who's overblown?"

"Guys, do you really have to talk about this in front of me," said Kyoko. "I really don't need any nightmares."

"What nightmares, you should've seen me when I was Tsukune's age," Koji went on.

"Please, don't start!" Kazumi sighed.

"Uh, guys what about Tsuki and Moka?"

"Yes dear, can you save your stories for some other time, I'd really like to know if he intends to shame himself on our porch."

"Honey, he's getting married."

"I know, but still there are certain standards he should live by, like saving it for the honeymoon or something like that."

"Aunt Kazumi, you can't be serious!"

"You think they know we can hear them?" Moka asked.

"At this point, I don't think it matters," Tsukune replied, sweating profusely from embarrassment.

"Um guys, I think they can hear us," Kyoko tells them and everyone falls silent.

"Uh-uh, you two carry on, don't mind us!" Kazumi yells outside. "And Tsukune, don't rush into it, save yourself for the honeymoon, you'll thank me."

_Why me? _ He thought.

After another intimate night was ruined by friends and family, Moka decides to take a long hot mineral bath in the bathroom. Tsukune had wanted to share it with her like they had at the castle, but his mother insisted they do it separately, finding it inappropriate for a newly engaged couple to do something like that before the wedding; of course he and his father argued against such a silly ruling, but Moka complied so as to avoid any trouble and as she sat in the tub she couldn't help wondering about the whole situation.

**This is unnecessary,** inner Moka declared. **And demeaning for high class vampires like Tsukune and me. These people no longer have any purpose in our lives.**

_They're his family, we had to tell them we're getting married, _outer Moka thought.

**They **_**were**_** his family, and he was one of them, now he isn't and they are nothing more to us than humans, and you know how small minded and insignificant humans can be?**

Moka hadn't forgotten the years spent amongst humans, those horrible, unbearable years before running into Tsukune, and though she tried not to think about it, every day it seemed to get a little harder.

"I-I hadn't forgotten," she said aloud. "But, Kyoko knows about us, she knows I'm not human and yet she was happy when I told them Tsukune had proposed."

**They have no place in our lives, anymore. Sooner or later, Tsukune will have to leave them for us, you should tell him now and get it over with.**

Moka wasn't sure about anything, all she knew is that she loved Tsukune and wanted to spend eternity with him.

_Would...would he be happier without his family? _She wondered as she got out of the tub and began drying off.

**This isn't about him, it's about us, the future of our family and how much stronger it will become, do you really think that will happen as long as these humans and their ways remain a part of it? Besides, Tsukune is immortal now, that means he would have to watch his loved ones die while he would not. It would be a moot point for him to maintain contact with them now. We are his loved ones; he no longer needs this family.**

Moka took a long, hard look at herself in the mirror, and though she had taken a long bath she hardly did much but sat in the tub, too lost in thought to bathe herself off, and now felt even less clean than before. A knock at the door, however brought her out of her gloom.

"Is that you, Tsukune?"

"No, it's me," Kazumi replied. "May I come in?"

"Oh! Just a minute," Moka responded. She wraps a towel around her and lets her in.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I wanted to see if you have enough towels or if needed anything else."

"Oh no, no, I'm fine, really, I have enough towels, thank you."

"Okay," Kazumi said thoughtfully and as she turns to leave she stops, turns back to her and says: "Actually, I didn't just come to check on things, um...really I wanted to talk with you and, I didn't think it could wait."

"That's fine, come in," she replied. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, I just...I just wanted to tell you how proud, _very_ proud that you're marrying my son. I know I've said this already, but I wanted to make it clear to you just how I truly feel. From the very first day I met you, when you made that rather unexpected house call after my son came home from school that day, I remembered how...I guess 'excited' would be the word I'd use, and nervous I was seeing this charming and very beautiful girl asking about him. I thought it was some kind of mistake."

"Mistake?"

"Oh-oh, no, no, not that my son couldn't have get a cute girl, it's just that you were...so stunning and so polite that I never would've imagined it, I mean Tsukune was always very shy around people, especially around girls, he was never lucky with making friends and so I was a little surprised. However, I knew there was something special about you when he first talked about you to us, about how you've always, _always_ looked out for him, protected him and cared for him, and right away I knew you were the right girl, the _right_ woman to be at my son's side. Since meeting and gotten to know you better, I felt that I can trust you the way I would trust a daughter. I am proud, Moka Akashiya, proud to call you my daughter."

Moka was moved to tears, she almost had no words to express how she felt.

"I...I don't know what to say," she wept.

"Oh dear, I've gone and made you cry, I'm sorry!"

"Don't be...Thank you, Ms...Kazumi!"

"Please, you call me mother, since we're going to be related soon."

"Okay...m-mother," Moka said and by impulse went and hugged her.

**A daughter? Ugh, don't insult me. Wait until she finds out the truth and see how she'll receive us, **Inner Moka warned, but Outer Moka tried her best not to listen.

Frowning deeply, she pulls away from Kazumi and the look she was giving was apparent enough for Kazumi to take notice.

"Moka, what's wrong, is everything alright? I hope I hadn't said anything to upset you?"

Hearing Kazumi talking like that to her, showing such concern for her troubles, it almost reminded Moka of her own mother, which confounded the situation further. This woman was only human, after all, not a vampire.

"No...it's not...it's not you."

"Then what is it? I want you to know you can always talk to me if you are having problems."

She was only a human, she couldn't know anything at all about what's bothering her, just another lowly human talking to a creature who was, in every way her superior, and yet Moka felt compelled to open up to her. If only she knew, then she wouldn't be so compassionate and motherly towards her, that everything her inner persona said would be right and their continued presence in their married life would be unnecessary, but looking at Kazumi's warm and comforting eyes didn't make it any easy to think that way.

"Um...there's something I have to tell you_,_ and...I don't know if you will look at me the same way."

"You don't have to worry about that, just tell me and any problem you have I'll do my best to help."

"I wish you wouldn't be so nice to me," Moka mumbled.

"Hm, what was that, dear?"

"...What I have to tell you is that...I'm..."

"Mom, what're you doing in here with Moka?" Tsukune asked as he barged in.

"Out! Out!" Kazumi tried to shoo him away.

"But, I was just...hey!"

"You shouldn't see her like this, it's inappropriate!"

"Why, it's not anything I haven't seen already."

Tsukune realized his mistake far too late, and the shocked look on her eyes sort of warned them that she'd pass out on the floor.

"Ahh, mother!" Tsukune cried.

It took some doing explaining to her that nothing happened between him and Moka when she came to, and even more convincing to let them sleep together on the fold out couch in the living room, but she was still adamant about maintaining some chastity.

"I hope this is more comfortable for the two of you," Kazumi said.

"Mm, yes it is, thank you," Moka replied upon settling into bed.

"I'm sorry we don't have anything more suitable. Oh, Tsukune why don't you let Moka sleep in your bed and you can sleep down here?"

"Are you kidding me, sleeping in separate beds?"

"Honey, will you stop nagging the kids," his father intervened. "Besides, how can an engaged couple not sleep in the same bed, for god sake!"

"I just think they should take things slowly until after the vows, no hanky panky right away."

"Mom, I really wish you wouldn't say that."

"I'm only thinking about your future together, you want your relationship to be based on love and not just sex."

"Mom!" Tsukune griped, hanging his head in embarrassment, but Moka couldn't stop giggling.

"It's alright, mom," she said, though calling her mom still felt weird to her. "I'm fine, and actually I'd like to sleep with Tsukune."

"...Y-You would?" Kazumi asked, her demeanor becoming a little frazzled.

"But not in that way!" Moka quickly corrects.

"Oh."

The two women laughed nervously.

"Okay, Kazumi, let's leave the kids alone and come to bed," Koji says and starts to lead his wife away.

"Alright, but remember, no hanky panky, save it for later, okay?"

"I got it mom," Tsukune groaned.

_Though I wished you'd stop calling it hanky panky, _he thought.

"Goodnight you two!"

"Goodnight, mother and father!" Moka called out.

Once alone in bed, though this time without the meddling of their friends, it felt almost refreshing.

"Sorry about all of that," Tsukune said. "You know how my mom can be."

"It's okay," she laughed.

"But, it sounded like you two really have gotten closer."

"Yes, we have. Me and your mom talked a little, and she was so happy that I had decided to marry you. She really does approve of me."

"You don't sound too pleased," he said with worry.

"Huh? Oh, no I'm happy, really I am! It was just..."

She couldn't tell him the truth, about all of her misgivings of maintaining close ties with this family, that she simply didn't feel ready for that, yet.

**Ugh, you coward. Fine, I will tell him.**

"Moka?"

"Uhh, I was only thinking about our bonding ceremony, that's all."

"Oh yeah, I hadn't forgotten about that. I guess it wouldn't be possible for my family to come, huh? It would've been better in not telling them we were getting married, I don't know what I was thinking telling them, but.."

"You only did so because you love them and besides your mother seemed very happy."

"Yeah, but she's going to be heartbroken if we get married without her being able to attend. I dunno, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if we told them the truth."

"The truth?"

"About us, about everything. I know it's something I've dread for some time, but perhaps now is the time to do it and get it over with?"

"Y-You think that's wise? I don't know if they will understand."

"Moka, what do you mean? Mom and dad both like you, I'm sure they..."

"They like me because they think I'm human," she blurts out. "If they discover I'm a monster, they'll hate me, I know they will!"

"That's ridiculous! Yeah, they'll be a little shocked at first, but I know they'll adjust, just like Kyoko."

"Adjust? Yeah right," she muttered. "You just don't understand, Tsukune."

"Moka, what's bothering you, really?"

"It's nothing. I just don't think it'll be a good idea to tell them."

Moka nestled up against Tsukune, wanting to drown out her worries and let his strong, comforting arms put her at ease.

"Let's not worry about all of this right now, please," she moaned. "Just hold me, like always."

"Sure thing, Moka," he whispered, holding her tightly.

Moka had been uneasy the entire time meeting with Tsukune's parents as she dwelt on their future place within her family. Thoughts about her prejudice towards humans had conflicted drastically with her feelings toward Tsukune, and secretly she wondered if part of her had only put up with humans just to draw in Tsukune. The whole time she knew him, she'd secretly hoped and wondered on some way to make him more like her and less a human. Now that had been accomplished and Tsukune named heir to her family, she felt he was now right for her the way she'd always wanted. It sickened her at the idea of being some manipulative and controlling character who couldn't love him for who he was the way he had accepted her, and especially after Ms. Aono's heartfelt speech in the bathroom about how she was the right girl for him, and now a part of her wanted desperately to prove to Tsukune that she was more than that.

"You know," she said to him, "maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea."

"What is?"

"Your idea of holding two ceremonies, one from my culture and a second one following human traditions, at least your family will all get to attend."

"Really? You wouldn't mind?"

"No. I want your mother to be able to see us get married, too. Maybe, we can hold it here?"

"That's not a bad idea, a backyard wedding. Thanks Moka."

"Mm, I love you, Tsukune," she replied, gazing up at him with a warm and radiant smile.

"I love you too, Moka," he responded beginning to lean for a kiss.

Tsukune felt lucky, extraordinarily blessed at this moment, in the past whenever he came close to locking lips with Moka, with her delicate form underneath his and so close, her inner personality would emerge all of a sudden and kick him or Kurumu would so up out of nowhere to ruin the mood. However, there was no one to interrupt them and now he could make out with the girl of his dreams, who was now there for him to make out with freely and without anyone getting in the way.

"Uh, pardon me," Kazumi said, barging in unexpectedly. "I forgot something, don't mind me, hope I'm not disturbing anything."

"No, mom," an obstinate Tsukune replied.

"Are you both comfortable? If not, I can go grab some blankets upstairs, it won't take..."

"Uh no, mom, we're okay. Really, it isn't necessary."

"You sure, son, it's no trouble at all."

"Really, mom, we're fine, everything's fine...we're fine. So, goodnight."

Unfortunately, she didn't budge, but stands there beaming at the two of them and Tsukune felt impending dread welling up.

_Uh god no, _he thought.

"Just look at the two of you," she gushed. "My baby boy all grown up and with his bride-to-be! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get all emotional, it's seems like only yesterday I was wiping your little bum-bum."

"Mom!" He yelled, while Moka couldn't help, but laugh.

"And now, look at you, you've become a man...my little man."

His mother became choked with tears and had to use the hem of her nightgown to blow her nose, inadvertently showing off more than Tsukune needed to see.

_This could not get any worse, _he thought, turning blue.

"Dear, what did I tell you about bothering them!" Koji chastised, appearing in the living room in a T-shirt and white, Hanes boxers that did little to maintain modesty. "It's late and I need to get to work in the morning, now please leave our son and his bride alone and come back to bed with me, apple cheeks."

"Honey! You know better than to call me that infront of Tsukune!"

"Oh, would stop treating him like a kid, he's practically a grown man, I'm sure he and Moka have pet names for themselves."

"...You two don't, do you?" Kazumi gasped, her face turning white.

"Kazumi," Koji demanded. "Go to bed, baby and let the kids rest."

"Oh, alright, but Tsukune if you or Moka need anything, don't be afraid to call for me, I'll have the door open just so I can hear you."

"Will do, mom," he replied, frankly.

As soon as Kazumi, reluctantly left the room, Tsukune had hoped that he and Moka would once again be alone, unfortunately he noticed his father was still standing there with his tight, bulging undies painfully in their line of sight.

"Huh, glad that's over," he said to his son. "Don't mind my wife, Moka, she tends to be a little over protective."

"Oh, its okay, Mr. Aono, sir, my own mom is kinda like that herself."

"Please, please you don't have to call me Mr. Aono, no, call me..."

_Please don't say call me daddy, please don't say call me daddy! _ Tsukune silently prayed.

"...Father," he finished, much to Tsukune's relief.

"Uh, okay...father."

"We're all gonna be family soon, might as well skip the formalities."

"Thats nice, father," Tsukune said. "Um, can we get some rest, I think Moka's tired from the ride over."

"I don't mind, really," she said, much to his chagrin.

"That's the spirit, we'll make an Aono out of you, yet."

"...Thankyou," she begrudgingly replied, but tried to hide it.

When he saw his father sit casually at the corner of the bed, Tsukune knew this was about to get worse.

"You know, I never told you this, son, but I'm proud of you."

"Uh, you already said that during din..."

"When I was your age, son, I was extremely nervous around girls, hard to believe eh, but I couldn't work up the courage to talk to a single one and when I met your mom in college and was about to propose I completely froze. I could not say one word to her, much less present the wedding ring to her; took me about a week and almost losing the love of my life before I finally worked up the courage to tell her. But, you're different, son."

"D-Different?" He asked.

"Yes, different, because you're a real go getter. You see what you want and who you want to spend the rest of your life with, and don't waste time letting her know."

"Thanks."

"And, I have to say, that ring you bought for her, that's gotta be the most expensive looking stone I've ever seen, where'd you buy it?"

"Oh, uh, I know a friend who knows a friend."

"How did you afford it?"

"...Worked some odd jobs during the summer and saved some cash."

"I bet that's going to give you some certain privileges at some point in the future," he commented, winking at his already embarrassed son. "But, if you needed some money, all you had to do was call home and I'd have loaned some, I got no problem helping out."

"No, no, that's fine, dad, me and Moka will manage."

"No, it's fine, really it is. What with me being promoted to vice president and all, I feel like I can honestly say we're financially secured enough to set you two up."

"You were promoted to vice president?" Tsukune asked.

"Yep, just happened today. Some new company bought the place I worked at all of a sudden and, instead of laying me off, the Chairwoman offers to keep me on as vice president; imagine that!"

"Yeah."

"I wanted to tell you guys, but what with your big announcement and all, I didn't want to rob you of the spotlight."

"Okay, thanks dad."

"So, good news all around, eh? Anyway, I want you to know that you can rely on us for finances. Or, do you have other plans, I mean have you already thought about how you plan on supporting the two of you?"

"Yeah, dad, actually Moka's dad has already set me up in one of his firms, he's grooming me to one day take over the family business."

"Really? How'd you managed that?"

"Well..."

Tsukune couldn't exactly tell him about the violent encounter with Lord Shuzen and how he almost died, he had to think of something.

"...We just...sat down, looked each other in the eye, told him I wanted to marry his daughter and he liked the cut of my jib, so...I guess I impressed the guy. So, you don't need to worry, I've got everything taken care of for the two of us."

Koji smiled, a smile of a father seeing his son as a man for the very first time.

"You really do have control of everything, don't you son? I'm happy for you, for the both of you, but especially of you, Tsukune. You truly have grown up since I sent you off to that academy all those years ago, I know I've said that already and I don't wanna become some broken record going on about my feelings like your mother, but you make me proud son, seeing you like this now, I really mean that."

"Thanks dad," he responded, blushing.

"Dear, is everything alright down there?" His mom called down.

"Everything's fine!" His father responded. "Hey, so I better go up and run interference with your mother, before she comes back down, again. I'll give you guys some privacy, just don't do anything I wouldn't, get me?"

"I...got you, dad."

"Goodnight you two," he said and disappeared back upstairs where they could hear him trying to coax Mrs. Aono back into bed.

"Um, sorry about that," Tsukune said.

"It's okay."

"I guess the mood is ruined, huh?"

Moka could hear his parents arguing upstairs and lamented on how they would not have any intimacy tonight.

"Yeah," she said.

"I'm sorry, this evening was a mistake, I probably shouldn't have mentioned anything to them about us and now that they know, there's nothing I can think of to keep them away."

"No, it's okay, really," she said to him. "Your parents love you, it shows."

"Yeah," he chuckled.

"Let's just forget about it and try to enjoy ourselves, okay?"

**I still cannot believe you are going along with this? **Inner Moka asked. **Pandering to these fools.**

_I don't want him to back out!_

**He won't back out, he's committed to us. You doing this will only delay the inevitable.**

_Look, I'll...I'll tell him, I'll tell him when the time is right, just not right now, okay?_

"Is everything okay, Moka?"

"Hm? Oh, oh yes," she replied and leaned into him deeply, caressing her head against his warm chest, the feeling of which caused him to blush as the two laid into each other's embrace. "Let me cuddle with you instead, I'm tired anyway."

"Sure thing, Moka," he said after the two shared a strong, tender kiss. "I love..."

"Goodnight, you two!" Kazumi called down.

"Goodnight!" Moka and Tsukune said in unison. "…I love you, Moka."

With eyes already closed, Moka smiled happily at the sound of us his hushed voice whispering those words to her as sleep began to take over.

"I know, Tsukune," she whispered in response.

xxx

"…I love you too, Tsukune," she whispered in response, but suddenly wakes up and realizes that she experienced was only a dream, awakening instead to find her dank prison cell and dusty floor to be all too real. Still half asleep, she finds herself lying on her cot in the middle of the night, cold and hungry. The dream she had was a strange one, however. A dream that seemed just as real as the place she was in, one in where she was in bed next to Tsukune at his parents' home. She swore she could feel him against her body, smell him, his very scent on the tip of his tongue like a rich flavor, and feel the sensation of her nails digging into the fabric of his night shirt.

"It couldn't have been a dream, it couldn't," she said to herself.

There was no response from her rosario pendant, theorizing that even her innerself required sleep, which was depressing as she was the only company she had and Moka desperately needed companionship, especially now. Despondent and without any answers, she had no choice but to go back to sleep herself and cope with the gloomy situation.

"I love you too, Tsukune," she said sadly and drifted off to sleep, the only thing she could do to get away from here.

A couple more days of endless solitude and restless nights had passed for the young woman. Moka had learned to watch what she ate, worried that her food may be drugged again and didn't want to be rendered helpless, but despite all of her efforts Ria had somehow gotten her way as Moka, once again found herself waking from a deep sleep, this time painfully strapped to a wooden chair in a cavernous room. The leather straps were squeezed tightly about her wrists and ankles, nearly cutting off circulation and binding her uncomfortably to the hardwood chair she was in. She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there, but it must've been for a while because her butt was already starting to turn numb. Moka struggled to break free, rocking the chair back and forth, throwing her hair wildly as she tried to move just one limb, but to no avail

"Hello!" She cried out. "Sister? RIAAAAA!"

"Oh me, oh my, would you calm little sis," came her voice from behind. "No need to fly off the handle."

There was something different in Ria's voice, Moka could tell, an air of accomplishment and satisfaction, as if she had succeeded with something, or someone, and wanted to rub it in her face.

"Ria, what is going on? What're you going to do to me, now? Torture me? D-Do your worse, you won't get a scream out of me this time!"

"Oh me, oh my, you got me all wrong, dear sister," Ria confidently replied.

Ria stuck her smug face in front of Moka, revealing herself for the first time in days and Moka could see that her hair was partially unkempt, face flushed, and there emitted from the woman an odor, an odor that seemed so unmistakable and was too painful to admit, but was hard to ignore; she could smell Tsukune's scent all over her, mixed in with the pungent smell of sex.

"Pardon my appearance," Ria said. "I just got back from a brief rendezvous."

"W-Wha-why do you smell like..?" Moka stammered.

"Oh, but I'm getting to that, just be a _little_ patient, okay?"

Moka watched as her older sister sets up a projection screen in front of her, then disappears behind her where she could hear Ria setting up some equipment.

"You know, sister dear, I was really annoyed by your boy toy's rejection of me, I really was," Ria commented. "You can imagine my anger when the simple-minded fool actually survived against father and became his heir, and yet even I had to admit there was something about him I just could not get enough of. You see, no man has turned me down, much less lived to even regret it, I am a woman who is accustomed to getting what she wants and what I wanted was to fuck your handsome, blood bank of a fiance of yours, as is my right to. But, I realized that perhaps I was going about it the wrong way, maybe what it required was a more 'subtle' approach.

**Tsukune had better not, **Inner Moka threatened.

"W-What did you do?" Moka asked, close to crying at the thought that she might've finally gotten to Tsukune.

"Oh me, oh my, it isn't so much what I did, but what _you_ allowed me to do."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, just that you, in a show of sisterly bonding, allowed me to bang your boyfriend without any conditions."

"What?" Moka asked, unsure if she had heard her right.

"Oh yes, it's true, sister dear and I want to thank you from the bottom of your heart."

"I would never give him to you, ever!"

"Oh me, oh my, are we ever the slow one. Not you, sister dear, but the other you; remember, your evil twin sister who's currently with your man, who can't seem to tell the difference. As it turns out, she's also the more generous one, too."

"What did you do, sister? What did you get her to do?"

"Oh me, oh my, I thought you'd never ask!" She replied with almost a hint of excitement in her voice. "Well, I guess it all started a couple of days ago, while dear brother Aono and 'you' were visiting his..._human _family."

Moka wasn't slow to catch on, to hear the sudden revelation thrown out there made her blood turn to ice at the thought that her closely guarded secret was somehow exposed.

"W-What?" Moka whispered.

"That's right, sister, I know everything," Ria taunted like a little school girl. "Tsukune Aono is human or at least was human before you turned him."

**How? **Inner Moka wondered. **No one else, but the girls knew of this! So, how did she find out about him!**

"You gave a human boy your blood, the great shinso blood passed down from your mother, it's a wonder the poor boy didn't die. Imagine father's face when he hears..."

"Ria, please...I'm begging you, whatever you have against me then take it out on me, just please leave him out of this."

"Such compassion. You really do love him, don't you?"

Moka nodded, trying to hold back the fear and emotions.

"And, you would do anything, _anything_ to keep him safe, including keeping his human identity a secret, correct?"

"Y-Yes, anything you ask."

"Well, that's funny because, that's the very same proposition I made with your double. Like to hear it, it's an interesting story?"

**Two days ago.**

"Geez, my mom is really making a fuss," Tsukune said to Moka. "First she makes this huge breakfast for us and now she's baking brownies! I wish she'd take it easy."

"Hm, but she's excited about everything, so we can't blame her," she replied.

"Guess you're right."

After an otherwise uneventful night and a very lively morning from the ever busy Ms. Aono, Moka and Tsukune spent much of the afternoon watching TV in the living room. They had just come back from a stroll around the neighborhood, looking at all the houses and talking about where they're going to live and all, with Tsukune wanting to live in a nice, quiet neighborhood like where he grew up, whereas Moka suddenly balked at the idea and preferred a large castle like atmosphere, cold and isolated. Tsukune was a little surprised that she would propose something like that, and live so aloof from everyone else, and the discussion quickly plagued what was otherwise a peaceful afternoon as neither could see eye to eye on it; it should've been a warning to Tsukune. However, as things drifted towards children, Moka graciously decided to just drop it and focus on the walk.

"What's wrong?" Moka asked, noticing how lost in thought he is.

"Hm? Or, its nothing."

"You can talk to me, what's the matter?"

"Just thinking about our conversation earlier, that's all."

"Tsukune, you needn't worry about it, let's just forget it, please."

"I just want to know what's really bothering you, that's all?"

"Bothering you? What would make you say that?"

"Well, when I brought up about living in a neighborhood like this you were so put off by the idea. Do you hate it out here?"

"What, no!"

"Because, if you do, then we'll leave and I'll set us up at a hotel somewhere, though it'll have to be a cheap one, because I don't have a lot of money."

"It's not that at all. It's just that, you were named heir, that came with status and I don't think a neighborhood is very befitting us. I have nothing against living near humans."

"Have nothing against living near humans?" He asked, puzzled. "Moka, I never said it had anything to do with that, I just thought you didn't like living here."

"Oh yes, that's what I meant," she said as she tried to hide the slip up. "

"Really?"

"Yes Tsukune, you worry too much, you make a fuss almost like your mom," Moka giggled.

"I guess I do," he laughed.

"And what's so funny?" Kyoko asked, barging in the room with a basket full of freshly cleaned clothes. "Don't mind me, Tsuki & Moki, I was just passing through."

"Moki?" Moka asked.

"Yeah, since you're going to be family then I'll have to give you a nickname, just like my little Tsuki!" She responds by pinching his cheeks.

"Alright, stop! Don't give her any nicknames, please the one you gave me stopped being cute ten years ago."

"Ahh, you like it when I call you that, admit it!"

Moka laughed as Tsukune's face turned red.

"What are you doing, anyway?" He asked.

"Helping Kazumi with your things."

"Kyoko, you guys aren't maids, me and Moka can take of our own stuff."

"Tsuki, Moka is our guest and you're the man of honor around here, it's the least we can do."

"Thank you, Kyoko," said Moka, "but I hope it's no trouble, I wouldn't want to be a bother to you."

"No, it's no trouble, really! I'm just glad you agreed to look after Tsuki here when school's over, but if you ever need help, and trust me as messy as Tsuki is you will..."

"Hey!" He protests.

"Call me up and I'll help or we can just hang out."

"Uh, thanks," Moka said with some mild reservation.

Just then doorbell rang and Ms. Aono, in her busied state of mind, hurriedly rushed to get it.

"Okay!" She called.

"I could've gotten it, you didn't have to drop what you're doing!" Kiyoko yelled. "Anyway, like I was saying, you..."

But, Kyoko was cut off by Ms. Aono's startled scream and all three ran to find her on the floor, staring in awe at the opened door with whoever had spooked her standing there.

"Mom, what's the matter?" Tsukune asked.

"Are you okay, mother?" Moka asked.

"Why'd you scream like that?"

"Th-There's an extemely attractive woman here to see you!"

"Huh?" Tsukune asked.

With a shaky finger, she points to the door and everyone stared with their mouths opened in shock at the stunning, but totally unexpected figure standing in the doorway.

"Oh me, oh my, I hope I hadn't spooked your mother too much, Tsukune," said the guest.

"R-Ria!" Tsukune stammered.

"Sister, why are you here?" Moka asked, equally shocked and dismayed.

Mrs. Aono looked at her guest in surprise. "Y-You're Moka's sister?"

Ria nodded politely. "Oh me, oh my I certainly am. I am her big sister, Ria Sekitan, and it's a pleasure to finally meet the Aono household."

Mrs. Aono steadily stood up and gave a welcoming bow.

"It's pleasure to meet you," she says to the vampire. "Please, come in, come in, any relative of Moka's is welcome in our humble home."

"Well, it...certainly is humble," Ria flat out replied as she glanced about the place.

"Eh?" Mrs. Aono asked, looking at her questioningly.

"Mom, could you make us some tea and maybe some cookies?" Tsukune asked. "I think Moka and I would like to talk to Ria alone for a bit."

"I would like that brother dear."

"Brother?" Kyoko asked in surprise.

Ria turned to the woman. "Oh? He hasn't told you about how my father has welcomed him into the family? Even though there's been no wedding yet, he already sees Tsukune as a son and of course I think of him as my very own, handsome brother."

"Well how lovely!" Mrs. Aono replied. "Tsukune why didn't you tell me you'd grown so close to Moka's family?"

"It must have slipped my mind," Tsukune murmured.

"You're so naughty Tsukune, forgetting something like that." Ria teased with a sinister sparkle in her dark eyes. "I haven't forgotten about you brother dear, oh no not for a moment."

"Well, you two show our guest around the house while I get tea going," Mrs. Aono ordered. "Kyoko, come help set the table for me, I am just swamped in the kitchen."

"Don't strain yourself on my account!" Ria called after her with a hint of smug disdain in her voice.

"So, you're a vampire too?" Kyoko whispered, looking her up and down like she was something strange and untrustworthy.

"...And, you must be Tsukune's cousin, Kyoko, am I right?" She asked her.

"How did you know that?" Moka asked. "How'd you even..."

Ria only smiled fiendishly, her fangs partially revealed and chilling Kyoko's blood.

"Kyoko, go stay in the kitchen with mom," he told her as he grabbed Ria by the wrist and lead her to his room. "And stay there until its safe!"

Moka followed after them while his cousin looked up the stairs, worried about Tsukune.

XXX

Moka tried to fidget with her restraints while she listened to Ria's story, all the while hearing her moving some kind of equipment in the dark.

"As you can imagine, my entrance might have seemed a bit distressing for your sister and fiance, not like it wasn't distressing for me setting foot in that dingy, shabby little shack for a home; ugh! I can still feel its human presence all over me, it'll be a week of baths before I'm back to normal. Anyway, after Tsukune literally dragged me to his quaint room, which was the highlight of my day being roughly handled by such a strong man, I may have flirted with him a little before getting down to business."

XXX

"So this is your bedroom?" Ria asked as she playfully lays on his bed. "It's rather bland, but not too bad considering it belonged to a human. Mmmm, and it's quite comfy with your scent all over it, care to join me, brother dear?"

"Don't be disgusting!" Moka hissed furiously.

"What are you doing here Ria?" Tsukune asked. "How'd you find out where I lived?"

"I make it my business to know, brother dear," she said with a dangerous smile on her face. "Besides, is it so wrong for me to come and visit my new extended family?"

Still lying on his bed she propped herself up with her elbows and crossed her legs over, giving him a good view of her shapely, black stocking legs. "You know brother dear, when we first met I wondered why you cared so much for the humans. Now of course it's obvious, being a former rat yourself it's only natural that you would sympathize with your fellow vermin."

Tsukune and Moka shared a nervous look.

"However," she continued, "I don't care, in my eyes you are a vampire now. What you were before doesn't matter. Father, on the other hand is a bit 'old fashioned' about these sorts of things. If he were to find out the truth he would be insulted. He might take out his anger on you…and your whole family."

"Are you threatening me?" Tsukune said angrily, but Moka placed a restraining hand on his arm.

"Don't be like that, brother, you make it sound like I have your entire family under a noose, when so far I've already done much more for them than you can imagine."

The confused look on his eyes was just too much for the seductress to ignore as muffled laugh came out in a short giggle.

"Oh brother, dear why don't you go ask dear daddy all that I've done out of the bottom of my heart," she gloated.

His confused eyes soon broadened with surprise and then chilled over with horror as he caught on to what she meant.

"You…you're the one who bought my father's company?"

"Yes, a few acquisitions here, some stocks there, it was really a bloodless take over, that small business your father worked for wasn't much to look at, but I wanted it and I got it and, well in the interest of good relations between families, I went and named your father vice president; you should've seen the look on that little man's face!"

"Why? My family has nothing to do with this, just leave them alone!"

"Tsukune, you're my brother, now and soon to be heir. I wouldn't do anything to your loved ones, my gesture was simply to prove to you that I have your best interests at heart, brother."

She places both hands over sizeable bosom, straining against the fabric of her black dress as she looks up at him with saddened and concerned eyes that were as empty what laid underneath her chest.

"You must believe me Tsukune, I want what's best for you. If father were to find out the way I did about your background…that's why I did what did, to keep a closer eye on your family and make sure they remained safe."

"What do you want sister?" Moka flat out asked, not believing a single word out of her mouth, as convincing and sincere it sounded. "You're not doing this to help us, obviously you're after something else."

At first she seemed shocked and then a little hurt, but slowly all that ebbed into an evil smile that sank Tsukune's heart into new depths of fear.

"Tell us," he quietly demanded. "What do you want?"

"Oh me, oh my you got me. Actually, I do want something in return for keeping Tsukune's little secret." Rin said with a wicked grin, looking directly at him and slowly licking her lips. "I want to share."

Moka gasped and turned paled, while Tsukune seemed a little confused at the odd request.

"I don't understand," he said, but then warily asked. "Share what?"

"You," Ria said sweetly.

XXX

"You're so full of it, sister!" Moka yelled in defiance. "I don't care who or what this person you used to replace me is, but if she is anything at all like me, then she would never agree to share him with anyone, least of all with you!"

"Oh me, oh my, sister dear, but it is you who are full of it. Full of so much pathetic self-delusion that you gag on in your throat! But, if you don't believe me, then listen for yourself."

Ria casually waltzed over to where she sat, sticks a tape recorder in her face and played it. To her ears, she could hear the conversation Ria had described, could hear her own voice speaking, and what Moka heard coming out of _her _own mouth shocked the girl.

"Very well," she heard her say in a hushed, barely audible tone.

**WHAT! **Inner Moka cried out from the rosario, voicing Outer Moka's own silent shock.

"Oh goody!" Ria responded. "Then come along, Tsukune, I have a nicer place than this that we can spend."

"M-Moka!" Tsukune yelled. "What the hell are you saying? Is this really what you want?"

"I hate it more than you do, Tsukune," Moka responded. "But, if we don't comply with my sister's demands, there's no telling what she might do, she may even tell father everything and you and your family will be put in danger, and I can't live with that!"

"But, Moka..."

"You heard her, brother dear, let's get going."

"...Tsukune, please do this for me, if for no one else, then do it for me," Moka sadly pleaded. "And, try to understand, this is all I know what to do."

"...Okay," he replied. "But, I won't enjoy any moment of it, Ria!"

"Fine, whatever, now let's get going, honey, the sooner we leave this hovel, the sooner we can get out of these infested clothes and into something more 'appealing'."

As Ria began dragging Tsukune from the room, he could see a solemn Moka standing there alone in his room, watching helplessly as he is lead away from her, shame in her eyes at the choice she had made for the both of them.

Downstairs, Kazumi had just finished brewing the tea while Kyoko was putting a tray of cookies in the oven when they saw Ria and Tsukune enter the kitchen. Kyoko was the first to notice how pale and nervous Tsukune seemed, whereas Ria appeared to be in fine spirits. She had a hold of his arm in a loving embrace as she happily led him downstairs like love struck school girl. Kazumi thought it very sweet that Moka's sister was being so affectionate towards him, unaware of what had just taken place.

"It seems you two are getting along well," Mrs. Aono commented. "I hope you've made yourself comfortable, we would like to have one of Moka's family over as a guest."

"I thank you for inviting me into your…plain and ordinary home," Ria said. "But I need to go; I hope you don't mind if I borrow my brother for the night? I promise to return him after I'm done."

Tsukune seemed to grow even paler.

"You're leaving with her?" Kyoko asked him, to which he silently nodded.

"Oh, so you and Moka are already leaving?" Kazumi asked her son.

"Oh me, oh my, no. My sister will remain behind, I only wish to bring your son along."

Kyoko stared at the two of them, suspiciously.

"Do you really have to leave so soon, I was looking forward to getting to know you," said Kazumi.

"Oh me, oh my that's no problem at all! I already know so much about you and your humble family, and I intend to see lots of your son! In fact I've reserved a hotel suite in town for the next few weeks."

"So, you're taking my Tsuki to a hotel for the night?" Kyoko asked, curiously.

"Tsuki?" Ria mused. "Yes, there are some things I need him to do for me, and it requires some privacy doing it."

"Are you really okay with leaving your fiance here while you're out for the night?" Kazumi asked him.

He stared up at his mom, wanting desperately to cry out what he's feeling, the dilemma facing him and like a child hoping that she'd put some kind of stop to this, but realized that there was very little she or his cousin could do about it and simply nodded.

"Yeah, it's okay mom," he said softly. "Moka is cool with it."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure we could make room for you to stay right here," Kyoko insisted.

Ria laughed at the thought of that. "No, I think I'd be better served staying at a hotel. As I said, it provides much more room and privacy. But, I'd like very much to get to know more about you and your husband, so why don't I return with Tsukune tomorrow morning and we can all have breakfast together at a nice restaurant, it will be my treat."

"Oh dear, there's no need for you to pay, why don't I make breakfast and we can all eat together here."

Ria eyed the kitchen and table with a critical eye, but nodded. "That would be quite… interesting. I look forward to it. Well, we had best be leaving now," she said, pulling at his arm. "Come Tsukune."

Tsukune was escorted out by his conniving sister-in-law, glancing over his shoulder as if wanting to say something to his mother and cousin, but the words remained stuck as he is led away to an awaiting, black limo.

XXX

"Oh me, oh my dear sister, you were so accommodating to answer a vampire's needs, like a true daughter of Lord Shuzen. I was afraid you or rather your twin, after being cooped up in that laboratory for all these years, would've forgotten that which sets us apart from those flawed, mortal humans. Unfortunately, your darling Tsukune still needed to become acquainted and I was willing to help."

Moka's shock was soon interrupted by a loud click of a switch and the bright glare of white light as the projection screen lit up before her.

"After that _humiliating_ incident in the limo, I decided to not take any chances," Ria commented. "So, I decided to record our session first, rather than do it by live feed, but I wanted to make sure see every minute of how I claimed your man."

XXX

The ride was unbearable to Tsukune, all the while he kept thinking on jumping out and taking his chances, but worried about what she might do to his family afterwards. True to her word, Ria had reserved a fancy suite at an expensive hotel, a suite that was far larger than Tsukune's home. As soon as they had entered Ria had eagerly taken his hand and led him into a massive, plush bedroom and upon seeing the large bed they would be sharing, Tsukune swallowed fearfully. Ria, on the other hand didn't waste any time getting down to business, as she slowly advanced towards him, she began stripping little by little down to her lacy underwear before his nervous eyes, all the while eyeing him like a piece of well-done meat.

"Ria," he pleaded, "you don't want to do this."

"I don't?" Ria asked, looking up at him curiously and tilting her head to the side like a confused puppy.

"No," he said. "Look, this isn't about you and me, this isn't about what happened that day in the limo, this is really between you and Moka. I know you two have some...issues and you harbor a lot of hard feelings toward each other. But, in the end, you're still sisters, and I am sure that deep down you don't want to hurt her like this, what you really want is to make peace so that you two can finally get along like real sisters should; I know that's how you feel."

Ria just stood there and stared at him for what seemed like the longest time to him, before quietly asking in an almost innocent sounding voice:

"Do you really believe that, Tsukune?"

"I do," he replied.

After a lengthy pause, she began to smile, so sweet and encouraging that put his nerves back at ease, convinced that he had finally reached her. But, then that smile continued spreading wider and wider, the lips parted revealing fanged teeth as she puts her head back and roared with a cold, mocking laughter.

"Hah! Hah! Oh, but you're so cute when you're being all trusting and wide eyed, like a little forest animal! Oh me, oh my I think I could eat you right _up_! In fact…" with both hands she grabbed him and threw him roughly onto the bed. She then grabbed her rosario and flung it across the room as demonic power quickly engulfed everything around them. Tsukune tried to reach for his, but with lightning speed Ria had already climbed on top of him and pinned him to the bed by the wrists. Still in his human form, Tsukune felt powerless to fight back and could do nothing, but look up into her cruel, savage red eyes; he felt real fear, the same fear any human would feel when faced with a hungry vampire.

He didn't want this; For these last few weeks, Tsukune had high hopes that he would one day lose his virginity with Moka, yet never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine being violently raped, an act which was cruel to women, but was even worse for a guy.

"Whatever you do, I'm still going to love Moka."

"Oh me, oh my," she laughed, "it's not your heart I want, silly! But let me make something clear to you, brother dear..."

A heartless grin exposed her fangs as she leaned down to place her mouth by his throat and literally inhaled the blood that was rapidly pounding in his veins. "...this and a lot more, I am making you mine tonight."

"Ria, for the love of god, would you listen to me, we can talk it out, you don't have to do this!"

Then Ria whispered in his ear in a playful, almost girlish voice: "Oh, I'm afraid god isn't here tonight, it's just you...and me."

And with that, Ria bites down hard on his neck, causing him to cry out in agonizing pain, which only gave her even more pleasure as she continued to make Tsukune hers all before Moka's horrified eyes and ears to behold.

"As you can see, darling Aono was _hesitant _at first, which made the experience all the more enjoyable for me; there's nothing more enticing than prey that likes to struggle and struggle he did, sister, he did."

Moka bore witness to hours of her sister literally raping the man she loved, watched him being fucked again and again, saw Ria chain him to a bed and perform various forms of perverse tortures, and with HD clarity that allowed her to hear every pained gasp, every plea that escaped his throat, all greeted by cruel dialogue that seemed to chip away at Tsukune's resolve. She couldn't watch, she tried to shut it out, pretend this wasn't happening.

How could this have happened? How could _she _have allowed it, it baffled her stressed out mind.

"I hope you are watching this, sister dear," she heard Ria say. "Because if you're not, then I'll just have to staple your eyelids open! Now, we're coming to best part."

Feeling helpless to do anything about it, Moka reluctantly opened her eyes and continued watching more of this sick porno Ria had made.

"Oh my, I have fucked many men over the years, but I have to say your Tsukune was the best, made more so not just his determination to fight me, but that yummy blood that you're so fond of, oh I had a lot of it that night, nearly gorged myself and yet he continued to proclaim his love for you. But, all too soon his resolve began to show signs of letting up, of fraying, like all men do when sex is in the picture and eventually he started to _embrace_ all that I had to offer a man."

"Just admit it," she heard Ria say to him in a breathy tone, "just admit you like it, you like fucking me."

"No," he said through gritted teeth, but his dick was red and hard.

"Liar," she whispered, "your mouth says no, but your cock...says something completely different. The body wants what the body wants, am I right?"

Moka watched her lick the entire length of his nude body, her wet and sticky tongue going over all of the burn and scratch marks that lined his sweaty chest, tickling his belly and parting the pubic hair to get to his penis, the sensation of which caused his hips to rise involuntarily. Moka's nails dug deeply into the chair, so much so that even with her powers in check she could've shredded the arm.

"Do you want me to stop?" Ria teasingly asked Tsukune as she titty fucked his penis.

"Ye...yes," he barely whispered.

"Oh me, oh my that didn't sound too convincing," she said with a throaty laugh. "Who are you lying for? Moka isn't here, so are you lying for me or for yourself?"

She squeezed her large breasts together and rubbed them up and down his cock in a relaxing fashion.

**Tsukune, **Inner Moka muttered.

"I...I...," he stammered.

"Mmm, what's wrong, brother dear?" She asked, rubbing against him even faster. "Not sure?"

"..."

Moka saw her sister lick the top of his penis teasingly, watching him growing more and more excited.

"Do you like it slower or faster?"

"..."

"What was that, brother dear, I didn't quite hear you?"

"Fa-faster," he said.

"STOP IT!" Moka yelled. "STOP IT! Please, I can't watch anymore, just stop it!"

But, her words fell on deaf ears as the spectacle continued playing.

"Then say, 'please titty fuck me faster, Ria,'."

"P-Ple-_Pleeease_...titty fuck me faster...Ria!" Moka heard him say.

Tsukune's request and Ria's satisfied gasps made the moment even more unbearable for Moka to endure.

"What's the matter, sister dear? You should be pleased, I just test drove your fiance for you, at least now you'll know he can perform in bed, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!"

Moka was on the verge of tears while she remained trapped in this nightmare, and yet at the same time she worked on her restraints to free herself. Moka wanted, above all else to rip her sister apart for this, but knew she was no match even while Ria's powers were in check; at the very least she could try to escape from here and get back to Tsukune and everyone else.

"And, you want to know the best part was?" Ria asked, brazenly coming over and leaning into her face. "When it was all said and done, he loved every minute of it. Oh, he didn't say it right away, but then again a man's body speaks for itself."

Moka remained silent and tight lipped, her breathing quickening, her focus hardened toward something other than the show she was watching, as every muscle in her body suddenly tensed up.

"Was there something you'd like to say to me, my dear sister?" Ria asked.

"Yeah," Moka whispered, staring straight into Ria's mocking face with enflamed green eyes that nearly caught her by surprise. "Know your place."

In an instant, the moment Moka was able to free her right hand, she reaches up and rakes her nails across Ria's face, temporarily blinding her in the process. She knew she should've waited for Ria to turn away and then remove the other restraints to escape, but her sister angered Moka to such an extent that all that mattered was inflicting as much pain on _her_ as she had done.

"Ohhh, you little bitch." Ria growled in a low, menacing tone. "Every bit as vindictive like a true vampire, you truly are a dear sister of mine."

Moka figured she had scratched her deeply as Ria had doubled over, holding the right side of her face and growling like an angry cat, but it was more out of surprise than pain as Ria got up, removed her hand covering the three small scratch marks on her cheek and simply stared down at the blood, _her _blood, on her finger tips.

"Did you know how long it's been since I've seen my own blood?" She asked, almost to herself. "However, none of my adversaries have had the gaul to go for my face. Now, what shall be the answer to that, my dear little sis?"

In a move that was more sudden than her own, Moka was sent flying in the air, chair and all by a swift back hand to the face and crashed against a far wall where she collapsed in a heap of splintered wood from the demolished chair. The recording continued playing, the sounds of sex filtering the air as the room spun dizzingly around her, pulse pounding pain throbbing every inch of her, and a head ringing with a sheering white noise. She could swear she heard Inner Moka calling out to her from the rosario, but at the moment was unaware of anything that was going on, except for a looming shadow that approached menacingly toward where she laid.

"It amazes me just how much fight you still have after all this time," Ria said to her.

She casually raises a stiletto heeled foot and steps on the back of Moka's right hand, gradually applying pressure as she puts her whole weight on it. Moka squealed in pain, with blood starting to spurt out of her hand and tried in vain to remove the foot, but Ria held firm and she laid there in agony for what seemed like a life time, with Ria taking her time at the added torture that brought further joy, adding one more grueling ingredient to this maddening experience for Moka.

"Sister, please!" She managed to gurgle.

"What was that, sister dear, I didn't quite catch that," Ria gloated.

"...FUCK YOU!"

"Oh me, oh my," Ria gasped, mockingly. "That was _so_ uncalled for, beloved sister. Why, I thought I'd never live to see the day where I would ever hear that from you and after everything I've done for you. What would your mother say if she heard you talking like that? What would your beloved man, who went on about how the two of us should get along and be happy sisters together, say? Oh! I almost forgot, after today he's _my_ beloved."

With a burst of her original strength coming forward, Moka manages to dislodge Ria's foot and with a yell, lunges at her.

"Know your place!" Ria yells, kicking Moka hard in the face and sending her crashing into the wall, knocking her out cold.

By the time Moka awakens, she's back in her cell, hurt and alone once again. As she struggles to sit up the tears came out fast and painful, those emotions she has tried to hold back since coming here in an attempt to remain calm, hoping that rescue would come soon, finally emerge in raging torrents.

**Stop that! **Inner Moka roared. **Don't let them see how weak you are, you want them to think that we're broken? So what if Tsukune fucked our sister, we don't need him, we don't need anyone! We'll remain stubborn for as long as it takes! Do you hear me?**

But, Outer Moka didn't hear, she couldn't hear anyone or anything, only the sobs that came uncontrollably with the tears as a depressing realization came over.

"...Hell," she sobbed in the darkness. "I'm in hell!"

A week had passed since that terrible moment, and Moka, the "real" Moka, still rotted away in her dank cell, uncertain of what was going on outside and began to feel as though she was going mad. She had heard nothing about her friends, much less Tsukune since that horrible home movie, and it seemed increasingly obvious Ria's best torture to inflict on her were the increasing periods of isolation, which were taking its toll as Moka refused to move or eat, being made to use bathroom in the corner like an animal or forced to sleep on the cold floor in a stinky atmosphere.

**Hold yourself together, **Inner Moka would constantly coach, but then again she was the only contact she had; it felt sad that her only companion was herself.

Patience was never the strength of either version of Moka and Outer Moka could tell it was taking a toll on Inner Moka as well, but her pride would not allow herself to admit defeat, not even at the fear of death itself. However, just as she thought things couldn't possibly get any worse, another Fairy Tale goon paid her a visit, with yet another shikigami to cast a projection for her and Moka wondered with utter dread what Ria was up to this time.

**What is that slut doing now? What more is she planning?**

The image revealed itself to be an empty corporate office in a skyrise building with the exception of two figures she could make out, her sister Ria, dressed in a tight fitting, long business skirt who sat casually ontop of a desk, and Tsukune, who appeared visibly upset for some reason and it grabbed her attention with earnest.

"Well, this is an unexpected pleasure brother dear," she said to him, "I hadn't thought I'd get to see you again until after your graduation. Has my dear sister come with you?"

He didn't respond, but Ria could clearly see he was alone and that invited a very pleased grin from her.

"Aww, have you finally gotten bored with her? Have you come for some of my 'special attention'?"

"Shut up," he growled, a tone Moka had never heard come from him before, as he took slow, menacing steps toward her. "I came here because of my father. He told me everything, everything you two did!

"Did he?" Ria inquired, raising a black eyebrow. "And, what exactly did he say we did together?

"Don't play dumb, I'm not going to give you the pleasure of spelling it out for you. And, now he's afraid that if it ever got out it'll destroy our family and ruin things between me and Moka and that's why he finally decided to tell me what was going on."

"Hmph, well that was surprisingly honest of him. I never would've expected it. He's so weak and average I never would have guessed he'd find the balls to come to you about our little affair. He's a very weak man you know."

"Don't talk about my father! You don't even know him!"

"Oh but I do brother dear," she teased. "I know him _very_ intimately."

She teasingly runs a hand slide slowly over her breasts, a gesture that became sickening to Moka, but one that became as clear as Ria's last statement.

_Koji_? Moka suddenly thought.

**His father? She had her way with his father? **Inner Moka asked, spelling out something that shocked even her, but a cruel laugh from their sister seemed to confirm it.

"Oh god," she muttered aloud.

"I think it's you who don't know him," Ria gloated. "What? Did he tell you I forced him into having sex with me? Oh no, not true at all. I admit I had to trick him at first and he did try to talk his way out of it for the next couple of dates, simply droning on about his family and what it would do to them. However, like you I've since broken him in and he's been quite willing to be my little bitch ever since. He absolutely enjoys our sessions. I don't mark him up too badly, having to go home to your mother and all, you'll be pleased to know I've been much more gentle with him then I was with you, but then again you were more exciting in bed than he is."

She lets out a loud and weary sigh before continuing: "He gives in too easily, I would've hoped he put up more of a resistance in bed."

Tsukune balled his fists tightly until the knuckles whitened, his face reddening with anger as he grew absolutely sick hearing all of this from her.

"What was he supposed to do, you led him to believe he took advantage of you and threatened to expose the affair if he didn't sleep with you."

"Yes I did, but do you really think he hated every second of it, getting to have sex with this body," she replied, slowly caressing her supple hips as though trying to tantalize Tsukune while making a point. "How much did he tell you? Did he mention how much he loves it when I'm on top?"

"Shut up!" He shouted and menacingly walked up to her. "Just stop talking about it! You can do _whatever _you want to me, but leave my familly out of this!"

She ignored him however, and continued talking as if it was no more trivial as asking about the weather or the latest gossip.

"Did he tell you how much he likes it when I suck on him? I'm quite skilled at fellatio, but then you know that already, don't you? I have to go slow or he comes up fast." She then lowered her voice and whispered softly as if sharing a tantalizing secret with him. "He's quite small down there you know, nothing at all like you. I swear you must get it from your mother's side of the family or something."

"SHUT UP!" He grabbed her by her roughly by the shoulders and began to squeeze with inhuman might. "Shut the hell up!"

She stopped and stared up into his eyes that were filled with rage, as fingers dug painfully into her arms and began to squeeze like a steel vice.

"You're hurting me," she told him.

By all logic she should be afraid, and even apart of Tsukune was surprised at how someone like her could push him to behaving this way, however the only thing Ria felt was a wet sensation forming between her legs, and it wasn't pee.

"Do more," she whispered, licking her lips in delight. "Yes, more!"

He shoved her away in utter revulsion.

"...You...you make me sick! Don't you have any shame at all?"

"Shame?" She asked with genuine confusion. "I have pride overflowing, what's shame got to do with it? My dear brother, we are vampires, powerful, immortal, the world is our playground and therefore we make the rules, so what do we need of shame? When you are entitled to take whatever you want there is never any reason to feel shame."

"You're not entitled to my father, you are not entitled to my family, they are off limits do you understand!"

"Oh but I do, honey," she told him in a serene and caring tone. "Still, I have to take my pleasures where I can. I've been ever so bored since you and little sister ran away back to school. I thought I might have some tinsy, winsy fun with your father until I could see you again, that's all."

"...Don't hand me that, you only used him to get to me," he told her accusingly.

"Well of course," she suddenly admitted. "That was part of the fun, it's about time you picked up on that. Every time I fucked him I secretly hoped you would show up unexpectedly and walk in on us."

She shut her eyes and began hugging herself, trying to contain the excitement of her perverse fantasy. "Thinking about that was the only way I could get off some times, with your father having that tiny penis if his."

Tsukune stared at her in stunned, horrified silence. This person, whom he once thought was kind and decent, the absolute antithesis of the violent and unpredictable nature he had come to expect of Moka's family, was now this monster, in every sense of the word, whose very nature was darker than night itself and treated all of the pain she inflicts as one big joke; she didn't care at all that he was on the verge of losing controll and was now engineering this nightmarish scenario in his and Moka's lives.

"I want you to leave Moka and my family alone. Don't ever talk to or come near us ever again."

She tilted her head slightly, her dark eyes glistening with amusement. "Or what brother dear? Tell me, what will you do?"

"Tsukune," Moka whispered, wishing she was there with him.

"...Or...Or I'll make you regret it," he said, placing a hand to the rosario chain at his wrist. Ria hardly seemed phased by the threat at all.

"I'm sorry? I didn't quite get what you meant by 'make me regret it', what exactly does that mean, brother dear? Regret, as in forcing me to continue having sex with your worthless, pencil dick of a father or...forcing me to have rough sex with your mom, I've done women before and since you take after her more, then..."

"It means I'll...I'll kill you!" He blurted out.

Since arriving at Yokai Academy and becoming a vampire, he's had to fight many adversaries, some of whom were as evil as they came, and endured countless injuries and suffered greatly, even coming close to dying, all just to protect the people he loved, but he had never once uttered those words nor had the desire to want to back them up til now. Still, he was ready to do what it took to protect his parents and Moka from this villain.

His words, however filled her with delight and she smiled radiantly. "Oh Tsukune, darling you have no idea how long I have waited to hear you say that to me!" She said with sadistic glee, putting both arms behind her back and playfully leaning forward as Tsukune looked on bewildered. "Do you really mean it? You? Kill me? Will you finally show me what you got and be violent with me? Do it then, I can hardly wait."

_Tsukune, don't. _Moka prayed. _You don't know what she's capable of, she enjoys inflicting pain! Please, stop!_

Clink.

Off came his rosario, letting it drop to the floor before he was instantly swallowed by his vampiric energy and transformed into a vampire. Now when he looked at her it was with red slitted eyes that glowed with an icy power, emanating with all of his hate and malice, humanless eyes that would've feeled any lesser creature with sheer terror. However, seeing them made Ria shiver, but with pure pleasure.

_Ah, I knew playing with Koji would lead to this! _ Ria thought._ All those mundane nights were well worth it!_

"I am not playing with you Ria," he spoke in a deeper, more intimidating voice. "I want you to agree to leave my family alone from now on or I really will kill you."

Clink, came Ria's response, having removed her rosario as Tsukune had done and in a short time, she too was transformed, a beautiful, but deadly monster that radiated desire along with an aura of raw power.

"Oh me, oh my it really has been too long Tsukune darling, so come brother dear, let's dance," She beckoned with a wave of her hand.

She'd finally pushed him past his limits, he couldn't forgive her for all she's done and with all his might, reared back a clenched fist and slammed it into her jaw. Ria made no effort to dodge or block it, just simply allowed his fist to connect and send her flying through the office walls. Wood and plaster filled the air like dust and through the newly made hole Tsukune saw she had crashed into the outer office, where expensive office equipment and supplies were smashed along with over a dozen cubicles before becoming buried under flimsy debris and equipment. It looked like a disaster zone, yet Tsukune looked at the wreckage while carefully stepping through and nodded to himself with grim satisfaction. Tsukune had fought trolls, orcs, golems and other frightening monsters and none of them ever would've got up if he hit them like that, and though he didn't like hitting a woman, not since his victory with Issa Shuzen had the young vampire felt this victorious. As Moka looked on, however, she knew that this was far from over as suddenly the pile of wreckage was tossed aside and up stood Ria, who casually brushes herself off and appeared completely unphased. She looked over at him and smiled.

"Done already? I'd have thought there was more, brother dear? Please don't disappoint me, I have waited so long for this. Let me feel it. Pour all of your rage and hate into me Tsukune darling."

Tsukune was shocked, he was certain that the punch alone had been more than enough.

She once more beckoned him with her finger. "Come on, show me that you care."

"Stop toying with me and take this seriously!"

He ran up to her and punched her again, and again she made no effort to dodge. More walls and desks were demolished as she went through them and this time Tsukune followed after to give her no chance to recover. Clearly, he felt one punch would not be enough. Before she could even land he was there delivering a lightning fast combination of hits with inhuman might. Left, right, uppercut, cross punches and finally simply tossing her through around like a rag doll. Plaster dust in the air caused him to cough, but he went through the destroyed building and continue the beating.

"Are you taking me seriously now, Ria?" He demanded.

He had sent her into the break room. There were bags of chips and snacks all over the floor surrounding a flipped over fridge and four smashed vending machines. Looking around, he saw no sign of Ria anywhere.

"Looking for me darling?" A feminine voice asked from behind.

He jumped about to see her nonchalantly standing there still smiling at him. Her dress was torn and stained in some areas, but otherwise she looked just fine, not at all like someone that had just taken a savage beating.

"Why Tsukune, gentle Tsukune, you have no idea how happy you've made me," she told him sweetly. "Our time apart has only increased your passionate feelings for me. I am glad."

"The only feelings I have for you are hate!" His fist lashed out aiming for her mouth, but this time though he failed to connect as he only swung at air where she once stood. She had stepped to her right, dodging him with ease.

"Love, hate, it's all the same. What counts is that you have these feelings for me and just the thought of you being consumed with only me, makes me so happy to know you care."

She lifted her long skirt, briefly exposing her shapely legs and black garters before she brings it up and kicks him through the wall. Desks and cheap cubicle walls broke as he landed and went tumbling. He cried out in pain as he finally landed on the side she'd kicked him where sudden sharp flashes of pain told him that ribs were broken, but felt it was nothing as he had experienced similar pain before and quickly scrambled to get back to his feet.

His blurred vision quickly saw two Rias striding towards him across the office floor, hands at their sides and looking neither hurried or concerned.

"This is the final proof you know," she told him pleasantly. "You never fought back before, this proves how much you truly care about me."

"You think my wanting to kill you is proof that I care?" He asked incredulously. He watched cautiously as she approached and slowly went into a fighting stance.

"No, the fact you want to hurt me is proof that you care. Killing someone is nothing, it's so impersonal most of the time," she said with a shrug. "But, to want to hurt me with your own bare hands counts."

As he watched she suddenly vanished, and in a blur he felt punches and kicks rain down on him from all directions. He could neither see nor sense them coming and had no hope of blocking or evading. Pretty soon, he could taste his own blood filling his mouth as he was knocked from one end of the floor to the other, each punch, each kick was like being hit by iron as he was being beaten to a bloody pulp with no chance fighting back. Before he knew it he was lying on the floor in a daze, his clothes torn apart and every part of him hurting. He couldn't understand it, he had fought monsters just as powerful if not more so than Ria and won, he even fought against her own father, so why was he losing now? Looking up he noticed Ria coming out of her office with something in her hand.

"Oh me, oh my, you seem confused. Why aren't you winning, I'm sure you're wondering."

"I've...I've just been going easy on you, that's all," he grunted in pain. "Maybe...maybe I just didn't want to hurt..."

"Hold that thought, brother dear, don't spoil the mood. I'm sure it's nice to think that way, being mighty vampire aono and all, it went without saying that you'd have some ego hidden underneath that humble exterior."

Tsukune had to admit, after all foes he fought and defeated a small part of him did grow cocky in thinking he was nigh invincible; this situation though proved to be vexing.

"I'm not done, yet," he grunted as he tried to get back up, despite the immense pain in his ribs, but a loud click had him frozen on the spot; though his field of vision was still spotty, it didn't take him long to figure out what it was.

"A gun?" He asked weakly. "Since when do vampires use guns?"

"Oh they're useful from time to time," she replied as she straddled over him, smiling and pointing a rather large gun square between his eyes. To him the thing looked like a cannon. "This is a Smith and Wesson Model 500, which fires a 50 caliber round and is thus the most powerful handgun available. If I pull this trigger there won't be much left of your head, and even for a vampire that's pretty bad."

Moka gripped the bars tightly, almost on the edge of her seat watching this, but strangely unable to speak. Not that it would've made much differenece given her current situation, she still mentally scolded herself for not saying something.

"Now then," Ria continued. "I would like an apology from you for acting all egotistical just now."

Despite the pain, he starts to sit up, glares up at her and responds through gritted teeth: "Go fuck yourself."

She shook her head sadly.

"Wrong answer Tsukune darling. Have a pleasant journey to hell."

She pulled the trigger, Tsukune stared wide eyed, and Moka closed hers, both expecting a loud bang.

Squirt.

Both Tsukune and Moka were startled at first, but as cool liquid drenched his face, it quickly dawned on him that her "gun" was nothing more than a prop.

"Gotcha," Ria said, trying hard to contain laughter while she twirled her gun.

"Oh no," Moka managed to mutter as she knew what had happened.

Tsukune felt a wave of relief sweep over him, but that wave soon became a burning sensation that soon turned into agonizing pain enveloping the whole of his face.

"Ahhhhh!" He cried. "It burns!"

He desperately wiped the burning liquid from his face, while Ria howled with laughter at his sudden pain.

"WATER!" He howled, burned face in his hands. "YOU SPRAYED ME WITH WATER!"

"Of course," she teased. "Oh come now did you really think I was going to kill you? You are under my father's protection after all, and you are also very precious to me, I certainly wouldn't kill you. However..."

Squirt, squirt, squirt.

"Ahhhhhh! Stop, It's like acid!"

"Hurting you is another matter altogether," she laughed. "And some people say I have no sense of humor."

She continued spraying him, gleefully aiming at him from every direction as he tried to shield himself.

"Stop this!" Moka finally yelled to the guard. "You gotta stop this, she's going to kill him!"

She firmly grabbed the man's jacket and nearly shook him while appealing to whatever sense of compassion he held.

"Look, you have got to let me out of here, I won't tell anyone you were involved, I'll reward you with money, anything just let out or get her to stop, please!"

"Pipe down, baby," he callously said, followed by a dirty, foul grin. "Besides, me and the guys have already gotten everything you have to offer, now shut your mouth and watch the show before I discipline ya."

Reviled and badly shakened, Moka reels away from him and felt helpless to do anything. When Ria had finally run out of water she tossed it aside and looked about the ruined office floor with slight disdain. "It'll be a few days getting everything fixed. That will be really inconvenient, to say nothing of the expense. But that's all right, you are worth it after all. Honestly, I haven't had this much fun since you and Moka ran off. It really is wonderful seeing you again."

Still defiant he tried to get up again, but with lightening speed Ria steps on his chest and pushes him back down hard, knocking the wind out of him.

"Now, now don't be greedy, save some for later, honey."

Coughing up blood he still tried to sit up, but weakened by the water, she had no trouble keeping him pinned to the floor.

"You...you think you've won," he stammered. "I have...fought some of the strongest monsters there ever lived and defeated them...especially Alucard and even your father...I'm tougher than you think."

"Oh, I'm sure you are, but sadly none too bright or did my sister, your beloved Moka, not tell you. Let me share a secret with you brother dear. Vampires, unlike humans, grow stronger with age. Why do you suppose we are goverened by Elder Vampires like my father? Because they are wise and thoughtful? No, no dear, it's because they are the most powerful among us. My father is over a thousand years old and is one of the most powerful beings walking this earth. I am over two hundred and eighty years old and would be considered an Elder, myself. Moka, being only 17, would be considered the baby of the family if not for Kokoa. While you on the other hand, have been a second born vampire for, how long? A little over a year? Think about it Tsukune."

"But,...you're wrong, I have been training with Moka," he told her defiantly. "And I've had more than my share of fights."

"Yes, I am sure among all the weaker trash at that school of yours you're an absolute terror. You are a vampire after all. But to me that's equivalent to saying you can beat the hell out of a whole bunch of five year olds. As for training with Moka," she gave a rude snort. "Really, why would that impress me?"

"Don't talk about her like that, she's the strongest woman I know!"

"Is that so?" Ria asked sweetly. "Could she beat the snot out of you like I just did? Back when you first met my darling sister Kahlua all those years ago, tell me if I'm wrong, but did the great Moka have a hard time defeating her in battle? I assure you, it wasn't out of love for her sister and she was simply holding back. Tell me this, have you ever known Kokoa to win a fight against her?"

Tsukune thought back on all of that, of how Moka was nearly beaten by Kahlua, but most importantly remembering how Kokoa would always fail to subdue Moka when she in her true form and to be told she would never be able to defeat her. As Moka watched she was again speechless; she had never before told him about any of this, always relying on the fact that she would never let him get into a pitched battle with an elder other than her father. Whether out of pride or sheer ignorance of both on her part, she simply could not let him know how much weaker she was to the older vampires.

"I...I don't understand," he babbled. "I defeated Alucard, and he was a shinso vampire, and then your father..."

"Don't kid yourself brother dear," she said. "Alucard is nothing more than a mess who can regenerate faster than we can cut off his tentacles, really it doesn't require an impressive amount of skill to subdue him. And, as for my father, you don't seriously believe you defeated him? You didn't, brother dear, you only won his respect, but that's all you accomplished, no second born vampire such as yourself could ever match him in strength, he knows it, I know it, your precious Moka knows it, so why can't you?"

Moka looks away out of shame while Ria removes her foot, allowing him to painfully rise up a little as he tried to ignore everything she said. She then begins to walk around him and from where the hidden shikigami was positioned, it looked as if she was staring not only at him, but Moka as well.

"This… this isn't over," Tsukune grimmaced. "I don't care what you say, I'll fight to protect the people I love."

"Oh me, oh my, I'd love to dance with you some more any time you like Tsukune dear, but honestly shouldn't you stop now while you're still mobile?"

Her clothes looked only slightly disheveled, and yet she didn't seem to have a scratch on her, where as he was having to take shallow breaths because of some broken ribs, his mouth was still full of blood, clothes in tatters, and it soon became clear to him there was no point in trying to fight her any more. Still, he couldn't give up, he swore to always protect Moka, their friends and his family, even at the risk of death itself

"I want you to leave my father alone."

"Or what, you'll bleed on me some more? Honestly, brother that's quality stuff you got there, it wouldn't be wise to let it go to waste like that."

He looked at her with a sullen look, but came up with an idea.

"If I have to, I will go to your father about this, I'm sure he won't be too pleased to hear what you've been up to."

"Oh, by all means," she answered sounding amused. "We can bring Mr. Koji Aono with us, too. You can explain how your human father needs protection, but as much as my father despises humans, I very much doubt he'll be allowed to leave alive."

"Lord Shuzen has accepted me as his son and heir."

"True," she nodded, "and my father is a man of honor, he will never go against his word even if he discovers you were originally human. However, only you are under his protection. If you go to him with the truth all you will do is put your family in even greater danger."

_What does she want? _ Moka wondered. _Why is she doing this? _

Moka began to lament on involving Tsukune with her family and never telling him about it's dangers, she felt foolish for thinking all would've gone so well.

"While we're at it, why don't you go to your mother and tell her what's going on? She's completely oblivious you know, she actually believes everything is just peachy. Why not tell her that Koji has been having an affair with me? I'm sure that would help things." She said, grinning wickedly. "If you like I can help you with that. I can also provide her with free legal counsel for when she divorces him."

_This is all my fault, I've brought this onto him and his family. What was I thinking, humans and vampires, that never would've worked!_

He cast his eyes downward, feeling completely defeated, thinking of the girl he wanted to marry and wondering how they would get past this.

"Moka," he muttered in a low voice, causing the real Moka to look back up.

"What was that, I couldn't hear you."

"I said, what do you want?"

Ria tilted her head slightly. "What makes you think I want anything, brother dear?"

"Because I know you!" He said sharply. "Whenever you play your nasty games it's always to get something. Tell me what you want. If it'll make you leave my parents alone I'll give it to you if I can."

She brought her hands together to silently applaud him. "Oh me, oh my you really have gotten to know me Tsukune. Yes, you're right of course, there is something I want from you. If you'll give it to me I'll not only end the affair with your father, I'll give you my word to protect your family and never interfere with them again."

"Then what is it?" He asked her, certain he would not like her reply.

Her monstrous eyes shinned with amusement and cruel glee as she came with her response: "Become my mate."

"Huh?"

She smiled to see his confusion. "That's right, marry me."

"Marry you?" Tsuknue gasped.

"Marriage?" Moka asked. Of all the horrid possibilities of what she might have wanted, that one had never occurred to her. She'd assumed her sister would demand they renew their sexual relationship so she could once more use him to hurt her, but to demand this?

"That's right, brother dear, I wish to become your mate. If you will become my mate I will stop seeing your father and even do everything in my power to protect your family."

"Why on earth would you ever want us to be together?" he demanded. "You hate me!"

"Oh, you've got it all wrong," she said tenderly and reached out to caress his cheek with a single hand, the same hand she used to inflict so much damage before.

He slapped it away and tried to crawl back, his eyes looking at her with shock and hatred.

"I told you before, love Moka!" He said to her. "All I feel for you is hate!"

"The two are so interchangeable darling, one blends into the other as day turns to night and night to day. Don't you know that yet?"

"Is this where you start spewing about how passion is all that matters?" He asked sarcastically.

She smiled at him playfully.

"Mock me if you like Tsukune darling, but it is."

"All you really want is to hurt Moka, this isn't about wanting me."

"Well that is a part of it honey, I won't deny it. However, why do you think I wouldn't want you as a mate? Don't you realize how special you are? Father has accepted you into his family, called you his son, named you heir to the most feared vampire family to ever exist. Do you fathom just how rare it is for an outsider to be accepted into such a prestigous family and inherit so much? In my lifetime you are the only male to ever be so acknowledged. Even my own mother, a powerful and noble true born vampire could only dream of such thing. You, brother...are _quite_ the prize."

He shook his head angrily, trying to refute everything she said. "Those aren't reasons to be with someone, not with someone like you!"

"Oh come now Tsukune dear, be honest. No one is here to overhear us," she lied. "Tell the truth; you didn't hate all of it now did you?"

She took a step towards him and the carefully hidden shikigami recording all of it, making it appear she was walking towards Moka and gloating at her. Tsukune tried to crawl back with every painful movement of his joints, but shame burned hot within him as her question ranged painfully in his head.

"Shut up," he muttered, but the look on his face stung at Moka's heart hard. "Even so, that doesn't mean I want to be with you. It's Moka! It's always been Moka! I don't want to be with anyone else, but her!"

Ria frowned hearing him speak her sister's name so passionately, knowing full well she would be watching this and might bolster her morale; that she did not want.

"Tell me, have you two ever had carnal relations since our little get together?"

"That's none of your business," he flat out told her.

"That would be a no, wouldn't it?"

"...N-No!"

"Don't lie, I can see it in your eyes, I bet you haven't even so much as touched my sister, have you?"

"..."

"You haven't, because everytime you touch her, everytime you so much as make googily eyes at her, you're thinking of me."

"Shut up!"

"You're a young man Tsukune, it's natural for your lust to take center stage."

"You don't know anything about me!"

"Give me just twenty years and I'll win you. I'll make you worship and adore me and forget Moka completely."

"No! This is ridiculous there's no way I'd ever forget her or be with you."

"Are you certain of that? As my mate I wouldn't object to your seeing other women. You can still see your little harem and any other women who catch your interest." She laughed softly, showing her fangs in the process. "Except for Moka of course, she's the only one you're forbidden to be with. Just acknowledge me as your mate, make me your first, and I will give you pleasures you've never even dreamed of."

"Oh Tsukune," Moka said softly.

**He won't accept anything from her, no matter what she does, he's loyal to us.**

"You could never make me feel the way Moka does."

The instant the words left his mouth he knew they were a mistake as Ria's confident facade faded and she clenched her fists.

"Is that so?" She asked in a icy tone. "Very well then brother dear, if that is your answer I'll accept it. Go, go crawling back now to your master, I'm sure my little sister is missing you."

"And, what about my father?"

"What about him?" Ria asked sweetly.

"I want you to leave him alone!"

"Oh, you do?" She purred. "But, I think I won't. After today, I'm going to need someone to help me unwind a bit, perhaps I'll have him go on a business trip with me to Paris, a nice _long_ trip. Yes, I think I'll do that."

He stared at her with fear and anger at the thought of her with his father, but he had no power over her.

"Please...you can't do this. Look, Moka and me only want to be happy, we weren't trying to offend you or anything, so please stop this."

"Oh, but I want to be happy, too brother. I want to be happy too."

"Please..."

"Honestly, what did you kids think, that because you were both so lovey dovey that you'd live happily ever after? Wake up, my little friend, this is reality, there's no such thing as happily, ever after. In this world you get what you want and damn everyone else who gets in your way, and right now I want you. So, what do you say?"

She now stood over him, standing triumphantly and mockingly as he looked up into her predatory eyes.

"...Would you…" he gulped thinking of something to say.

She eyed him speculatively and simply waited.

"Tsukune, no" Moka silently prayed.

**He won't do it, **Inner Moka reiterated.

"...Would you give me...give me some time to think it over?" He asked. "Could you at least agree to stop seeing my father?"

Both Mokas were speechless, they couldn't believe at what had been heard; for as long as she'd known him, whenever the chips were down, Tsukune always found a better way through any trouble, however he was desperate to protect everyone and though he hated saying it, it was all he could think of.

"Well that seems like a reasonable request," she told him. "My father will attend Moka's graduation and I will be present as well. I'll allow you until that day to make your decision and will leave your father alone in the mean time."

"Th-Thank you."

"But, don't you think I deserve a little reward for being so understanding Tsukune darling?"

He knew that tone.

"What is it you want?" He asked in a defeated tone.

As he watched, she pulled up her skirt and began to straddle him just inches from his face.

"I think you remember how I like it."

Moka looked away, sickened at the display of watching her fiancee being forced to blow her sister.

"Hey!" The guard yelled at her. "My mistress wanted me to make sure you watch this, this is quality porn here! Don't make me douse you with water!"

Helpless, Moka had no choice, but watch it all unfold before her beaten down, green eyes.

And, the worst was yet to come.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_Hell_

She vowed to herself she would not break or surrender.

In spite of all the tortures she had been subjected to, Moka remained steadfast in the belief that help would come, that Tsukune and the others will come barreling down those steps, remove the seal that bound her true power and finally put Ria in her place. Even after she was forced to watch her fiancé give Ria fellatio, and enduring the following weeks of isolation and limited contact, Ria's favorite torture tactic, Moka constantly kept herself preoccupied by pacing about the cramped cell she was in and performing recently learned mediation techniques picked up from Tohofuhai, anything to keep her mind fresh and deny Ria the pleasure of seeing her rattled. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but wonder about Tsukune, worrying about what was going on and if he had accepted her sister's marriage proposal.

**If he had, which I doubt, **Inner Moka responded, answering her concerns, **knowing Ria, she wouldn't hesitate to gloat about it.**

Outer Moka tried not to think about such things; to let her mind drift towards that or risk losing control of herself, yet the question lingered over her like a bad feeling. Then, one day she heard the familiar groan of the heavy metal door opening and of footsteps methodically descending toward her, and from the shadows appeared Ria with a guard in tow. There was silence between the two this time, no malicious taunting or even an aura of arrogance reeking off of them, instead as the guard silently allowed Ria to enter the cell, Moka noticed something else that reeked off of Ria, something that disturbed her greatly.

"Close the door," she heard Ria mutter to the guard in a low and barely audible voice.

Her demeanor seemed changed however; standing there in nothing but a black trench coat, her normally groomed dark hair splayed out about her flustered face in a mess as if she had just gotten out of bed and rushed over here without bothering to fix herself up, while a frazzled looking glare gave the impression that she was insane. But, that wasn't what bothered Moka most of all, what she cared about was the smell which emanated from her, a smell she could detect even before Ria had come into sight, one that was oh so familiar and at any other time would've seemed welcoming if not for the current circumstances, that it came from Ria, and from a lengthy, blood soaked riding whip that she gripped tightly in her gloved hand, with droplets falling onto the floor beside her feet.

"Tsukune?" Moka asked aloud, the fear in her voice unintentionally escaping out. "Wha-what did you…?"

Ria stared silently at her sister, who grew angry and impatient as she instead walked silently towards her, brandishing that bloody whip.

"What did you do to Tsukune! Tell me, damm...!"

But, as she began to move forward, her sentence was cut short when Ria suddenly sticks the whip in her face where she could see chunks of his hair and flesh still caked on it, pieces of him that nearly made her composure crack.

"...Take off your clothes," she heard Ria make the rather odd request, her tone bizarre and unstable.

"Huh?"

"NOW!" She roared, scaring Moka into compliance.

After tossing aside the burlap dress she wore, Ria disrobes herself, revealing nothing underneath but the leather gloves she wore, and the two sisters stood facing each other naked in the cell for what seemed like an eternity. It felt unnerving for Moka, her bare form just standing there, all exposed and vulnerable before her naked sister, who simply stood there staring at her body for some odd reason. Slowly, she dressed her with her eyes and then began to walk around as if trying to scan every inch of her, not caring that a guard looked on from the outside of the cell. It was embarrassing to be doing this in front of a man, yet Moka was more concerned about what Ria had in mind, and of what happened with Tsukune.

"What are you doing?" Moka nervously asked.

"I don't see it," she heard Ria say, who finally faced her with murder in her eyes. "I just don't see it! Even in our sealed state my body is far superior to yours. Everything about me is superior to you in practically _every way_! I am stronger, smarter, ten times more beautiful than you, with a body that would cause an army of men to fight over possession of, while they'd barely glance your way! My tits are bigger, my thighs are longer and well-toned, my hips shapelier and am so incredibly fit it's uncanny; I AM A FUCKING GODDESS! So why? Why does he want you more than me?"

All of this was about Tsukune, Moka suddenly realized, as it quickly became apparent that Tsukune must've turned down her proposal, a thought which made her happy, yet she wisely concealed it.

"I gave that fool the best time I have _ever_ given any man, fucked his goddamn brains out more times than I can count; seduced him, threatened him, I...I even went down on all fours and sucked his cock like a common whore, all for him, all to win him over to me and yet...Tell me, sister dear, what kind of hold do you have over him that makes him such an obedient mutt?"

"W-What?"

"Tell me, _tell me now!_"

"Wha…?"

"Say what again instead of giving me a straight answer, I dare you, so help me god."

"...You…you wouldn't understand, Ria. What we have is…more, so much more than…just…sex...I can't explain it, but that's how it is with us…its love."

Suddenly, without any warning, Ria knees her hard in the groin, knocking the wind out of Moka and causing her knees to buckle and come crashing to the floor.

"_Stupid little bitch_!" Ria hissed. "Who do you think you're fucking with? Love? Love! WHAT THE HELL WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT LOVE!"

With incredible strength, she hoists Moka up by her hair with one hand, and proceeds to smack her hard across the face with the other, creating blistering red welts.

"I, who labored for years serving our father's every whim without fail, without question, never seeking anything for myself just to please him," Ria went on. "While you were a do nothing who wound up getting into trouble and move away to the human world, leaving him broken hearted over your worthless carcass, and now you dared to come back to him with a human turned vampire for a mate, and still he adores you more than me!"

"S-Sister," Moka tried to stammer after Ria eased up a little. "This...this is between you...you and me...just leave Tsukune out of this..."

Ria responded with a punch square into her face and continued her rant as if she hadn't heard a word: "**I **am the one who knows all about love, I am the one who has done more out of love for the people who matter, I am the one who has done everything, _everything, _for both men more than they received from **you! **I understand them better, father _and_ Tsukune, better than you, I've shown Tsukune so much love and compassion, and honor for his worthless family than he would've ever gotten from you, and still...still he loves _you_?"

"...I...I told you, you wouldn't understand," Moka whimpered, trying to muster up her remaining strength. "You'll never understand...Me and Tsukune...we have a bond...a connec..."

"SHUT UP!" Ria screamed as she proceeds to punch and back hand Moka across the face again and again, never relenting on every punishing blow, driving her to the floor and begins kicking and stomping mercilessly with the ball of her foot. Moka tried her best to shield herself, but to no good as Ria finally pins her head down with a foot, just tentatively applying pressure and scaring into thinking that she might bear down with all her weight. "I think I've been going easy on you up till now, sister dear, time to show you your place."

Moka could hardly see from where she lay, yet was able to hear the unmistakable "ping" that she knew was Ria's rosary seal being removed, followed by the horrific torrent of energy that swirled about her wounded, prostrate form, the very feel of it all the more frightening .

"S-Sister," she pleaded, but had little time to make her finish as Ria kicks her up into the air and grasps Moka into a bone crushing bear hug, staring into her sister's terrified eyes with a red eyed, demonic glare.

"I don't understand, huh?" Ria asked, exposing her fangs in an evil grin.

Her strength no longer in check, Ria lifts Moka over her head and, with a maniacal cry hurls the girl into the far wall, then runs over and literally punts her in the ribs before she even hits the floor, shattering them in the process. Moka could taste blood escaped from her lips, its texture not as delectable coming from without as going in, and with her vision becoming cloudy, she could see that Ria was just getting started. She squats down and starts pummeling her with her gloved fists like a wild man, the sound of bones breaking and muscle being torn almost music to the woman's ears.

"Sister, please stop," Moka wailed as she curls up underneath the barrage.

"Stop?" Ria laughed. "No way, I'm not done playing with you yet!"

Under the pain and sound of her bones cracking and being dislodged from their joints, Moka finally passed out. When she awakes, her half dazed mind took a while to fully process what had happened, gradually noticing how her right eye would not open and the other could only provide a hazy picture, while it felt like every bone inside was broken. She worried that she might become paralyzed, and in a place like this it wasn't a possibility Moka was willing to accept. She weakly tries to lift her head and look around in spite of the sheering pain suddenly catching up and noticed that she was not only lying in a different position, but in a different part of the room, her slow, weary mind piecing together everything that must've happened after passing out and coming to the shocking realization that Ria hadn't stopped her assault, even while Moka was unconscious. Her own sister had continued pummeling her unconscious body with reckless abandon and tossed her about like some wild animal. The very thought of it, of all that she must've done while she was out, very nearly sickened the young woman who started to gag on her own blood, creating an unhealthy rattling sound that erupted from her bruised chest, where it became apparent that there was some strange weight resting on top. It didn't take her long to realize that someone was sitting on her, panting heavily like a weary beast and whose heavy breath invaded Moka's nostrils. She started to panic, thinking it might be one of the male guards who had found her lying naked and motionless, and decided to take advantage, but as her one good eye's vision began to clear up, she saw something far worse: her sister. With her buttocks straddled firmly on top of Moka's bruised and battered chest, smelly crotch in her face as both legs entrapped her on either side, while Ria's arms and head were propped against her knees, staring down on her with the most unsettling look the girl had ever seen, like a hungry cat that had just finished playing with its meal and was now ready to devour it. Moka started to cry, frightened of what Ria might do next, but all that came out was a gurgling and rattling of her own lungs. Ria smiled as she stared down at her wounded sister, then reaches down and squeezes both of Moka's bruised cheeks, which caused her to squeal slightly in pain, forcing open her mouth and then proceeds to send a large wad of spit down her throat, in which she gleefully forces her to swallow it.

"It's _you_ who needs to understand something, sister dear," Ria quietly tells her as she stands back up, releasing the pressure off of Moka, but by no means bringing relief.

Before she could continue however, Ria casually walks back over to her trench coat and begins to dress back up, grooming her hair with both hands, and then adds: "I'm a woman whose accustomed to getting what she wants too, much like you, sister. And, I _will_ get your mate if he knows what's good for him, what happened here was only a replay of what I did to him, with a few extended features. Yes, I punished him like I punished you."

She callously tosses the bloody whip over to Moka's prostrate form, letting it fall close to her so that she may smell his blood in a sick attempt to drive home her point.

"That's right, sister, and every time he resists me, I'll punish him some more, and then I'll come back and do worse to _you_! Remember that."

Satisfied, Ria was on her way out when she thought she heard laughter, garbled laughter coming from where Moka lay.

_Laughing? _She thought incredulously. _Is she that delirious from the beat down that she would find this funny?_

"..._You won't...won't win," _she heard Moka murmur and continued laughing.

Ria wanted to walk over and stomp the life out of her, but that would show Moka that she had gotten to her, and vain pride would not allow that. Agitated, she nevertheless walks away, leaving Moka on the floor, bloodied and bruised, and yet strangely not defeated. It disheartened her to think that Tsukune was subjected to the same torture on account of her, but it only made Moka feel all the more connected to him, and through all the torment she had been through, it made her begin to see things in a more simplified view point where one fact became clear as she laid nude on the floor, bloodied and torn: this was all Ria could do to her. For all her taunts and torture, in the end it served nothing in the way of breaking her will. She had done all of this just for the purpose of breaking her spirit, yet defied all efforts, and Tsukune, _her_ fiancée, remained so.

**You finally realize it, **Inner Moka told her. **Ria always was all bark and no bite. There's very little she can do to us.**

"_I agree," _she said.

Tsukune will eventually uncover the truth, she rationalized, and come to free her from this dungeon, in the meantime Moka was content on dealing with Ria's punishments, which over time seemed to decrease less and less in impact, almost as if her body had conditioned itself to them.

At the time, she believed there was nothing that could break her down or cause Tsukune to stop loving her; little did she know however, that would one day come.

Being a vampire had its advantages when it came to overcoming physical damage. Even with her powers suppressed by the rosary seal, there were times when Moka's powers would surface in short bursts, like healing from life threatening injuries faster than a human, which she did every time, and Ria would always wait until she was fully healed before subjecting her to more tortures, but as the days turned to weeks and then months Ria stopped coming. It was a welcomed relief for Moka, allowing her strength to return without expecting to be beaten down again, but it also created worry that the lengthy absence could mean that Tsukune caved in to her efforts, causing the girl to pace about the tiny cell daily.

**Quit your worrying, **Inner Moka told her, **Tsukune belongs to us, the same blood that courses through my veins is within him, he's bound to the both of us!**

"I know, but he doesn't know how to handle Ria like I do," she responded, "and it's been months since the last time I saw them together, who knows what could be going on. What if...what if it became too much for him and he had no choice or..."

The alternative was too much for her to bear; being forced into a marriage was one thing, but the thought that he had fallen for Ria and chose to abandon her was more fearful than anything she'd been through.

**I find that hard to believe. He isn't that like that, he owes us and belongs to us, he wouldn't go for her just like that.**

"You're right, you're right I just...I need to relax. Heh, I just realized something...we missed our graduation, can you believe that? This whole time I've been worrying myself ragged over all of this and now it finally dawns on me that I missed my own graduation, as if it isn't important to me."

**Why would it?**

"Ugh! It's my high school graduation; I've been looking forward to for over a year, now! I wanted to attend the ceremony with Tsukune and the others, and walk to the podium and receive my diploma in front of my family...I...I can't believe I missed all of that."

**You're better off. I wouldn't waste my time on such meaningless nonsense, the school itself was a waste of time.**

"Still."

For a while, thoughts of graduating with her friends and having her mother there to watch put Moka at ease for a bit, if not a bit depressing of having missed it, but soon the familiar groan of the metal door brought her back to dismal reality as she froze still and nervously listened to the footsteps slowly approaching from the darkness. It had been a long time since Ria last visited, and for so long Moka had worried what she was cooking up; at last she was about to find out and it filled her with more dread she had ever felt before.

"Hey, sweet cheeks," said a male guard, his black suited figure floating out of the shadows into full view, where she saw he was alone. She knew it wasn't meal time; she'd spent that long down there that she familiarized herself with their routine to know. "You know, I heard you missed your graduation like a few weeks back? That must suck, huh?"

"What is it this time," she snapped, "it isn't time to feed me yet, so..."

"Oh you're right about that, babe."

"Where is Ria," she demanded, "I want to see her, now!"

The guard looked at her and slowly smiled, frustrating the girl further.

"Well, my vampire princess, aren't we impatient today. I know you're very fond of your big sis, and I do hate to break this to you, but I'm afraid she won't be making it tonight as she has to attend a special, family event. But, she did send me to tell you something in person that I know you're just going to love: ahem, you've won."

"I won?" Moka asked, visibly perplexed.

"That's right, you won. You've beaten my mistress in the game of love, it would seem. Apparently, she couldn't win your beloved boy toy over to her, which is shocking to say the least, no offense to you, of course. She fucked and she tortured, but in the end it was all for naught, she just couldn't break him anymore than she could fully demolish you, it would seem, so rejoice or whatever."

For a brief moment, whatever doubt or fear Moka felt had seemed to evaporate as a wave of relief like she had never felt before suddenly washed over upon hearing those words and realizing that her faith was well founded. She tried to repress her overjoyed smile, but it was too hard to hide, too hard to hold back such happiness after months of agonizing torment and now Moka believed that Ria had learned her lesson and would finally let her go. But, the guard just stood there, grinning like a fiend as if waiting, eagerly to burst her bubble.

"You must be thinking that salvation is right around the corner and you'll live happily ever after with your beau?" He asked. "You're probably wondering why this little mongrel isn't releasing you from your cell and letting you go rejoin with your picturesque life with all your friends? C'mon, be realistic, mistress Ria has done something that would be very damaging in the eyes of Lord Shuzen, she can't have two of you running about and creating a whole lot of unwanted questions."

"Wha...what are you going to do to me?" Moka asked, her joy giving way to fear. "S-She wouldn't...she wouldn't have me killed, would she?"

"Hmm? Oh no, mistress only kills those she finds beneath her, see she hates you and she only hurts the people she hates. She feels death would be too good for them."

"Then why am I not free!" Moka demanded, growing angry and hostile. "Where are my friends? When Tsukune arrives, he'll..."

"Now, that's the onion in your sweet, sweet delusion, baby cakes. Where _is_ Tsukune?"

The question hit her like a bad wound, a wound which quickly festered as she stopped to contemplate that question.

"Why are...why are you bringing that up?" She warily asked. "Tsukune will come, besides you said..."

"I said, that my mistress told me to tell you that you won because she couldn't take him away from you, that Mr. boy-toy is completely, 100% loyal to you, and yet...he isn't here. Why is that? Well, I did mention that my mistress couldn't be here on account of a special, family event. Want to know what?"

She wanted to say no, every fiber in her being told her to, trying to deny the very worst that could be presented, but the guard whipped out another shikigami before she could reply and had it take its usual place before the wall in front of her cell, and the image that it played in real time nearly made her panic. On it, she could see a spacious, dimly lit room with high, ornate columns lit with blazing torches, and below was a circular floor where many vampires, including her entire family were gathered around a small pool of blood with a small podium holding a golden chalice in its center; it was a place she had seen before and knew, right away what it could be.

"Th-The Blood Bonding Ceremony," she whispered, more to herself than to the guard.

She next saw her father clad in a red, gold-lined robe walk up to the podium where he held out both arms to gesture for two people to join him, and immediately Moka's legs began to give out, even before she saw who was joining him.

"No," she began to weep. "No! _No!"_

Stepping simultaneously into the pool from either side were Tsukune and Moka, walking slowly toward one another in white, translucent robes, its thin fabric quickly soaking up the pool's blood and rendering it a bright pink. While at the ceremony, Tsukune couldn't help but find it all rather strange, especially stepping into a pool of waist high blood, however he did agree to do this and as Moka slowly approached him, with silvery hair framing her beautiful eyes locked ever intently to his, and the way her soaked gown began to expose features of her body that greatly excited him, he felt it was all worth it. However, even without looking, he could tell Ria was eyeing his every move from the crowd with a glare that was anything, but warm. After months of teasing and torment, blackmail and brutality, of watching this otherwise beautiful woman be reduced to some deranged animal, he never once gave into her demand of becoming her Bloodmate. It took some doing before he had finally orchestrated a way out of her web in a manner that not only impressed himself, but Moka who was equally glad to have her out of their lives long enough for them to repair the damage and at last come to this very moment they'd both waited for.

"We have gathered on this day for the joining of two houses," Lord Shuzen announced to the crowd, his deep voice carrying over the vast room. "The House of Aono and the House of Shuzen. Lord Aono, you know what is offered to you, you know what is expected, do you accept Moka Akashiya, daughter of the House of Shuzen to be your mate for all of eternity?"

"Tsukune," Moka wept from her cell. "That's not me, I'm here."

"I accept, my lord," she heard him say without once taking his eyes off of the woman standing in front of him.

"THAT'S NOT ME, TSUKUNE!" She screamed shaking the bars wildly, hoping against hope to somehow stop this farce from going further. "Why can't you tell it isn't me, it's a lie, I'm the one you're supposed to be marrying! For the love of god, Tsukune why can't you tell it's not me! Oh god! Mother, father, please someone see she isn't me...she's not me."

But, even as Moka cried, her body shaking uncontrollably, the farce that was Tsukune's wedding to this impostor continued unabated.

"Very well, Moka Akashiya bring forth your hand."

Moka holds out her wedding ring hand, hovering flat over the golden chalice.

"Now you, Tsukune Aono, place your hand on top of hers."

He does accordingly, placing _his_ wedding ring hand over hers, already coached on the procedure of the ceremony and knowing full well what to expect. Issa produces a narrow dagger, its thin blade glinting in the dim light like a silver band, which he suddenly drives it through both their hands and removes it in a single breath. Tsukune had to bite down on his tongue hard to endure the pain and fought hard not to flinch, for even the slightest show of weakness would reflect poorly on not just the two of them, but to his new family; Moka on the other hand remained stoic as always. Once the blade had been removed, the blood from both their wounds coalesced and oozed into the chalice, slowly filling it until it reached the brim. While in the cell, Moka was going insane, she wanted to rip open the bars, leap through the image into the ceremony and stop it from going any further, but it all seemed hopeless as the man she loved was quickly becoming someone else's mate.

"Now, Tsukune Aono, drink from the chalice until it is half empty," Issa instructed, which he does without spilling a drop. "And now, Moka Akashiya, you may drink the remainder."

With her red eyes staring into his with both pleasure and satisfaction, she takes the cup and gulps down the remainder of the blood, an elixir of both their blood that went down her throat just as smoothly as it did his, except for a tiny dribbles that went down her chin.

"It is finished, then. From this day forth, Moka Akashiya is no more, there is now only Moka Aono, Bloodmate of my son and my heir, Tsukune Aono!"

And the hall erupted in applause with all in attendance showing their approval of their union as the two bloodmates stood before them, bloodied hands bound together, while Ria clapped only for show. Indeed, being made to come to her sister's marriage ceremony with the guy she tried to steal, in a false show of family loyalty, was gut wrenching enough for the vampiress who looked on bitterly, but to watch them actually go through with everything and then clap in approval was like a slap to the face. She had schemed and manipulated, done everything to undermine her hated sister, only for everything to come undone and wind up the loser. By all logic, it should be her up there holding hands with Tsukune, becoming the Bloodmate of the family heir, not standing in the crowd watching. However, a thought crossed Ria's mind that did bring some small comfort, remembering that she wasn't the only one watching who wished she was there, and hoped with all her spite that it affected her even more.

"You may now seal the union," Issa instructed and the two newlyweds wasted no time in locking lips in a long, passionate embrace for all to see.

From her cell looking on, Moka appeared as though she had aged thirty years despite being a vampire, the color drained from her skin, youthful green eyes now framed by rings glistening with a cascade of tears, and a body that shook uncontrollably. No words could describe her feeling, having just watched the man she loved, who would've become her mate and lover for, what she believed to be for all time, the guy who had been her friend for many years past, now happily marrying and kissing the lips of another woman who looked like her, yet was not her, and now bore his name whereas she remained Moka Akashiya, alone and rejected. Not even Inner Moka spoke, no doubt equally shocked, perhaps never once believing Tsukune would actually wed anyone else, but her and her alone.

She felt it wasn't fair, wondering how did it come to something like this and why her?

All Moka wanted was to be happy; after so many years of struggle she thought everything was coming together for her, that her whole world would finally be perfect, the way she always wanted, but in a few short months everything had been taken away. She could no longer see anything the shikigami showed, of it literally following Tsukune as he carried Moka Aono, his new wife to their specially arranged and "securely" private chambers where they removed their drenched clothing, begin to passionately lick each other's wounds, nor could she hear them begin to make out, which slowly led into sex for the two frustrated lovers who were finally able to do so in peace.

"Whoa, look at those two go," the guard commented. "Too bad I didn't bring some beer and chips, if I'd known there'd be some porn I'd have made myself comfy. And this is in HD, too babe, you could see the scratches she's putting on his back, which is not bad I have to say, that Tsukune looks like he has done some working out. Still, I have to say your double has got a tight body on her, I can definitely see why your fiancé would be plowing into her all soft and slow, he's really savoring every bit of her. Oh, I guess he wouldn't, technically be your fiancé anymore, huh? Don't worry, sweet cheeks, you still got me, I won't let you be alone."

She suddenly falls limp to the floor, eyes staring blankly out like a corpse as her tears formed a small puddle by her face, and even though the guard continued making sick joke after sick joke, Moka would not move or get up at all for the rest of that day, and she vowed never to get up again.

They had sex three times that night, making up for lost time, as Tsukune got to fuck both sides of her, the gentle pink haired version and the strangely erotic silver haired one, but he was still a generous lover to them both. After resting comfortably in bed however, her pink hair matted and soaked, Moka Aono lifted her head up only to notice her husband gone. His scent was all over the bedroom, especially so after having sex, making it difficult to pin point where he was until finally spotting him standing out on the balcony naked, letting the cool night air waft its way into the hot room and wash over him with a cleansing effect as he stared out at the full moon and starry sky.

"There you are," Moka said, lovingly grabbing onto him from behind. "I was wondering where you went."

"Oh, Moka I hope I didn't wake you or anything?"

"No. What are you doing out here, come back to bed."

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to stand outside in the fresh air, that's all."

Moka had to admit the air did feel nice on her naked skin, goose bumps cropping up where ever the breeze gently kissed it, while her nipples grew hard against his firm, warm back.

"Mm, it _does_ feel great out here with you," she cooed.

"Yeah, it does."

She felt comfortable standing out there, noticing how different tonight was than any other, different because it may have to do with the fact that he now belonged to her and no one else, and no longer bore the name Akashiya, nor was a virgin that tonight felt so special.

"I still can't believe it, we're finally married and can start a family!" She giggled happily. "I thought this day would never come, did you Tsukune?"

"I know, right. It's been a long road, but we finally made it."

"Mm, I love you," she said as she brings his head down to hers and kissed him tenderly.

"I love you too, Moka Aono," he said with a warm smile.

She nestled against his back, happy to hear that name, to hear him call her that, and yet was unable to see the look on his face, not a look of joy or happiness, but of doubt. He couldn't explain it, but he hadn't felt right ever since the first round of sex with her. It felt as though he was doing something wrong and would be punished for it, but couldn't understand why. Perhaps it was guilt for the numerous rendezvous he had with Ria, sexual encounters that he, for a while had to do in secret before finally coming clean about the affair; she had been so understanding and supportive when she finally learned the truth, having known what kind of person Ria was. But, he had noticed a difference in the two girls, not only in build but in sexual performance, with Moka being the inexperienced lover while Ria the talented expert, and even as Tsukune made love to Moka there were times that Ria _had _crossed his mind, which troubled him. And, as much as he wanted to white wash all of his memories and remind himself that it was Moka and _only_ Moka he should be thinking about, his experiences with Ria had helped ensure that he didn't go into his wedding night an amateur, and figured perhaps that was where his guilt lay. However, as Tsukune looked out towards the moon and the stars, his eyes nearly blank while he became increasingly lost in thought, and as the warm body of his newlywed wife clutched tightly around his body, he couldn't shake the nagging concern that something else was terribly, _terribly_ wrong.

"Then, by the powers vested upon me," said the priest, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

With those words spoken, Tsukune and Moka kissed deeply and lovingly for all eyes to see, signaling to both friends and family that they were a couple at last, at least to all of them. It had been almost a month since Tsukune and Moka were joined as a couple, but the matter of Tsukune's family had yet to be resolved, as they had already begun inquiring about the wedding, oblivious to the two of them already being married. Tsukune at first had no idea how he was going to handle things or if he should just come right out and tell them everything, revealing Moka's hidden world to them. Fortunately, by then Issa had already become privy of Tsukune's human background and, quite surprisingly the vampire lord didn't lash out against them, but instead chose to keep the matter a secret. Even more surprising, he graciously agreed to help organize a mock, human wedding for the Aono family's benefit so as to maintain the ruse, and had it set up at a luxurious hotel that he owned. Tsukune didn't understand at first this sudden show of compliance from a man who was said to despise humans, nevertheless he welcomed it and after some organizing, the already newlywed couple had walked down the aisle and said their "I dos" a second time. Even though they were already married, Moka nevertheless took his breath away the minute he saw her approach him with thick bouquet of red roses and the most beautiful, white sea foam wedding dress he'd ever seen, all of which made him incredibly nervous. Likewise, Moka greatly admired how handsome Tsukune looked in his Armani suit, yet felt uneasy and uncertain about doing this ceremony when it held no significance for her.

However, everyone had attended, not only his entire family, which included aunts, uncles, and cousins, but all their friends from Yokai Academy, most especially all five of the girls who stood by as bridesmaids, each wearing a pink dress which matched Moka's shade of hair color. Of course Ruby and Yukari were happy to be a part of it, yet Kokoa bristled underneath a fake smile, just as she had at the Blood Bonding ceremony, and still had a hard time accepting Tsukune as her brother-in-law. Mizore remained stoic throughout the entire affair, but was glad she could make it to the wedding after a lengthy absence. However, the one who took it the hardest had to be Kurumu, who showed up in an extremely low cut, tight fitting mini dress as if intentionally, and though she created no fuss during the entire ceremony, Tsukune could tell she was hard hit by the wedding and wondered if he did the right thing by asking her to do this. For Tsukune's best man he had called on Gin, a werewolf classmate of his and former president of their old Newspaper Club before graduating. When Tsukune and Moka called him up, the amorous wolf, whose perverted attraction to all things relating to girls and short skirts, which included Moka, and even went so far as to frame Tsukune for his misdeeds during their initial meeting just to get under Moka's skirt, had remained a good friend nonetheless and didn't hesitate to answer their call. He stood behind Tsukune in his decked out tuxedo, pink rose in the jacket pocket, admiring Moka in her strapless gown and just how good her boobs looked to him.

_You're a lucky man, Tsukune, _he thought with a cheesy grin. _I hope you realize that._

After the ceremony, everyone met in the reception hall where Tsukune and Moka performed the usual customs of a traditional marriage accordingly, such as the removing of the garter, which Gin was all to eager to catch when it was thrown, and then Moka through the bouquet into ready crowd of girls, that Tsukune had wisely kept Kyoko and any other female relative from participating, which turned into a massive free for all with Kurumu eagerly fighting for, hoping desperately to one day use it in _her_ wedding with Tsukune, whom she still pined for, only to wind up losing it to Sun, Gin's date. Once that was out of the way, and the crowd of female monsters settled down, Tsukune and Moka cut the cake, they and everyone else went began to co-mingle amongst themselves, the humans unknowingly chatting with people who were really monsters in disguise, whereas Moka's family, for the most part, kept their distance through it all. As for Tsukune and Moka, the two danced away for much of the evening to the tune of a hired orchestra while others either watched or joined them in this lovely atmosphere.

"You enjoying yourself?" He asked.

"Oh, yes I am, I thought it was great and, well you look handsome today."

"Thanks, but it's just a suit my dad rented, you're the one who looked beautiful today," he replied, yet noting the troubled look about her face. "You don't seem to be having fun, though."

"Oh its nothing, it's just that it feels kind of weird, you know? Lying to everyone like this and everything; it just feels so wrong."

"I know, I thought it would be easy to go ahead and do this for my folks, but it does leave a strange feeling getting married again and after so soon."

"Well, I'm happy, anyway. I got you, don't I?"

"Yeah, you do."

"Looking good Moka!" Gin yelled from the sidelines, taking snapshots. "Oh, and you too, Tsukune!"

As the reception hall bustled with the lively sounds of laughter, conversations and music, standing away from it all by herself stood Ria, eyeing the happy couple with so much malice and envy that could've choked the atmosphere. While everyone had come dressed for a wedding, she appeared like she was attending a funeral, decked down completely in her usual black colored, tight fitting dress which covered nearly every inch of her. She hung back against the wall from everyone else, bathed in shadow and watching the proceedings with all the appearance of some harbinger of impending doom about to befall the couple. To her right, however, she noticed the blue haired succubus Kurumu being emotional with an almost identical, but older looking and more well endowed woman in a black fur coat, that could only be the girl's mother accompanied by a shorter, curvier woman in sunglasses and with plum colored hair whom she could not identify. Ria knew with contempt that they were all succubi, just another lowly species that her newfound brother invited along with his human family, and though she couldn't hear what was being said, she could plainly see how hysterical the girl was being, no doubt over having to watch her chosen mate marry someone else while how her mother tried to comfort her. The other woman, however kept watching Tsukune and Moka dancing, oblivious to anything else and Ria wondered what she may be thinking.

_I wouldn't be surprised if those loathsome creatures tried to seduce him, again, _she thought wistfully. _If I didn't find them absolutely repulsive, I might bother to help them have their way with him just for kicks._

On the dance floor, Tsukune was about to dance one more song with Moka when Gin, no longer wishing to be on the sidelines, suddenly stepped in.

"Mind if I cut in?" He asked. "Don't hog her all to yourself, buddy, some of us like to have a dance or two with the lucky lady, if you don't mind?"

"No, that's okay with me, how about you, Moka?"

"Sure."

"Thanks man, I appreciate it, didn't want you to think your old, club president was trying to steal her away from you or anything, but hey the night's still young!" He joked as he and she danced away.

"You don't really mean that, did you?" She asked, keeping a watchful eye on his hands to make sure they didn't wander.

"Of course not, what do you take me for?"

She gave him a look.

"Alright, so I've done some things I'm not proud of."

"Like trying to peek up my skirt the first time we met and blaming Tsukune for it?"

"Uh, yeeeahh...something like that."

"Or how you always took lude photos of girls at school?"

"Those were my...exclusives for the newspaper's fashion section."

"Or the time you dug a tunnel underneath the gym so you could peek at the P.E. girls from below the floor boards without being caught?"

"You've remembered a lot, haven't you?"

"Oh, there's plenty I haven't forgotten, would you like me to go down the mile-long list?" Moka asked, casting a wry smile.

"You're messing with me, aren't you?" He laughed.

"Yeah. Of course, it'll serve you right for what you put all of us through before you graduated."

"Well, I've changed as you can see, spending time with Sun and Marin have taught me to be a little more respectful of women, and you see my hands haven't once touched you inappropriately."

"Which is just as well, because if they ever did...then I'd have to put you in your place," she said, giving him a dangerous look.

"...Ah, you're messing with me again, right?"

"Maybe, it depends."

"Depends on what?"

"If you continue being a gentleman like my Tsukune."

"Like Tsukune? Ha! Trust me, you don't want to compare me to Aono, that guy is nowhere in my league."

Moka began to look a little concerned, as if he had offended her.

"That didn't come out right," he explained. "Sorry."

"He named you his best man, Gin, how could you say that?"

"I know and I regret it, really I do. It's just that...you were, _are_, the hottest girl in Yokai history and a lot of guys wanted to be the lucky guy to have you wrap your arms around, especially me, only to watch you go off with Aono. So, I guess I'm still a little jealous, but just a tad little."

"I guess I understand."

"One thing, though, is that he is one lucky guy; _very _lucky."

"...Thanks," Moka replied, blushing profoundly from his statement.

While they danced, Tsukune's mom and dad looked on from the side, watching their new daughter - in - law dance floor when Mrs. Aono noticed a flash of pink moving her way and was nearly startled half to death to see what appeared to be an exact replica of Moka in a sweeping red dress standing before her.

"You must be Tsukune's parents, oh it's so nice to finally meet you," said the woman.

"Uhhh..." Mrs. Aono barely managed to utter as she glanced over at Moka on the dance floor and then back at "Moka" standing there talking to her.

"Moka?" His father asked. "I thought...aren't you...

"Hey guys, you having fun?" Tsukune asked.

"Uh, it would seem I've startled your parents a little," the woman joked.

"Oh! Mom, dad, I want you to meet Akasha Bloodriver, Moka's mother."

"Bloodriver?" His mother asked.

"Yes, it's my maiden name, actually."

"Oh, OH! I see, I feel so embarrassed! See, you look so much like your daughter, I thought I must be losing my mind! Well, my name is..."

"Kazumi Aono, and your husband, Koji Aono, your son has told me so much about you, and don't worry, people often confuse me for my daughter, isn't that right, Tsukune?"

"Uh, y-yeah," he nervously replied as she casually winked in his direction.

"Well, I am glad we could finally meet, Ms. Bloodriver," Kazumi said. "I just want to say how much I think of your daughter, she is so well mannered and respectable, I am very happy to have her as part of the family."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, thanks. And, Tsukune here has been just a darling to me and my daughter," she replied, playfully grabbing onto Tsukune's arm. "Isn't that right, son?"

"Yes...I've been nothing, but a...perfect gentleman."

"I'm glad the father of the bride foot the bill on this," Koji commented. "Say, where is he, I wanna chew the fat with the guy."

"That's right, we saw him during the ceremony, but we didn't get a chance to really talk," said Kazumi.

"I'm afraid he had to leave," Akasha regrettably replied.

"Leave?" Koji asked. "During his daughter's wedding?"

"Yes, I'm so sorry."

"He had an...emergency to go to," Tsukune covered. "Something came up."

"But, he has paid off everything and wished for you to enjoy yourselves for as long as you like."

"Oh, okay," said Kazumi, though she and Koji seemed confused.

"Thanks," Akasha whispered to Tsukune.

"No problem, I'm just grateful for all of this," he replied. "So, mom, dad, why don't I leave you three to get better aquainted, there's somebody I got to go see."

"Sure," said Kazumi.

"Yes, go ahead," Akasha complied. "But first, let me give you a kiss."

"Huh?" He asked as she leans up and, out of his parents' view, gives him a short, but painful "kiss" on the neck that nearly left him in tears.

"You truly are sweet, Tsukune!" Akasha happily says.

"...Thanks," he said, trying to play it off.

_Just like her daughter, _he thought.

"Aw, that's so nice," said Kazumi.

"Isn't he? Come, Mrs. Aono there are some Hors d'oeuvres we had imported that are absolutely tasty."

"Oh my," she responded as Akasha eagerly pulls her along, "okay, and please call me Kazumi."

"Kazumi, you have got to try this, and the red wine is to die for, I never tasted anything so sweet, well almost never."

"Oh, but I'm a little tipsy from the white wine."

As soon as they were alone, his dad's mood became somber and Tsukune quickly understood, as the last couple of months hadn't been forgotten so easily.

"So, how are you holding up?" He asked his father.

"Fine, fine. Your mother never looked more..._more _beautiful than today...can't believe almost lost it all, you know."

"Dad, it wasn't your fault, you were set up, you would never try to hurt mom or any of us."

His father gave a frank smile, but deep down Tsukune knew he didn't buy into it.

"It doesn't change the fact that I continued with the affair. Bottom line, I was with another woman, I got careless and forgot what I had for brief moment. I got so full of myself thinking I was the big man on top and wound up hurting the person I love and you know what's worse? I still think about...with her."

The comment was too painful to hear, knowing full well what he meant and what he was going through, and it angered him to know that Ria had tainted them both.

"She's here, isn't she?" His father asked.

Tsukune met his gaze and solemnly nodded, finding it equally hard to confirm it as it was for his dad.

"But, don't worry dad, I've made sure she won't bother you and mom during the wedding or ever again, I've seen to it."

"How?" His father asked and the question nearly threw him.

"...Uhh, I...had a talk with her. All you need to know is that Ria won't be a problem anymore."

"Good, good. Son, don't make the same mistake I made. You love your wife and always do right by her, don't ever do anything that'll jeopardize what you got, hear?"

"I hear you dad, and I won't forget."

"...Ahh, now go on and mingle with your friends!" Koji said, trying to cheer up for his son. "You don't need to hang around your kill-joy of a father on your wedding day, I'll be alright, go."

"Alright, I'll check up on you later," he said and walks on, briefly looking back at his father and worrying just the same, feeling guilty for having fun while his father was being tormented.

_I probably should've spent more time with him, _he thought, _just to make sure he's alright. I don't want to seem like he can't depend on me for anything. I should go back._

"Tsukune," he heard someone over his shoulder whisper in his ear, causing him to jump and spin around to see Mizore standing behind him.

"Mizore! Oh, you scared me; you think I'd gotten used to that, by now."

"Hey," she simply tells him.

"Thanks for coming to the wedding, I was trying to find Kurumu but...how have you been, we haven't talked in months! In fact, you didn't even show up for graduation, is everything okay."

Mizore gives him a small, but pleasant smile that seemed to warm her pale, icy face and lavender colored eyes as she was touched he still showed some concern in her.

"Everything is fine," she quietly replied. "I got married, that's why I was away."

"You...you got married? When? To who? Uh, why didn't you tell us?"

"It was an arranged marriage my parents set up for me, I've become the wife of another iceman from neighboring village...and I'm already pregnant."

"Pregnant? I can't believe...I thought you would never take part in an arranged..."

"I told you, Tsukune, my tribe needs new families and, if I didn't find someone, then someone would be found for me," she replied. "So...I agreed to marriage and will now have my own family. I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't understand."

"Mizore, I...well, is he good to you, I mean do you love him, are you happy?"

"He's nice person and in time I'll learn to love him as much as I do you, so you needn't worry about me."

"Mizore, you know I never meant to hurt any of you."

"I know," she replied with a sad smile.

"But, it doesn't mean I don't care what happens to you, I never wanted you to feel you had to do something against your will."

"It's alright, what's done is done. I have no regrets in the choices I've made in my life...not a single one, just as I'm sure you have no regrets."

She reaches up and gently touches his right cheek with small, pale fingers, its very feel like that of ice, but Tsukune did not flinch as he was too preoccupied by her happy, yet sad eyes.

"I can't stay much longer, I only showed because you were always there for me when I needed you and so I just wanted to come and show my support for my friend Moka, but I especially wanted to show my support for you...and wish you all the happiest."

"Thank you," Tsukune quietly tells her, though he worried if he'd ever see her again.

"Oh, and my mother sends her regards," she then adds.

"Really? Was it anything pleasant?"

"No. She said that she regrets ever letting you...in between her legs."

"Huh?" Tsukune asked, then his face turns red as he recalls the debacle that was the Bring Your Parents To School day of his second year. "Ohhhhh."

"Yeah."

"She knows it was an accident, right? I was just trying to break up the fight that she and Ageha..., oh boy."

"Mother doesn't thinks so," Mizore laughed and then he laughed, their brevity lighting up the mood they were just in.

"HEY TSUKUNE!" Yukari yelled, running up through the crowd and grabbing his arm. "Come on, my parents said they wanted to meet you right away!"

"Alright, Yukari in a moment, can't you see I'm talking to..."

But, the instant he turns back around, Mizore Shirayuki was gone, almost as suddenly as she had entered his life and it saddened him, deeply.

"Tsukune!" Yukari whined.

"Okay, I'm coming, slow down!"

The over eager witch had him twisting and turning around the guests, causing him to nearly bump into some and giving impromptu apologies before coming up to a pair of witches dressed in traditional, witch's garb.

"Here he is! Mama, Papa, this is my good friend, and future lover, Tsukune Aono!"

"Yukari, you sure know how to kid," he said, trying to play off her little, inappropriate comment. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Sendou."

"I'd say it's about time we got to meet you, Tsukune," Mr. Sendou said as he shook his hand.

By all accounts, Yukari's father seemed like a modest and unassuming guy with well-trimmed blonde hair, a groomed beard and broad rimmed glasses. Her mother, on the other hand, who's tall and elegant waif-like body, and pleasant smile framed by beautiful, shoulder length hair, seemed to belie an almost mischievous nature, not unlike her daughter, which Tsukune seemed to think was the norm amongst his friends.

"So, I'm glad you can all make it out, I know Moka would love to come meet you."

"That's okay, it's you we wanted to see," Mr. Sendou replied and his wife nodded.

"Me?"

"Yes, why of course, we want to take the time to get to know the guy my daughter has told so much about."

"Heh, you do?" He nervously asked, by which Mrs. Sendou nodded again. "And, what exactly has she told you?"

"Well, you don't have to look so nervous, son, we won't turn you into a toad or anything!" Mr. Sendou joked, as laughed and draped his arm about Tsukune's nervous shoulders. "Me and my wife know how she tends to exaggerate things."

"Yukari, dear," her mother suddenly spoke. "Why don't you go get some drinks while we talk to him."

"Oh, alright, I also gotta bring Ruby over here too, you can swap spells with her. Be right back and dad, don't say anything that'll embarrass me, okay?" She asked and disappeared into the crowd.

"Mrs. Sendou, if you excuse me for saying this, but I didn't know you could..."

"Talk?" She replied good naturedly. "Don't be ridiculous, of course I can talk."

"Sometimes too much," her husband whispered to Tsukune.

"Dear," she replied and with a wave of her wand drops a large wash basin on his head.

"Uh okay," Tsukune said, keeping a wary eye on her wand, "it's just that every time I see you, you never say anything, I just assumed you were deaf, no offense!"

"None taken; I find you learn more by keeping quiet and watching things unfold, it helps to judge people around you."

"Oh, I see."

"Besides, you never even tried to come talk to us," she said, giving him a pouty face with those big, violet colored eyes.

"Yeah, we wanted to talk to you at your graduation, but we kept missing you," Mr. Sendou said. "It was all those girls around you, wasn't it?"

"Uhh, ahem! So, um, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Well, your future," she told him bluntly.

"My future?"

"Yes, your future with your wife, every newlywed wants to know about their future with their significant other, whether it'll be good, bad, or just downright ugly."

"Uh-huh," Tsukune replied.

"I wanted to talk to you about it at your graduation before, you know, tied the knot, but like my husband said we kept missing you there."

"So, you guys..."

"Yep, we know this ceremony is a farce and that you and Moka are already married."

"H-How'd you..."

"We're witches," she cheerfully replied.

"Yep son, but only during nights," Mr. Sendou said. "We do have lives, you know. My wife here runs a very successful tarot and fortune telling business, can see your future like that! But me, I run a carpentry business, construct buildings with my bare hands, you know with magic, and the one thing I always say about marriage is that it's a lot like building a house, you see, and..."

"Look, uh, I don't mean to sound rude or anything," he interrupts, "and I'm really honored that you could come to my wedding and sorry I didn't talk with you sooner, but I don't really need my fortune read or anything, me and Moka will be just fine. Could you excuse me there's something I gotta take care of first, but I promise will talk some more as soon as this is settled."

"But, Tsukune..." Mrs. Sendou tried to reason, but Tsukune was already walking away.

"Well, you tried," he reassured his wife, the concern on his face just as great as her own. "Honestly, I don't think he wanted to know; when guys his age have their mind set about something or someone...eh."

"I know," she sighed. "I only wish he could see what I saw, see what is so very plain."

Meanwhile, Ria continued watching the proceedings from her secluded spot, not having moved an inch without tiring, until she senses someone approaching and knew who would dare bother her without ever needing to look up.

"I thought I might find you here," the woman said.

"And, what do you want?" She asked. "I'm not exactly in the mood."

"Well...given that I share your feelings, I'm willing to let your rude acknowledgement slide, for now."

"...Forgive me, I spoke out of turn, My Lady," Ria replied, quick to check her hostility around Gyokuro.

"Forget it; care for a drink?" She asked as she held an opened bottle of Chardonnay that she was drinking under her nose.

"No thank you, My Lady."

"You know its rude to turn down a drink when its offered. Trust me, you're going to want to be drunk if you're to endure this crap any longer."

"I appreciate the offer, My Lady, but if I am to ever see to the requests of my...new brother and heir, then I need my wits together."

Gyokuro laughed, not so much at the realization that a former human is now heir, but to the image of the mighty Ria answering to him, and then she asks:

"Do you know why he agreed to this? It was punishment."

Ria's melancholic expression didn't change nor her gaze, but Gyokuro continued.

"Did you really think he wouldn't find out about that boy's former species? I'm sure he suspects that _you _were also privy to such knowledge and purposely withheld it from him as well as perform certain actions without his consent, but he couldn't prove it. So as punishment, my darling husband thought of doing something that would not only get under _your_ skin, but the rest of us, as well. I know him well, why else would he leave so suddenly, and yet t force the rest of us to remain at this 'place', representing our family and entertaining his bastard daughter and her _human _boy toy."

Ria closed her eyes briefly, yet her dark expression remained the same, so Gyokuro continued.

"You've really pushed your luck this time child, if you're not careful you may meet the same fate as your mother."

She noticed Ria's eyes become hardened and her chin tensed, and knew the comment had chipped a crack in her usually, patient demeanor.

"I should go and see if...my brother needs anything," she quietly says.

"I've got to know, child, do you have any more secrets we need to be aware of? It would be best if you speak now."

With her back already to her, Ria half turns, but only replies before disappearing into the crowd:

"No."

"And, what do you want, young man?" Ageha angrily demands.

"Please, Ageha," said Tsukune.

"Nah-uh, it's Ms. Korono to you, now," she responds and begins marching ever closer to him, constantly bouncing her soft, but ample chest against his as she menacingly backs him away and shaking a pointy finger in his face.

"Ms. Korono. Look, I'm sorry about what happened between me and your daughter, but..."

"But nothing! You blew it pal, you could've had all this!" She yelled, grabbing her huge breasts and pushing them into his face. "But no, you had to go for a flat chested vampire and break my daughter's heart! Well, my Kurumu is too good for you anyway, jerk, you lucked out!"

"Ms. Korono!"

"Mother, stop it!" Kurumu pleaded, trying to hold her mother back. "It's alright, I want to talk to him anyway. Please, mother!"

"...Fine, but if he makes you cry again..."

"I'll be fine, mother!"

Glaring at Tsukune, but wanting to honor her daughter's request, she reluctantly leaves the two alone and suddenly Tsukune is at a loss for words.

"...Uh, well, you looked really nice during the ceremony."

"Thanks," she happily replied, but he could tell she had been crying. "You were handsome, I mean are handsome; thank you for inviting me. Moka looked pretty impressive too. Where is she, by the way?"

"Oh, I left her on the dance floor with Gin, so I decided to come see how you were holding up."

"I'm fine, really I am. I'm glad that...you found the one who was right for you and sealed the deal."

Tsukune found it hard to believe her; this whole time whenever he saw her, a wave of guilt would wash over. He knew how hard she fell for him and at times her feelings for him would be quite passionate.

"Kurumu, you know this doesn't have to be the end, we can still be friends."

"...Friends," she muttered and began laughing to herself, tears forming around her eyes as if it was all some cruel joke.

"Kurumu, I'm sorry. Like I said to Mizore, I never meant to hurt you guys, I just can't help how I feel for Moka. I hope you both will understand."

"...Tell me, Tsukune, do you really believe Moka Akashi..._Aono _is the one?"

"Yes, we've been over this."

"But I wanna know, now. Do you still feel that way?"

"I don't want to argue with you, please not here, not now. This is a big day for Moka and I want her to have a good time without a fight erupting."

"Hmph, you're always thinking about her, don't you?" She sadly asked. "I wonder if you're always on her mind?"

"What's that supposed to mean, you know that's true. Of all the times she's saved me, and you, how can you say she doesn't care?"

"People change, Tsukune, especially after they get married. Sure, she was a good friend and great fighter and hero, but that doesn't make her good wife. I'm...I'm not trying to rain on your parade, you guys should be happy today, I just...I just want to make sure...that she treats you right."

"Kurumu."

He didn't know what else to say, too worried that he might say something that'll only make the situation worse.

"You better go back to Moka," she tells him. "Wouldn't want her getting all upset on her wedding day."

With nothing left to say to him, she gives him a deep hug and walks away without even looking back. He wanted to stop her, he didn't want it to end between them, not this way, but Tsukune realized it was probably for the best to leave and go find Moka. The conversation hadn't gone the way he'd hoped and the depression he felt clouded his mind and left him to walk almost aimlessly throught the crowd, unmindful of his surroundings, until he ultimately runs into a pair of large breasts that stood in his way.

"Oh god, I am so sorry, I should've watched where I was going!"

"My, how unexpected, I never thought you'd run into me in a place like this, sugar," the woman said to him. "Then again, my dear mumu did tell me you had a habit of 'bumping' into good looking women by accident."

He at first thought it was Kurumu's mother, Ageha, judging by the size and softness of her breasts, as well as a mane of wavy hair that hung loosely about her shoulders. Yet, as he got a good look at her hair and noticed that, rather than a light bluish color, was instead a strange plum color, and saw that the woman herself was a shorter, curvier looking person with a short, strapless dress which would've been more suited for a porn star's wedding, it became clear she wasn't the lavishly dressed Ageha, though she did seem familiar.

"Uh, do I know you?" He asked.

The woman just smiled at him, burgundy lips widened into a hungry grin as turquoise colored eyes underneath thick eyelashes and heavy eye liner stared seductively at him.

"Well, ain't you the proverbial heartbreaker, honey," this exotic looking woman said to him in a teasing voice. "We met once and you already forgot who I am, well I can see why my dear mumu is so upset."

She walks up closer to him, her breasts bouncing around in the tight, red fabric of her blouse, threatening to pop out.

"But, I know you remember these," she commented, jiggling her boobs right under his nose. "Most men do, honey."

It wasn't so much the cleavage that jogged his memory, but abrasiveness so reminiscent of Kurumu, as well as the "mumu" comment which meant she could be only one person.

"Caro?" He asked. "Caro Shade? You're Kurumu's aunt from America, aren't you?"

"There, I knew I'd jog your memory once you got a look at my pups. And how are you've been? I guess it'a a bit presumptuous of me to ask, considering you just broke my darling mumu's heart. She's _really_ broken up about you marrying someone else instead of her, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. I just got through talking to her, she seemed pretty devastated even though she tried putting up a strong front, which is more than I can say for your sister. You gotta believe me, I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"What you meant to do is irrelevant, it's already been done. Do you know how important it is for our kind to find a Chosen Mate, and _never _have we lost said mate to anyone, let alone a vampire. I can honestly say she's more than just devastated, 'devastated' simply doesn't describe it."

Tsukune felt like he was being berated for something he did wrong and felt it was wholly justifiable.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I don't know what else to say."

"Oh please, calling me ma'am is like saying I'm an old biddy, you can still call me Caro, I don't mind."

"You don't? Thanks."

"And I know you're a good man, Tsukune, you don't need to apologize to me. You're just a bit confused is all."

"Um, okay, sure. Anyway, I only wish it was that easy with your niece, and even her mother, and I wish there was some way I can make everyone happy."

"Come with me, honey," she says and leads him by the collar into a darkened hallway next to a cleaning closet, nice and isolated.

"Caro, what are you..."

"Shh," she whispered, placing a well manicured finger to his lips. "You said you want to make everyone happy, huh? Then look deep into my eyes, sweetie."

Her back was to the wall, but she had him pressed so hard against her chest he could feel perky nipples poking him through his suit, which made him feel incredibly uncomfortable.

"What is going on, Caro? I don't feel comfortable doing this, I..."

"Tsukune baby, I am a high ranking succubus," she said in a matter of fact tone as she forces his head toward hers. "Trust me, vampire or not you can't say no to any of my requests, now please look into my eyes."

"Caro, please stop!"

But, his protests fell on deaf ears as her succubus powers did their magic, pulling him under her spell like the many times Kurumu tried on him, however this felt vastly different, the pull was much stronger and more overwhelming, unlike anything he'd felt before, until it no longer seemed as though his feet were on the floor, yet completely aware of everything.

_What's going on here? _He wondered in a panic. _I can't move a muscle._

"...C-Caro..." he muttered, but the words came out in slow motion.

"I told you I was a high ranking succubus," she chuckled. "Try as you might, not even a vampire can break from this hold, honey."

Feeling triumphant in having taken hold of him, she buries his face into her cleavage, stifling any fledgling resistance that might still remain as she strokes his hair in utter confidence of her powers.

"You know, my darling 'mumu and her mother still have a lot to learn about us succubi, you think they would've learned by now," she purred. "Just because you're getting married, doesn't mean it has to end. If her Chosen Mate is with another woman, then she can still become his mistress; so who says we have to marry him, men have been committed to more than one woman since the beginning of time. My niece can still see you, hell maybe even both me and her mom and all your little girlfriends and their mothers, to tell you the truth ever since my little 'mumu has been emailing me about you during school I've wanted to see what you're all about. Well, I guess now is as good a time as any to find out, it'll certainly help you decide to take my 'mumu as your mistress' route, and you _did_ say you wanted to make everyone happy. Now, pull down my zipper, baby and let's get started, shall we?"

Tsukune tried to resist her command, but his hand seemed to have mind of its own and he could sense it grab the skirt's back zipper and begin to pull down. Caro laughed as she noticed the inner struggle that was going on in his head, and he could feel her blouse begin to loosen from around her breasts.

_I can't believe this! _He frantically thought. _Am I really going to cheat on my wife on our second wedding day, and against my will? Moka. I can't let her down, not now, not today!_

Just as he started to pull down her outfit, coming close to exposing her massive set of mammary and have sex with, but every fiber of his being managed to allow him to utter: "Moka," underneath his breath, so low it was barely audible save to one succubus who seemed to relish every breath from his mouth.

"What did you say?" She asked, as if uncertain of what she had heard. "Hmph, I guess it must've been a fluke, because I know you didn't just say your wife's name; that would be a first for a man."

But, she heard it again, this time a little louder, a little bolder and a lot stronger.

"Moka. I...love M-Moka."

Caro abruptly lifts his head up and looks at him strangely. She could clearly see he was fighting her spell with greater desire than she'd seen in any man; most would willingly let it happen, but Tsukune's face was beet red, sweat pouring from his brow and visible veins that throbbed so much it looked as if he would die if this continued any further.

_Would he rather die than make out with me? _She wondered, uncertain if she should feel offended or amazed.

"Oh dear, don't bust a vein or nothing, sugar!" She said with growing alarm. "I was just fooling with ya! I release you!"

Finally able to take a deep breath, his whole body began to relax and Tsukune staggers back from Caro in a state of shock, fearful that someone may have seen them together.

"Relax sweetie, nobody has seen us," Caro said as though reading his mind. "I know I've been around the block, but when I want a quick bang, I'm not going to let some peeping toms in on the action."

"What the hell were you trying to do to me?" He gasped.

"I should be asking you that question, I mean, oh my god, sweetie, it was just a little tease, you didn't have to freak out like that!"

"Just a little tease? I love my wife, and you tried to...force me to have sex with you, and on my wedding day!"

"Oh please, I know you and your blood-sucking sweet heart have already tied the knot long before this, though I guess this is for your friends and family, which is commendable, but personally I think you could've done it without inviting my niece to this farce."

"So you decided to have sex with me to teach me a lesson?"

"No, hun, to be honest I was only testing you."

"A test? Look, Caro, I don't know what you really think of me or what your sister thinks of me, but I'm not a bad guy and I won't let you treat me like I am. I wouldn't hurt my wife like this, regardless of when we got married and making out with me wouldn't help Kurumu either, it'll only make it worse! I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to find someone else to 'test'!"

He half expected her to become angry and lash out at him, ready for to unleash her claws and rend him to shreds, but instead she simply stands before him, red dress clinging precariously to her body and looks at him as though he was some sort of alien.

"Well, you are indeed a rare breed," she muttered.

"What?"

"Are you telling me this whole time you were under my spell, you were worried about that? About hurting either your beloved or my 'mumu?"

"I don't under..."

"In all my life I've known men to be rather base creatures who live and breathed sex, that's why none have ever broken our mental control over them, even the very devout ones have been easy because deep down they really wanted it; I mean it is pretty pathetic when you think about it, but at the same time its fun to manipulate them, especially when you're a lusty creature with goodies like mine, hell I mean I've turned gay men straight, no kidding."

"You're starting to sound like another woman who tried the same thing," he bitterly remarked.

"Oh, you mean your beloved Moka's older sister, yeah I'm well aware of her and her misdeeds, though I would hardly consider myself being compared to a sloppy amateur like that."

"H-How did you know about..."

"That isn't important, right now. Right now, I'm trying to figure you out; you are either mentally unbalanced or...you really are every bit as unique as my 'mumu described."

"And, you had to do all of this to find that out?"

"Well yes, I had to see how honest you were, and plus I was kinda curious. Are you wondering if I would've gone all the way?"

"No, I...I think I'd better go find my wife, excuse me."

Tsukune was all too eager to break away from his friend's buxom, and over amorous aunt, but before he could leave, she had one more thing to say to him:

"Before you go, hun, I think there's something you ought to know. As sweet as you are, you can't make everyone happy; so try worrying about yourself, more," she said with a suave smile, but Tsukune didn't return the gesture and quickly dives into the crowd, anxious to find Moka.

Satisfied that she'd learned all there was to know about him, Caro fixes herself up and returns to where her sister and niece sat.

"And, how are we doing, hun?" She asked Kurumu with genuine concern.

"I-I'm fine, aunt Caro," Kurumu replied. "Just want to sit for awhile and, um, enjoy the party."

She puts on a brave front, but Caro knew her niece was deeply hurt.

"Hmph, that Tsukune ought to be ashamed of himself," said Ageha. "Passing up my daughter like that, where does he come off?"

"Mom, please."

"Uh, sis, mind if I have word with you?" Caro asked, beckoning to speak with her alone.

"We'll be back, baby," Ageha tells Kurumu, giving her forlorn daughter a strong hug before joining her sister. "Okay, what is it?"

"Well nothing too serious, just that I, um, 'got to know' the venerable Tsukune Aono."

"Got to know...? Oh, Caro you didn't?"

"No, we didn't go all the way, we tried or rather I tried," Caro explained, but Ageha continued to look at her incredulously. "Come on, I'm a succubus, you know that's how we check a guy out, least of all if he's going to be my darling 'mumu's Chosen Mate."

"I know, but..."

"Besides, with all the flirting you did around him, don't tell me you never once thought about sampling some of the goods yourself."

"I know that, but...he just complicates things, and with my Kurumu the way she is now, I just couldn't and I can't believe you would."

"Well, like I said we didn't, and you can thank him for that."

Caro noticed a look on her sister's face that seemed to suggest she knew what she was saying about him.

"You obviously don't seem too surprised, but he is, however the first and only boy, hell the first and only man, to ever turn down my girls. When you said he didn't seem all that interested neither you or your daughter's boobs, even when they were right up in his face, I thought you guys must've been doing something wrong, so I put on some of my charm on the guy. He is either incredibly stupid or what, I don't know, but he is every bit as you guys described him to me."

"Yes, I thought the same as you when he first rejected Kurumu. When she had lied and told me they were engaged, naturally I was eager to meet the lucky guy, but the whole time I was with him he just didn't act like most boys his age, I mean he certainly reacted predictably when he saw, and felt, _my _breasts, being a teenage boy and all. Yet, the whole time I was with him his focus didn't appear to be on me _or_ my daughter, but instead...on _her_, some small chested, bipolar vampire. I thought there was something mentally wrong with the boy, it further bothered me when Kurumu finally confessed to everything and that she was nothing than a 'friend', a _friend_, can you believe that? And, not even her Charm effect could tear him away from that...that, girl! Ugh!"

"Hmph, I believe that."

"You too?"

"Yes."

"I mean, with _your_ Charm and..."

"Yep."

"Maybe you didn't use your full power or..."

"Girl, I used everything including my breasts, you can see I'm not wearing any bra, I had the guy literally squashed right up against them and still he kept mumbling about Moka. You should've seen his face, it looked like he was going to bust a blood vessel if I'd kept it up, I never seen any man fight me so hard!"

"Moka," Ageha seethed. "She has some hold over him, but I don't know what."

"You know I'd heard myths about vampires themselves possessing the ability to charm their victims, but I'd always assumed people got that from those dime-store vampire novels and didn't know the truth."

"I highly doubt it, though I wouldn't be surprised if Moka injected him with some kind of love potion. That was my Kurumu's idea, but she must've beaten her to it!"

"Regardless, you do know this doesn't necessarily have to change anything."

"Huh?"

"We're succubi, sis, it doesn't say our Chosen Mate has to be our husband. Mumu could be his mistress, she wouldn't be the first of our kind to do that, you know."

Ageha glances back at her daughter sulking at the table and sadly shakes her head in response.

"What would be wrong with that, I think you're making a big deal out of nothing," Caro laughed.

"...Under normal circumstances...your idea would be a viable option, but like I said, this Tsukune has just...complicated things. You should see Kurumu, look into her eyes, she's madly in love with him and insanely jealous of _her, _and Tsukune being Tsukune, he would never agree to that kind of arrangement."

"Yes, but the young man _was_ eager to please everyone, maybe he'd be willing to do go ahead with it."

"I don't think so, that Moka has him on a tight leash. It may as well be over for my little girl, she's lost her destined partner."

"I'm sorry sis," a saddened Caro says to her. "I want to check this Moka Akashiya out, see if she is worth all the hype. From what Kurumu has told me, so far it doesn't sound like she's worth all the hell that boy goes through."

"What are you going to do?"

Caro gives her a rather mischievous look and bunches up her blouse as if about to head out to seduce someone.

"Caro, you're not going to do what I think you're going to do?" Ageha whispered.

"Hey, I go both ways! I'll see you guys in a bit."

Ageha wanted to dissuade her sister from doing what she was about to do, but remembering what Moka did to her daughter, nixes on that idea.

"Good luck," she said with much encouragement.

"A-choo!" Tsukune went as he stood next to the buffet table, though careful not get any of it on the entrees. "Excuse me, Sun."

"That's okay, guess _someone's _been talking about you," she joked.

In his efforts to reach Moka, Tsukune found himself sidetracked into a conversation with Sun Otonashi, the diminutive yet beautiful, blue haired siren and recipient of the bouquet toss, as well as Gin's date. With her was her blonde human friend and guardian Marin, who at the moment was enjoying the wine a bit too much.

"You know, Tsuuuk-u-ne," Marin said. "Did I get that right? Yeah, that's right. I don't want to toot my own horn, but I just want to say what great party you have and how much re-_spect _you, I mean really _respect _you; oops, too late, TOOT!"

"Wow, is she hammered, already?" He asked.

"Unfortunately," Sun sighed while trying to keep Marin on her toes. "Still, I want to thank you for inviting Gin and us to your wedding, it really was a nice ceremony."

"No problem, you were our friends and I needed a Best Man, Gin seemed like the only guy right for the job, well him or Fang Fang, but between you and me that guy kind of creeps me out."

"Tell me about it," Sun said, and then whispered, "I don't know if you know this, but all during the ceremony he looked kind of jealous!"

"Who, Gin?"

"No, Fang Fang," she laughed. "And it wasn't because Gin was the Best Man, either."

"Yeah," he laughed nervously. "He always wanted me to, you know..."

"I know," she laughed.

"He wants to toot _your_ horn, big guy, wants to toot it so bad...toot-toot!" Marin joked.

"By the way, nice catch with the bouquet," he commented.

"Thanks. But, the real reason I wanted to talk to you was to let you know that, after everything you've done for us, from taking over my old Newspaper Club to...well helping me and Marin with Fairy Tale and all, _and_ keeping an eye on Gin, and now this, I got to say I'm glad my respect was placed. I meant what I said to you earlier, you really have earned it from me."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, it's not every day a guy actually commits to the woman he loves."

"Oh, I'm sensing trouble with Gin, eh?"

"Ugh, you have no idea," Sun said, angrily shaking the bouquet at him as she rants. "Do you know how many times I've tried to get him to commit, let alone move in with me, but every time he changes the subject or makes some lame excuse! I'd hoped winning the toss would help convince him that I'm ready, but...I don't, I just don't know what I'm going to do with that man."

"I'm sure these things take time."

"I just...worry that he may not have eyes only for me, you know?"

"Don't say that, you know Gin loves you, he wouldn't cheat on you. I'm sure he's just nervous and all, you don't have to worry."

"I appreciate that. But, that aside I truly did mean everything else, about how you've been there for us and all."

"Um, thanks, that's great," he said. "Say, I was about to go get Moka and Gin, maybe all of us can catch up."

"Oh sure, where is she?"

"I left her with Gin on the dance floor, they should be almost through dancing."

"They're not on the dance floor," Sun replied.

"They're not? I know I left them there awhile ago, it couldn't have been that long."

"Me and Marin have been here for the last couple of minutes, we haven't seen them. We were actually hoping you might've seen Gin recently."

Tsukune felt it strange that they would both disappear like that, but didn't think too much on it and would simply wait until she showed up.

"They're probably off somewhere talking," he said. "They'll pop up, eventually."

"You're right."

"Hey, kids!" Marin interrupted. "You know what I think, I think they're off somewhere...foolin around without you two, and that you should...teach em a lesson...You two kiss."

"Huh?" Tsukune asked, dumbfounded.

"Marin!"

"What's the matter, shy; then I'll do it."

Marin leans up against Tsukune and puckers her wine reeking lips up for a kiss, much to his dismay.

"Pucker up, kid!"

"Uh, Ms. Otonashi," he pleaded.

"Marin! C'mon, you need to cool off."

"Hey, I don't need to cool nuthin," Marin protested as Sun carries her away by the shoulder.

"Sorry about that," she says to Tsukune. "You know how she can be?"

"Yeah," he chuckled.

"I can be a-lllottt of...stuff," Marin remarked.

"Lets go, Marin. I swear, you only had like five glasses."

"Bye!" Marin called out.

Smiling, Tsukune returns his gaze to the floor, waiting patiently to catch some glimpse of Moka on the off chance that she and Gin simply stepped off to rest. After having his disastrous conversation with Kurumu, and very nearly getting into an affair with yet another bawdy relative of hers, he badly wanted his wife nearby and to remind him of what's important. A light tap on his shoulders interrupted his vigilance, however and thinking it might be Moka was more relieved to have her show up rather than annoyed.

"Finally," he said, "I was wondering where..."

But, as Tsukune turns around he was greeted not by his warm and cheerful Moka, but the last woman he'd expect or even want to find.

"Oh me, oh my, I certainly hope you weren't missing me, already," Ria joked, but with a rather dead pan expression.

"Oh hi, I didn't know it was...I was expecting..."

"Stop right there, please, I'm not in the mood to be compared with _her_ in any way. I only wanted to check to see if there was anything needed from me."

"No, thanks, I'm fine; you can just...go and enjoy yourself."

She flashed him a brief, yet fake smile and silently begins to walk away. Tsukune stood transfixed to the spot, unsure of what else to say to her; it was awkward enough having her attend their wedding, twice, but it'll be downright uncomfortable for the three of them trying to be civil for the next several years and he didn't want that to be the case.

"W-Wait!" He suddenly called to her. "Ria hold up..."

Annoyed, yet careful not to show it, Ria stops and patiently waits for him to come up with whatever he had in mind, which he himself wasn't sure of, having blurted out "Wait" as a spur of the moment.

"...Dance with me," he found himself saying to her. "Please, I only want to talk."

Ria looks at him, her expression hollow, but shrugs and complies.

"Your wish is my command," she says and follows him out onto the dance floor.

They caught the band in the middle of a slow paced tune and everyone was in the usual embrace, much to his chagrin, so Tsukune placed both hands upon her shapely hips, which brought back uncomfortable memories he quickly tried to shove out of his mind, and only allowed the woman to come within an inch of him, though the nipples of her ample breasts, that had since become extremely perky in the room temperature in spite of the wool fabric of her outfit which did little to hide them and were closer than he would've liked. With Ria this close it made his resolve all, but impossible to muster up, as he stood before a woman whose arms seemingly delicate arms were wrapped, almost lovingly around his neck, the very same woman who had tormented him for the better part of six, agonizing months, raping him and taunting Moka with it, even seducing his own father and threatened to destroy his family all just to force Tsukune to be her bitch and now after his newfound father-in-law's influence, was being at least manageable; needless to say it bothered him.

"...We haven't spoken since graduation," he finally said after a long pause, but Ria said nothing in return and just stared up at him. "Look, things were said, actions taken, we both have done a lot to hurt one another, but that's all in the past now. We're going to be a...a family for a very long time; I know it, Moka knows it and I'm sure you do, too."

Again, Ria said nothing and Tsukune continued to dance while thinking of anything to say that might salvage this "conversation".

"I know...you feel that all I'm doing is...adding you to my 'harem', as you put it, but that's not true, and I don't have a harem, I have friends which you still could be if you drop this vendetta you have against Moka. She's my bloodmate now, my wife and I guess heiress to your father's throne or something. Look, all I know is that this is how it's going to be for the next hundred or thousand or however many years you guys live, and...I don't want it to be just the three of us to get along, I want all of us to get along, human, vampire, succubus, snow maiden, witch,...you, me and Moka, both our fathers and mothers, everybody, I want all of us to be one happy family, or at least a moderately happy. I don't want us to be enemies, we don't have to be pieces on some chess board...So, what do you say?"

They danced in complete silence for about a minute in a half, yet seemed like an hour to Tsukune, who waited for some kind of response from, any kind of response from Ria, however it didn't appear she was contemplating what he'd said or letting it sink in, instead it looked like she was examining some curiosity before her.

"Oh Tsukune," she finally said, her voice cutting the stillness between them like a knife, "...you're so naive. Even now, you still think like this. Once I would've found it charming, even endearing, but now...I feel almost sorry for you. You're like a child who has yet to experience the world, but you'll know, you'll know differently one day and I only hope I'm there to see it."

"Ria, please..."

"Oh save it, brother, I heard your pleas and, being my father's heir, I am obligated to see to your every whims, so you don't have to worry about me raining on your happily ever after of a life. As long as father remains on his throne, your beloved Moka will be safe from my chess based machinations, as will your father, you have my word. Now that's insurance you can take with you to bed when you fuck my sister, it is what this is really about, right? You want assurance that I won't bother your loved ones, again. Well, as I said, for as long as my father is around, and that'll be a very long time."

"...And, what'll happen when your father isn't around? He dared to ask. "What will happen when I have to take his place."

"Then my service to him will have come to an end and you will have to choose a new Right Hand to serve you, perhaps even your beloved Moka."

"Then what? Where will that leave us?"

Ria stared intently into his eyes, the gaze of her dark orbs seemingly growing blacker by the second.

"When that day comes, all bets are off."

The song ended right at the same time their conversation had as if by some divine providence, and Ria sensing he had little else to say, at least anything of significance to her, gives him a brisk bow and walks away, quickly disappearing from his sight. He had hoped to have one last chance to win over Ria and convince her to stop her efforts to inflict pain within their lives, to instead become someone they could trust. But now, he was only too glad to see her leave and secretly hoped he'd never see her again after today.

"Tsukune!" He heard Moka cry out, the very sound bringing a much welcomed relief to his already frustrated mind.

"Moka, it's about time you showed up, I was..." he said, but was caught by surprise when she hugged him so tight she nearly broke his spine. "Good to see you, too."

"Oh Tsukune, I didn't mean to keep you waiting, I got...held up with something, but that's okay let's forget about it and just go."

"Go?"

"Yeah, let's go on our second honey moon now, the sooner the better."

"Okay, but why so suddenly, I mean we still have some friends to thank and..."

"We can do it during the toast; please Tsukune I want to go, now!"

Tsukune was a little surprised by this sudden request, but looking into her tender, pleading eyes and still relieved to have her near him and not around Caro or Ria, he was more than willing to acquiesce.

"Alright. After we do the toast, we'll say all our goodbyes and head to the limo."

"Thankyou, thankyou Tsukune!" she said with another strong hug.

"To be honest, I thought I was becoming one of those paranoid husbands, having you gone like that," he tried to say.

"I didn't worry you too much, did I?"

"Oh no, no, I wasn't _worried_, worried, I had plenty of time to talk with everyone, so everything was...cool."

"You seem kind of frazzled, is everything okay?"

He came close to laughing nervously at his unusual encounters with friends and well-wishers, but smiled and made an effort to play it cool, not wanting to reveal to Moka of nearly making out with Kurumu's aunt or that he danced with Ria.

"Let's just say I'd go crazy without you," he said. "I mean, if you weren't around, I don't know what I'd do."

Moka kisses him lovingly; both flattered and deeply satisfied, but above all else counting her blessings. Soon after, Tsukune hits the side of his glass and all eyes were on the super couple as they prepared to start the toast, which was a little more for the young man to expect.

"Um, ladies and gentlemen, I hope I have your attention," he nervously began. "I'm not one for speeches, so I'll make this brief. Ahem! So, I know you're all are having a good time and everything, but I just...me and Moka would just like to thank all of you for joining us today and sending us so many gifts and praise and, it's really been a memorable experience that neither one of us will ever forget. So, um, Moka would you like to say something?"

"Yes Moka!" Yukari cheered. "We want to hear from the sexiest, most beautiful bride in the ..."

"I couldn't agree more," Ruby replied after having muffled Yukari. "How about it, let's hear from Mrs. Aono."

Blushing and just as nervous as Tsukune was, Moka picks up her glass and stands up, a little unsure of what to say to so many people at first, but supportive glances from both her mother, Kazumi and with Tsukune standing so close, she finally musters enough courage to speak.

"Well, um forgive me, I'm a just _little _bitshy too, so um, but I also would like to thank everybody for showing up. It's been a real blessing to see so many familiar faces, all our friends and family and people that we only knew briefly, and looking back, when I was still young...I-I don't know if any of you know this, but I didn't have any friends when I started school. Being so far away from home, it was a scary and lonely experience, made more so because I was treated differently from everybody and they would be pretty cruel towards me, and all those lonely days coming and going from school were so unbearable that...that I thought I'd never have anyone and that I'll always, always be alone. But, then came high school, where I met my wonderful husband here, and one by one more people entered my life, my good friends Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, Ruby, and so many more people befriended me until, now...well, who would've thought, you know, that I'd be here and have all of you here for me, and I never thought I'd be so fortunate. I want to thank you…thank you all."

Moka began to break down as everyone erupted into applause, with her mother too consumed in wiping her own tears to clap.

"That was so beautiful," Kazumi said to her husband.

"Yeah."

Of course, few shared such sentiments: Gyokuro was far too hammered and indifferent to care either way, while Ria's applause appeared to be all for show. Kurumu tried to applaud for her friend and rival, to show such support for Moka, but she could only muster a half hearted enthusiasm, where as both Caro and the Sendos seemed to know something that troubled them.

"Cheers everybody!" Tsukune cheerfully proclaims and the two held their glasses up high.

"Let's hear it for Tsukune and Moka Aono!" Yukari cheered.

Moka Aono, loving, newlywed wife to Tsukune Aono, who at first thought the entire ceremony was unnecessary, radiated in the happy atmosphere, cheeks aglow along with the rest of her as she cheerfully laughed with Tsukune who stood by her side and shared in her joy. Elsewhere, however, as every eye surrounding the newly christened Moka Aono bestowed upon her so much praise and love, another pair of eyes looked on at the festivities as they went on, not with praise or love or of any kind of emotion at all, but with the emptiness of someone whose life had been violently ripped from her body. Still rotting in her cell, Moka Akashiya "watched" the proceedings carry on from start to finish from the very same spot on the floor she had collapsed on earlier, having moved very little since bearing witness to their Blood Bonding ritual, their actual wedding, which would've been _her _wedding with the man she loved, and though that had stung Moka in every way Ria had hoped for, she not only made her watch them having sex, but every other intimate moment leading up to the human wedding she had just been privy to. But, if Ria's plan was to further hurt Moka, then she succeeded; it hurt seeing so many familiar faces, so called friends and family, all attending the wedding, all around this fake woman, never once realizing it was all a ruse. Not even her own mother and father could see it, and yet _she_ could and saw them all fawn over the impostor. Ria was the real winner, she had succeeded in breaking her, even though she might not tell seeing her, because Moka continued lying on the floor in her fetal state, unresponsive to anyone, not even hearing the insulting cat calls of the guards, just hugging herself into a ball, trembling uncontrollably, with tears mixed in with mucous falling to the floor and in her hair from all the crying she had done.

_It's over, it's all over, _came the words that repeated over and over again in her head, the only thought that ran through her mind. For the very first time in her life, since childhood, since before she encountered Tsukune on that dusty trail towards school four years ago, she was once more truly alone.

**Get up, **came a husky, forceful voice that she hadn't heard in a long time and whose voice seemed almost alien to her. **Did you hear what I just said, I said get up.**

_It's over, it's over, it's all over._

**DAMN IT, MOKA IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR ASS UP, RIGHT NOW! **The voice roared, loud and with such ferocity. It took Moka to realize that the voice was coming from her pendant, lying on the floor beside her, its red jewel nestled in the center glowing red hot, as the sound of an electric current hissed from within.

"...Y-You…," she managed to blurt out.

**Do you remember your training as a child?**

"Why?" She asked; the very sound of her own voice hollow and barely recognizable.

**Do you remember them or don't you? We share the same body, we also share the same memories, so surely you can recall a few.**

"So what if I do...what difference would it make?"

**Listen, if I wasn't sealed away by this rosary, if it was just me, if I was in this cell right now, I'd bust out of this cage, rearrange all of the guards on my way out, and personally payback Tsukune and everyone else for this betrayal, but I'm not, all I got is you to work with and so it's up to you to get us both out! I'm gonna train you myself, build up your strength to somewhere close to my own, at the very least you'll be able to fight your way out should they remove you. We share the same body after all, there's no reason why we can't share the same level of strength, Ria hasn't beaten us yet. Now, do you understand me?"**

Outer Moka made no reply; she simply didn't feel like doing much of anything except to lie there, allowing the cockroaches to dance around her limp form.

**MOKA AKASHIYA!** Her inner persona blared, loudly in her skull, nearly causing her to jump. **Do not flake on me now, girl! Don't you dare show her defeat, you get up now, get up and start kicking, I don't care how long it takes, but we will not remain here! No one is coming for us, it's all up to you get us free, but you need to become stronger, now stand up and start training!**

Somehow, for some strange reason, those very words themselves managed to illicit a response from her body, as if by voice command they were automatically moving her limbs to do exactly what Inner Moka wanted, and slowly it began to rise up and started practice kicking with her left leg, repeatedly.

**Good, good, that's more like it!** **Now, try the other one.**

And so it was for the young vampire; Moka training diligently day in and out, consuming her meals to pick up her strength, and when she needed to go, went in the metal pan they afforded her. It was a mind numbing existence, nevertheless there was hardly a moment where Moka stopped to complain or demand, she simply went on with the rigorous exercise and training regimen, coached only by her inner self every step of the way. But, while her body performed all of these daunting tasks, the rest of her, all that made Moka what she was, appeared virtually non-existent. When she saw Tsukune wed she died inside, there was no malice, sorrow, nor desire for revenge, she simply lacked every inch of emotion that made her who she is, made her so distinct from the colder, inner personality that swapped places when the pendant was removed; in truth there was nothing, but an empty shell. By all appearances she was nothing more than a zombie, going about the motions of the day as if her body had been preconditioned to do so. Inner Moka apparently didn't notice or much cared, but then again she was unable to see how dull and lifeless those emerald eyes had since gotten. For Outer Moka there was very little she cared about, not about how much her body ached from the grueling work out, nor the guards who would sometimes came to watch her sweat in the burlap sack she wore, or watched her go to the bathroom; nothing else mattered. And though she trained like a beast to one day break out, Moka had little hope that day would ever come, but even if it did and by some miracle she was free, what was there to welcome her? W_ho _would be there to greet her and, most importantly, who would be her friend, now?

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, and for another four, long years the woman that was still Moka Akashiya languished away in her cell alone, still methodically training to get stronger. The guards visits became fewer and far in between, whereas Ria at some point had stopped coming altogether, and it seemed that even she eventually forgot about her, but it didn't really matter. By this time Moka, the once bubbly, pink haired girl that everyone adored had undergone some major changes as years of training had honed her body to near peak, physical condition and almost seemed to resemble her mother's physique, if not Inner Moka's impressive stats. As for the rest, her long pink hair had grown even longer, to the point where it touched the floor, accumulating every manner of grime and dust, as it partially covered her face that had become sharper and more defined, while her nails had grown exceptionally longer. If any of Moka's friends were to see her now, it's likely they wouldn't recognize her, but that hardly seem to matter. Though everything else had changed, her mood hasn't and there was never a day that went by when Tsukune wasn't on Moka's mind, and of how he and everyone else betrayed her. All of it, however, all the training and the way she felt, which had since become routine for her, was all about to change on one, seemingly random night.

Moka was in the midst of a lengthy meditation, butt and legs numb as she became lost in thought, when the loud, groaning sound of the heavy metal doors suddenly pierced the darkness, its familiar sound, almost nostalgic to her weary mind, interrupted her train of thought and though her eyes remained closed, she listened as the footsteps drew closer and closer until a finally stopping before her cell.

"Hey sweet stuff, long time no see," said the guard whom, after spending so long there and coming to familiarize with each individual who visited her, she knew in particular as being guard #2, the second Moka had met and one of the first to boldly admit to groping her; she could tell it was him without even opening her eyes to see him, but by listening to the sound of his smug voice. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but it looks like you've kept yourself busy, sweet cheeks, and I have to say its done wonders for your looks."

Moka chose to remain silent, not wanting to dignify his insults or whatever it was he had come here for.

"Aw, so it's gonna be like that, huh? You're going to give me the cold shoulder because I haven't been coming around as much, and after all the years we've had to get better acquainted, it's like this, now? I guess what we had wasn't special, eh?"

Moka continued her silence, not thinking about anything, but her body tensed nonetheless should he dare attempt to do anything to her, again.

"Well, if you're going to be like that, then you probably don't want to see what I have to show. I guess you don't care see what your ex, Tsukune Aono, is up to?"

Almost involuntarily, the very sound of his name, a name she hadn't heard mentioned in years, yet was never far from her mind caused Moka's eyes to shoot open, her weary eyes staring intently at the man.

"Ah, that got a response. Figured you must hate the guy for marrying that other woman all those years ago, but you can't blame him, I mean the girl looked just like you and all. Still, I probably shouldn't have brought him back up, it'll dredge up a lot of bad memories, in fact I shouldn't even be here showing this to you. But, my mistress, who's on her way right now to join us, wanted me to go ahead show you this. Now, before you object, if it'll make you feel better, you should know that things between them haven't been going so well, you know, and things are finally about to reach a point that...Well, why don't you see for yourself."

He checks his watch and smiles.

"Yeah...right about...now," he says and drops not just one, but two shikigami who immediately took their usual spots opposite her cell and projecting their images.

Moka was a shell of her former self now, and too emotionally exhausted to care about anything that Ria planned to accomplish by showing her more crap to hurt her. However, as one image came into view, she saw something completely different, something, in spite of everything she had seen, she was not prepared for. On one image, sitting before her in plain view was a close up shot of Tsukune, only Tsukune, appearing before her in the flesh as if he hadn't changed in years. Just the sight of him, of seeing him after what felt like a century to her, caused a slight stirring in the husk that was once her heart, and yet something was off. She had expected to see him having some fun with the imposter, and yet Moka could plainly see that he wasn't doing much of anything, but sitting on a couch, alone in a darkened living room, shoulders hunched over, face hung low as if something greatly bothered him; it was clear to her that he was visibly upset about something.

Why did it matter to her, why should it affect her so to see him like that?

Moka found it odd that she would much less care, as if by some age old impulse to care, but her addled mind couldn't understand why. As the next image came into view, she saw what looked to be their bedroom, the door opened and giving him a good view of "herself", busily fixing herself up in a fancy cocktail dress that hugged her breasts tightly, excessively spraying some expensive perfume all over as if to gag on its scent and a gob of make-up being plastered all over her face that made her seem like a clown to the beleaguered girl. Moka could tell instantly that something was wrong with this picture; it was clear _this_ Moka was getting dressed to go somewhere, but why was Tsukune just sitting there in plain clothes, totally unresponsive while the other Moka seemed almost indifferent.

**What is this, now? **Inner Moka asked, once again voicing her concerns. **What's going on?**

"Give it time, baby," the guardsman said, as though somehow reading her thoughts. "You're about to lay the smack down on your hubby, sweet cheeks, and damn you look nice in a cocktail dress. I wonder what 'you' are planning?"

"It's not too late, Tsukune," she heard 'herself' say to him.

**Not too late for what?**

But, Tsukune remained silent and if his strange silence had bothered the other Moka as much as it did the real one, she couldn't tell. Tsukune remained sullen, his form still in the shadows, illuminated only by the bedroom light.

"What happens Tsukune, i-is your fault," the other Moka said to him. "It doesn't have to be this way, just say..."

"No," came his voice, a voice that was so different from what Moka's faded memories of him could remember.

Seeing this strange scene, and seeing him for the first time in years only to hear such a dark voice escape his lips, all of it caused something slight to stir within her as she eagerly watched with anxious trepidation.

"Oh goodie, the fun's about to begin," the guard said.

Just then, the doorbell rang and "Moka" walks up to it, and turns to ask, almost pleadingly to Tsukune one more time:

"Tsukune...please, don't make me do this. All you have to do is agree with me and this won't happen, I'll send him away and that'll be the end of it."

_Him? _ She thought with both dread and confusion. _Who's him, what's going on?_

When Tsukune again, and in the same gruff tone replied no, Moka sighed heavily and without any hesitation opened the door to a reveal who 'him' was.

_Gin? What's he doing here, why's she meeting with him in front of Tsukune?_ _Why's she meeting him, period?_

"Good evening, Moka dear!" Gin greeted, handing her a flower.

"Thank you, Gin," her double greeted. "Please come in."

"I must say I am a little surprised you'd call me out of the blue, like this. I know you and Tsukune had been at each other's throats, lately. I hope he hasn't left you all alone for some handsome guy to come along and take you and show you how a real man ought to treat you. But, if he had, then let me say you deserved better, much, much, bet...Oh, hi Tsukune, I didn't know you'd be here. Hey, that last bit, I didn't really mean...Uh, Moka, you didn't say he'd be here."

"...Pay him no attention, in fact I wanted him to see this," she heard Moka cruelly say, in fact everything that was happening was so out of character for her, that she believed it had to be some sick joke. The coldness, the very evil nature of her actions, implying she would ever do anything like this caused her to rise up from her sitting position and grip the bars to the cell. It was a mild shock, slowly festering into anger that she felt, now, the first indication of her body slowly regaining life as all that was left of her rose slowly to the surface.

"Moka, I told you once and I'm not gonna tell you again," Gin said. "Don't use me to make Tsukune jeal..."

Her mouth fell open at the sight of this Moka reaching up and kissing him, Gin, of all people, in front of Tsukune, the very man she stole him from and married, twice! She was showing off, kissing another man as if it was all for show, like it meant nothing to her. The very sight quickly reignited her emotions like a crackling fire, growing upset seeing this, but she could only imagine how Tsukune must be feeling as she noticed his muscles tensing at the very sight. She wasn't vain or petty, she knew this was something was going beyond wrong and that no one deserved to sit through this.

**What the hell is this? **Inner Moka angrily demanded. **And why isn't he doing something, why's he just sitting there?**

The kiss was intentionally long and "Moka" was flirting by rubbing her body, _her _body, against this perverted man, and all to anger Tsukune for some strange reason.

"I'm so glad you realize how better I am for you," Gin replied after the kiss ended. "I have _so_ wanted you from the very first day I laid eyes on your fine body and gorgeous face, but why now? And, in front of him?"

"...If I was to let you father my children, would keep them away from a human's influence?" She asked him.

"WHAT?" Moka tried to yell, but years of rarely speaking had prevented any words to come out, only the silent scream and the shock in her eyes conveyed any sense of her utter surprise at this Moka's unusual request.

"Tsukune wants them to be involved with his family and his neighborhood, with other humans in general, but I told him I don't want them to associate with anything human. I had the worst time in my life when I was younger dealing with their bigotry, their belief on bullying those who are different from them and an inability to accept someone who is smarter or better than they are, to respect someone who is superior to them in every way and not hate or belittle them! I won't let my children grow into that, I won't allow him to father them and have a human's mentality to taint the upbringing of the next line of Shuzen!"

_What is she saying? _She thought frantically. _Why is she saying all of this, I don't have a problem with humans!_

A growl from within her pendant seemed to convey her inner personality's feelings toward all of this as well, being just as offended as she was.

"Moka," Tsukune began to say, the sound of his voice no longer so harsh, but closely resembling the gentle tone she knew and loved, now in great pain and duress. "I told you before, I'm willing to let our children be raised in both our worlds, but I want them get to know my family, as well."

"They will, when they are old enough and ready for high school at Yokai like I was. By then, they would've been taught and trained enough to be better able to take care of themselves."

"You'd deny my parents their grandchildren; you'd deny my cousin and my aunt and uncle a chance to get to know our kids?" 

"I'll deny them the opportunity to know cruelty and intolerance from humans."

"Did you forget, I'm human, too..."

"_Were_ human, Tsukune. You're a vampire, now and you should act like it."

This wasn't her, she realized, the words that came from this other woman was something she wouldn't say to anyone, much less to Tsukune or even about his family, and yet curiously enough these words sounded similar to what her inner persona might say. 

"And before I was," he continued. "When I was still human you had no problems from me."

"You were just...different, we've been over this."

"What about my cousin, Kyouko, she knows you're a vampire and she likes you."

"Gin," Moka turns back to him, flat out ignoring Tsukune, "if I were to have your children, you must let them be raised around my family and stick to my family's influences, okay?"

"Strictly vampires, then?" He looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Yes," she nodded, her clenched hands pressed even further between her breasts.

"And, would I have to pay child support or anything?"

_Stop, _she secretly pleaded, but to deaf ears. _Don't do this! Don't do this, just please stop!_

"No, you don't have to be a part of the child's life. Just give me a baby and allow me to raise it anyway I see fit."

"Well, who am I to deny you anything."

As he reached for her hands, the real Moka could see this impostor allowing his fingers to brush against her breasts as he pulled her close to him.

"I've always wanted to give you anything you wanted," he said with a gentle kiss to her soft knuckles.

_Th-this isn't me, _she thought as she watched herself flaunting and fawning over this man infront of Tsukune like a common whore, remembering what Ria said that this clone was supposed to embody all of her personality to the letter. _That's not me! I don't have a problem with humans, and even if I did, I wouldn't do something like this, least of all to Tsukune, no matter what he did!_

Despite her protests, her clone and Gin kissed again, easily learning one another's touches, tastes and desires through such an intimate contact. The very scene, as agonizing as it was to watch, causing the real to Moka to grip the bars of her cell with such force that had her powers not been sealed she surely would've snapped them like twigs, Tsukune however had nothing to brace himself with and had to helplessly watch the love of his life lead another man into the very bedroom they shared. As she watched it all unfold from her cell, as she watched them flaunt and tease Tsukune with such malice and brutal apathy for something so stupid and insignificant as a simple disagreement over race, that something which had started to stir within her, reigniting life inside what she had believed to be an empty husk, quickly began to take a strong hold. For years at the school they shared, from their first meeting onward Tsukune had always been there for her, showed kindness when before she only knew cruelty, cruelty like what was happening now, and he'd always been loyal and inseparable from her. It angered her to watch this travesty, to witness such a betrayal being done to a guy like him for something so stupid and worse yet, was the realization that Tsukune believed it was _she _who was doing this to him, _she_ who wanted to cause him more pain than he'd ever experience, _she _who was about to betray him, the way she believed he had done four years ago. Just as she thought that this whole time, these last four years wallowing in hell that she was dead inside, Moka Akashiya suddenly found her body trembling back to life, her pulse quickening with dread anticipation as she could feel pain once again, and while so much emotion that was so alive and unmistakable broiled deep from within it almost felt as though it would literally erupt to the surface like a geyser; however, this time it wasn't for herself.

"So, this is the reason you're going to give up the most beautiful and wonderful girl in the world for? You're really going to let this happen when you can choose to end this right here and now, man?"

"This is your last chance, Tsukune!" Moka called back to him, demanding a little more forcefully this time. "Agree with me or let this happen!"

"Stop!" She managed to mouth off, the words painfully coming out in a low, pitiful tone as she tried desperately to warn this Moka not to go through with her threat, hoping that if they were anything at all alike, she'd know this was wrong.

"I may not be human anymore," Tsukune responded, his voice soft and gravelly, "but I know all humans don't see monsters they way you think, used to think you knew that once…but I guess I was wrong. I won't deny them what has made me the man I am today, the person you fell in love with, and lie not only to myself, but and them."

"You're not going to get what you want from him, let's go," Gin said.

**Don't just sit there, idiot! **Inner Moka yelled. **Ring her scrawny little neck and kick him out!**

"Then it is chosen," Moka said with a pained sigh. "Let's go, Gin."

_Don't do this, please! _ She prayed, tears forming in her eyes.

**Don't let this happen, dammit!**

But, as she led Gin into the bedroom, Moka noticed Tsukune stir on the couch, wherein he finally stands up with a shot, his normally placid brown eyes blazing like burning smoke as his intent was made painfully sincere to his trifling wife and incapacitated lover as he stood ready to deliver his response to this threat, but not in a way either women had hoped or predicted as he yelled loudly and boldly enough for both to hear him clearly:

"However, Moka this is _your_ last chance! I swear, if you take Gin into our bedroom…then we're through. You and me finished, we will no longer be mates!"

**W-What? **Inner Moka asked, her casual demeanor stymied by this sudden response as much as the other Moka was visibly so. **He means it, too. He wouldn't…**

"No," she squeaked.

"Wouldn't I?" Tsukune responded. "I've asked you, _begged_ you not go through with this, now I'm telling you, stop! For god sake you're about to cheat on me over a discussion about children we don't even have yet, Moka it's not worth it!"

"But it _is_ worth it, we're talking about our children's future and you won't even take it seriously!"

"Then let's talk about it, but not like this!"

"There's nothing more to talk about Tsukune, you either agree with me or..."

"You either stop or we're through, Moka!"

_W-Would he really do that? _Outer Moka thought, wondering hypothetically if he ever would try to leave her for anything, even with all of this happening.

"C'mon Moka," Gin said impatiently, "are we doing this or what? Let him go, you're better off anyway."

"I...I don't believe you," she said to Tsukune. "You wouldn't leave me."

"You're not leaving much of a choice, Moka. Would you please, _please _think about what you're doing?"

"...I am."

She returns back to Gin after having wiped the tears from her eyes and pretends that Tsukune's threat was as shallow as her breath.

"Gin, let's go. Help me put an end to a decision we cannot come to grips with."

"Sure thing, love," he cooed softly as she led him into their room.

When she turns one last time to Tsukune, she seemed to offer one last look of hope, one last quiet, regretful plea to not let her do this and stop her or do something to prevent this madness she was about to commit. However, to the Moka who rotted away in her cell, watching helplessly as this entire mockery played out, it seemed like a mocking sort of glance, taunting her as she was about to rend asunder her good name and how she couldn't do anything about it. It was like this impostor, this bitch with her face, eyes, mouth and even voice was laughing, saying that she had stolen everything that once belonged to her and was now casting it all aside like used toys.

"Would you do me the honors?" She asked Gin after swallowing back a pained sob and trying to make her whispered voice sound thick and seductive.

But, Moka knew that even if this fake saw Tsukune as some used toy, he at least was not to her. Even though he had married another woman without ever realizing it, she strangely felt no ill will towards him, any malice or desire to seek revenge at all. She had thought nothing remained of her feelings for him or anyone else, until now. Regardless of the mistake he made, regardless of his inability to spot a fake and letting her down because of it, he didn't deserve this. Moka certainly didn't deserve having her good name sullied by this witch, as she watched Gin closed the bedroom door behind him slowly, where from the living room image appeared to be deliberately slow, watched him begin to casually strip "Moka" down to her bra-less, half naked figure and then proceed to take her to bed, where he started ravaging her like a piece of meat in a most horrid display she had ever bore witness, their sounds reminiscent of two walruses humping and their bodies meshed together resembled indiscernible beasts rutting. While, in the other image, she could see Tsukune breaking down before her eyes, lost and defeated, with the very look in his eyes haunting her mind as this sick display was done on the other image, all in _her _name. And through it all, that something inside of her surged further and further up throughout her body, until it miraculously managed to emanate from her hoarse throat in a severely weakened, pathetically soft cry that almost sounded to the guard like: "Ts-Tsukune."

She still loved him; despite it all her feelings for him hadn't died all those years ago, but was in fact still very much there, hidden under years of coldness and despair, just waiting the chance to reemerge to make itself known, though she never imagined it to reappear at a time like this. Reaching her hand through the bars, she desperately wanted to tell him it wasn't her in that room, that she was right here and needed him, badly. She wanted to touch him and comfort him, to face this threat together like they always had and yet the bars continued to taunt the girl about such notions, as the slut, who should be the one behind bars, and her mutt companion continued to have a very disgusting affair in the next room. Moka may not have been an expert on sex, still being a virgin herself, but the very sight of those two making love, if one could call it that, sickened her to the point of churning her stomach. If only Tsukune saw what she could see, and then he'd see that this, impostor, wasn't worth much of anything more than lowly animal, and yet he couldn't, only she was allowed to bear witness to it, to hear as well see, while the man she loved had to sit outside the door, collapsed on the floor and imagine that his perfect angel was making love to another man; Moka, the one not on her back, could only feel the man she loved begin to break piece by wretched piece. She could see the life gradually begin to drain from his brown eyes like a time elapse sequence, eyes that once showed warmth and kindness to her, she saw the color wash away from this healthy skin, and appear to be on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

"Tsukune," she croaked again, this time a little clearer, but it was drown out by Gin saying her name, and herself moaning loudly like an ape.

For almost an hour it went on like this as she had to watch herself lying on her back and being aggressively fucked by another man, who bit and clawed her body like a scratching post, while she did the same. Each groan, each breath exuded was like a knife being plunged violently through her, and she wanted to close her eyes and drown out the sounds, but she knew it wouldn't do any good, this was still going on, it was still happening right now regardless of how she felt, and now she knew, without any doubt, with clear and unequivocal certainty what real betrayal was like. Tsukune _hadn't _betrayed her, at least not intentionally, but this was intentional, it was meant to be in every way, shape and form to be a betrayal of trust, to truly hurt someone, even if that someone happened to be the one she loved and it drove her crazy to think that he would always believe it was _she_ who was capable of something like this. Moka grabbed the bars so tight that her knuckles turned white as she slowly and assuredly went crazy with desperation to get out and stop this from having to watch Gin ravage her body, seeing herself liking it as though she was some common whore, and letting Tsukune think she was some sleazy, insensitive person.

"Stop!" She managed to say through greeted teeth underneath all of the moans that were coming from the other woman, her weak voice gradually picking up strength. "I said stop it! Stop them, now! I don't want to see anymore, stop it!"

"And miss quality poon tang, hell no," the guardsman said. "Besides, I like looking at your ass and now I get to see it in action."

"Aaaarrrrgghh!" Moka cried in agony, bracing herself against the bars and trying to look away from the scenes, but eventually the moans and groans stopped, and Moka could hear Gin ask "her":

"Do you think he's still out there?"

"I don't know," Moka's voice said softly.

"Do you want me to check?"

"Would you mind?"

"No, not at all?"

_That unfeeling bitch! _Outer Moka thought, angrily. _She doesn't care! She doesn't care, at all!_

Reluctantly, yet bravely, she raised her head up not to look at the slut that bore her face, but see what was happening with Tsukune before they opened the door, and nearly gasped as she saw the anger etched on his once, handsome face, the look of murder and rage that seethed to the front of his being, and saw his trembling hand reach for the rosary seal that kept his power in check. She feared what would come next the moment Gin opened the door; Moka thought he'd never do anything violent towards her, but after this she wasn't sure of anything anymore, yet her inner personality seemed to share in his bloodlust and rage.

**Kill them! Kill them both, tear that bitch and that mangy mutt or I will!**

When the door flings open, her heart nearly stopped as Tsukune stood before the naked pair and in both images she could plainly see the intent in his eyes, which equally shocked the other Moka who laid nude on top of sullen sheets.

"Tsukune!" She cried out, this time a little louder, more earnestly and emotionally, and for a moment it almost appeared that he might've heard her, because his rage seemed to subside a little as his hand slowly dropped to his side.

"Yeah, he's still here," Gin said, smiling down at him, unapologetically.

"TsukunEEEE!" She cried again, reaching desperately through the bars, arm stretched to its limit. "TSUKUNE! It's not me! Tsukune!"

She thought he could hear her, actually believed against all logic that he heard her, however instead of showing any acknowledgement, what so ever, in both images she saw him instead turn his back to them and slowly walk away from the bedroom towards the door, stopping first beside the kitchen counter where he looks down at his wedding ring, the very same engagement ring he through the trouble to buy for her all those years ago, which he then yanks off and slams it hard onto the counter, letting it slide off and bounce to the floor as if it was garbage. Moka couldn't believe what she was seeing, she didn't know what it meant, a part of her still ignorantly believed this wasn't happening, but Tsukune kept walking away, heading for the door and swinging it open where he stops and glances back, and in the image that was positioned in the bedroom to the one that was positioned in the hall, it appeared as if he was looking straight at Moka Akashiya, that once kind face, with those warm and gentle brown eyes, now empty and seemed to lock eyes with her for what seemed like the longest time, the door opened before him, a black rectangular space ready to suck him through. The wedding ring lying on the floor, the hollow feeling in his eyes as he glared at her, and him standing in the doorway with his back to her, made it feel as though she was the one responsible for what happened, as it became painfully clear what was going to happen and Moka began to panic.

"It's not me!" She started to weep, and then crazily began shaking the bars and shouting as loud as she could so that he might hear: "IT'S NOT ME! IT'S NOT MEEE!

NOO! NOOO! IT'S NOT MEEE! IT'S NOT MEEE! Don't go away! Please don't leave me, please!"

But, without uttering a single word or acknowledging that he ever heard her, she watched through tear soaked eyes and with a frightened heart his head slowly turn to her and his worn out figure disappear into the dark void, the doorknob in his grip literally crashing the door with a slam that nearly rocked every picture hanging from the wall and shuddering her very being.

"T-Tsukune?" she whispered. "Tsukune, don't leave me, don't leave."

She called out his name, wanting him to come back, but there was no Tsukune, he had left the apartment and she couldn't even see outside, unable to at least look at him one last time, but there was nothing of him now and nothing she could do.

"It's not me," she wept, collapsing to the floor on her knees. "I wouldn't do that to you, why can't you believe that?"

Through her sobs she could almost hear Gin say: "Forget about him, good riddance, I say." and the other Moka crying out: "TSUKUNE! YOU JUST HAD TO SAY YES! ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS SAY YES AND NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST AGREE WITH ME! TSUKUNE, COME BACK!"

Moka put her hands to her ears; she didn't want to hear that bitch's voice anymore, never imagining she would come to loath the sound of her own voice.

"Man what a night," Gin gloated, patting her ass and wrapping his arms about her body, literally pressing her against him. "How about we go for an epic finish, huh?"

Moka reluctantly looked up, the scene about as captivating as a brutal car crash, and she could clearly see in one close up image what looked to be a thick, white gob of Gin's semen sliding down _her _thigh, the very sight of which caused her to vomit, the pink slime oozing around her knees with parts of it staining the sack she was wearing. Its smell, as it began to radiate outwards, only seemed to add to this hellish nightmare and yet did little to illicit a reaction she didn't already express, but as the madness swirled about her head, she heard footsteps slowly approaching her cell, and the familiar sounding voice who spoke over her caused the girl to look up, and see red.

"Oh me, oh my," Ria gloated over her. "I have to say, you've looked better, I guess the years haven't been kind to you, has it? It looks like I missed the fun though, but it wasn't a total loss. I just got through talking to your ex on the phone just now and it seemed he needs me, badly for some reason. I wonder what it could be that's got him so upset."

"Damn you," Moka hissed. "What did you do? TELL ME, GODDAMMIT, WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Oh me, oh m..."

"Can it, sister! Tell me what you did?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Ria innocently asked, gesturing to the scene that was still playing out. "I had nothing to do with any of it; I know, shocking, right? As much as I would _love _to take credit for destroying your marriage, father made me promise to leave his beloved heir and his wife be, so I have. Over the years, I would intermittently keep tabs on them, waiting for the right moment to strike and make them pay for humiliating me without catching heat from it, but..._but,_ it would appear I wouldn't have to do anything in that regard. See one day, well things started getting sour for you and noble lover."

Moka listened patiently as Ria continued:

"Surprisingly enough, it all started with a discussion about children; you both had some disagreements, some choice words were said, and then came the threats and one thing led to another, yada-yada-yada, and we got this. See, with no other options upon winning this pitiful little debate of yours, _you _decided, that's right 'you' decided, that the best course of action was to bang his best friend, thinking it would break Tsukune down to seeing things your way. Well, it broke him alright, but not the way either of you planned on. I have to say, I never knew you had it in you, though I always suspected you had issues with humans, like every other vampire, and I see you were only hiding it so as to win your 'beloved' Tsukune over and make me out to be the bad guy; why you sly devil, you."

"That's impossible, it's insane!" Moka yelled, her hoarse voice sounding gravelly and husky. "I don't have a problem with humans anymore, I wouldn't do..._this_! Not to him, not for anything!"

"Oh, don't be so modest, you just never know what you're capable of, yet," Ria responded, and then she leans forward, bringing her face as close as she can to her, the smell of her wine-filled breath wafting through the bars of Moka's cell as she cruelly added: "And, _yes_ you would do something like this, and yes, you just did. However, even though you're as bigoted and mean spirited as any, superior vampire is, you're still not quite so bright. Only your small intelligence and impatient attitude would come up with something like this and think it was your only hope of winning an argument with your mate. Don't get me wrong, I've done worse to hurt men who didn't see my way, but I wouldn't go so far as to try and get knocked up with some other man's child just to come out a winner. I can't wait for father, and your darling mother, to find out."

Moka's eyes grew wide-eyed with utter horror as she considered what her parents might think of her if they learned of this should Ria say anything, which she'd have no proof of, unless Tsukune speaks with them about it. Just thinking about him, however seemed to supersede everything else at the moment, and she forcefully grabbed the hem of Ria's skirt.

"Sister, please, you have to go find him!" She begged. "Tsukune, he's out there! Please, bring him here, tell him it wasn't me and let him come here and see for himself. If you want to hurt us, then do so, but let us be together at least, I don't want him out there thinking I did this!"

"Oh, I intend to go to him, sister dear. He did beg me to come see him, after all. Poor, poor Tsukune having his heart broken by the one woman he loved more than life itself, why he's going to need a shoulder to cry on, luckily I'm always available."

"W-What, what are you going to do?"

"Why, do what you could not, be the perfect woman for him."

"What?"

"That's right. After all these years and so much effort put into separating the two of you so as to make Tsukune my boy-toy, and ultimately mate, in the end it was you and you alone that will drive Tsukune square in between my legs looking for comfort. So thank you, dear sister, for letting your 'be-wuvved' big sister have your old toy, I promise I'll take good care of him, from now on. See ya."

"Shall I take the shikigami, mistress?" The guard asked.

"No, it looks like my sister isn't done playing with her new toy; let her twin watch the rest. Come."

"Yes, my lady."

And, just like that Moka was left alone again, but this time the darkness was a lit with the glow from the images still playing, this depraved show which seemed to continue for her distraught eyes to see. Moka stayed knelt by the bars, knees soaked in vomit, fingernails now grasping the cobble stone floor as this hell she was in continued to envelope what little sanity remained, and just when she thought it couldn't get worse.

"Oh Gin!" She suddenly heard herself whisper in breathy tones, and it became as clear as day without so much as looking up that they were once again going at it, just as wild and sickening as before, in spite of Tsukune having left the apartment.

Moka Akashiya had to stay there and listen more of it, listen to this woman who had her face, her eyes and body, and voice being ravaged by a man who wasn't her husband, the very man she was supposed to love more than life itself just as he had for her, the man _she _herself still cared about, and Ria's words of: "Yes, you would, and yes, you did" played in her head as she thought about everything that had happened while Ria went and claimed her man. Most poignant of all, the image of Tsukune walking out the door, the thought of him never wanting to see her again, all because of something she vehemently denied she would ever do to him. But, still this woman who was supposed to be her, embody everything that was her, continued to fornicate like a animal, cruelly going on without the slightest bit of care for the man she just chased out, the sounds of their lust growing higher and higher in the air, until, the sounds of sex and backstabbing betrayal, the sound of skin being meshed and scratched, and of the bed groaning, suddenly were interrupted by what sounded like unearthly growl emanating from some ominous location in the dark. It sounded inhuman, filled with a fearful mailice, and were anyone else there to hear it, they would be surprised to find it coming from none other than the lips of the pink haired woman whose nails gouged the stoned floor so hard they came close to breaking, as a red aura began to radiate around her hunched over form. Warm, sweet Outer Moka had finally reached her breaking point and she could no longer hold it back, anymore.

"GOD DAMMIT!" She roared, rattling the cage like a wild animal. "FUCKERRRR! FUCKING BITCH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

She shook and beat the cage with so much unrestrained force that the rusty bars literally wiggled to and fro like rubber, dust falling all about as the cell's hinges dislodged from their place. Moka screamed until she was hoarse and shook the cage until everything became a blur, barely able to hear the voice calling to her.

**STOP! STOPPP! **Inner Moka shouted. **WOULD YOU STOP FOR A MINUTE, DAMN IT!**

"WHAT?" She shouted back.

Inner Moka paused, as if almost taken aback by such a response, before answering: **Look above, at the hinges.**

Outer Moka glanced up and could see along the right hand corner of the cell that a small gap had appeared. It was pencil thin, but to her it was a beacon of hope upon getting out.

**Now, I want you to concentrate and kick with all of your might, can you do that?**

"Yeah, yeah I think I can."

**Then do it, do it now!**

Standing back and getting into a fighting stance, building up what vampiric strength she could muster, Moka lifts her left leg and sidekicks the bar with all her might. The force created a shudder, but the gap didn't get any bigger.

**Try it again! Harder this time!**

She kicked it again, and still nothing. Undaunted, she next laid down on her back and kicked out with both feet upon the bars, the added strength sending vibrations up and down, creating a deafening hum, which caused her to worry that someone might've heard it, however this time it caused the opening to open only a few inches more. Encouraged, embolden, and overall desperate, she continued this for what felt like hours, kicking furiously against the bars with every force she could muster from her body, creating as much damage to the rusty bars as possible. Every minute Moka Aono, lying on her back in bed with Gin on top, continued to fuck her way deeper into the hole she dug with him, elsewhere Moka Akashiya was on her back, kicking her way out of the pit Ria had cast her in. Gin scratched and inflicted sores upon Mrs. Aono's body, while the very soles of Moka's feet grew red and blistery as she kicked and kicked the bars, pushing the gap wider and wider, until...

"I...I think..." she said as she looked at the once pencil thin gap now grown to about a foot wide, V shaped opening; not as wide as she'd hoped, but it seemed too inviting.

**Do you honestly think you can fit through?**

Moka contemplated for a brief moment, wondering if she couldn't try kicking it some more and cause the gap to grow wider, but a long, loud grunt from the other Moka in bed, reminding her that they were still making out, convinced the girl that it was either now or put up with what was being projected a little while longer. She first put her left arm through, flattening her stomach against the wall as best she could, and then ever so carefully steps her foot outside. The feeling of her foot touching the floor outside the cell for the very first time since coming here, the very sensation of being one step away from freedom after so many years, was indescribable; it was like tasting a refreshing drink after months of drought, but she wasn't free yet. Moka knew fitting the rest of her through such a small gap wouldn't be any easier, so she counted to three and carefully, slowly began to squeeze through it.

**C'mon, keep going, **Inner Moka urged.

The pain was unbearable, squeezing her shoulder first through such a tiny opening, before sliding her breasts out and then the buttocks, the years having been kind enough to grant Moka an even more slender figure, but unfortunately she found herself unable to move when it came round to slide the rest of her buttocks; she was stuck.

_No! No, no no! _She thought frantically._ I'm too close, I'm too close, I can't give up now! Pussssh!_

Wedged painfully in the tiny opening, she pushed with all her might with tears forming in her eyes, skin turning red with veins about ready to pop, as the force she exerted caused her to bleed. She either thought her very skin would scrape off if she didn't get out or become stuck permanently, at least until one of the guards came down and found her like this, and such a thought was all the motivation needed to violently force herself to pop right out of the gap and fall, face first onto the floor, and into freedom. It took Moka only a few seconds to realize that she was out of the cage, that she was tasting a floor that wasn't urine soaked and filthy, but was finally out of that nightmarish cell for the first time since coming to this prison, and the sensation hit her so hard that she began to cry.

**We don't have time for this, we need to get out of here!**

Moka recomposed herself and stood up to leave, but not before looking for something to use as a weapon, where she laid her eyes on the metal pan she used to relieve herself, still lying inside the cell, yet slightly within arm's reach. While Moka Aono and Gin were still at it, groaning and sighing, their bodies enjoying each other's tastes and began to finish up their lust filled tryst, Moka Akashiya strained to reach back inside the cell and desperately pull out the pan. When finally done, Moka and Gin laid in bed, all sweaty and exhausted, with Mrs. Aono shamefully resting her head away, back turned away from the grinning fool she had just threw her marriage away for, who's head rested upon his arms with a look of triumph on his face.

"So, baby," he said, "how was it? Did I give something Tsukune never could or what?"

The shikigami didn't have time to react when they looked up at the looming shadow overhead and were smashed, violently into bloody pastes by the metal pan, ending their broadcast images permanently. That done, Moka Akashiya scurried towards the stone steps and crept slowly up while pressed against the wall, worried that someone might come down around the corner and spot her, but the light filtering down was far too inviting and spurred the vampire on faster towards it like a moth. Rounding the corner she could see the heavy, iron door left wide open as if by some divine providence or dumb luck, the rectangular light beckoning her to fly on through, drawing closer and closer to it with reckless abandon, but as she ultimately steps upon the threshold the once inviting light had become blinding to a creature of the dark, who had spent the better part of four years in absolute darkness. Moka began to panic, for she knew she couldn't be caught incapacitated like this when just anyone could happen upon and take her down, but fortunately her eyes gradually readjusted in time and her vision became clearer, seeing her new surroundings for the very first time.

_Where, where am I? _She wondered.

All around were the trappings of a lavish interior, a castle or a manor, with reddish, decoratively patterned carpeted floor, brilliant light fixtures hung on high, ornate fixtures, small tables with priceless looking vases everywhere, and a climate controlled atmosphere that made it feel ridiculously comfortable. It was a far cry from what she was subjected to and it angered her to think that this whole time she was in the dungeon, Ria and her goons enjoyed such a splendor, nevertheless she didn't want to wait around any longer with danger still around every corner. Cautiously, she ventured about the large interior, trying to find a way out without bumping into any guards and stumbled upon on what she assumed was some sort of monitor room, where two guards were instead eating snacks and watching Back to the Future on TV.

"Uh, oh," said a fat one, "watch this, this is the part where Marty's dad gets all pissed and is about to knock out Biff!"

"It's no fun if you spoil it, lard ass, I told you," said a skinnier guard.

"Pow! See, what did I tell ya! You never piss off the nice guy in an 80s movie, man I love human television."

She darts pass them as silently as possible, but the little guy just barely hears her and glances back.

"Hey, you hear something?" He asks.

"Huh? Nah! It's probably one of the guys walking by, forget about it!"

Moka stood frozen behind the door way on the other side, thinking he was about to get up and catch her, but he instead reluctantly returns to the movie.

"Yeah, probably right," he mumbled.

Relieved, but not out of the woods, she continues stealthily down the hallway, peeking every around corner and always peering over her shoulder for anyone who might've spotted her, for which so far no one has, in fact they haven't even noticed her cell empty; Moka couldn't believe the string of luck so far. She wasn't about to count her blessings just yet and make a mistake, that is until she at last came upon a very welcoming sight: a pair of double doors leading to the outside, their small windows on either side presenting a solid black scene, which strangely was the clearest beacon of freedom for her. It was almost like a dream and she wanted to pinch herself to see if it truly was a dream or some nightmare and she'd wake back up in her prison, but the radiating warmth that touched her sore skin from the climate controlled heater, the very feel of the carpet's fabric against her tired, aching bare feet and even the rank smell of her own breath all seemed far too real to be a dream.

"I'm free," she began to weep. "I'm almost free!"

She dropped all caution to the wind, no sense of dread or worry about being caught, as freedom was right there before her, waiting to be snatched up into her long finger nails and dirty fingers, but just as she took two steps towards assured salvation, her way became blocked by a black suit dressed, sun glasses wearing man with a sandwich wedged in his mouth who suddenly came out of a room only to find _her _blocking his way. He was about as shocked as she was and the two stood there looking at each other for the longest time, as if unsure of what to do, when suddenly:

"Yo Ed," said his college who had just stepped out after him, "while you're out, I want you to...H-Hey! What's the matter with you Ed, you brain dead or something? HEY, PRISONER ESCAPING!"

Moka didn't waste any time clobbering both men with her urinal pan and darting for the door, but they swing open to reveal armed men heading her way. Blocked, she escapes back down the hallway and races away, weaving around corners with reckless abandon. By now, the alarm had begun blaring loudly and all around black suit wearing men were popping out of nowhere like roaches, shooting at her or trying to grab her, yet she managed to evade them.

"CAREFUL, YOU IDIOTS!" One of them barked. "DON'T KILL HER OR THE MISTRESS WILL HAVE OUR HIDES!"

_I gotta escape, gotta escape! _ She thought, searching frantically for another avenue of escape when she spots a large, winding staircase coming her way, and barrels up its steps with a horde of armed men chasing her. Two steps at a time, and then three, all being taken in single bounds as she tried to stay ahead of her pursuers, and yet without even looking back she could feel one of them literally grabbing at the hem of her outfit, so upon reaching the landing, Moka brazenly whirls about and with a kick, sends them all crashing back down the steps like a row of dominoes. Having stopped briefly to watch the almost comedic spectacle, she didn't see the two guards coming behind her until one wrapped his strong arms around her tiny waist.

"Hey, where ya going?" He asked.

Moka screamed and kicked violently as she was hoisted in the air while the other tried restraining her legs, but for his efforts was sent flying over the railing with one push, and inadvertently caused both her and the other to careen to the floor, where he quickly rolls on top. With the hem of her skirt up, leaving both lower back and upper thighs exposed in a rather compromised position, she could feel his entire, wretched being pressed down against her, his whole weight weighing her down while she smelled his rank breath blowing heavily on her neck. Down below, she could hear the others regain their momentum and begin racing back up the stairs, and fearing being caught like this, she imagined what they would likely do to her as punishment.

"Don't struggle!" The guy said to her. "Don't fight it! It'll all be over soon, sweet cheeks."

Just hearing that name being mentioned and the obnoxious, cruelly indifferent, yet highly recognizable voice that came with it, caused her to remember all that he had done to her before and, with a furious scream, re-doubled her strength, literally lifting the both of them up by her legs, rams him into the wall where she overpowers him with a surprising amount of raw power, breaking free and, with an almost animalistic roar, rams her hand straight through his gut like a knife. The horrified shock in his eyes was not missed upon the girl, as he stared down at her once cute and friendly green eyes, now cold and unchained, but she had little time to reflect on what she had done as the sound of the approaching men spurred Moka to race blindly down the darkened second floor where a small light at the very end drew her forward, growing larger and brighter with each step taken.

_A way out! _She thought joyously. _Finally, I've found a way out!_

However, when the light hits her she finds not salvation, but a large squared room with a virtual army of armed guards in every corner, slowly moving shoulder to shoulder towards her. She was about to give up hope, when she spies an opened doorway with another pair of stairs leading up on the other side of the room, perhaps to freedom. Behind her she could hear the other men gaining closer and with nowhere else to go, Moka had little choice, but to go forward. Undaunted, she notices on either side of her a hollowed out suit of armor each holding a battle axe, it's shiny blades almost beckoning her to use them as she immediately absconds with them both and bares them like a skilled warrior. She had come too far and gone past the point of fear and uncertainty, as there was something worth fighting for now, and she would wreak vengeance upon the person most responsible for befouling her good name and hurting the people she cared about; nothing would stop her, she would fight to see that happen. And so, with a furious, unchecked cry, Moka races into the throng of men, axes in hand and begins to swing them about like a pro, hacking and smashing her through with nearly impressive skill, and when they managed to relieve her weapons about halfway through she simply starts kicking, her kicks now almost as effective as Inner Moka's with nearly the same devastating effect, and bit and clawed many until completely drenched by their blood, but Moka wasn't about to be taken back alive, she was getting out or die trying. Finally, after much struggle and maiming she could possibly muster, she at last broke through and begins racing up the stairs with her adrenaline already at its max. She dared not stop, though, or even slow down, as greeting the battle worn girl came down something she hadn't felt in a long time: a cool breeze. It was faint, but it wafted down, brushing lightly passed her skin as if physically leading her towards it, the cool touch so tantalizing and yet teasing, with her legs sore to the bone.

_C'mon Moka, _she coached herself. _You're almost there, you can do it!_

Further and further she went, the overwhelming sensation like a hunger burning inside, but the surrounding hall was dark even for her eyes to see, so dark that Moka, in her mad flight failed to see neither the landing or the opened doorway where she trips and falls flat on her stomach, the fall nearly knocking the wind out of her and sending pain that seemed to consume all thought and reason, and yet it didn't take her long to notice something different about these new surroundings: there was a stronger breeze blowing through her hair, in which could be felt as plain as day. The pain proved to her that she wasn't imagining it or even dreaming, and the cool breeze became a clear indication that she was outside, she had finally made it to the outside. Scrambling to her feet she could see as plain as day the stars, how clear and sparkly they appeared, and a cold October wind blowing its chilly air gently all around, but it was so inviting to her that she felt like dancing in it.

**No time for that! **Inner Moka instructed. **We're not out of the woods, yet.**

With the sounds of the men gaining, Moka didn't have time to debate with herself nor wait another second to indulge her surroundings; she quickly made for the far wall, thinking she could jump it and be home free. Unfortunately, upon reaching the wall, she not only finds out that she was on top of a tall parapet, several feet above the ground, but could clearly hear something lapping and splashing below, something that sounded eerily like fresh water. It was then Moka realized, to her dismay that what Ria said earlier was not a lie, that this building was indeed surrounded by a moat, making escape for her all but impossible, and as she looked out beyond at the bright lights of a nearby town, so close, yet so far away, its glow teasingly just out of reach, Moka felt it was all hopeless and collapses to the ground crying. She had come so far only to be defeated, yet again by her sister and denied the freedom she so fought for.

"I'll never get out," she wept. "It's not fair! It's not..."

"There you are!" She heard a voice behind her and looked up to see her pursuers walking slowly towards her.

She quickly stands up and etches away slowly along the wall, trying to maintain as much distance as she could.

_I'm not going back! _She kept saying to herself. _I won't go back!_

"There's nowhere to run, Ms. Akashiya," the lead guardsman said softly, as though he was trying to coax a child. "Just come back with us and your punishment won't be severe."

"Shall I go around and cut her off?" One of the men suggested.

"No, you idiot, I don't want any sudden moves!"

She was not going back, not back to the horror of that cell, of being cooped up for another undetermined amount of time, away from the fresh air, away from her freedom; she refused to go back while...It was just then she remembered what had happened, what had brought her out this far, and for whom this was worth it. She next stands on top the wall, gazing first back at her pursuers and then out towards the city.

**What are you doing? **Inner Moka asked. **Are you mad, there's water down there! We share the same body too, remember the water can kill us both!**

But, Moka didn't care, as she looked out beyond the darkness toward the light; he was out there, she knew. She didn't hear the men behind her calling out her name nor hear Inner Moka's insistent pleas to stop, all she could see was the ugliness of tonight's events as they happened, of Tsukune walking out that door never wanting anything to do with her again, and all of sudden there wasn't just something worth fighting for, there was now someone worth dying for; he was out there in that darkness, and she was going to find him. She couldn't remember jumping, all Moka knew was that the stone wall below her feet was now gone, replaced by cold air rushing up her skirt, swirling all around as though she were floating in mid-air by its sheer weightlessness. Her hair stretched high above her head while the burlap skirt billowed with the wind, exposing nearly every inch of bare skin, which was tickled gingerly by cold fingers and for a moment it felt so good upon such a worn out body that she hoped it wouldn't end, but all that changed in a shocking instant as what came next felt like shearing acid splashed upon her. Moka screamed in pain and with fear as water swirled all around with an electrifying current, its purifying effects stabbing every inch of her body like red hot bayonets and made it nearly impossible to swim to the nearest shore, which appeared nonexistent in the long, shadow enshrouded moat. Nevertheless, she tried to swim through the currents of pain, trying to reach the shore and towards a mirage of Tsukune, his embittered face, eyes filled with an empty sadness, turning his back and walking out that door, away from her.

"Ts-Ts-Tsukune!" She cried pitifully, as the darkness quickly envelopes her and drags her down below the black waves.

**Now.**

Tsukune woke up from a deep sleep, the most comfortable he felt all night and for a moment he assumed that what had happened was all a nightmare and that everything was back to normal. But, as he groggily regains his bearings, Tsukune finds himself still lying on the park bench in the middle of the night, fallen leaves draped on top of him and a bitterly cold wind blowing against him, and realizes to his despair that it wasn't a dream. With the sky as black as it ever was, the spot he was in so steeped in shadow that he could hardly see his own hand, and yet Tsukune could clearly see he was all alone. He slowly began to remember, like it was all a hazy memory from long ago of how after calling Ria, pleading to see her as he had nowhere else to go, that in his current state of mind had decided to simply lie down on the bench he was sitting on while waiting on her and somehow drifted off to sleep. It surprised him no one came along to disturb him in anyway, much less kill him in his sleep for his money, though deep down he wished someone had, as memories of why he was there in the first place came flooding back like destructive flood waters spilling out of a damn his mind had tried to erect. Of how Moka, the woman he had sacrificed so much for in the past, the woman he has laid down his life for time and again, and would do so again in a New York minute if she was in trouble, had gone and done something so cold, so cruel that to think about it now still hurt as much as if it was going down right now, in front of him. However, what hurt the most was the fact that, after all this time of being gone, she hadn't come looking for him; no one has. It was as if he didn't matter to her or anyone for that matter anymore, like he didn't exist, and that all that seemed important now was spending time with Gin, his supposed best friend, the former "best man" at his wedding, while he remained out in the frigid cold night with only a sports T-shirt and some worn jeans on. All of it, his life at Yokai Academy, the times he spent with Moka and the adventures they'd endured, and surviving Ria's manipulations, all of his life up to that point seemed like nothing, but a ghost now, a phantom.

_Why hadn't she come for me? _He wondered. _How could she just leave me out in the open like this?_

He knew it wasn't difficult for her to find him if she really wanted to, Moka could easily home in on the scent of his blood, and just the fact that she hadn't was a clear message that his so-called wife had chosen to leave him out there to die, for all that seemed to matter to her. He could still hear the last words she said to him, of how all of this could've been avoided if he had given in to her demands, that all of this was somehow _his _fault, and in his increasing mania a part of him was beginning to think that was the case. Tsukune began to think that calling Ria was a bit hasty and a mistake, that he should maybe go back to their apartment, confront Moka and see if she'll both forgive and take him back, yet how could he simply forget what she did, to lead him by the strings through what seemed like paradise only to leave him behind like this.

"You know, the bet was that you two wouldn't last more than a year together," he heard a familiar voice from behind say. "I guess I lost that bet. It's been awhile, my dear brother. I was quite surprised when you called me up out of the blue; how long has it been, three, four years now?"

He didn't have to turn around to see who it was, just the sound of her teasing voice was enough to let him know that it was far too late to go back now, Ria had arrived.

"Oh me, oh my," she said with genuine concern in her voice, "you look absolutely dreadful, brother dear. You shouldn't be out here, lying on park benches at night like a common mutt, I thought you would've found some place decent to stay in while you waited for me."

He slowly stood up to confront her, but he hardly seemed to be the strong and determined vampire that she remembered and quickly realized that Moka's tryst had really done a number on him.

"I...I didn't know where else to go," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "I didn't want to run into anyone at some motel, I just...I wanted to be alone."

"That's hardly an excuse, you're a proud vampire, after all."

Tsukune laughed bitterly and whispered to himself: "Proud vampire."

"Whatever, I'm here now, as you requested. Are we alone here, is my sister nearby or do you normally take long, midnight walks by yourself."

"No...she isn't here."

She noticed the tone of his voice, filled with a mixture of icy bitterness and a heavy sadness, which was a little more than she expected.

"Oh me, oh my, don't tell me there's trouble in heaven? You two seemed _so _perfect to practically everyone. Oh my, what happened?"

"...We...We're, um," it hurt for him to say they weren't together anymore, his own soul finding it hard to come to grips with it.

_We seemed so perfect, _he thought bitterly, and indeed it felt like they were right for each other, that they were _meant _to be together forever as if preordained by a higher power, but not this.

As painful as he tried to fight it though, a part of him was forced to admit that this was real and it was over, Moka had done something that simply could not be forgiven or forgotten. She not only betrayed him, but done it in a way that was almost diabolical, deliberately trying to hurt him all over an argument. He warned what would happen if she carried out her threat and still she went through with it, having made her choice and broken their wedding vows, and what was worse, that it had all been done by the pink haired, comforting, once caring Outer Moka, almost as if both sides of her were united in this dreadful decision. All of a sudden he balked at the idea of going back there and confronting the two of them, afraid of what he might see and wishing never to lay eyes on either again. It was hoped that some day he might forgive her, but he would never be hers again, and Ria, ever the vulture could sense the despair on him and hovered ever closer to his despondent face.

"Tell me," she quietly demanded, not needing to be specific about what he should tell, but reluctantly he spilled out everything that had transpired, trying to hold back any of the graphic details of the story, as it was painful enough to recount, not that she needed to hear any of it.

Though she listened with a stoic demeanor, Tsukune could tell Ria was relishing in the sordid mess her sister had created for herself, and when he had finished she summed up the situation to make certain she had all the facts.

"Now, let me get this straight, just so that we're clear on this. My darling, sweet little sister, who could do no wrong in the eyes of you and pretty much everyone else, thought to compel you towards obedience and when that failed, she then felt the need to carry out a threat that involved fornicating with another man, under your own roof, underneath _your_ very nose, in the bed you both shared as couple, and with you best man and friend of all people, and started rutting like a couple of pigs in heat? Is that about right?"

"...Yeah," he muttered angrily. "You don't have to sound like you're enjoying it."

"Oh brother dear, please don't be that way," she said in as sympathetic tone as she could muster. "What she did was simply awful. And, in your despair and desperation, you felt you needed to call someone, and that someone happened to be none other than yours truly. However, I am curious as to how you managed to get my number, I would've figured you burned it from your memory by now."

He fishes out her business card and hands it over to her, of which she smiles sweetly to herself.

"Oh me, oh my," she whispered, "I can't believe you kept it after all these years, I'm touched."

"It was an accident, I just never bothered to clean out my wallet; kept putting it off."

"Nothing happens by accident, brother dear, I like to think it was fate that brought us all together to this spot, but hey, what do I know? Is there a real reason you called me up?"

"It isn't what you think. I was...angry."

"Angry?"

"I know how you hate Moka more than you hate me, and in a weird way it made you the logical person for me to talk to without anyone taking her side. Besides, my family doesn't know the truth about what happened and I'd rather not tell them about it, and I've lost touch with all my friends, so...you were all I had."

"Again, I'm touched. Well, now we have this situation on our hands. Tell me, have you destroyed both Moka and this Gin for this transgression, because I can take care of the bodies if that's what you want?"

"No," he said, almost absent mindedly. "I mean I...I thought about it, but..."

"So they're both still alive, fucking in your bed, inside your home? You just left them there and decided to come sleep in the park until this Gin fellow leaves and it's safe to go back, am I right?"

"I...I..." he couldn't answer that question, by all reason he should've done something instead of simply walking away and leaving them to continue fucking like some whipped dog. "Look, I didn't ask you out here to judge my actions, okay."

"Then why did you bring me out here, for vengeance?" She asked with a devilish smile forming across her milky white face, a feature he's come to despise and dread. "I know, you want to get back at her by having sex with _me_ in front of her. Well, I've done some sick shit in the past, so I wouldn't be adverse to the suggestion, hell we can go back right now and make a go of it, turn it into a little competition between you and this Gin as to which one of you can make us scream the loudest, I already know you'd have that in the bag."

"No!" He told her. "Please, I just need some place to crash tonight."

"Fine, you're no fun," she said with a sigh, sounding eager to follow on such a plan. "We'll do as you wish, but that only begs the question of what to do from here on out. You can't go back, can you? So, what is there for you now?"

He didn't want to think about it, he couldn't imagine it, but Tsukune was faced with the new dilemma of how to face tomorrow. The realization hit him hard that he needed to focus on the possibility of a future without the woman he loved, whom for so long had planned on spending all the tomorrows ahead with. There was no getting around it, he realized, Moka said it loudly what she would do and now this had to be said, it had to be done, it was his turn to follow up on his threat, as Ria was right about one thing, he could not go back to that hell.

"I...I want to end things between Moka and me," he said out loud and boldly, though with great difficulty.

"Really?" Ria asked while trying to disguise her excitement. "Just like that? You don't want to at least sleep on it, brother dear? You know, give it some thought, I mean this is your Moka after all, the love of your long, and happy life. C'mon, let's go back, I'm sure they're done screwing and are probably washing all their bodily fluids off each other, right now. We can go back, sit down and talk like they do with marriage counselors when this sort of thing happens. She can cry and maybe blame you, and then you'll agree that it was probably your fault, and then you'll hug, she says she's sorry and you forgive her, I see it all the time. And then, in nine months you can help raise _his _litter. Just one big, happily dysfunctional family, the way Dr. Phil would've wanted. How does that sound?"

The darkness in his angry eyes seemed to answer that question loud and clear.

"Oh come now, I was only joking, you know how I am. If I made the pretense of being sorry, we would both know it was a lie."

Her eyes then took on a sharper interest as she drifted ever closer to him, forcing him to move back against the bench, as she added: "You know I like you, don't you Tsukune?"

"That's just a lie, like everything else you say."

"I beg to differ, we started something special all those years ago, you and I. But, let us set that aside for later and focus on your little dilemma."

"Little?" He asked with genuine shock.

"Well, brother what she did isn't anything new amongst our kind, I know it's not new to me, I have certainly done far worse for far less, but I do understand you want to distance yourself from my sister and I am at your service. I only want to make absolutely sure that this is what you truly desire, it wouldn't reflect well on me if you were to suddenly realize your love for darling Moka and change your mind like so many hapless idiots do, and have Moka go crying to daddy that I was trying to take you away from her, again. So, I ask again, are you sure you want to end it like this? Do you really want to separate from my sister?"

The words rang loudly in his head, making deftly sure that he wasn't dreaming, but his feet were planted firmly in this ugly reality that surrounded him, now. He thought long and hard on this, searching in his heart to see if this is really what he wants to do. But, as he closes his eyes to think, all he could see in the darkness was her, naked, sweaty, and laughing at him, the silver haired vixen who's pride he once thought was endearing, now mocking him for what she did and, for not being man enough to do whatever it was she expected from him.

"Yes," he said through gritted teeth, eyes still closed. "...She made her choice."

"Good. Annulling your human marriage, I take it you want it annulled rather than divorced, we'll be simple enough. All I have to do is put in a call with Fairy Tale's legal department and begin the paper work, the process should be ready in no time; that is the easy part. The hard part will be ending your genuine marriage, the Blood Bonding you performed, and just as vampire marriage ceremonies are different from humans, so too is the separation."

"Do vampires even have divorce?"

"Yes, yes we do. It's rare, but it has happened."

"Then, I can stop being her mate?"

"Yeah its possible."

"Possible?"

"Therein lays the onion in your little plan. See, we call it 'renounce', where you wish to renounce the bond to your mate; they're much more personal than a simple divorce, the very word sounds like being rejected, discarded like garbage for being a disgrace and everyone in the vampire community will know it, which would wound a vampire's pride deeply; Moka may not like that."

Hearing that brought him some comfort to know, but it didn't erase the pain.

"So, what's the hard part?" He asked.

"Well, unlike human marriages, vampire mating is a little more complicated, as it involves more than just the two of you, but a union of vampire houses; you know should this already. However, you are a second born vampire and don't belong to a vampire house, well didn't. Father named you his heir and has entrusted the future of our clan upon you; if you want to renounce Moka, to finalize your separation, you'll have to gain his permission."

"I-I have to get her father's permission to leave her?" He asked with incredible shock.

"You see the difficulty, then?"

He couldn't believe at such a ridiculous rule just to get a divorce, all he wanted was to put this behind him as quietly as possible, and balked at the idea of involving him or Moka's entire family on this matter, much less getting their permission to annul their marriage. Though he had earned Lord Shuzen's respect, after talking to Ria and her flippant attitude towards his predicament, he realized trying to convince Issa that the bond with his daughter wasn't working would be a tall order in itself. Issa Shuzen was the epitome of vampire pride, cold and ruthless, he would hardly care if his daughter slept with a dozen partners just to punish her husband; he already knew his wife would care less, but didn't think on what Moka's mother would say. Even so, to here that he wanted to renounce his daughter, which was an ugly word amongst his kind, Tsukune shuddered to imagine what might happen to him or his family.

"This isn't going to be easy," he muttered.

"No, it will not," she replied. "Does that dissuade you?"

"No… I'm not going back there. I can't back down, now."

She snuck over to his side and lightly stroked his arm with her gloved hand, which caused him to slightly recoil.

"That is something I have come to admire about you," she said.

"Stop that, don't...don't touch me," he muttered, but she only smiled and continued.

"You may not always show good judgment, but no one can fault you for your resolve."

"Is that supposed to be comforting?" He asked, moving away from her. "My life is upside down, and all of a sudden I call you up and begin talking about...I wish none of this ever happened. I wish we never started talking about children in the first place, I wish we could just go back before all of this happened and changed the subject."

"Children?" She asked with a fake concern.

"If I'd known how serious this would be for her, I...I just didn't think she'd go this far, to have to go and have some other guy's baby just because I wouldn't agree to raising our unborn children her way!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up just a second, brother dear!" She yelled. "She's having sex, right now with another man, just so she could have his children? She did all of this to you, because she wanted to raise another man's child?"

"Yes. I-I thought I already told you that."

"No, you didn't, you only said she was fucking another guy and I just assumed she was being a slut, I had no idea there was a method to her madness and it was that?"

"I don't understand, what difference does it make?"

"Tell me, what is this Gin?"

"Huh?"

"Just answer the question. Is he another vampire or what?"

"Well, he's a werewolf; why is any of this important?"

"A _WERE WOLF_!" Ria suddenly roared with laughter, laughter that sounded a little fiendish to hear and Tsukune worried if he had said something he shouldn't. "Oh-oh my, oh me, oh my, I knew my sister was stupid, but this...oh lord! I cannot wait to tell father this bit of news!"

"What's going on?" He asked. "Why's is this so funny."

"Oh, I'm simply laughing at the irony, that's all. But, this changes a lot for you, oh yes. I can guarantee that you'll get your chance to renounce Moka and then some."

"Then some? What do you mean, what's going to happen?"

"What Moka did is considered a crime, not just to our laws or to you, but to our people. She intentionally fucked not only another man with express purpose of having babies with someone other than her mate, but that she knowingly did it with a man of a different species. I'm assuming she knows his a werewolf?"

"Yes."

"Then, so much the better."

"You said it's a crime? What's going to happen to her when this gets out?"

Ria looked at him with questionable eyes, trying to read if he has any feelings for her at all.

"What should you care, all it'll mean for you is that you'll get to renounce her, who cares what happens to her, then."

"Wait a minute, I want to separate _from _her, not kill her."

"Why? Do you still harbor feelings for her? Oh, I knew it!"

"No, I just don't want to get anyone killed. Don't get me wrong, I still want to go through this and I would like to see Moka get what's coming to her."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I just don't want anyone killed, even if it's her. I swear, that's all."

"Look, if that's all you're worried over, then forget it. I'll just turn around and go back to my life and you can go back to your 'wonderful life' like a good boy toy."

Tsukune was almost speechless and stuttered to find the right words to say.

"D-Don't go. I never said I wanted out, just...fine. Right now, I don't care what happens, let's do this."

"Good. I just had to see your resolve. Honestly, she may get off with a light punishment anyway, being the apple in my dear father's eyes and all, but it will guarantee your renouncement and then you'll be free."

"Fine. How soon can we see him?"

"That eager, huh?"

"I don't want wait any longer than I have to with this, I want to get it over with."

"Well, unfortunately father and mother are currently out tending to business matters and such, but as soon as I let him know your intentions I can promise you he'll be home before you know it, though I can't promise how soon being that he's on another continent."

"That's fine."

"You should know that when you confront father with this, he'll most likely summon Moka to appear and give her side of the story."

"That's okay, its only right she'd be given the right to defend herself."

Ria looked at him as though he was a hopeless case.

"What?" He asked.

"There you again, thinking of her instead of yourself. I just know this is going to blow up in my face."

"Look, I don't like going around someone's back, it's not who I am, I prefer dealing with some of my problems up front."

"Really? I thought what you were my sister's whipping boy?"

Tsukune maudlin demeanor seemed to get worse and Ria began to grow annoyed at what she saw as a lack of backbone.

"Oh, would you stop and pull yourself together, I was only joking. That's another thing, you cannot appear before father like _this. _You're going up against my sister to gain his approval and you must do everything you can to win him over to your side, because you're going to need it!"

Going up against Moka and receiving a strategy lesson from Ria to use against her, it was a thought he never imagined happening to him, it seemed so surreal, so unclean and basically wrong.

"So," she continued, "when the time comes you can't show up all crying and depressed, you _must_ appear strong, dignified, and above all maintain pride in yourself or my sister will wipe the floor with you. Understand?"

"Yeah," he solemnly nods. "Anything else?"

"Yes, finding a place for you to stay while we wait for word from father, one where my sister will never think to look for you."

"Look for me," he muttered, laughing bitterly at the thought.

"I know it might not look it, being shocking for you that she hasn't shown up to hug and kiss and bite your thick neck like she always does, all the while reeking of that werewolf's scent covered over. Still, we can't take the chance of her changing her mind and come find you, possibly jeopardizing everything we're working for by sweet talking, or threatening you into coming back home with her."

"You don't have to worry about that," he said, his voice tired and bitter. "I have no intention of ever going back, no matter what she says, I just wish for this to be over."

"I can understand, still I cannot take that chance, so we need to think of a place for you to stay that she might not ever expect, do you know of any?"

He thought for a minute, his thoughts swirling and trying desperately to recollect his sanity to make a coherent choice. He knew he couldn't go home, that'll be the first place she'd check when or if she ever looks for him, a motel or hotel was out of the question as she could easily track him down to there, and the current whereabouts of his friends was lost. However, there was no other place that he could think of that was more secluded and out of the way than the very place where this all started.

"Yokai Academy," he responded.

"The academy? Your old school, are you serious?"

"It's the last place she'd think to look and it isn't easily accessible, with no calling area so she can't reach me by cell phone. It'll be perfect."

"True, but I highly doubt that old exorcist for a Headmaster is just going to let you roll up there, unexpectedly and stay for free. You may have thought he was your friend back in high school, but that was when you were of use to him, being the only human at the school. But now you're a vampire, and on top of that belong to my father's house, which has some political clout behind it; old Mikogami might think you were sent there to spy on him, and might even be arrested for trespassing and executed."

The possibility of being arrested and executed on the school grounds wasn't a new threat, remembering the last time that happened to him. On that day, he was suspected of being a human by the head of that school's Public Safety Commission, a fox demon named Kuyou, and he would've been killed had his friends, including Moka, came to his defense, proclaiming that him being a human it didn't matter and that such bigotry was unwarranted. That Moka would do such a thing and yet do what she did on this tonight felt like a bunch of bile rising up in his throat.

"I don't care," he flat out responded without a second thought. "I honestly don't care what happens to me there, just take me there and I'll be ready for my meeting with Issa."

"As you wish. I can't say for certain how long it'll take, but I'll fix it so that your current place of business knows you're on paid vacation. Anything else, my dear brother? A shoulder to cry on, perhaps?"

"Just one question: why are you doing this? The last time we talked, you made it clear that if you ever got the chance, you'd hurt me, Moka, my family and my friends. Now, you practically drop everything to come all the way out here in the middle of the night and help me get out of my marriage; how do I know you're not doing any of this for some ulterior motive? What is it you expect to get out of this?"

Ria stares at him straight in the eye and for awhile it looked to him as though she was genuinely hurt by his accusations, which he thought was total bull.

"Why, Tsukune, how could you think that? Have I not come to you in your most dire of need, answered your call for sanctuary and guarantee you justice for the crimes wrought against you without so much as a simple request in return? Like I said, you're father's heir and anything you wish is my command."

Tsukune looks at her, growing uncertainty mounting over what he was dealing with and whether he should've called her to begin with, but then she adds:

"And besides, as you pointed out I _hate _my sister, and I'm sure at the moment you do, too or at least aren't very fond of her right now; any opportunity to screw with her I'd welcome readily. As your former species would say: 'the enemy of mine enemy is my friend'. Now, if you don't mind if we got out of this chilly air, its chaffing my nipples and the limo is waiting."

She stands aside and extends her hand out as if leading the way into hell for him.

"Just a word of advice; you should be careful what you wish for, brother dear. You no doubt wished to be with my sister, you certainly went through the trouble to ensure that and look what it got ya? If this is really your preferred course then, well...let's just say once the wheels start turning there is no stopping or going back for either of you. Now, shall we?"

Her words carried some considerable weight as the gravity of the situation hit him square in the stomach. Before, everything felt strangely hazy like a bad dream he was having, but now he realizes that this was really happening. The woman he had sacrificed for and promised himself to when other women threw themselves at him for his attention, had gone and betrayed him in the worst possible way, had _actively_ hurthim more than any monster he survived against, and that now he'd turn to the one woman who had caused so much grief to not only him, but to his family for help. Everything seemed backwards, it felt so messed up, it shouldn't be happening like this, it wasn't supposed to go this way. His life up to this point was not a joke; the woman he chose to be with ever since high school and endured countless dangers with, for whom he sacrificed his own humanity for, should not have turned out to be this most merciless, most sinister "monster" he ever had to face alone, nor should he have to crawl back to a bitch like Ria and endure the humiliation in her eyes, while at the same time placing his future into her hands. And yet, that is how it was, the reality set for him not by choice, but by some cosmic prankster. And so, feeling beaten down and confused, Tsukune Aono, the once human turned vampire, this so called _Mighty Vampire Aono_, hung his head low and falls to his knees like a defeated prize fighter who had given up the fight.

"Oh god," he muttered under his breath, hoping she didn't hear, yet at the same time not caring. Ria, however, struts confidently over to him and leans down into his face where she whispers in this light, almost playful little tone:

"Like I said before, Tsukune, god isn't here anymore; it's just you...and me."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_Isn't Something Missing_,

_Isn't Someone Missing Me?_

"You like that, don't you?" Ria asked softly and tenderly.

"Aaaah!" He cried as she allowed hot wax from a lighted candle to pour onto his lower stomach, causing him to shudder involuntarily. The chains that bound his wrists to the bed posts clinked, reminding him that he was unable to release his rosary seal and was helpless; she had wanted to start with his human form to easily dominate him in bed, as she always preferred with her "lovers". For Ria, there was a certain, twisted pleasure in tormenting a helpless human, an almost predatory instinct to toy with a victim at her mercy. But, after a while of this she at last removed his rosary, wanting a vampire's incredible endurance to satisfy her physical needs and fully meant to exploit it until exhausted. With his renewed strength, though he could have easily broken free, but she threatened him not to under for his family's safety if he didn't satisfy her; enjoying the feeling of having him remain powerless was still very thrilling.

"Does it hurt, now?" She asked as she held onto the candle precariously over him.

Another drop of hot wax fell on him and he gasped slightly.

"I've felt worse," Tsukune said, trying to remain calm and defiant. Lying naked on the bed with his wrists chained, watching and experiencing her various forms of S&M games since this began, didn't offer much in the way of dignity, but he tried to salvage what little there was. And yet, at the same time there was a part of him developing from within that seemed to confirm every ounce of bullshit that she claimed about him. There she was kneeling over him, naked except for a black garter and matching nylon stockings, her large, soft breasts sliding methodically against his chest.

"You _do_ like it, don't you?" Ria teased, leaning down and licking his neck.

"No…W-we've done enough."

The pleas of mercy was like a strange signal to her, as he felt her teeth tear into his neck as if to cowl him into obedience and began to greedily suck out his blood.

"Aaaaaah! Stop! That's enough already, I said STOP!"

She suddenly pulled back, a little red stream of his blood trailing down her chin from lips that almost resembled ruby red lipstick and he watched as she laps it all up with big smile.

"I hope it tasted bitter."

"Oh me, oh my, but I like it bitter. It's like tasting your tears brother dear." She set the candle down and casually put her hand on his already worn cock. "Are you ready to go again?"

"Please no, please no."

"Do you not like it?" She purred, her red eyes staring down into his with a strange innocence, while at the same time giving him a hand job.

"No I… ahh...I hate it."

"You're lying. You're such a liar Tsukune, just like all men."

"No, I'm not… I swear, it's true. I…I love Moka, she's the only person I want to do this with."

_Get a hold of yourself, Tsukune! _He coached himself as it almost felt like he was beginning to enjoy it. _Don't let her get to you!_

"Oh me, oh my, you dirty, dirty man! I had no idea you wanted to subject my darling little sister to such nastiness! I've always thought of you as _that_ kind of guy, the whole 'I'm 100% loyal to my girlfriend' bit was just that, a bit. I know for a fact that a man's mouth, eyes, and even his heart lies, but this!" She gives a soft, yet firm squeeze of his fully erect penis. "This, is the only part that has always been honest. Face it, I'm what you think about when you're with my sister, it's my face you see, isn't it? My face on her body, because I'm all you think about?"

"Ria..."

"If you don't want me, then all you have to do is not get hard."

"That…that's not true, none of it," he gasped. He tried his best not to give in to her, tried to think of what was at stake and for whom this was for. He tried to picture Moka crying, of his parents and friends in peril. Then he tried thinking about mundane things, anything to get her off his mind, and yet she seemed to know so much more about him than he knew of himself. It was sad to admit, painful to come to terms over, but ever since meeting her, he _had_ felt a mild attraction to her, but it was only because she beautiful, not an intimate interest of having sex. However, since having had sex with her, the feeling of it all, and of her, was gradually becoming overwhelming. He could feel himself getting hard underneath her expert touch, and it shamed him deeply. She proceeded to kiss him and slipped her tongue into his mouth, playfully sliding against his own as their lips sucked on one another, and as she did so, a very sickening realization came over him. Though he didn't want to admit it, didn't want to acknowledge it, but Ria's touch was far better than Moka's, and as her tongue swirled around inside, she began stroking him a little harder, and a little faster.

_Oh Moka, _he thought in despair, unable to control himself. _Why'd you loan me out to her? I wanted it to be with you, not your sister._

"Why pretend? You…like…it." She said, almost as if reading his thoughts, each word punctuated by a kiss as she grew more and more excited, herself. "_Admit_ it, just admit it, you like fucking me."

"No," he said, but his dick was so hard now it began to hurt.

"_Liar_! Your mouth cannot deny what your cock is saying to me."

She ran her tongue leisurely down the length of his body, licking his neck and the burn marks on his chest, parting her mouth to leave wet kisses over his belly, as she went further down and parts his pubic hair so as to run her pursed lips over the entire length of his cock.

"Do you want me to stop?" She asked in a teasing voice.

"I…I would like that very much," he whispered.

He could feel her entire body shake against his legs as she made a throaty laugh.

"Oh me, oh my, that doesn't sound very convincing. Who are you lying for, me or yourself?"

She squeezed her large tits together and rubbed them up and down slowly against his penis, giving him a nice, relaxed feeling of soft pillows pressed over.

"I… I…"

Who was he lying for? He didn't really know, but it felt so good and for a second he wondered if Kurumu's tits would feel just as good doing this, but then a flash of guilt for thinking that fell over him, and tried to shake the thought away; it would not.

"Mmmm, what's the matter brother dear? Not so sure?"

She moved faster as he tried to mentally and physically restrains himself.

"...Uhhh, uh," the words suddenly escaped from his mouth.

Ria grinned and licked the top of his penis with the tip of her tongue.

"You like it slower or faster?"

"Fa…f-faster," he said.

"Then say, 'please titty fuck me faster Ria.'"

He thought about Moka and how this would hurt her, and tried to resist the urge, but he had no choice; even if he managed to refuse her, not only would he be in danger, but his family too and Moka would feel devastated. He _had_ to do this, but was it so wrong then to actually enjoy it?

_What am I thinking? _He thought with a mounting panic._ But, really is it so wrong? Wait, of course it is, I love Moka not...not...Oh god, please don't say it!_

"P-P-Ple_ease..._ titty fuck me faster, Ria," he said with eyes closed and shame washing over.

He heard her laugh and felt her tits shake.

"All right, since you ask so nicely Tsukune."

She went faster, harder and more aggressively. The feeling of control turned her on and she decided she wanted more of him and like a glutton, moving both tits out of the way and brought her mouth down, sucking him hard her cheeks pulling in a sucking fashion, almost gorging herself greedily on his large dick, her nimble hands rubbed the base of his cock as she expertly moved her lips up and down. She enjoyed every minute it, enjoyed _him_, now that he had finally stopped resisting her and fully released his inhibitions. She sensed how hot he was becoming, feel the pressure in him building up, making her wet, and as such she could feel her own pleasure steadily building up.

"Fuck me!" She gasped, scrambling around to sit on his hardened cock, which slid right into her as soon as she lowered herself. "Yeah, fuck me! Fuck me like you mean it!"

"Ahh! Ahhhh!" Tsukune gasped as her pussy clamped down tight around him, so hot and wet, gripping him with her thighs and riding him while his hard cock went up all the way into her, spurning the woman on and filling every ounce of mounting pleasure.

"Uh, fuck yes! Aaah! Uhhhhh!"

"Ahhh, ah, I'm going to…"

"Me too! Me too! You're making me cum!" Ria cried as her crevice throbbed painfully against him, constricting violently.

"Aaaahh! GOD, RIA!" He cried out, unable to control his own climax.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhh!"

She could feel it fill her insides and then leak out, and just hearing him call out her name and her name only made Ria climax all over him, and continued straddling him until the last pulse of her orgasm passed and she could feel him gradually getting softer. When it was all said and done, she spread on top of him, rubbing her nylon covered legs over him and pressing her tits into his burned chest. She next covered his mouth in eager kisses and ran her tongue along his sweaty body.

"You going to tell me you didn't enjoy that little brother?"

He looked up at her with his own red eyes and flushed cheeks.

"I… I enjoyed it," he admitted in a shameful whisper.

She laughed and playfully nipped at his throat.

"I'm beginning to really like you little brother; you keep fucking me like this I just might decide to take you away from Moka for good. Let's rest for a little bit and then go again. We have all night to play."

Vampires _did_ have an amazing amount of stamina, as he found out to both his pleasure, and dismay. By the early morning hours she had brought him back to his parents' house where she plucked him up from, having fucked all night and "enjoying" breakfast brought up to their room, which Ria decided to play with him some more afterwards before finally escorting him home.

"We ought to do this again, brother," she said to him. "But, don't worry about your little secret, it's safe with me."

As he steps out of the limo, stuffy with their hormones as they had little time to wash up, he was greeted by a sky that had gradually turned from a dark blue to a lighter tone, the crisp and soothing air comforting his worn out and defiled form, though it could not wash away his shame.

"Oh, and before I forget, brother. Here."

She holds out a small business card with a name and number on it, which he takes.

"Don't forget to call me whenever you need me," she cooed. "And trust me, you will. You will. Your body doesn't lie, remember that."

With that said, he closes the door behind him and listens as the limo pulls away without even bothering to look back. Slowly he walks up to the door, taking his time, unsure if he should even go in after what happened, afraid to face Moka, let alone his parents in case they were up. The whole experience was both confusing and frustrating, and it left him feeling like a completely different person, one unworthy of being in Moka's presence.

_Moka, _he suddenly thought, remembering that she was still there with his parents and wondering what she was doing. _How am I going to face her like this?_

The thought scared him; tramping back into his home and lying next to her in bed after what he did and said to Ria.

_How could you have been so stupid? How could you say all those things, how could you have even enjoyed it when it's Moka you should care about!_

It suddenly all became about Moka, bringing himself back to his sense of priorities, where her needs usually superseded his own.

_How am I going to face her like this?_

He stood outside for the better part of two hours, with the sun steadily rising, yet he stays just within inches of the front door as though it was covered in poisonous spiders.

"Tsukune," he heard a familiar voice call from the other side, a voice he easily recognized as belonging to Moka.

Had she been waiting up for him this whole time? It terrified him to think that she was still up and that she could smell him even on the other side of the door. Nevertheless, the jig was up, and hearing her encouraging voice did give him some courage to face what may come. Slowly, he enters the living room where she greets him from the couch bed, watching TV, but appearing as though she had been crying. They both looked at one another for the longest time, neither sure of what to say to the other, but he knew Moka could clearly smell the stench of sex on him, as well as the scent of her own sister's.

"I-I'm glad you're back," she said quietly, averting his eyes.

"...Yeah. Moka, I...I'm..."

"...You did what you had to do," she said. "No one's blaming you."

She rushes past him, hand over mouth as the emotions came flooding out uncontrollably and ran up the stairs into his room, slamming the door behind.

"I'm sorry," Tsukune said, standing all alone in the darkened room, with his shame and could almost feel the tears rolling off her cheeks from where he stood, and tried unsuccessfully to keep it from affecting him internally.

Just the memory of that first session with Ria made him sweat, more so than the others. It was his first time doing that with a woman, he was ashamed to admit, and it wasn't even very intimate, but done in a way to where he was nothing more than a pawn to get back at her sister, and his fiancée and lover. Knowing how she had used him like that only made the experience that much more unbearable; Gin would've loved it, but then again that was Gin, not him. Still, after it was all said and done, Tsukune had hoped never to have to deal with her again, spending the next couple of months at school trying to reconcile things between him and Moka, and hoped never to tell their friends. Things were going good at first, Moka was speaking to him normally again and it appeared they would get past this incident much stronger than before. That was until, one fateful day when Tsukune received a correspondence from the many letters he'd written home, delivered to him personally by the Bus Driver, sent to him in urgency. In it, he read that his father wanted to talk to come clean with him private, though would not give any details. Concerned, the Bus Driver sent him in secret to the location his father had requested and there was told something most distressing, about how his own father had been having an affair with none other than Ria, and wanted to come clean with him as he feared it would jeopardize his relationship with Moka. Livid, Tsukune went over to confront her alone, half blinded by anger that she would do this. It was one thing to manipulate and toy with him, but to seduce his own father and threaten to hurt his mom through this, after he had done so much already to ensure nothing would happen to them, suddenly he found himself literally anxious in inflicting bodily harm on a woman, something he thought would never happen. Tsukune elected not to tell Moka or his friends about this, unwilling to cause her any more undue stress in regards to her older sister and preferred to deal with this matter alone; in hindsight that turned out to have been a mistake. Ria would go on to make short work of him, firmly and effectively putting him in his place after a sound beating, and then blackmailing him into resuming their affair in secret lest she destroy his parents' marriage.

And so, he kept seeing her behind Moka's back, their various rendezvous always at some palatial hotel suite, their sessions as tawdry as before, but his hands were tied and it was all he could think to keep Moka and his parents out of Ria's clutches. Eventually, she became trapped within his mind, a virus that had taken hold, seeing _her _whenever he looked at Moka, while his body seemed almost obsessed with fucking her. Tsukune knew, however that for Ria this was all just another game to her, that much was plainly obvious, and he couldn't have been more right. It was true she'd had dozens of lovers, and yet Ria never fully enjoyed herself as much as with him, as his refusal to admit just how much he was enjoying the things she did to him, in spite of his bodily reactions, only added to her determination to break him completely. She had decided to make him her willing lover, _her_ mate and was determined to steal him away from Moka by getting her lover to admit that she could not possibly give him what he truly wanted. Ria was in complete control of him and the situation.

And then, one day during a short break after a furious bout in bed, his wrists bound to the headboard and blood dried against sore neck, and as a sweaty Ria laid nude next to him, covered in sweat and some of his cum, he did something that surprised even her. The respite was brief, with his endurance they would soon be going at it, but for the moment Ria was content to just lie next to him and noticed him staring down at her most peculiarly.

"Be patient darling," she said with a grin, "we still have plenty of time to go before dawn."

"May…may I ask you a question, Ria?"

She was quick to notice just how respectful and obedient he'd become, and not indignant as before.

"...You may ask," she said pleasantly.

Sometimes she was cruel and unforgiving one moment or gentle and kind the next, and nothing pleased her more than to watch as she was slowly breaking and turning him into the shape that pleased her best. And yet, she couldn't ignore the fact that he was gradually becoming more acclimated to her, and because of that she would be generous, for now.

"What's on your mind, brother?"

"Well, it's nothing really, just that...do you never kiss, sister?"

She lifted a single, questioning eyebrow. "What do you mean?" She asked. "I do all sorts of things with my mouth. What do you mean kiss?"

"I don't mean when you force your tongue into my mouth Ria. I mean a gentle, regular kiss."

"You mean the sort you give my sister?" She asked curiously.

He nodded his head warily, for Tsukune knew by now that any mention of Moka was dangerous.

"I was just curious, really. Do...do you not like to be kissed that way?"

"Not especially," she gave him a patronizing look. "Do you enjoy it Tsukune? Those boring little kisses?"

"I don't think they're too boring," he answered carefully, almost fidgeting under her scrutinizing gaze. "They're how you show you care for someone. Could I...could I kiss you? Just once?"

"Like you kiss Moka?"

"Is that so bad? You might like it."

"All right," she replied, licking her lips. "If that's something you'd like."

"Could you untie me first, Ria? It's not like I'm going anywhere."

She nodded and freed his wrists, a bit surprised as this was the first time he'd taken any kind of initiative in their encounters and wanted to encourage it by indulging in his curiosity.

And so, they sat up together in bed, staring at one another as they explored this new territory of intimacy where he reached for her, taking her into his arms and looked into the woman's guarded dark eyes, offering an odd nervousness that was different from the fear he usually displayed when she began to get a little rough and slowly leaned in to place a light, tender kiss on the lips. It felt so gentle and grazing that she could barely feel it, and yet it was an affectionate, sweet filled sensation that left her with a vulnerable longing.

She was almost surprised when she responded to it, kissing him back without thinking, never realizing that kissing like this felt so…good.

When they broke apart, Tsukune continued holding her close to him in his arms.

"Did you like it?" He asked.

Something unusual came over her, spreading throughout every muscle like wildfire and felt an odd kind of excitement she had never experienced before.

"It wasn't terrible," she admitted, but bit her lip coyly. "I wouldn't be completely against another."

He gave a slight nod and brought her in close for another kiss. It was odd for her, letting him touch her so intimately, so carefully as if she was something delicate and fragile, something that didn't involve pure dominance or mocking him as a man or a person. It also felt weird that he made her enjoy it, this mild and slow building of warmth and protection quickly overwhelming even her. And so, instead of making frantic and demeaning forced sex, they spent the whole night embracing each other and kissing.

When they ended the meeting and she returned him home, Tsukune could see how much the experience affected the once cold, heartless woman as he watched her run a thumb over her lips in a thoughtful manner the whole ride home. If he could've read her mind, he'd know just how conflicted she'd become; it was such an odd thing for her to be effected so by something as simple as a kiss. Yet when he tasted her like that she'd felt something she hadn't known for a very long time: real genuine love.

_Impossible, _she thought.

Had Tsukune's kiss affected her that much or was it because, for one brief moment in her dark and proud life she literally felt like the very center of the galaxy itself? Was that the reason Moka and those other girls loved him so much? Was that the reason he was able to reach her in a way none of her lovers ever had? Oddly, she had never sought that out before in her many one-night stands; she'd always looked for handsome, powerful men who could satisfy her carnally and whenever they spoke of love she ignored them, thinking they were just mouthing the sort of words they thought she wanted to hear, but every relationship revolved around sex and pleasure, love never had anything to do with it.

Gradually, though their meetings began to change in tone; though there was still plenty of sex, she stopped tying him up or trying to dominate him. Instead, it was slowly becoming tender, with her becoming more willing to act as if they were equals, and continued seeing one another behind Moka's back where he'd always show up with flowers or some affectionate gift without Ria ever asking for it, and kissed more often than ever before. Ria could to tell that he was enjoying their time together more and more, and he seemed to be opening his heart to her, compelling her to do the same by surprise, and for the first time she began to consider the possibility she could find love from someone other than her father. Ria thought it was nice for a change and had to admit there was something to be said about being held as a woman who lets herself be pleasured by a man who encouraged her to be so, exhausting themselves more on an emotional level than a physical one. Then, one evening after another round of sex, and she laid in bed content, half expecting him to be up and gone by the she awoke, like he always did, but he instead did something that surprised even her. The dark vampiress, so accustomed to cheap debauchery awoke to the smell of food cooking and the sound of plates being set on a small kitchenette. She hadn't even known there was a stove and table in her room, as it was never an area that she cared to explore, but now it woke her up with a startled realization: Tsukune had not only stayed, but was making breakfast.

Ria rubbed the heel of her hand across both eyes as she wrapped on a robe to find the answer to this curious behavior. It took her further by complete surprised to see Tsukune finishing up, pouring a glass of orange juice in a cup and putting a carafe next to a plate.

"Oh Ria, you're up," he greeted with a warm smile as he wiped his hands with a towel, and pulled a chair out for her.

"What's this?" She asked, stunned at the care he took to prepare her a simple, but well-cooked morning meal.

"I hope you don't mind, but I didn't know what you liked. I made a few things I thought you would enjoy."

Before him, he gestured at plates filled with french toast, omelet, sausage patties, and a few pieces of strawberries put in a bowl for her. A small bag was empty to the side where he must have gone to get groceries, and bothered to come back.

The gesture left her dumbfounded; there were many men who had taken her out to breakfast, spending untold riches to show her their "love" of her, but none had ever gone through the trouble of doing something as simple as _making_ breakfast.

"I have to get going Ria, but I'll see you later on this evening, right? You know, you look beautiful with bedhead, by the way."

Placing a simple trio of daisies in her hand, he kissed her lips gently before he was already out the door.

Many a man had tried endearing themselves to her, but there was always that underlying sense of lust, and of false affection. Yet, as she sat before this large, and well cooked meal, confused as to what she should actually do, Ria felt that this was as real and sincere as she ever witnessed, and continued sitting in stunned silence for at least a minute before touching her nose with the white flowers and seemed almost overwhelmed. It seemed to her that he was finally being won over and yet, at the same time she found herself being won over by him; what had started out as a game soon became something much more than that.

However, there was a method to his madness as it was indeed a ploy, but without any desire of lust or conquest: Tsukune _had_ hoped to win her over, just not as his lover. Since resisting and defying her wasn't helping anything, he thought that if he was instead nice to her, that maybe it would make the difference. It had worked before on all of his friends, all of whom had at one point been both his and Moka's enemies, yet at the same time were each troubled individuals with their own pressures, and after he had bestowed upon them a certain level of kindness did they all become friends; he hoped it would work on Ria. It was a long shot; however he was able to tell from her hatred of Moka that she was only motivated by jealousy, not due to some kind of vanity, but a longing to know a love and appreciation she'd known. So far it worked and he could already see a change in her cold personality and hoped he could somehow work what they had into a lasting friendship, instead.

He would make the effort to show his sincerity, setting up meetings behind Moka's back and initiating sex after some romance, all of which he was pleased to see was having its effect on her. Then, one day after arriving to a hotel of his choosing, and after they had spent another romantic evening of love making they laid in bed in quiet reflection of what they experienced, her mind completely blown away by the simple majesty of it, the heart and soul filling ecstasy of having someone not only fill her physically, but with tender, thoughtful emotion, never, ever so happy to be with a man in her whole life, he asked rather curiously:

"Ria...you mind if I ask you something?"

She looked over at him a little worriedly, but sure she already knew what he was going to say. Tsukune half expected a dismissal of his request from her, but as he looked into her dark eyes, he could clearly see a change had taken hold of this once, malicious individual. For as the dark haired vampire knew that he would ask her to let him loose, she'd nevertheless had to admit that being with Tsukune these last few months have been nothing short of inspiring and fulfilling in ways never imagined in her entire, long life. He brought out a different type of woman she never knew existed, having been with such a unique lover whose talents she had no idea he could posses with such limited experience. It would be a lie for Ria to say he had opened different parts of herself, and it was all due to being with the man who was now looking back at her at this moment, so out of generosity she would indulge his request.

"Let me guess...you want to leave?" She asked wearily, yet with a pleased smile, nonetheless.

As Ria intertwined his fingers with her own, he knew if he made any motion that he wanted to go, she would gladly give it to him. He didn't know at the time, but as she was far from having had her fill of him, Ria was satisfied of having secretly made her point with Moka and enjoyed the company of her mate, and Tsukune had to admit that he, too enjoyed her company as well, just not that way. That in the end, it seemed Tsukune's efforts were paying off and he hoped, in time they would seek each other out as friends with their union a little more enjoyable as it had been these couple of months.

"No...Ria," he replied, reaching over and kissing her lightly, kindly, and mildly possessive. "I've enjoyed the time we've spent and, I just wanted to say to you that...I like you."

"You...you do?" She asked incredulously. "Like as in...love?"

"Yeah, you can look at it like that."

She'd heard those words used before, just about all her lovers had proclaimed how much they loved her at one point or another, but their promises of undying and eternal love had never mattered to her; just words. Hearing them from Tsukune was different; if there were two people in this world she dearly wanted to hear those words from, then she had heard if from at least one of them.

"Really?"

"Yes, I do."

"...More than Mizore?"

"Yeah."

"More than Yukari?"

"Sure."

"More than Ruby?"

"Yes, Ria."

He saw her smile more and more, unsure of where this was going, but with hope filling him anyway.

"Kurumu?" She asked. "Do...do you love me more than Kurumu?"

"Yes. I like you, you know? You're a very special person and I just wanted you to know that."

More and more he saw her dark exterior seem to erode away, leaving a very vulnerable and tender individual yearning for his affection just as he predicated and it appeared that the real Ria had finally been exposed for him to, in some way, help her. But, she next catches him off guard with the next question:

"Please, tell me, how special am I? More so than Moka? Do...do you love me more than her?"

She looked into that honest face of his and saw a shroud of confusion cross it.

"I'm sorry?" He asked.

"You said you 'liked' me, right? You liked me more than all the other girls; so do you like me more than Moka? You _do_ love me more? Please, I'd really like to hear you say that."

"...Well..."

She grabbed hold of his hands with both of hers in earnest and looked into his eyes like a hopeful, little child.

"Say it Tsukune, say those words and I swear to you, I will be yours."

He didn't know how to respond to that, it certainly wasn't something he planned on.

"Um, I _do_ think you're very special, and all. I mean, maybe if we had met first it would be a different...no...I can't say that...I love you more than her, just differently is all, Ria. I would really like it if we'd be happy together, not just you and I, but all of us, hopefully. No reason you can't be a part of that."

She stared at his smiling face and he stared back, hoping for a positive response. However, as he looked into her eyes, all he saw was a disappointment slowly devolving into dismay, followed by anger that eventually morphed into a hideous rage as if she'd been slapped hard across the face. Tsukune had terribly underestimated Ria, for he couldn't have known that for her everything was a game, a contest to win absolutely, and saw that she had been played this whole time, as though he tipped over her king and finally laughed as he said, 'checkmate.'

"Ria?" he asked, his voice simply oozing with concern. "Are you..."

SLAP!

Her hand slapped him so hard he fell over and was knocked flat off the bed.

"SHUT UP!" She screamed at him. "I was going to tell you that I loved you, you worm! I was going to offer you my heart and be yours and free you and your pitiful little father from my hold...And I...I would've even settled on being your mistress, if you wanted! Me! A mistress to a lowly, human turned second born vampire, but I would've done it too, all that mattered, all I wanted was for you to want me more than her, and instead what do you tell me?! That you still love Moka over me! That after all this time and all the sex and passion and _all that crap!_ That, you still love her more than me, that this whole time you wanted me to be just another member of your pathetic little _harem_! YOU STUPID PIG! How dare you?! How dare you think you could turn me into one of your fawning pets? Me?!"

"No, Ria you don't understand, I…"

"SHUT UP!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs and hit him again so hard her glove ripped. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

Straddling over him, she punched him again and again as hard as she could, while Tsukune covered up as best he could while trying to reach for his rosary seal still wrapped about his wrists before she killed him, but Ria saw it and held his arm away with one hand while maintaining the barrage with the other.

Ria was beyond furious; normally calm, and plotting by nature, he hadn't realized just how much he hurt her in a way no one, but her father had ever could. When she finished and he was semi-conscious, she grabbed some rope from a nearby stand and tied his hands to the bed. They hadn't been playing their usual games of late, but all the tools were still in the suite just in case, and as soon as she had him tied up, next brought out a bullwhip and stood over his battered form, panting heavily like a large, wild animal.

"You fucking little man!" She spat, but soon she was laughing at him in an almost hysterical way. Any sense of affection for him or desire to be gentle and be genuinely cared for had dissipated as quickly as her vicious slaps had been. "Did you actually believe everything I said to you? Did you _really_ think I was starting to care for you?"

"Ria, please..." he tried to say through a bloated lip, but his efforts were met by a painful stomp on his groin.

"SILENCE!" She bellowed. "You think yourself so amazing that a few boring, little kisses would make me fall for _you_? It was all a lie, you fool! I was trying to steal you away from Moka! You never mattered to me!"

"Ria...don't do this, please. I swear to you, I _do_ like you, I only wanted to try and help you!"

"Help me?" She chuckled mockingly.

"Yes, because...because I know deep down you want to be loved, and that's...that's what I was trying to do."

His eyes were already starting to swell up, making it harder to look up clearly, but before his eyes started to shut he saw Ria make a face as though he'd said something incredibly stupid, and she wound the bullwhip tighter, and menacingly in her grasp.

"You poor, deluded fool," she mocked. "You thought I _ever _needed your pity? If you should feel pity for someone, then pity yourself for underestimating me, for you did so at your own peril."

"Look, if you are angry at me, then I understand and I'll accept any punishment you dish out, but what about you? I know you cared what I did, you were happy and if you love someone and hurt them, won't it make your heart hurt as well? Please, don't do this, Ria. If you go down this road, there won't be any turning back and you will feel it for the rest of your life."

His concern for her seemed hallow to her ears no matter how much his sore lips ached or how much hope and faith he tried to reach to her with. His face was starting to swell up and the fresh cuts on his cheek caused him to wince, but what made her pause for a moment, for just a short breath were the tears; not for himself, but for her.

"How dare you…how dare look at me with such pity!" She spat, literally spitting in his face with her hate-filled words, twisting the leather whip even tighter in her hands, making it creak noisily.

Tied up, near blind and helpless he could do nothing, but lay underneath her threatening form.

"Then why are you so angry if everything meant nothing?" He asked.

"Because you _compared me_ to her again! That you'd dare tell me you love me, and then turn around and say I matter less than her? Are you _crazy_?"

He then heard the familiar PING of a rosary being plucked and felt to his dismay the swirl of demonic energy engulf the entire suite.

"Ria..." he tried to plead desperately before she began her painful, brutal onslaught.

"KNOW YOUR PLACE!"

She swung the whip with every ounce of her unleashed, vampire strength and he felt it cut clean through his skin, sending a spray of blood onto the bedroom window. Tsukune screamed in pain, but she drew back and lashed at him again, and again, each time with more ferocity than the last.

He screamed for her to stop, begged her as each time he felt a sliver of blood splash on his face as there was no denying that when the friction of the leather marred him, and the torture was so mind numbingly painful that, for the first time in his life he actually felt fear, fear not just for someone else, but for his own life. Then, when he finally stopped pleading with her to stop, he suddenly cried out for Moka, lamenting that this would be the end and he would never see her again. However, saying her name only made it worse than it could have ever gone, and Ria didn't stop whipping him for the entire day, her vampire stamina kicking into overdrive as she whipped, kicked, beat and even clawed him into a bloody mess as blind rage took over all thought and reasoning. Mercifully, however unconsciousness came to free him of this burden, blacking out before Ria even came close to utter exhaustion.

It was sunrise by the time she finally tired of it, and noticed his entire back was ripped open. The smatterings of blood graffiti's the walls and floor, the bed itself ruined and soaked through. If he were merely human he'd have been dead already, but even as a vampire this was reaching his limit and it would take days for his body to fully recover.

For several breaths, she actually contemplated on killing him for his insult; she had killed people for a lot less. But, he was under father's protection, and even if she revealed the whole truth about him being human her father might still be angry with her for disobeying him. A few tears from Moka and he was all too likely to punish her for going this far, so she let the bloodied whip fall from her quivering hand, stooped over to rip off the ropes from around his wrists, and noticed he was slowly coming to.

She then, with an angry groan grabbed him by his hair, purposely digging into his scalp and twisting it, pulling out gouges of clumps of skin and tufts of his dark locks at the same time while she brought his inhuman looking mask for a face before hers.

"Get out of my sight, you cur, GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! I'll leave you be for the next week, if only to give you a chance to heal. But understand this," she said, emphasizing it with a lethal edge in her voice to drive home her point. "This is not the end. Oh no, this is far from being settled between you and me. You will not speak of this to anyone. If I _ever_ learn you have, especially to _her_, I will rape your scrawny little father and then kill your entire family, Tsukune! And I will have it recorded, in High Def, so you can watch it! Do you understand me?"

"...Yes...Ria," he croaked, coughing up a stream of blood.

Her hand cracked down about his face for good measure.

"Now get up and go rest now so that you can get out of my sight, and when you call me again to set up our next outing, and you _will_, I intend to make everything we did before look like child's play."

She stormed out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, leaving him bloodied, bruised, and overall fearful of the future with her.

_Stupid, stupid! _He scolded himself for even thinking such a plan would work. The brutality of it, and the overall futility of it was a painful lesson that Ria was unlike anyone he's had to deal with before and she would be impossible to deal with. One fact was deathly obvious above all else: it was hopeless.

Their remaining sessions were brutal as she made it her mission to utterly break his will completely, yet she never did, though without lack of trying. However, she was also very aware that he never touched her with friendly familiarity again or told her he loved her. He only did what was instructed of her and suffered through those agonizing sessions with robotic acceptance. This annoyed her even more; saying nothing unless spoken to, responding as if he was just one of her many slaves.

She really had beaten the soul out of him, save for one token of resistance. Through it all, in every brutal bout, she would ask him if he loved her more than Moka, and again he said he didn't.

"Say it," she growled as she had him stretched by his fingers from the ceiling, staring into his beaten and bruised face. "Say you love me, more than her. Just say it, and I'll let you go."

There was a long silence, as though it seemed to her he had to contemplate his response, thinking it may be dawning on him how beneficial it would be to cave into her demands.

"All of this will end, Tsukune, all of it, the beatings, the constant agony you feel…I'll even stop with what I'm doing to your father," she whispered into his ear, causing him to look up with a start. "That's right, Tsukune, what we're doing now, is the same I'm putting your dear old father through. And, I'll gladly stop all of it; all you have to do is say 'I love you, Ria, more than Moka'. Say it, and I'll spare both your lives."

She had to have been lying, he wanted to believe that nothing like that was happening to his father right now, but then again he wasn't sure about anything relating to Ria, and Tsukune's lips appeared to be moving as it appeared, for a while that his will power might be wavering, enough to say those words she had tortured him to utter for months on end to hear.

"Mo...k..." he managed to croak through blistered lips before Ria cracks his jaw with a fist.

"...I grow tired of this," she muttered and releases him, letting him drop to the floor with a loud thud. "Heal up and get the hell out of my sight, you little shit!"

Ria grew increasingly aggravated with him, and would reach the point of abject dementia if not for the small satisfaction that Moka was also in the receiving end of it, as it was doing terrible things to her knowing someone she really cared for was enduring such pain, but it didn't matter. It was obvious Tsukune Aono was no longer going to be 'that' kind of person who could easily break to her will no matter what she did. Despite taking such punishment, deep down Ria could see that he had a strength she never understood, and could only hope to humiliate her sister's lover and make their lives as miserable as she would be allowed to.

At last, though Tsukune had had enough, enough of the whole tortuous affair and of having to deal with Ria alone, and finally decided to come clean with Moka. He worried that she might hate him for seeing her behind her back or become distraught that Ria was still causing more aggravation, but Moka's reaction had been slightly more understanding than he thought.

"I might've known she would do something like this," she said to him.

"You did?" He asked with surprise.

"I know my sister; she wouldn't have been satisfied enough the last time she had you, seeing how much it bothered me! Once she stabs you with a knife, she doesn't just remove it, she twists it around so that the pain is excruciating. She won't stop until I've suffered enough."

Tsukune turned away, his face blue as her words plagued all of his doubts and fears. He knew this wasn't going to go away, so long as Ria hated Moka, this would always continue for the many years to come; he knew something had to be done.

"It's unfortunate that your family have now become involved," she went on to say. "I would've preferred they be a non-issue in our affair, but it's far too late for that. If not for them, I could easily go to father about this and stop her."

"...Maybe there's another way," he said thoughtfully. "You might not like it, though."

"What is it?"

"I can't say yet, but you might have to wait awhile to implement it."

"Wait? For how long?"

"Until I can talk to your father in a more secure place, think you can hold out until then?"

"...I guess," Moka said after a short pause, patience not being one of her strong suits. "I don't see why we should wait, though. It'll be better if we both confronted Ria, she can't defeat the both of us at once!"

"Maybe not, but knowing her she'd only find some way to get even with us and I don't want to have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life; we need to I to do something that'll _guarantee_ she won't meddle in our lives, permanently and I just happen to know of a way. It's a gambit, but it seems to be our only way out."

That gambit came on graduation day, the long awaited day, a moment in his life that at times during his many years there, Tsukune thought would never ever see, but had finally arrived.

Buses, cars and trucks packed with family and friends came in throngs, some parked all along the rows of tombstones in a rather macabre, impromptu parking lot, and the mass of visitors were directed towards the gym where the ceremony would take place. From inside, Tsukune kept glancing out the doors, nervously waiting in his green graduating gown as though waiting anxiously for someone to arrive. He knew his parents were not coming, having purposely failed to mention to them the date and time of the ceremony; still, seeing all his classmates with their friends and family around them did make him feel a slight twinge of jealousy that he quickly put in check.

_Stop it, Tsukune,_ he scolded himself. _You know it's for their own good that they not come, and besides there are more important things to worry about._

Amongst all the vehicles coming through, however came a lone horse drawn carriage with four, black as night horses descending upon the gathering. It was obvious to all who was inside the cab even before it opened, yet all were in quiet reverence to their arrival: Lord Issa Shuzen, his wife Gyokuro and mistress Akasha Bloodriver, along with his daughters Ria and Kahlua, had finally arrived.

_Good; for a moment there I thought he wouldn't come._

On the gym floor, where lines of folding chairs had been set out with place tags set on them, the graduating seniors were led out to take their places, all in their green caps and gowns, and set to walk up to the stage in alphabetical order to receive their diploma. Moka and Tsukune were separated by four other students, and waved to each other in happy anticipation.

He looked behind him and managed to pick out Yukari, who was standing on her chair and waving both arms frantically to be sure they could spot her, while a forlorn Kurumu eagerly blew him a kiss, however Mizore was strangely absent; he couldn't remember the last time he saw her and hoped she would at least show up for her own graduation. Tsukune wanted to worry about her, but looking back at Moka reminded him that there was something that needed his immediate attention, and so his friend had to wait. Ruby stood up on stage along with the Chairman and other members of the faculty, waving back at her friends on the floor below. On either side of the gym the stands were absolutely packed with friends and family, with more than a few of them holding up banners proclaiming their pride and joy in a particular graduate. So many happy faces were there, cheering for someone in particular as every classmate had family rooting for them, even Moka's family had all come out to celebrate with her, and knowing that brought about another momentary pang that Tsukune had found odd and never experienced before, one in where he wished, in spite of everything, that his own family could be here. He knew it was impossible though, and had made sure they would not attend, but he couldn't help wishing they could be here to share this moment with him.

He didn't let the sadness linger, however. He still had Moka and the girls to share this moment with and it was enough. More importantly if his plan worked everyone he cared about would be safe and they would all get the chance to be happy. Warily, Tsukune looked out to the stands, trying to pick out where Ria might be, but failed to spot her, though knew she was there without a doubt.

After what seemed a long delay the Chairman at last approached the podium, gave the usual commencement speech, despite his rather unsettling gaze upon the student body and got the ceremony underway. One by one, the seniors were called up, Ruby handed them their diplomas and received a hearty hand shake from the Headmaster before sitting down. Moka quietly thanked the Chairman and hurried back to her seat, Kurumu yelled 'Yahoo!' at the top of her lungs followed by an enthusiastic jump, while Yukari went up, witch's hat on instead of the usual cap, and accepted hers with as much dignity as she could, receiving a big hug from Ruby before she left the stage.

When it was Tsukune's turn, the Chairman had shared a few quiet words with him.

"Tsukune, I want you to know that I had great hopes for you and still do. Good luck to you in the future."

"Thank you very much Chairman."

But, as Tsukune walked past the Chairman and smiled, he heard him mutter under his breath.

"You're gonna need it."

Tsukune's head snapped around and he was going to ask what that meant, but the Chairman was already calling the next person up.

Before long the last student had received his diploma, the seniors threw their caps into the air, and marked the end of an era for Tsukune, who was relieved to have finally gotten through four years at Yokai Academy, but now the hard part was about to begin.

With the ceremony over people exited the gym to gather together and celebrate, and all around him students were revealing their true forms and being congratulated, but of course Tsukune remained in his form. Kurumu was chatting lively with her mother and aunt, while Yukari stood next to her parents and Ruby, while Tsukune's gay friend, the Chinese sorcerer Fang-fang, was surrounded by _his_ rather unique family which included the zombified sister, Ling-Ling, their triad-affiliated parents, and even Fang-Fangs' aging grandfather, the martial arts master Tohofuhai; pretty much everyone had someone to congratulate them, but him. As he took note of this however, he had barely made it outside when everything around him went dark as a pair of hands suddenly covered up his eyes.

"Guess who, Tsukie!" Recognizing the voice, Tsukune spun around and was shocked to see his cousin, Kyokou standing happily behind him with a broad smile on her face. "Congratulations, cousin I'm so happy you finally made it!"

"K-Kyokou! How did...what are you...why are you even here?"

"Duh, to see my baby cousin graduate, you didn't think I'd miss it?"

"B-But I..."

"Don't worry, I made sure aunt Kasumi and uncle Koji didn't know about this, but did you honestly think you could give _me_ the slip; really Tsukie? I mean, c'mon, I snuck in here on my own the last time, you didm't think I wouldn't find a way in just to see you graduate?"

"So, you've been here this whole time?"

"Yeah. I wanted to cheer for you from the stands, but I knew I had to be incognito or they'd find out we were humans, besides I decided it be better if I surprised you. Boy, a long time ago I would've been freaked out by all of this, but now it seems almost normal; strange huh?"

"Kyokou, I really wish you hadn't come."

"Face it, Tsukie!" She said as if talking to a petulant child, and in a way still viewing him as such, much to his annoyance. "You wanted some of us to be here for you, didn't you? Don't act all tough; deep down underneath that tough macho act you put on, you're just as vulnerable as the next guy. Just admit it, Tsukie you're glad to see me."

As much as he wanted to deny it, a part of him was glad someone had shown up for him, and strangely enough he felt no longer alone despite his friends having been there.

"Alright, so I do appreciate you being here, but really now isn't the time to talk to me, I..."

"You're going to meet with Moka's folks, right? Yeah, I saw them come up in their 19th century carriage. So, that was Mr. Akashiya, eh?"

"It's Lord Shuzen, and yes that was her father, who thinks I'm a vampire and was never a human, which he hates. If you don't get out of here, I'm worried that..."

"Oh Tsukune!" A woman called out and smothered his face with a pair of large, pillow sized breasts spilling out of a flimsy blouse. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your graduation! How about you come to my room tonight and celebrate? I promise to make you happy that you've finally become a man. What do you say darling?"

"MOM!" Kurumu shouted. "Stop that!"

Ageha grinned and continued to smothering Tsukune with her chest. "What? I'm just giving him a graduation present."

"Uh, excuse me!" Kyokou shouted. "Could you please take my Tsukie's face out of your chest!"

"Move along dearie, he's my Tsukie now...and my daughter's, of course."

Kyokou was dumbfounded and Tsukune felt like melting into a puddle right there.

"Mom! That is his cousin! Show some respect!"

"Oh! Oh dear, I'm so sorry! Well, it is a pleasure to finally meet one of Tsukune's relatives."

"Ms. Kurono," Tsukune started to say after a long breath of fresh air.

"Honey, when are you going to stop being so formal and call me Ageha?" She corrected him.

"Ageha. Let me introduce you to my cousin, Kyokou."

"It's a...pleasure to meet you, Ms..."

"Ageha," she replied, "being that we're about to be family and all, real soon."

"Come again?" Kyokou asked, but the only response she received for her trouble was a face full of boob as Ageha brazenly plunges the girl's face in between her huge mounds.

"I am so happy to have such a cute neice in law, too!" Ageha squealed as she shook her about excitedly, smothering the girl all the while. "Oh, you're just like your cousin Tsukune, too!"

"Ahhh! Kyokou!" Tsukune screamed.

"MOTHER!" Kurumu yelled. "Let go of her!"

At last free, Kyokou stumbled about, looking dazed and frazzled that she was nearly smothered by another woman's bosom.

"I am so sorry, Kyokou," Kurumu apologized. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, no problem," a dazed Kyokou responded. "Um, is this...normal for you, Tsukie? I mean, an everyday kind of thing?"

"Oh, you have no idea."

"Now that that's out of the way; oh Tsukune," Kurumu cooed and aggressively grabbed his neck, burying his face into _her_ bosom. "Yahoooo! We did it, Tsukune, we finally graduated, aren't you happy?"

Tsukune could only muffle a response as both a pleased Ageha, and a shocked Kyokou looked on. Suddenly, a judo chop to the back of her head caused the young succubus to release her hold and fall to the ground.

"OKAY, WHO'S THE WISE GUY!?" An irate Kurumu yelled, half expecting it to be either Mizore or Yukari.

"That would be me, you big breasted fool," Moka replied, standing before the angry succubus not in her happy, pink haired persona, but in her natural, silver haired and more imposing form.

"Moka?" said Tsukune.

"Hmph, you again," said Ageha.

"Why the sudden change?" He asked.

"Does my real form displease you?" She teasingly replied, hugging his neck and ready to bite it.

"N-No, it's just that you were Outer Moka a while ago."

"Yeah, her I can handle," Kurumu interjected. "What gives?"

"I wanted to see my intended mate in my natural form today, that's all. That tawdry little ceremony was for my alternate's behalf, and any way I thought I'd meet father in my original form before….

It was then that she noticed Kyokou standing nearby, who was pleased to see her, more so than Moka was.

"Moka?" Kyokou asked, looking confused. "Oh, that's right, you can change form whenever your seal is removed. Its Kyokou, Tsukie's cousin, remember me?"

"Yes I do, I didn't expect to see you here. Tsukune, what she doing here?"

"She sort of showed up, hehehe."

"Yeah, I wanted to see Tsukie's graduation," Kyokou replied, a bit taken aback by Moka's strange behavior.

"Tsukune, your cousin ought not to have come here, especially now, you know what's about to happen."

"I know."

"What?" Kurumu asked. "What's about to happen?"

"Yeah, Tsukie what's going on?"

Neither Tsukune nor Moka had time to explain as there was a stir in the nearby crowd.

"What is it?" Kyokou asked.

"I think _her_ family has come to congratulate your Tsukune as well," Kurumu said quietly, up in guard.

_Her family? _Kyokou wondered as she looked on at the parting crowd.

Sure enough, as people parted it suddenly revealed a small knot of vampires approaching their way. The towering Lord Shuzen led the way with his family remaining one step behind him, appearing like an ominous procession to the human girl, while Tsukune and Moka stood stoically, side by side as though firmly ready for anything. As he came up to them he, opened his arms and embraced his daughter in a surprising show of affection.

"Congratulations on your graduation, Moka."

"Thank you father." Moka replied and gladly reciprocated the embrace.

After hugging his daughter he next faced Tsukune and surprised Kyokou when he embraced him, too. "And, congratulations to you to, my son."

"Son?" She quietly asked herself.

"Er, thank you my Lord," Tsukune responded.

Kyokou found it all rather awkward, as did Tsukune, but to him it was a vampire custom that he had learned to embrace, especially since he needed his would be father on his good side today. After that, of course Akasha went up and hugged both her daughter and son in law in a joyous, if not bone crushing hug.

"Oh, you have no idea how proud I am of the two of you!" She squealed.

"Th-Thanks, Akasha," Tsukune grimaced.

"Please, call me mother, Tsukune," she said, much to Ageha's chagrin.

"Oh right, mother."

"Don't I get a hug, too?" Kahlua stepped up next, arms held out.

"Kahlua, do please have some sense about you!" Gyokuro griped.

"Oh, come now, let the kids celebrate," Akasha argued. "It is a day of triumph for them, after all."

"Triumph? By graduating from this...wretched institution? Ha! If they want to act like a bunch of fools, then by all means."

"Thanks!" Kahlua cried and hugged Tsukune and Moka even tighter.

"Kokoa?" Akasha asked. "Would you care to congratulate your sister for completing her studies abroad?"

"Uhh, no," came her reply. "I, uh, agree with mother."

"Well, at least someone has _some_ sense about them," Gyokuro said.

"My, they're certainly alot more friendly than I thought," Kyokou whispered to Kurumu.

"Hmph, don't believe it, it's all for show," she replied.

"Do I get a hug too brother, dear?" An all too familiar voice asked him, who tenderly held out her arms.

"No," Tsukune said flat out.

Ria crossed both hands over her heart and pouted like a child.

"Such harsh words, brother dear and all I wanted was to share my warmth with you. But, that's okay, you and I can commemorate your accomplishment much later, if you'd like?"

"Um, excuse me," Kyokou spoke up after noticing how uncomfortable Tsukune was getting, "I don't know what's going on, but I'm pretty sure whatever you want with Tsukie can wait as long as he says it should be, you know."

Ever since she showed up at their house and whisked her cousin away, Kyokou has always had a bad vibe from this Ria person. However, the bold stance she took in defense of Tsukune, only alerted them to her presence and inadvertently put more pressure on her cousin.

"And, _what_ might this be?" Gyokuro asked.

"Uhhh..." was all Tsukune could utter.

"Oh me, oh my, well this is a surprise," Ria said with a hungry smile, as she sized up his cousin like a hungry animal. "I didn't think anyone from your household would bother showing up, brother dear."

"This person is from your household, Tsukune?" Issa asked, eyeing him curiously.

_Oh god, _he thought, noticing how Ria dangerously let it slip who she was.

"Uhh, well..." he tried to say.

"She smells nice," said Kahlua as she began sniffing Kyokou. "Like a human."

"Yes, this creature does reek of being a human," Gyokuro agreed.

"A human, well that's impossible," Ageha interjected. "No humans are supposed to be allowed within the confines of this school."

"And who might you be?" Gyokuro asked the succubus.

"I am Ageha Korono, mother of Kurumu Korono _and_ the future mother in law of young Tsukune Aono!"

"Mama," Kurumu responded.

"That may be so, if I had my way, but since that isn't the case, why don't you save your little comedy act for another other time, grown monsters are talking."

"I beg your pardon."

"Mama!" Kurumu whispered, not wanting trouble from the vampire clan before them and worried about Tsukune's cousin. "There's been some misunderstanding; as my mother said no human has set foot on this campus and wouldn't dare show up here, now."

"So, are you calling me and my daughter liars, little one?"

_Damn it, Kyokou! _He thought frantically as he noticed a crowd of onlookers gathering around. _I wish you hadn't come! Now, how am I going to keep you safe?_

"Well?" Issa demanded.

"You see, my lord..."

"It will have to wait father, there is much that needs to be discussed with, father," Moka intervened, looking boldly into her father's eyes.

"Indeed we do," he replied. "But first, I'd like to know who this child is that would dare to address my Right-hand in so rude a conduct."

Frantically, as Kyokou realizes the spot she put herself, Tsukie and Moka in, she desperately tried to come up with some way to come out of this in one piece.

"Um, okay you got me! I am...uh, one of his human servants sent here to accompany my master, as...his...parents could not make it. Yeah."

"Is that a fact?" Issa asked, giving off one of the most intimidating stares she's ever seen; if he could see through the ruse, then she couldn't tell.

"So, brother dear," Ria said. "Do you normally allow your servants to speak so rudely to an S-class vampire or is your household more...liberal in dealing with humans?"

"No, I think she's just plain stupid, father," an annoyed Kokoa remarked, knowing full well who Kyokou really is and the folly she made in coming here.

Left with no choice, Kyokou did the noble thing of bowing humbly before the group and showing a desperate display of humility.

"Uh, please forgive me," she said, sweat pouring from her brow. "I...spoke out of turn; I only saw my master looking upset and tried to...protect him."

Moka sighed, shying away from this rather embarrassing spectacle, yet knowing just how stupid the Aono family can be in foolishly risking their lives against superior foes to protect someone who didn't really need it.

"Well, she is indeed quite stupid if she thought a vampire needed _her_ protection," Gyokuro replied.

"Oh me, oh my, you have no idea. You wouldn't know anything about the folly of humans, would you Moka?"

"That's enough!" Tsukune yelled. "I won't have you talk to her like that!"

Almost all of the vampires looked at him with surprise, surprise that he'd stick up for a servant, a human servant no less.

"Awfully bold of you to defend a lowly, servant girl," Issa remarked.

"That's because…because she isn't my servant. Moka's right, there is much we need to discuss, and you know something, I'm actually kinda glad she's here, because I don't want to feel ashamed of the truth anymore, and besides I think it'll help make what I have to tell you a little easier."

"Tell me what?"

"Tsukune," Akasha whispered, yet offering a warm and encouraging smile.

"Tsukie stop, you don't have to do this," Kyokou whispered fearfully.

"No," Tsukune replied, more to himself than to his cousin. "This...this has to be done."

"Tsukune, no!" Kurumu whispered. "Moka, aren't you going to stop him?"

"Well, my son."

As he felt all eyes upon him, the sweat building about his brow, he began to worry more for Kyokou's safety than himself, and yet plowed forward anyway.

"I don't wish to be kept waiting, my patience wears thin," Lord Shuzen calmly, yet impatiently says.

"Yes, brother dear, do tell," Ria said with a huge smile, confident that he would not go through such a thing and risk himself or his cousin and even his entire family.

"Who is this girl?" Issa asked.

Tsukune gathered up his nerves, takes a deep breath, and says:

"...Her name is Kyokou Aono, she's my cousin from the human world, where my human family resides. I lied to you when I said I came from a vampire household; the fact is I never did, because I..._was _always a human before being turned by Moka."

The range of emotion varied, but all who heard seemed genuinely surprised; Ria certainly was, as was Moka who never imagined he'd do something like this, and even Ageha displayed some shock and appeared ready to faint. Akasha, on the other hand appeared pleased by his brave stance, while Gyokuro looked sick and ready to throw up.

Their conversation didn't seem too well confined though, as Tsukune could hear eavesdroppers gasp and soon word spread throughout the throng of students and visitors alike that Tsukune Aono and his cousin were both humans. Naturally everyone gripped at this news with fevered interest at one degree or another, not only at the knowledge that a human had been attending this school, but that he would so boldly proclaim it to a Vampire Lord, and all waited with baited breath at the possible consequences to come.

_That little…_Ria angrily thought to herself. _What the hell does he think he's trying to pull?_

"I knew it!" Out came a familiar voice, nearby. "I knew you were human the very first moment I laid eyes on you! Only now do you come forward with your admission."

_Oh great! _ Kurumu thought with a panic as she saw the head of the Public Safety Commission and five tailed fox demon, Kyou standing nearby with his amber colored eyes a blaze, ready to pounce. _That's just what we need._

"Tsukune!" Moka hissed. "What are you doing? Is this your plan?

"Tsukie," Kyokou whispered, fearfully clutching his arm, as he bravely placed himself in front of her like a shield, determined to protect her.

"Tsukune, what are you thinking, you fool!" Moka whispered. "Do you want to die?"

As scary as the situation was, Tsukune felt like he didn't have any other option, Ria had pushed him to his limit with all the threats and tortures, and now decided to take his chances; to either reason with Issa, which was monumental in of itself, or fight him off to protect his loved ones. Whatever the case, he was going to do everything in his power to protect the people he cared for, even if it cost him his life, and then Ria would have to find a new boy toy.

"Kyokou," he whispered, "if things start to get ugly, I want you to run toward the tunnel as fast as you can, I'll try to slow em down."

"What?"

"Well, my lord," he fearfully proclaimed, trying to be brave, yet quivering inside, "I-I've just admitted to deceiving you, you and everyone else here, hiding the fact that I was a human this whole time I was with your daughter right under your nose. What say you?"

"I'll tell you what I will do, boy!" Kyou barked as he walked menacingly forward, his fiery aura flaring up, wild with his anger. "Years of being made a fool of for trying to expose you, and now you'll pay!"

But, before the fox demon could even take a single action against him, Issa raised his hand, signaling him to stop and calmly smiled at the boy.

"So, I was wondering when you would finally come clean, son," he said, which took everyone by total surprise.

"W-What tha…you mean you knew this whole time?" Gyokuro yelled, shocked by her husband's flippant attitude.

"Did you?" Tsukune asked in obvious shock.

"Father?" Moka asked, just as shocked, if not as wary.

Akasha looked on at her husband with a shrewd smile, a smile which seemed to anger the lord's wife that the two were privy to such knowledge behind her back.

"I had my suspicions; talking with your headmaster about you, notwithstanding, of course he never said it outright that you were human, but I did suspect."

Tsukune stared at him with mouth agape.

"Come now, you really must give me more credit. I am the majority shareholder of a multi-national conglomerate and a being who has lived for more than a thousand years. You don't manage those things by being blind."

"So, now what?" Tsukune asked. "What are you going to do to me and my family?"

"Nothing."

"What?" Ria asked.

"You may relax, my son, I will take no action against you or your cousin here or even your entire family."

"What do you mean?" Gyokuro asked as her temper was livid with anger. "Husband, my lord, he has shamed you by keeping this secret and dared to sully our house, our very gene pool with his inferior genes; worse yet, was the fact that Moka knew full well and lied about it, and yet you will do nothing!"

"No, I will not. Did you think my words to be vain? I have already said that he's earned my respect and place as my son and heir and as a mate for my daughter; the fact that he used to be human and that his relatives _are_ human is beside the point, I've named him my heir and I certainly am not going to let this or anything else deprive me of that. Of course, this will have to remain our secret and under _my_ protection, unless anyone thinks otherwise."

Issa casts an eye in Kyou's direction, making the fox demon not so much afraid, but unwilling to challenge the vampire over someone like him.

"So, my family is…I mean, are you… are you going to hurt them?"

"If I were going to make an issue of it, I would have already. It does not mean I'm happy about being kept in the dark and under normal circumstances I might have taken offense, however you seem to have great promise and am eager to see where it leads to. Who knows, in a few centuries we may even laugh about it."

"Th-Thank you, my lord," Kyokou said, relieved that Tsukune was safe, but not half as relieved as he was in knowing that his family is safe.

"Wait father," Moka now spoke up. "What about Ria?"

"What about her?"

"Did you know that Ria also knew about Tsukune's secret and didn't tell you?"

Issa casts a glance at Ria, and suddenly the normally reserved, patient woman began to show signs of nervousness and fear.

"Don't be absurd," she argued. "How could_ I_ have been aware of this, I was just as much in the dark as the rest of us."

"I would certainly hope so, my lieutenant," he calmly says to her, remembering full well how he asked her what she knew about Tsukune's background, as did she.

"Well, she's lying father."

"How dare you say that to me!" Ria snapped. "What would you know, I've been ever faithful to my lord, you know nothing!"

"Ria!" He barked. "Do not same yourself here, not before my presence!"

Ria fell silent and all of a sudden every eye had shifted from Tsukune and were placed firmly upon her ever shrinking form, as she knew the jig was up. Ria knew Moka and Tsukune were about to tell her father everything she'd done behind his back and there was nothing to stop them.

"Oh, she's done more to shame you, father," Moka went on. "She's done plenty behind your back, without your very wishes, and contrary to what you just said here, today."

"Meaning?"

Moka cast a glance at Ria and it was one of victory and merciless determination, like she was about to stab her deeply with a rusty knife.

"What has she done?"

But, just as Moka was about to reply and end Ria, Tsukune suddenly spoke up:

"Permission to speak, my lord?"

"...You may speak."

Tsukune looked at Ria and then Moka, before returning to Issa.

"Don't be angry with Ria, please. I'm sure she didn't know anything at all about me or my family."

He could feel not only Moka staring at him incredulously, recognizing that this was their chance to remove Ria from their lives for good and that Tsukune was blowing it, but also knew Ria was staring at him with equal shock at his sudden defense of her.

"Tsukie?" Kyokou asked, equally confused as she was sure this Ria had personally come to their home and posed some unseen threat to her cousin.

"You defend her, my son?"

"I'm only telling you what I already know about her. That she is a loyal guardian of yours, who always, _always_ acts in your best interests."

Tsukune then looked at Ria square in the eye, as he continued talking.

"If she knew anything at all about my human family, then I'm sure she'd have told you right away and would not do anything so...underhanded against your wishes."

Issa looks at his expectant son-in-law, and then back at Ria, who didn't take her eyes off of Tsukune, once, and a sort of cold, yet knowledgeable smile had shown as if he could read at what his son-in-law was doing.

"Well," Issa finally says, "how very shrewd of you, my son. It would appear you're already turning into fine addition to the family. Very well, I suppose that settles that, then. If there's nothing else, don't do anything I wouldn't, Tsukune. Good day, Ms. Aono."

"Umm, thanks...my lord," Kyokou said, acknowledging him with courtesy as he began to leave.

"Ohh, welcome to the family!" Kahlua squealed, squeezing Kyokou in a bearlike hug.

"Tsu-ki!"

"Issa..." Gyokuro started to say, but a glance from him told her that his stance was final, which didn't sit well with her at all and glared at Tsukune with murderous intent in her red eyes. "KAHLUA! Put that thing down and come! You too, Kokoa!"

"Bye," Kahlua said happily to a wobbly Kyokou and skipped away.

"Congratulations, Tsukune, I'm quite proud of you" Akasha happily said before leaving to join Issa, but her daughter was less than thrilled with him.

"Tsukune, what were you doing?" Moka asked, livid that he would defend Ria. "Are you insane! After everything she did to us, we had one chance to rid ourselves of her and you _defend_ her?"

"Yeah, what gives, Tsukune?" Kurumu asked.

Walking up to him, Ria boldly approaches with a huge smile on her face like she'd scored a surprise win from the brink of defeat.

"Oh me, oh my, I would hate to admit it, but I'm inclined to agree with my sister; you must be insane. But, then again I have that way with men, maybe you simply hadn't had enough of me."

"That isn't true, is it?" Moka angrily accused, believing that may be the case.

"Oh me, oh my, don't be so hard on him, dear sister, he only wishes to help me. Isn't that right, Tsukune or is it Tsukie. Oh, you should've heard him the other night, saying such kind words of love and understanding in a rather weak, but noble attempt to win me over into his hapless little harem; it would've cute if it also wasn't so very, very stupid."

Both Moka and Kurumu looked at him with obvious surprise at this revelation, but Tsukune remained stoic in his stance and slowly smiled.

"Oh, I didn't do it for you," he said.

"Hmph, then why did you..."

"You see, like in chess I saw an opportunity and took it. But, being an avid chess player, I'm sure you knew that."

In their confusion, both Moka and Ria had only begun to fully realize that he had done something against her without even knowing it.

"What did you..." Ria began to say.

"I'll make this as clear as possible," he said. "I got you where I want you. If you do anything against me, Moka or my family and friends, I'll tell your father _everything_ that you have done behind his back, and I mean everything; now I wonder how he'll take that bit of news?"

"You're blackmailing me?" Ria chuckled. "Oh me, oh my, now that _is_ cute. But, after you'd just lied to protect me, I doubt..."

"You heard your father, I'm his heir and mate to Moka no matter what happens or is said, and that my family's secret is safe, I mean if he found out I lied to him all this time about being human and was okay with it, well...Bottom-line is, I'm immune, Moka is immune, Kyokou and the rest of my family are immune, you on the other hand? Well, just how is he going to take knowing that his own Right-hand was acting against his wishes? That you were _undermining_ his 'interests'?"

Ria's expression took a more serious turn and she looked as though she would rip him in two, but Tsukune didn't seem too worried.

"Ah-ah, I wouldn't do anything against me, sister dear, father might not like it if you killed his one and only heir."

"Don't play with me, fool!" She laughed, dryly. "And, my position as his Right-hand is more secure than you would think, it'll take a lot for him to decide to remove me from his side and you can't hurt me."

Tsukune tilted his head slightly to the side, his gaze playful and innocent as he mockingly asked:

"Do you really believe that?"

Tried as she could, wanting to believe that this former human didn't have the backbone to follow up on his threats, let alone that would work at all, a sliver of doubt began to show in her eyes and she knew he could see it. She glanced over at her sister, and it was evident she could see it, too and smiled once more her malicious grin; it made Ria absolutely livid at this bizarre turn of events.

"You..." she growled.

"I wouldn't, if I were you, sister dear," Moka mocked. "You heard what my mate just said; father might not like it if you hurt his heir."

Helpless, and beside herself with anger, Ria was faced with the fact that she had no choice in the matter at all, but endure the unendurable: resign herself to defeat and put up with her sister's victory. It was inconceivable to her that this boy, this naive young man who she toyed with and thought could break to her will had all of a sudden concocted a scheme to blackmail her and actually succeed. Little did she know, she _had_ underestimated him; for as he had to physically adapt to challenge Akua and Alucard, Tsukune once again had to adapt towards challenging another vastly superior foe, and while he couldn't defeat Ria in combat, he had defeated her through both tact and guile; traits he'd learned from her.

"Checkmate," he said with a smile.

Her anger being greater than Gyokuro's, Ria reluctantly storms off, unable to tolerate their presence any longer. With her gone, the mood seemed to change and everyone started talking with greater ease, patting Tsukune on the back and congratulating him, okay with the fact of his being a human.

"Tsukie, that was...wow," Kyokou said, surprised to see such a change in her cousin. "You really knew how to handle the situation."

"Tsukune, I'm so proud of you; yahoo!" Kurumu yelled, hugging him happily.

"Well, whether you're a human or not, I'm certainly glad my Kurumu picked you as a mate," Ageha said with a seductive smile.

"Hey Tsukune!" Yukari yelled. "My parents want to meet you!"

"Hands off, everyone!" Moka yelled. "He's mine!"

She yanked him away from Kurumu and a throng of curious people and had him snuggle firmly against her ample bosom.

"Isn't that right?" She asked, coyly.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, smiling as if floating in heaven.

"Tsukune!" Yukari yelled again, but no one heard her.

"Moka! Where do you come off taking my man!"

"Because he is my mate, for the last time!"

"No he isn't! You stole him from me, he's my mate and you know it!"

Kyokou smiled as she watched the two girls argue over Tsukune, who was caught blissfully in between, and for a while, at that time everything seemed so right. Even though he defeated Ria, he still felt a need to mend things and would later try one last time to win her over at their human wedding ceremony.

"Oh Tsukune," she said to him. "You are so naive. Even now, you _still_ think that way."

His effort to mend fences with a woman who's very hatred for her sister has caused so much grief to him and everyone he knew, was perhaps only half-hearted when implemented and as he watched her walk away from the dance floor, a wave of relief washed over him that it was at least finally over. He and Moka were free of her machinations and now the two could live out their immortal lives together for all time to come; nothing seemed more perfect then, Tsukune thought he'd never have to see Ria again. And yet, he here was four years later riding in the back of a limo with her_, _after actually seeking _her_ out after the so-called love of his life, who turned out to be every bit as worse as Ria had been, broke him severely and now he needed this same woman to deliver him from his "perfect" union. The irony, the disgusting bitterness of it all, was too much to bear as he silently sat on the far left side, looking aimlessly out at pitch blackness as they rode through a dark tunnel. He could feel her leering gaze upon him, just casually sitting on the far right and staring at him like a hungry vulture waiting patiently for something to die; he didn't need to look to see that she was smiling also.

"You know, brother dear, this looks familiar," she said, her soft voice breaking the heavy silence in the air. "It was over four years ago, am I right? Almost to the day, I believe. We were in this same position on our way back from a business meeting, it was a nice sunny morning and I felt refreshed. You were sitting in that very same spot, and I was way over here and I remember feeling lonely, so I tried to 'cozy' up to you, but you rejected me. Do...do you remember what you said to me on that day, you remember why you would not touch me? Do you remember the exact words you used to shun me away from you? Let's see, I know my memory is a bit fuzzy, but yes, I do believe, in fact I'm positive it went something like this: _I don't __**compare**__ to Moka._ Yes, that's it, isn't it?"

Tsukune remained silent, but Ria continued.

"Well, you found out differently, didn't you? It would seem me and Moka are more alike than you realized, well when it comes to sleeping around with other men, of course I would never sleep with another man, much less a werewolf, for the inane reason of having his brood. In that regard we're different, so for you, me being unable to compare to your beloved Moka would be a good thing, am I right?"

Tsukune doesn't reply, but continues staring at the changing landscape, now out of the tunnel and driving along a seaside cliff. Annoyed, Ria then asks: "You know, I

think I'll take off all my clothes and masturbate a little, would that be okay with you?"

Again, Tsukune's silence permeated throughout the cabin from his still form, hunched up against the window, watching listlessly at passing trees, half wanting to see if he could recognize the very spot where he and Moka met, and half not wanting to. Seeing a challenge in trying to illicit a response, any kind of response from him, Ria began to see it as a little game and slides closer over to him where she playfully walks her fingers up his back, an act that caused him to tense up from her touch, yet Tsukune said nothing; he was in a state of shock and awe, everything having happened so fast that he barely had time enough to react and that, mixed with both shame and depression, left him too distraught to acknowledge anything that was going, so she could've light him on fire and it wouldn't phase him in the least.

_I wish she could, _came a rather forlorn thought, one that even in his state almost surprised him. Secretly, however, as he looked up at the night sky, he wished that every star would fall onto earth and wash away everything in one blazing inferno; that would've brought instant relief.

"Well, we should be nearing your precious Alma Mater, anyway," Ria said with a disappointed sigh. "I'm sure that'll make you happy, won't it?"

Nothing would've made him happy, that much he was sure of, not even upon seeing old friends.

While he suffered away in utter silence, elsewhere within the bowels of the dark, quiet school he approached, with its hallways devoid of all life, itself suddenly played host to a most peculiar moaning sound wafting through the air, both haunting and menacing in nature. The sounds zigzag around corners and up stairs, leading its way towards a series of rooms where, as the source drew near the sounds grew louder and more defined, taking on the form of someone in dire need of help. On the other side of one closed door was a person whom he or she moaned greatly in pain, the sounds plaintive, yet indiscernible and one could only ascertain that this person in danger had no way of calling out for help. Inside, however, nestled within a large chamber of witchcraft implements and artifacts, underneath a broad bedroom window laid the very person in "trouble". Lying on a bed of spikes was a young woman, whose porcelain skin became dotted underneath with red points of blood oozing out from around the spikes which pierced it, gently. Long, raven colored hair splayed all about her head in a small, dark pool while both eyes closed tightly, and demure lips constantly lets out a moan, giving the appearance that she was relaxing in some kind of spa-like atmosphere, were it not for the slabs constantly being pressed on top of her by living plant monsters.

"...More weight," she ordered, almost plaintively to the plants, which obliged. "Oooh, baby take it easy, don't lap it up too fast."

She wasn't able to look down and see, but she could tell that the tickling sensation she felt was the woman's own little, brown and white puppy still hungrily licking up the remnants of smooth peanut butter from around her toes; the part of her body where some it still remained, that is. Just as the mixture of both pain and tickling sensation was sending the woman to an indescribable level of euphoria, a sudden flash of light and smoke filled the room as another young, dark haired woman with a stack of books in her arms popped in from out of nowhere.

"Hey Ruby!" The woman yelled, causing Ruby to lose her balance and spilled all of the slabs all about as she tried to roll over, exposing her bloody butt and lying in an awkward position. "Ooops, did I interrupt one of your...?"

"Ugh, Yukari!" she replied, sore and embarrassed.

"Sorry. Hey, you!" Yukari called out to the little dog that wanted to happily greet her with a lick to her face. "And, how are you? You've been a good boy? Yes, you have! Oh, yes you have!"

Whereas the gypsy sorceress, Ruby Tohou hasn't changed much since Tsukune last saw her, he would be surprised to see just how kind the years have been for sweet, little Yukari Sendo. No longer the diminutive, younger classmen whose underdeveloped body was the source of constant jokes from more developed girls like Kurumu, as puberty had since assaulted her body with a vengeance, making up for the years of low self-esteem. The once precocious, young witch had blossomed into a talented, tall and sultry looking sorceress, whose once short dark locks now hung down to the small of her back, framing a pair of purplish colored eyes that had one time seemed adorable, but had become very enticing today to all who saw them. Her once underdeveloped body now sported a svelte figure, with long smooth legs, and a chest size that, while still not as large as Kurumu's, was plenty larger than either Moka's or Mizore's. It wasn't lost on her that she was hot, having already popped her cherry some time ago, and after enrolling in the newly constructed Yokai University nearby, worked part time by Ruby's side as an officer in the Public Safety Commission, often sporting a very tight fitting, black mini skirt and low cut halter top vest, which only accentuated Yukari's figure greatly. The one thing about that had remained the same however, was her trademark witch's hat, still adorning her head as it always had.

"Yukari, I thought you were going to be doing the rounds all night?" Ruby asked, wearily.

"I was, but I got some of the subordinates doing that for me. I went by the bookstore to get these; see, I found them the other day and, remembered we talked about conjuring up this spell, well I figured we can go shift through them now and finally create that thing we were talking about."

"What thing?"

"You know, _that _thing. The thing where we create the perfect man."

"'The perfect man'?"

"You know, perfect as in _down there_, hmm?" Yukari said, nodding down suggestively below herself with a wink. "Oh, and with a great personality of course, I mean, I figured 'why not', why wait til later when we can do this now, without anyone around to notice."

Ruby painfully gets back on her feet and after stretching her stiff, yet nude, pearly white body, tries to slip on her long black skirt and pink corset, wondering how exactly they ever came to that idea, as they had been talking about conjuring up many strange things for the last few years to pass time.

"Yukari, I can't believe you came all the way over here and shirked your duties, _and_ interrupted my 'session' for this," Ruby replied.

"Well...why not, I was bored. Besides, if it was a 'session' you wanted, all you had to do was say so and I would've joined in."

"Yukari, I wanted to be by myself."

"Why? You know I can pleasure you better than any torture equipment could give you," Yukari said with a wry smile.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about," Ruby replied, trying to laugh it off, but to no avail.

"Oh, you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. What I don't get is why you decided to cum without my special brand of magic."

Ruby's face turned red, hands shook as she fumbled with fixing her hair in the mirror, and could see Yukari's wry smile grow wider.

"Look...that was just...a-a one time deal, okay?" Ruby nervously responded.

"One time you I know you didn't forget, did ya?"

"Well...I…I had never done it before with a…girl."

"And?"

"And? Look, normally I wouldn't have, I mean there's nothing wrong with homosexuality, I just don't normally swing that way."

"Then why did you then, hmm?"

"I...I felt sorry for you okay, because you had just turned 18 and you were bummed that Tsukune and Moka didn't come to your birthday party so you can have your three-way with them, and so I wanted to cheer you up and...yeah, I wanted to cheer you up. I figured you wanted your birthday present to be about losing your virginity, so..."

"Yeah and I thank you for it, but there's a little more to it than that. You loved every minute of it, didn't you?"

"Yes, you were great."

"Great what?"

"What do you mean, what?"

"What did you call me, Ruby? Say it."

Her face turned even redder and she secretly wished Yukari would've forgotten that night or what she had called her in the throes of passion.

"C'mon Yukari, don't make me say it."

"I know you enjoyed it, because you called me a word that begins with the letter 'm' and ends with 'er'. Ring a bell?"

"Can we drop it, please? Change the subject, why don't you."

Yukari laughed and laughed at Ruby's predicament, but then became a little thoughtful as she began remembering the past.

"You know, I wish the gang would all get together again, like we used to," she said. "It just isn't any fun without them."

"Yeah, I know."

"I never thought I'd admit it, but I really miss Kurumu's constant, annoying jokes about my boobs. Man, if she could see me, now."

"I know what you mean, but remember you know she isn't allowed to return to Japan after that incident."

"Yeah..." Yukari replied with a somber reflection, and then her mind shifts over to Tsukune and Moka and their current whereabouts. "I wonder what Tsukune and Moka are doing now? Especially Tsukune, we could definitely use him for the experiment. I sure wish they would at least write to us, every now and then, it's like they've forgotten about us."

"Oh, I'm sure they got plenty on their plate right now, and are probably too busy to write."

"Still."

"You've got some friends over at the college, don't you? You're not completely alone."

"It's just not the same, besides most of them seem interested in my goodies than being my friend."

"I wonder what would make them think that," Ruby responded with veiled sarcasm as she thinks about all of the skimpy outfits she wears around campus.

"I dunno, but I know I still got you," Yukari said with a sigh, and then looks down at her dog and holds him in her arms. "And, you too."

Ruby smiled as she turns to look at all the framed photos of their friends sitting on her desk, reflecting on the times spent with them, especially of Tsukune, and even Moka, whom she herself would used to rival for Tsukune's affections with. One photo in particular stood out from the rest though, a rather artistic photo done by Gin on his last day at school portraying the silhouettes of Tsukune and Moka in a loving embrace. It was almost done by accident; he had been out trying to get one last lewd photo of the girls on campus when by chance he happened upon the two of them and, with the lighting too ideal to pass up, Gin took this shot with his last remaining film and wound up making it his best snap shot by far. Ruby hated to admit it, but she shared Yukari's longing and at times wished the gang would all come back together again for old time's shake.

_Hmm, we had so many moments, so many adventures, _she thought wistfully. _I kinda wished Tsukune had chosen me, at least he'd still be...Nah, I shouldn't._

As much as it hurt to admit, even now, she had to acknowledge that he had made the right choice in Moka Akashiya. It was painfully obvious to everyone, from rival girls to casual observers that these two kids were right for each other and him proposing to her seemed like a breath of fresh air to everyone who's watched them grow up together at school and gone through so much hardships as a couple. Still, she wished it _had_ been her Tsukune proposed to, if not for a romantic reasons, then just plain puppy love.

"Well, let's get going, Yukari," she said upon finishing one of her braids.

"Aw, more patrol duty? C'mon, it's after hours, nobody is going to come prowling around, let's chill for a bit and skim through these books."

"Yukari, when you signed up to be one of the Headmaster's servants, you agreed to perform all of the duties asked of you just like me. It's not all fun and games, you know."

"Yes, but this is ridiculous, nobody is gonna pop up and cause trouble around here."

Just then, they hear a tapping at the window and look up to see one of Ruby's ravens flapping eagerly to be let in.

"What is it, Poe?" Ruby asked it as lets in the creature and allows the bird to perch on her finger.

The two seemed to share some mental link that only Ruby could perform and Yukari secretly wished she could read the minds of animals.

"Well, what does he say?" She demanded impatiently.

She then noticed Ruby magically produce her hooked shaped wand, the ruby in its center glowing bright red, and three black wings magically sprouted from her back as the cheerful face of Yukari's friend took on a more serious tone.

"Go get the others," Ruby said, "it appears we've got company."

Out of the darkness, the black limousine came to a stop outside the school gates, its rectangular shape small before this massive monolith of a building and its turret gates.

"Oh me, oh my," Ria remarked as she and Tsukune stepped out and looked around, "and here I thought this place was pathetic, but I see it takes on a far better look at night. Too bad, it looks as though nobody's out to roll the red carpet for you."

"Thank you, Ria you've done enough," he said as he looked up at the shadowy building with tired eyes.

"My, the first thing you've said to me for the entire drive here, but seriously what am I supposed to do, just leave you here to curl up by the gate until someone finds you by morning."

"Thank you, Ria, you've done enough!" He said a little bit forcefully.

"Brother dear," she begins to say, walking around the car to be near him, "is this all there is of you now? Making random and rather rash decisions? Now is not the time to be flaky."

"No, now is the time to receive divine punishment for trespassing!" Came a voice from above, a voice and its threatening tone Tsukune seemed to know all too well, but before he could look up, both he and Ria found themselves assaulted by strong vines that popped out of nowhere and wrapped them up, tightly.

"W-What the hell is this?" Ria growled as the vines only grabbed a hold of her wrists and ankles, stretching her legs high up and leaving herself "exposed". "Whoever is responsible for this will pay dearly, I swear it!"

Seeing Ria in such a humiliating position, her face flushed with anger as her garter belt and panties were exposed as she dangled in a rather compromising position, Tsukune knew it could be only one person responsible. Upon looking up, silhouetted against a full moon was a woman in a long, flowing skirt hovering menacingly overhead on three sets of wings, a hooked shaped wand in her hand glowing red as she magically kept the vines under her control.

"Who are you and why have you come?" The woman asked.

Pretty soon, the gates opened up and a small army of black dressed men and women came flooding out, quickly surrounding them.

"Well, well, look what we have here," said Kyou, their leader as he calmly strolls out to meet and greet their nighttime guests. "What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is a legend! A living, breathing miracle on two legs who, came to our school, uninvited of course and unwanted in spite of our 'no humans allowed' policy, and whom in spite of said law that those who dare cross this threshold be put to death, not only survived but managed to win the hearts of everyone here at this school, including a certain S-class monster that you may all be aware of, and now this miracle of the Headmaster's 'experiment' has foolishly returned, why, I have no idea, though I did vow to myself that I would guarantee his miraculous string of good luck would run out should he ever show his _human_ face around here again; you must've thought you could creep in here unannounced and unnoticed, but I could smell your once human stink coming a mile away, Mr. Aono."

Instantly, the woman from above descended, and quickly pushed Kyou out of the way to come face to face with Tsukune, her large violet colored eyes widening with both shock and joy at who she had bagged.

"Tsukune?" Ruby asked. "Tsukune, is...is that you?"

"Ruby," he replied quietly.

"Excuse me!" Ria screamed. "You mind releasing us before this tender reunion becomes tear-filled one!"

Ruby quickly frees the two of them and happily rushes forward to give Tsukune the biggest hug she could give.

"Oh, Tsukune I'm so happy to see you, how you've been?"

Just the feel of a woman, any woman, with her frail arms wrapped lovingly about his worn figure, delicate fingers caressing his tired back in such a tender, heart-felt embrace after what he had been through affected him, deeply. It reminded him of whenever Moka would embrace him like that, before these dark times in their relationship, and it reminded Tsukune with great bitterness how it should be _her _receiving him this warmly, her showing that she cared this much, not casting him out and sleeping with another man.

"...Moka," he said through gritted teeth. "Damn it, Moka! Why?"

Ruby opened her eyes and stood back to look at him with open concern.

"Moka? Tsukune...?"

His gaze was averted from hers, and yet she could tell something was terribly wrong.

"Tsukune, is everything alright?" She asked him, and again it bothered him that he had to drive so many miles to find someone who would show this much concern for him, someone who was not the woman he married, and with this bitter irony apparent he tried desperately to fight back the tears that threatened to emerge.

"I'm sorry, witch," Ria interrupted. "Oh, who am I kidding, no I'm not sorry. Any who, my dear brother here didn't come all this way to pay a social visit, we actually have some business to conduct, so if you don't mind."

"Tsukune, why are you with her and where's Moka?" Ruby asked, looking around for her. "Is everything okay? Is Moka alright?"

"...Is the Headmaster available?" Tsukune finally answered.

"Tsukune."

"Is the Headmaster here!" He snapped, causing her to jump.

"Oh, I do hope its trouble you've come all this way for," said the fox demon. "You come here in the middle of the night with your vamp sister-in-law, making demands and being all around petulant, I must say that vampire wife of yours must've rubbed some of her high and mighty nature off on."

"Vamp? Oh me, oh my, I do believe we might have ourselves a fun filled evening after all, don't you agree brother dear? You were right, coming here was worth it, just what you need to forget my sister's transgressions against you."

"Transgressions?" Ruby asked. "Is...is this about Moka?"

Tsukune didn't answer, but only gave her an agitated look through a pair of reddening eyes that glistened in the darkness.

"...Kyou," she finally ordered. "Go summon the Headmaster, tell him Tsukune Aono and his...sister wish to see him, at once."

"You must be out of your mind!"

"Just do what I say, so we can get to the bottom of this."

Agitated, Kyou reluctantly does what he's told, leaving Tsukune to remain quietly rooted to the spot and wondering himself what might've changed this boy's demeanor. Soon, both Tsukune and Ria found themselves standing before the Headmaster inside his official chambers, the enigmatic priest sitting at his desk in his usual white, hooded robe which generally obscured all but an intimidating grin that typically greeted the young man; however, after being woken up and summoned before them there wasn't a grin on his face tonight as he seemed to foresee what was going on. Ruby however, stood silently behind his chair, watching Tsukune with great concern as she wondered what could've befallen him or Moka, for that matter.

"Well boy," he began, "I take it you didn't come all this way to say hi. Speak up!"

"My brother, here requests lodging for the time being while I take care of his affairs."

"Lodging?" The Headmaster asked, raising his eyebrow. "This isn't a five star resort, if you need someplace else to stay then I suggest you try one of those, instead."

"As much as it pains me to say to a...lower creature such as yourself, I must agree with you, but dear brother insisted I bring him here. You talk some sense into him."

The Headmaster took a long look at Tsukune, who stood silently as though he was half dead to the world, noting just how quiet he had been since seeing him for the first time in years.

"And, what pray tell might these affairs pertain towards?" The Headmaster asked, though it seemed he already knew the answer.

"Why securing a divorce from his beloved Moka."

"D-Divorce?" Ruby spoke out of turn, shocked and confused. "But, why? Tsukune, I don't understand, what's going on?"

Tsukune remained silent, but she noticed his jaw clench.

"Believe me, I'd love to spill all of the details," Ria interjected, "but my brother has had a rather long day and does need his rest."

"I see, so I guess being married to a vampire isn't turning out to be everything you hoped it would be," he said to him.

"Tsukune?" Ruby whispered.

"And, for how long will Mr. Aono be with us?" The Headmaster asked.

"As long as it takes, which shouldn't be too long. First I need to finalize divorce proceedings surrounding his sham of a human marriage, but in the meantime we will have to wait for my father to return from overseas; he'll need to annul their genuine marriage and that might take some time."

"I...I can't believe..." Ruby stammered.

"...You know there are penalties for coming here unannounced?" The Headmaster asked. "I like you, I really do. But, you're no longer a student here, you're a grown man and one whose connections could pose a threat to me and my students, I can't..."

"Headmaster," Tsukune finally speaks, his voice worn and tired, yet forceful, "you can put me in one of the underground holding cells until Ria comes for me, or do whatever, I don't care. But, I'm not going back, I'm not going back...so you do what you gotta do."

The two looked at one another quietly, the atmosphere unnerving especially for Ria, who was annoyed that a high class vampire like Tsukune would ask to be set up inside of a holding cell.

"That...that won't be necessary," Ruby speaks up. "He can room with me, I have plenty enough space."

"If you wish, he's all yours."

"Thankyou," Tsukune replies and as they leave, the Headmaster says to him:

"For what it's worth, young man, I am...sorry to see things not work out for you two. Whether anyone saw this coming or not, no one can say for sure, no one, just remember that."

Tsukune said nothing; he couldn't figure out what it meant, but was hardly in the right frame of mind to much less care and continued on following Ruby back to her chambers. The whole way there, Ruby didn't say a word, too stunned to find the right words and troubled by her former friend's disturbingly evasive demeanor.

"It's a little messy," she said upon entering her room. "You'll just...need to move these books around and then...well."

"Ugh, how...less than quaint," Ria remarked.

Tsukune walks about the room, noticing all of the strange artifacts and totems lying around, yet at the same time hardly seeing them at all.

"Sorry for the mess, as for sleeping arrangements, my bed is a king size, so we can both..."

"The couch will be fine," he said quietly.

"...Sure."

"Now that you're set up, brother, I think I'll take my..."

But, Ria had barely finished speaking when another witch suddenly popped into the room in a flash and immediately propelled herself onto Tsukune.

"TSUKUNE!" Yukari squealed, surprising him with a breast smother and hugging him tighter than Ruby had. "I can't believe it, we were just talking about you! How've you been? Oh, we gotta catch up...Oh! And, hey how do you like my breasts? I told you they'd grow."

When she didn't hear him make a reply, she jumps off and allows him to come up gasping for air, but wasn't anywhere near as happy to see her as she was of him.

"Tsukune?" She asked. "Oh, hey is Moka here? Did you guys come to vi..."

"Yukari, Tsukune has had a long day, maybe you shouldn't bother him with questions," says Ruby.

"Oh me, oh my, I've forgotten about your grab bag of female acquaintances, they must be lying around here somewhere, and here you've gotten another one without even trying."

"Hey, I know you," Yukari said to her. "You're Moka's older sister aren't you, Ria right?"

"...And, I'm supposed to know you?" She asked with little fanfare.

"I'm Yukari, her and Tsukune's friend, we met that day when we all came to your house."

"I hardly remember little trash like you."

"Huh? W-Well, I ain't so little anymore, as you can see!"

Yukari bunched up her sizeable bosom in a showy competition with the vampire's own, but Ria merely laughs her off.

"I'll be going, brother dear. Word of advice, when you go to meet father about this, don't come to him like you are now, because it'll really make your case look bad so try to remember that. Hey, why don't you use 'wonder bra' here for some quality time, that'll get your mind off of my sister for awhile."

"Sister?" Yukari asked. "Hey, what's she talking about? Is something going on between you and Moka? It is, isn't it?"

"Yukari, please," Ruby whispered to her, but the ever persistent witch wouldn't budge from finding the truth, no matter much an increasingly aggravated Tsukune wished.

"...I think I know what's going on," she said, prompting him to literally hold his breath and grow a little tense as he knew there was nothing that got past Yukari's meddlesome nose.

"What?" Ruby asked.

"I know what happened. You two had a fight, didn't you?"

Tsukune looked at her smiling face, beaming ever so innocently as he always remembered, but didn't dignify her question with an answer; nevertheless, she carried on without much care.

"Why else would you be crashing here without any luggage; did Moka kick you out? She did, didn't she? Tsukune, what did you do? Oh Tsukune, how could you?"

"Yukari," Ruby said.

"Whatever it was, I'm sure it's not that bad that you can't apologize for."

"Yukari."

"You should go apologize right now and ask her to forgive you, I'm sure she'll take you back if you just swallowed your male pride and say you're sorry. I'll even go with you and help smooth things between you two; who knows, maybe the three of us could..."

"Yukari!"

"What?"

"Would you please, stop! I don't think you understand."

"But, I'm only trying to help. You know Tsukune sometimes doesn't know his place, and it usually takes Moka to put him in his place. But, since you're here anyway, Tsukune, me and Ruby were wondering if you'd help us out with a little experiment we were discussing."

"Oh...oh this is too rich," Ria laughed uncontrollably. "...S-See ya around, brother, I hope you have fun, hahahaha!"

Tsukune didn't acknowledge her leaving or anyone else for that matter, as Yukari's words seemed to only twist the dagger already placed there by Moka even harder; he didn't want anyone else to know what was going on as it was far too humiliating and though he tried to hide it, Ruby could clearly see that the something that bothered him, was only made worse by Yukari's meddling.

_My fault? _He wondered. _Is it really all my fault?_

"I'll go see Ria off," Ruby said to him. "Yukari...Tsukune isn't feeling well, so...I'd appreciate it if you take it easy with him, okay?"

"Fine."

But, after Ruby reluctantly leaves the room, indicating clearly to Yukari that she too wanted to know what was troubling him just as much as she was, she takes it upon herself to find out.

_Oh, Tsukune, _she thought to herself. _Being a man, and stubborn like all men, I bet. Let me go digging around your brain and see what the problem is, I might even call Moka and tell her he's here so that they can..._

But, as she began digging around his thoughts, peering into his recent memories, her face suddenly turned pale and the color in her beautiful and youthful, purple eyes seemed to age as if the work of some dark spell. When Tsukune didn't hear a peep from her, he glances over at her and noticed the shocked look she was giving; it was then that he remembered Yukari had the ability to read minds.

"Oh dammit, Yukari!" He screamed, his cry reaching Ruby who immediately comes running in to find Yukari pressed against the wall, almost catatonic.

"Yukari, what's..."

"...I'm sorry," she wept. "I'm sorry, Tsukune! I...I only wanted to help, I didn't...I'm so sorry!"

She runs down the hall like a bat out of hell, leaving Ruby to glance at Tsukune, who was in a stunned and grim silence, before racing after her towards her room. There, she found the usually cheerful Yukari curled up in a ball on her bed, crying and shaking uncontrollably.

"Yukari," Ruby said to her, but the girl was unresponsive.

"It can't be true, it can't be," she heard her repeat again and again in some trance.

"Yukari, talk to me. Did…did you see something? What did you see? I know you read Tsukune's mind, you're bad about doing that, but I can't help you if you don't talk to me. Now, tell me what did you see, maybe I can help."

Slowly, Yukari rolls over to face Ruby, and Ruby was nearly shaken to find on her the same distraught look as was on Tsukune's face. The very mystery of what either one of them had witnessed and just how devastating it must've been put fear in the witch and a part of her almost didn't want to know, yet another insisted that whatever happened should be told as a friend for both their sakes.

"Is it Moka?" She warily asked and saw Yukari about to cry again. "Yukari, Yukari, please..._please_ tell me...is she alright? Is Moka okay?"

"R-Ruby...you don't understand, Moka...it's not her, it can't be her, it's gotta be anyone but her!"

"Yukari!" Ruby snapped. "Talk to me, you're not making any sense. Now, calm down and start from the beginning, what happened?"

Yukari tried, with every fiber in her being to compose herself, to stop the tears and muster her thoughts enough to make some coherent narration of the events she witnessed for a curious Ruby. So, she told, detail by devastating detail of every sordid thing that was struck into his head, all that he had witnessed with his own eyes and ears, and by the time Yukari finished before another onslaught of tears came up, Ruby's mouth hung open in what could be described as a silent scream.

"Oh Ruby, this has got to be some kind of mistake! Moka wouldn't do something like this, she wouldn't be this cruel, maybe she's being forced...uh-uh, blackmail or something! Don't you think we ought to go talk to her, maybe she'll explain everything!"

"...No," Ruby replied after thinking hard on it.

"But..."

"Tsukune entrusted us to provide him with some shelter and support, obviously he's had a...a pretty rough night; if we confront Moka about this, she'll most likely know that he's here and I'm sure he wouldn't want that, right now. It's best we don't say anything."

"...This has to be a mistake," Yukari wept. "Moka wouldn't _do_ this, not the Moka we know, not _my_ Moka. This has got to be a mistake."

"I know, I know."

"Not my Moka, not my Moka," Yukari repeated as she plops her head onto her pillow, sobbing uncontrollably.

Unable to say anything comforting or do much of anything at all, Ruby quietly leaves the inconsolable girl to cry herself to sleep and walks slowly back to her room, mind asunder and a heart heavier than lead. Upon returning to her room, she finds Tsukune already curled up on her sofa, half asleep and quiet except for an occasional murmur Ruby could barely make out at first, until drawing near enough for her to faintly make out as what sounded like:

"I'm sorry," over and over again.

_I'm sorry? _She thought gloomily. _Oh, Tsukune..._

In a single night, a friend she hadn't seen in years had come back a changed man, and watched a cheerful young girl's world fall to pieces, with her along with it and it angered her to know there was very little she could do about it to alleviate either of their pain. She grabs a blanket from her bed and carefully drapes it about him, thinking this was the only thing she could do, however miniscule this gesture was after something like this. Ruby stood over by her desk, watching him sleep in agony, watching over him like a guardian angel, and wondering herself what could've happened to change everything so much this way. Before she knew either of them, Ruby was a hate-filled witch who despised humans and even killed many, while under the orders of her former master whom stoked the fires of such intolerance. Yet, she knew had it not been for both Tsukune _and _Moka, who showed her the error of her ways, she wouldn't be here today. So, it surprised her the same way Yukari felt, that the Moka she knew would do this, however what seemed shocking the most was not only the action committed, but the reasoning behind it. She knew Inner Moka carried with her such intolerance to anyone not a vampire, but that Outer Moka would go along with it, after all they had been through and the lessons learned, and as for Gin, Ruby always thought he was half-way decent, sure he had his flaws, but in spite of that he was a pretty okay guy; she never thought he'd do a thing like sleep with Tsukune's wife right in front of him and then laugh about it in his face. Nothing made any sense, all she knew was that two friends were hurting whereas two more, former friends seemed to be enjoying it, and there wasn't a single thing she could do. As she looked down at her desk though, seeing all of the photos of Moka and the gang, landing her eyes upon Gin's iconic photo, the one that she coveted as special and heartwarming, Ruby realized there was one more thing she could do, however small. She goes over, forcefully removes the picture from its frame and, dangling it over a waste basket, utters a spell that sets the abomination aflame, watching as the two loving silhouettes become slowly engulfed and disintegrate into the basket, its pieces falling down in yellowish ambers into the trash, in company with some of her own tears.

Elsewhere, the mood was even more somber at Ria's hide-away, as the guards there stood at attention outside two to a row while one badly injured guard, the one Moka had skewered stood in front alive but a little worse for wears, as their mistress paces back and forth before them. She had just left the tunnel leading to Yokai Academy when she received news of Moka's escape, making a bee line straight to this location where, upon arrival surveyed the damage her sister made during said escape, and yet remained strangely calm throughout it all.

"Now, let me get this straight, just so I hadn't missed anything," she began to say. "My darling sister, whom we've kept locked up below for the past four years, without incident, all of a sudden decides to bust out of her cage, evade all of your, waylays _you_, and jumps some 80 stories into a moat only to wind up missing, and managed to do all of this while her powers were sealed away and helpless?"

"I...I know how this must look, my mistress," the wounded guard said. "It...it surprised all of us, as well. She just...got stronger, I suppose."

"You suppose? Oh me, oh my."

"B-But, rest assured, I have men scouring the area as we speak and if she survived the fall, will bring her back in no time."

"No," she said.

"Ma'am?"

"I don't want her brought back alive, my little monkey. If she could do all of this in one night, then obviously she's too strong to be kept here, assuming she is alive, which would be a miracle in of itself, but then this is a night full of miracles, isn't it?" She chuckled. "Now, worst case scenario, she escaped and is out there lost and no doubt scared, and most likely on foot. She couldn't have gotten far and the nearest town would be where she'll likely go, maybe find a phone and call for help or maybe she crawled into one of the weeds and died, who knows. Whatever the case, I want you to find either her corpse or her alive and then make her into a corpse."

"But, she's your sister."

"She's a liability. I can't have her reaching either Tsukune or father and inform them of what has transpired here, I've worked long and hard to get what I want and now that everything is well within my grasp, I'm not about to let this set back ruin it."

"Well...you can rest assured, mistress, my men won't rest til she's been found."

"Oh me, oh my, I do believe you, truly I do. And, to help, allow me to give them the proper initiative they need."

In a flash, she eviscerates the guard and decapitates the first row in mere seconds, their blood splattering upon their comrades from behind, who remained standing in stoic perseverance, but were no doubt affected by her brutal display of "showing initiative" to her subordinates.

"Now that I've motivated you all," she says to the remaining men, "find her, I don't care how or how many of you it'll take to do so, just find her and let me know once she's dead, understand me?"

"Yes ma'am!" They all say in unison and begin dispersing into search patterns, eagerly taking to the field and carrying out their mistress's orders, while she stands by in utter frustration, agitated that what had been a good day would end badly for her as well, thanks once again to Moka.

"Moka," she muttered angrily.

Back at Yokai, Yukari wakes up in bed realizing she had been asleep for well over an hour. Groggy and disoriented, it didn't take her long to remember what had happened, and wondered if it had all been a bad dream.

_It had to have been a dream,_ she thought to herself. _Moka..._

Determined, persistent and ever resourceful Yukari wanted desperately to get to the bottom of this despite Ruby's warning, and even though she didn't want to make things any more difficult for Tsukune, she had to know what was really going on. Rifling through the top drawer she finds the new crystal ball her mother gave for her eighteenth birthday and wastes no time in going into a meditative position on the bed, where she immediately recites an incantation spell.

"Oh spirits," she said, eyes closed and hands hovering over its smooth surface while nestled in-between her crossed legs, glowing brilliantly, "...show onto me the one named Moka Aono. Show onto me both woman...and beau."

She reopens her eyes, sensing the spell complete and watches the image she wants to see slowly come into view; and what she saw causes this 18 year old girl to wither away some eighty years.

Miles away, along a dark and lonely road, two highway patrolmen make their rounds on the outskirts of a nearby city, their shift nearly over.

"Hey, you see that?" The driver asked his partner.

"See what?"

Coming up into their headlights, they could see a strange figure walking awkwardly in the middle of the road. Slowing to a stop, they tried to make it out, but were unsure of what it was. At first glance it looked wet and hairy and they almost began to think it was some kind of monster or prankster. But, as the figure slowly stepped into the headlights, they could clearly see it was a naked woman, her long matted, pink hair draped completely over her face, creating the illusion of some hairy monster as she slowly walked aimlessly towards the car.

"Dispatch come in, this car 54, come in," the driver said over his radio.

"Car 54, this is dispatch, we read you," came the reply. "Report."

"Yeah, my partner and I are on Fujinee Road, south, and seem to have come across this woman in the middle of the road, she appears to be drugged; walking erratically, behaving strangely, undressed and completely nude. We're going to check it out, over."

Just then, the woman collapses onto the road in a heap, disappearing underneath their hood.

"Hold on, she just collapsed, may need to send a paramedics team to our location."

Jumping out of the car, they quickly jog to where she lay and shine a flash light on her.

"Miss, are you okay?" The driver asked as he checked her vitals.

"What's her condition?" His partner asked.

"There's a strong pulse, I think she's going to be okay."

Slowly, the girl regains consciousness and begins stirring.

"Hello, Miss, can you stand?" The driver asked. "Are you able to get up on your feet?"

Without needing to speak in reply, she slowly, yet wobbly stands on her feet and they gently help her to their car.

"You mind telling us what you're doing out here?"

The strange woman mumbles something incoherent, but otherwise remains silent as she had no idea where she was, her vision a little blurry.

"Scratch the paramedics dispatch. Looks like we'll be bringing her in to the station, over."

The partner reaches in the trunk and brings out a large blanket to drape around her. As her vision quickly returns however, she soon finds herself in the company of two, strange human males standing closer than she would've liked and shining a beam of light into her face.

"Ahh!" She screamed and began to struggle.

"Whoa! Whoa! Easy there, miss we're not trying to hurt you," the partner said as he tries to hold her down.

The woman was inconsolable, and finding her a little stronger than they thought, the officers had no choice but to have her handcuffed.

"Man!" The partner said. "I didn't think we'd have a work out tonight."

"Yeah, we better take her straight to the station. Maybe, they'll know what to do with her."

Terrified and confused, the girl curled up against the seat, watching fearfully at her human captors and wondering what they're going to do to her. When they finally brought her to the station she kicked and screamed all the way in, but found herself far too weak and unable to put up much of a fight as they led her to a small, square room with a table and chair, where they leave the frightened girl alone in. She could hear them talking outside, debating on whether it would be safe to put her in a cell with the other detainees, the thought of being caged up frightening her for some reason, and when the door opens three other men, accompanied by an overweight woman enter, in which she greets by crouching in the chair, and glaring at them like a frightened animal.

"It's alright," the woman said, slowly walking closer, "we're not going to hurt you, we're here to help. You must be hungry or thirsty, aren't you? Are you hungry or thirsty?"

Some refreshments did sound inviting to her and she nodded.

"Would you get her some coffee," she said to one of the men who disappears shortly after. "So, do you know what happened, how you got out there on the road?"

The woman remained silent and indignant.

"That's a pretty necklace you have," she said, pointing to a large, cross shaped rosary with a red jewel in its center attached to the choker around her neck. "Did someone give that to you for a present?"

Again, she remained silent.

"You were all wet and you looked like you'd been in a struggle. Did someone hurt you?"

The woman hoped to gain the girl's trust and get her to cooperate with them, but she remained sullen. Finally, one of the officers returns with a foam cup of steamy, hot coffee, its wafting clouds almost beckoning to the tired, worn out and shivering girl who carefully sips its hot contents, allowing it to gently relax her tensed body.

"There, that must be better, isn't it?" The woman asked. "Now, is someone missing you? Do you have friends or relatives out looking for you? Why don't you tell us your name."

The girl stopped drinking and looked up at the woman, a look of curiosity etched about her.

"Could you tell us your name? We'd really like to help, but you're gonna have to speak up, sooner or later. What is your name?"

Finally, her lips began to part and it looked to everyone present that this mystery girl would at last open up and tell them everything they were dying to know.

"I...dunno," the girl said in a pleasant sounding, yet frightened voice. "I...I can't remember."


	7. Chapter 7

**Since writing this story I've received a lot of positive feedback from you and greatly appreciate it, others however have been less than encouraging, and granted there's nothing wrong with a little criticism, nevertheless I felt this had to be said, first. One major complaint is how unoriginal I am, that all I'm doing is rehashing other stories like "**_**Get What You Want**_**" and so forth; I don't know if many of you are aware of this but, a large number of fan made stories, if not all, are pretty unoriginal, so if its originality you're looking for, then you are in the wrong place. Nevertheless, whatever you think about my story doesn't mean any of your so-called predictions as to how that this will end is spot on; mostly you've been under the impression that it'll end with Tsukune having a multitude of revenge sexcapades or something along that line like the other stories. Obviously the opening quote in Chapter 1 wasn't much of a clue, but this is **_**not **_**some hentai or porn fiction, I mean granted there are some sexually explicit scenes involved, but I'm not writing "**_**Dog Day Afternoon does Dallas**_**"! Believe it or ****not, there is a story here, one that deals largely with learning how to rise back up in the face of tragedy and adversity, and there are important plot points that will become apparent by story's end, so you may want to pay attention. **

**Secondly, I'm not "rehashing" anything; these are merely recaps for those of you who haven't read any of the other stories, as this is ****based**** off of them, so that my audience won't be lost. Sorry, but I'm just one of those people who hate reading a story or watching a movie and becoming confused, only to be told that I have to read so and so in order to get it. In any case, I feel these recaps are essential to the overall story as it not only helps explain things, but shows the reader what is going through the minds of some of the characters involved, this chapter especially. Just to alert you beforehand, much of Chapter 7 is a segment from "**_**Get What You Want**_**" largely for how it resonated with me not just for its unfairness and overall sickening details, but that it provided clear insight into the mind of Moka Aono (the adulterer) after the act as it showed what she's been doing while Tsukune is gone, and drives home the point that the Moka we know and loved has truly fallen from grace as she makes a futile attempt to rationalize to both herself and the audience that what happened was either the right thing to do or not her fault entirely. However, I have made some noticeable changes, such as the dialog she has with herself in the bathroom that I felt was highly appropriate, but a big difference is that this chapter isn't solely about her. I wanted to add a strong counter argument to her point of view and so Yukari was added into the mix, her reaction being the final half of this chapter. I don't know if any of you have been aware, but all my chapters were named after songs or lyrics that seemed to match the overall mood presented like this story itself, and for this I wanted to call it "**_**Gollum's Song**_**" from the "**_**Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers**_**" soundtrack, with Moka being Gollum who is trying to explain her actions to the audience, while the chorus that condemns her being, more or less the reader, but at the same time representing Yukari's viewpoint; and in a way Moka Aono, with semen soaked legs and waking up in her own filth, seems to resemble said creature more and more, with her pride, or Gin's dick, being her "precious". Still, I felt the title to be inappropriate, so I instead settled on the final lines of each stanza of the song, one relating to Moka, the other coming from Yukari. Chapters 8 and 9 are companions to this chapter as well, each happening on the same day as Chapter 7, and detailing the actions of both Mokas as it, and the succeeding chapters to follow will focus on the two of them walking in opposite directions along the same path, one heading downhill towards a dark, uncertain future, while another struggles uphill towards something brighter. **

**Oh, and as for Tsukune being a bitch? Well, if or when you guys ever find yourselves in a similar situation, all you harpies for cowboy virtues are free to do whatever it is you feel is absolutely necessary, and please let me know how that turns out for you, but until then...**

**Chapter 7**

_"We are lost; we can never go home...,_

_You are lost, you can never go home"_

Moka Aono woke up briefly, and then slowly closed her eyes in miserable despair.

_It wasn't supposed to be this way,_ she thought.

Upon waking up and finding herself lying in bed, she at first didn't remember everything that had happened, thinking it was all some bad dream and that her Tsukune was in bed sleeping soundly, but when she glances over, she was half startled to see a strange man in bed with her. It was then that her memory started to come back and what had transpired, and all that ran through her troubled mind was:

_It wasn't supposed to be this way_.

Nevertheless, as she stared up at the ceiling, constantly repeating those words over and over again, it didn't make what happened any less real or less painful. If there had been a sliver of doubt remaining, Gin sleeping next to her with his arm draped over her as half of his well sculpted body was slightly exposed, was a very ugly truth that last evening marked a grim beginning for them all, of something different and something far, far wrong.

Moka squeezed her eyes shut and felt another spasm tickle her womb from the inner walls of her vagina, while her dull thighs ached from the rough sex they had. Would it be a lie to say she didn't enjoy what Gin had done to her, the way he touched her, kissed her, and ravaged her? Would it be a lie to say that this former President of their school Newspaper club was undeniably skilled and wonderful as a lover, and that perhaps she may have missed out on something all those years at school, dodging his perverted attempts? She obviously knew he was the consummate fucker, with his own stint of women he chased after or who chased him, even Sun must be fully aware of his prowess as a man. To her were these thoughts of torpid praise for this unappealing bastard of a man, but to anyone else who may have been watching they both seemed like some wretched creature intertwined in one another's grasp. Nevertheless, to her this dark haired werewolf had been a zealously sexual partner to all of his affairs, and Moka was something he claimed with an insatiable hunger. His hands had maneuvered over her like an artist who would manipulate his craft to perfection and on some primal, physical level she craved more, much more and he was all too generous to give. She was a vampire, after all, a creature who hunted, ate what they pleased, and built with an alluring sensuality that was matched only by her peers or that of other elite monsters, which her current lover was.

A small part of her even admitted he was better in bed then her Tsukune.

And yet, as her legs closed to sooth a slight discomfort at the turn of her hip as she felt something wet and sticky crawl down the curve of her bottom, her green eyes opened to this ugly reality while she felt her hip slide over something thick and vitreous; clearly she was a mess in a messy situation. Pulling the sheets up she could see some of the bruises Gin had done to her breasts and stomach and it was evident just how utterly thorough he had been in marking his territory, which made her feel sick.

She then remembered how Tsukune stormed out of their apartment the previous night and how distraught it made her feel. Of how Gin was there to comfort her, to encourage her all the way that the best revenge on the man who would let something like this happen was to enjoy more of it for when he did come back. Still, she wondered why, why had she allowed Gin to do that to her, inside of her? How many times did they have sex last night?

A panicked gasp nearly left her lips when she glanced at the clock and noticed it was well afternoon with still no sign of Tsukune anywhere, and wondered if he had already returned, found them together still and left again?

She shifted herself from the comfort of her shared warmth with Gin, her legs carefully lifting herself over the wide wet spot on the bed and shimmy out onto the cold floor where she draped on a tan robe she kept close by. Once more she glanced over at the handsome young man in her bed and felt sick. In her eyes, he was the epitome of manliness, easily every woman's dream, but she had a history with Tsukune and they have been with each other all of their lives, sworn to fight together till the death, until now it seemed and Moka wondered what would become of their family, now?

It was true that he had been hurt by her display, but it didn't mean that because of this spat, this hiccup in their relationship things couldn't be the same once they've made up, or could it?

Moka shook such thoughts from her head, positive this was all going to work out, somehow. It had to, nothing else was acceptable.

When she closed the door to the bedroom, she felt another trickle of semen discharge from between her legs and winced; in short, she was an even bigger mess of a person, and yet strangely enough another shiver of her thighs and the abuse that displayed itself all across the woman's body was in a weird way a testament that would give credit to her lover.

_What am I saying? _She thought, shaking her head again.

She entered the hallway leading from their bedroom, hoping that it will remain "their" bedroom after this, and began to feel tears falling down, seeing what was already apparent that Tsukune hadn't come home because everything was where he had left it. His wedding ring for one still lay on the floor as it had been when he tossed it carelessly without any intention of picking it up. Out of impulse, she picks up the tender memento of their once unshakeable love and slides it onto her ring finger, up next to her own without so much as reading the inside inscription that she knew by heart and had readily accepted once before, despite everything now.

It was painfully apparent that her Tsukune was gone, and trying to calm her breath Moka glanced around at the kitchen, the living room, and then the bathroom, noticing how everything else was in place as it should, as it had been just the day before, and hit her how slight Tsukune's scent was, how it lingered on like a ghost in their apartment, letting her realize that he was becoming a further memory than she wanted, while Gin's was strong and heady, mixed in with her own and of the perfume Tsukune got for her twentieth birthday.

She had to hiccup a sob, fighting back the urge to breakdown and cry.

Why didn't he just listen to her? Why had he made her pull all of these stops so she could see how serious she was about not wanting to be surrounded by humans anymore? Didn't he see how much it hurt her to do this when she loved him so much? She could not and _would not _let her children experience the same thing she had and if it meant hurting him to make him see just how serious this was for her, then there was little choice, but to follow through with said threat even if that included letting another man take her body.

"Tsukune…" She whimpered into the quiet air.

Yes, she cared for him and loved him still, even while as a human because her Tsukune was unique above all other humans in perception and integrity. Everyone mattered to him with all of his heart and he was selfless beyond what any normal person, monster or human, would have wanted to be. But, when he made a point of wanting their kids to be raised with his family, amongst a kind of people who would shower her with insults and jeers, pester and mock her for being prettier, smarter, and like he himself be too eager to help others she just felt her whole world crumble.

No one had helped her whilst living amongst humans; she felt she had become so much stronger in spite of these inferior people, and she told him so in so many different ways, trying every way possible to make him understand, but he would not get it out of his head that their relationship was strong enough anyway and were fully capable enough to shield their children from those sort of influences. It baffled her that still, after spending so much time with her, he didn't understand that she was a vampire in a human world and _she_ was the weak one! _She_ was the one who was so alone and afraid, without anyone there to help her, not father, mother or any of her siblings, no one. And, she was the one determined not to let her children fall prey the same way she had. When he told her that he would be there for them, he had said it so easily, so casually that it felt insulting. Didn't he understand how serious it was to her? Couldn't he comprehend how painful it was to be subjected to that kind of torment and be singled out without anyone to help her... or him...?

Flashes of their time together at Youkai Academy rushed back to her, most of it being when Tsukune was that lone individual and surrounded by people who not only wanted to ostracize him, but wanted to kill him.

"Oh God..." She murmured to herself, her hands clawing the robe closed against her body.

Suddenly, everything came back to her in a flash of those moments where he could have left, and yet chose to stay for her. Every single time he had pulled off her rosary and summoned Inner Moka when she couldn't do it herself, he did so in those dire moments at the risk of his own life not for himself, but for her and his other dear friends. He had always been so willing to put himself in harm's way each and every time, carelessly, recklessly, desperately to keep all of his precious people in his life safe. So, what would he do for their children if they were being bullied by simple humans, if he would do that against monsters that could kill him?

With that revelation and knowing all too well what she had done and all that was said in some foolish effort to prove her point to him, hit home in a way that left a very bitter, sickly feel at the pit of her stomach. And another fat drop of semen crawled down her leg against her inner knee.

"I'm going to be sick," she muttered, hand covering her mouth and rushing into the bathroom.

Wanting desperately to cleanse herself as she felt so dirty, Moka immediately began drawing a bath, letting its whirling mists of steam filled the air as she tested the near scalding herb filled water and wash over her defiled hand. With head hung low, she lets her long, pink hair fall over the sides of her face and pretty soon, the dull aches in her body were slightly soothed by the numbing heat, but still didn't stop some of the stings here and there from completely disappearing.

Going over to the mirror, she takes a long, hard look at herself for the very first time and shook uncontrollably as the reflection staring back at her was not of her usual outer form, but of the silver haired, inner persona, standing proud and petulant in spite of everything that has happened.

"Oh god, what have we done?" She spoke out loud all of a sudden. "I can't believe we did that! What's wrong with us? What's wrong with _me_? How could we do that to-?"

**What we had to do, **Inner Moka spoke back. **We have done nothing that wasn't forced upon us by the actions of a stubborn human.**

"But...he was our man, he was _my _man, the man I loved and I...I did that..."

Inner Moka looks back at her with both disdain and abject annoyance, not at what they had done, of allowing another man to debase them in raunchy sex on the bed she and her husband once shared, nor of having done it in front of the man they married and continuing long after he'd left in utter pain, but for her lack of fortitude in the matter.

**You make me sick. Would you quit being so repulsively weak, you coward! With such a spineless personality it's a miracle you were even able to do it at all!**

"I'm...I'm not a coward, I just...I still can't believe he hadn't come back home, yet. What if he never comes back?"

**He will, after he had enough time to cool off and realize the mess he made, he'll apologize and give us what we want most. Doesn't that matter; doesn't **_**that**_** mean anything to you? **

"..."

Unable to think of anything to say back, she lets her eyes wander about the bathroom, where they fell upon a little rack that held Tsukune's tooth brush, dental floss, and two different types of mouthwash right next to her own, a pair of items that suddenly brought thoughts of him flooding back. She remembered the day they went to go buy them, at how annoyed she was when he bought two different types of mouthwash, a wintergreen mint that he preferred and cinnamon for her. When she asked him why he got wintergreen, he simply said, because he just liked it. She couldn't understand his tastes; she had always liked cinnamon and wondered why he wouldn't just share hers, mouthwash was mouthwash, but still he laughed it off and promised that not to take any of hers.

What had been a slight bother to her was something that also brought up a warm memory she had no intention of reliving, but came anyways like a punishing wind.

Moka had just spat out her mouthwash and wiped her mouth, like she did every morning, and had just put the towel away when the door creaked open and Tsukune poked his head through.

"Tsukune!" She squealed.

"_Good_ morning, Moka," he said as he grabbed her about the hips, hair disheveled and sweaty from a morning jog, his hands sliding over hips like they always did.

"Tsukune, what are you doing?" She squealed, trying to squirm away from him, but her pouting chide only drew him in closer to her. "I'm in the bathroom!"

"I know," he said with a big smile on his face, his warm brown eyes taking in her jade green ones that made her pout turn into a smile. "_But_, what kind of morning would be complete without a good morning kiss?"

When he had finished kissing her, he licked his lips like having tasted sweet candy and smiled.

"Mm, you taste like cinnamon," he said to her.

"And you taste like mint," she pointed out, but he kissed her again, trying to taste her deeper and to feel the thin fabric of her night gown press against his skin.

She melted each and every time he kissed her so familiarly, so intimately, as if she was his and there was no one else he would ever consider sharing in his life with but her.

"You know, I don't like cinnamon all that much," he said as he toyed with her pink hair.

"I don't care for mint," she argued with a smile. "But, it does taste better on you, so that more than makes up for it."

"Oh, I don't know if I could handle someone who tastes like cinnamon," he joked.

"Tsukune!" She yelled, acting hurt that he would try to turn away one of her tender advances.

"I don't know, maybe we can fix that with something else, like whatever's in the kitchen, we could try..."

Moka pouted and turned away to stomp out of the bathroom, knowing how well to play him.

"Oh Moka, honey, don't be like that!" He cried as he tackled her about the waist, pulling her onto the bed.

"Tsukune!" She shrieked playfully.

But, she absolutely loved it whenever he touched her, and it wasn't hard to tell that he also enjoyed putting his hands on her hair.

"If you don't stop, then well, you leave me no choice, but to go get some more cinnamon," She threatened, playfully turning her cheek away from him. "I'd hate for you to not have enough to kiss when you wake up in the morning."

"Aaaw, c'mon!" He groaned. "Okay, I guess I could suffer a little bit of cinnamon."

She peered at him through narrowed eyes and pursed lips and said: "Oh, what a noble sacrifice, but are you sure? I would hate for you to be stuck with me and my horrible, cinnamon kisses."

"Never being able to kiss you like this every morning would be far worse than anything that could ever happen to me, Moka," he said, and then his playful took on a more serious tone as he held her. "I mean that, too, I'm not trying to sound cheesy or anything."

"Tsukune..."

"Moka."

He lowered himself to her lips, his eyes closed and lips parted.

"Tsuku..." She started to say, but was cut off when she received him eagerly, inhaling deeply as his lips sealed over hers, taking her breath and savoring it, arms wrapped around each other as his hand touched her cheek; even now she swore she could still feel him.

Unfortunately, they didn't have the time to make love that morning with so many other things to do that day, but seeing him look at her like that with so much need and love was just thrilling, if not more so, than any physical act, and it was a memory she never fully intended on cherishing quite so much.

**That was the worst thing that could ever happen to him; not kissing us? **Inner Moka asked, interrupting her happy memory as she stared at the green bottle of mouthwash, thoughtfully bringing a hand to her lips, an action that she noticed Inner Moka not taking, who simply stood there with both hands placed angrily upon her hips. I**nstead, he lets us kiss and then fuck another man, right in front of him. We didn't want to. We wanted it to be him, always him! And yet, he didn't stop us. He didn't even move or say anything! Didn't it mean anything for him to listen to our demands? To hear everything that was happening and not once tried stopping us? Why didn't he stop us!**

The bile in her stomach threatened to come up again like it had not so long ago as she began to wonder: didn't Tsukune love her enough to try and stop what happened?

**He'd always fought tooth and nail to try protecting us to the point it would get on our nerves and get in our way if it didn't suit his pathetic morals and ethics, and yet he just sat there and let us be used at Gin's disposal like it was nothing! **The other her seethed with anger.

After roiling in this little conversation, Moka Aono spent the better part of five minutes over the sink, feeling the acidic burn of guilt from her soul swell up in her throat and trying desperately to rinse it out with a cup of mouthwash, green mouthwash that she blindly grabbed by reflex, swishing out the vile aftertaste, and only realizing afterward that it wasn't even hers at all.

_Oh no, Tsukune's gonna be mad when he finds out_...she stopped that thought, having already forgotten what happened for a second there.

She noticed the spit out left a bit of a spray around the sink and wall, leaving the humid room filled with a minty, soapy smell and thought about cleaning.

_I need to clean the sink, _she thought, thinking the room smelled too strongly of mint.

**Ugh, do whatever, you baby, clean your goddamn sink. At the very least could you turn off the water before it overflows; you can do that much can't you?**

She almost forgot about the bath water, shutting it off before it did overflow and, after adding in the herbs needed for her to bathe, finally sits down and allows the water to cleanse away the filth from her body, yet having little effect on the guilt when a knock at the door suddenly jarred her train of thought, glancing over to see it open and find Gin poke his head in with an appreciative smile.

"Good morning, sexy," he said, as his black eyes roamed over her with delighted appraisal, hungry eyes that stared suggestively at the bruises on her breast and thighs, sampling every supple inch.

"Gin!" She cried, covering herself in a vain attempt to be modest, despite all that he had done to her, and remembering the very sound of her own breath and cries of passion as she graciously allowed him to have his way. "I really appreciate you coming over, but if you don't mind, I think it would be best if you went home. Tsukune and I have a lot to talk about."

He gave her an incredulous look as if she just said something terribly funny and even laughed, causing her to frown.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Moka!" He laughed. "If you insist, I'll go. However, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing a bath with me. You know, I would like to go home clean, too. I could wash your back."

Her surprised look and scowl didn't deter him.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," he said. "What? Are you afraid your husband is going to walk in on us?"

She just stared at him, realizing how true it was and how much it hurt, how painfully gut wrenchingly true that the displacement of seeing Gin there where Tsukune should have been was so starkly different and uncomfortable.

Tsukune was the only man she had shared anything intimate with in her whole life and now the handsome, former School Newspaper Club President, was there in her bathroom.

"C'mon, Moka," Gin said, barging in and closing the door behind him, casually walking over to her as he crossed into her space and stepped inside the bath one foot at a time. "Look at you. You're afraid of me like if I've done something wrong to you. Look at this."

He let the back of his knuckles graze several dark blotches on her breasts and neck, making her flinch a little at his touch.

"And this..." he pointed out, turning his back to her and showing her long, angry red marks that went down from his shoulders to his hips in rows of fours, from what she assumed was when he was moving on top of her and she trying to grip him in the midst of their euphoric tumble.

"I didn't come here unannounced and forced myself onto you, Moka. In fact, _you_ kissed me first."

He turned back around, taking her trembling hands into his own and forced her large pain filled eyes to look at him.

"You lead me to your room by hand, asked me if I would father your children, unbuttoned my clothes, pulled me on top of you, and held me with your legs into you."

A lone tear fell down her eye as she recalled.

_I really did do that, didn't I?_ She thought, miserably.

"I remember when I gave you each and everyone one of those," he said, cupping her beautifully soft, but bruised breasts and playing with each nipple with a rub of his thumb. Her shoulders shifted, pulling away from the sensitive contact, but he could tell that it wasn't because she hated it. It was quite the opposite, in fact, but it was the confusion and hurt that she expressed with her eyes and breathing that made him continue on. "And, when you gave me these…"

He showed her his neck where she noticed several bruises that appeared, bruises that resembled puncture marks.

Did she really drink his blood? She couldn't even remember it or even what he tasted like.

"You weren't exactly fighting me and, if I remember correctly, you were enjoying it." He chuckled playfully, gazing at her with a suggestive linger of his dark brown eyes upon her lips. "Would it be so bad to enjoy yourself some more? You weren't exactly shy about asking for it, and I won't deny you."

He moved in closer to her in the tub, making some of the increasingly filthy water almost rise over the edge and onto the floor. Things were moving so fast again, and she tried to figure out what to do next and how to do it, though a part of her _did_ want Gin to touch her again; it would feel a lot better than the ache that wouldn't seem to stop.

Inner Moka's womanly voice then spoke to her from the reflection in the water, unregretful and unrepentant: **What is there to regret now? What is done is done. This is just another moment to be blamed by Tsukune's obstinacy.**

"Just think," Gin whispered, lowering his lips to hers and kissing her gingerly, which she didn't respond, but didn't push him away, either. "How would it look to our children if their mother and father weren't seen being intimate with each other? We have to show them how to be a loving and tender couple while we're together, don't we?"

Moka's mouth worked to say something, but she could only stare at him and it felt how even her inner persona was supporting the idea of doing it again with him. He _had_ made a point, but then another one hit home as her hand went to her stomach.

_Am I pregnant? _She wondered, fearfully.

No, it would take at least a week to find out and, above all, vampires were normally infertile, which was why it normally took several centuries for a pure blood to be born, but she wondered if that rule also applied to half breeds.

_Half breeds! _ The thought almost made her sick all over again.

**Father and mother and our sisters don't have to know about this for now, **Inner Moka suggested through the whine of her outer persona's mental cries. **If anything, they'll look at this as a way of being cruel to our partner and to show him his place. They may even approve of the act. However...**

Her family would never accept a half breed into their fold, they had barely accepted Tsukune. The human anatomy was the easiest to manipulate into other monster forms, so when Tsukune and her had a child, even if it was more or less vampire, it wouldn't be like it was any other creature that had features that couldn't be explained away, but a werewolf...

She looked up at Gin and whimpered, imagining her children with a tail, pointed ears, fur, an elongated snout, and howling at the moon. There wouldn't be enough explaining to cover those traits and gain her father's approval. Lord Shuzen would be extremely displeased that her daughter had a child outside of the boundaries he had allowed for Tsukune to succeed and mother, she balked to think of her reaction. However, and oddly enough, what also bothered her was the fact that if she did have Gin's child without her father's approval, it would surely put _him_ in danger as well.

_What have we done?_

**It doesn't matter. Vampires rarely are fertile to other species, let alone other vampires. The only children we'll bare are Tsukune's once we get him to apologize to us for making us go this far and when he does understand that we **_**will not**_** allow his species to interfere with our legacy's upbringing!**

_You...you really think so?_

"What's going on in that head of yours, Moka?" Gin asked, pulling her out of her woes and kissing her deeply again with a slow touch of his lips, even going so far as to part her own and slide his tongue over hers; he was pleased to notice her kissing him back. But, when they parted, he still saw Moka had tears in her green eyes.

"We did something wrong, Gin."

"I know," he casually said, remorselessly. "But, what's done is done."

**I think it's time him and I met.**

"Gin?" Moka requested, touching the jewel at her breast. "Take off my rosary?"

**Why did you ask him to do that?**

_Tsukune could do it the first time I met him. I am curious if it has anything to do with love or with just wanting to protect me._

**Gin doesn't love us.**

_Yes he does, but not in the same way._

**Lust and love are different.**

_But he does have a little for us. I have no doubt._

Gin kissed her again, allowing her to wrap around his neck as one hand cupped her breast and the other pulled at the rosary.

"I am so glad to be able to enjoy you and your other half, Moka. Tsukune doesn't know what he's missing. Thank you for giving me the honor."

She shook her head, unable to say anything let alone be reminded that her Tsukune was not the one touching her.

And so, the choker at her neck was yanked a few times, but the chain held itself in place. Neither disappointed, but not exactly surprised or deterred, Moka brushed his hand aside and removed the rosary with a 'plink'.

Crimson energy filled the room, splashing the water about with its turbulence, soon absorbing itself into Moka as it fades away her pink hair into a gleaming silvery color, draped over paler her skin. Gin watched as the body in his arms became fuller, longer, just over all more mature and with larger breasts in his hands. Soon, red slit eyes peered open and Gin realized he was draped over Inner Moka in a way that was not only overly familiar, but just a bit too close now that he looked at that deep, slightly scowling facade.

Her arms were still over Gin's neck though, body almost aligned with his, but there was this feeling of 'warning' that made him pause before continuing to be affectionate.

"Uh, good afternoon, Moka," he said in a respectful manner that still didn't hide his want of her.

"Ginei Morioka," She greeted formally, as one would at a grand hall. Her deep, sultry voice held a slight sliver of authority, of warning that said: "_Displease me, and I'll show you your place_."

When Gin moved to kiss her, she watched him carefully, daring him to do something even slightly too forward, and take her for granted in some way that would anger her.

Before he could touch his lips to her however, she said: "Do you believe you could be so informal with me just because you have been so with my outer self?"

"I assumed...because Outer Moka and I..." he began, but she shook her head at him.

"Don't ever assume with me, Ginei."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously and he swallowed, eagerly nodding.

"I think I should go," he started to scoot away from her, splashing water over the edge of the tub and onto the floor, removing his hand from her breast as if it burned him.

"Why do you wish to leave? Does being with me upset you?" She growled, his movements making her shift uncomfortably as she watched him get up and out of the water.

"I think I've overstayed my welcome," he said as he took her only towel and wrapped it around himself, scurrying down the hall like a dog with a tail tucked between his legs.

Inner Moka hissed at his sudden departure; this was supposed to be the guy whom she and her outer persona had threatened Tsukune to be the father of her children, to lay with in bed and allow her into her body? Tsukune had more bravery in leaps and bounds then this "boy". Of course, he also had a lot more time to get used to her than Ginei.

"Very well," Moka said to herself, reaching over and putting her rosary back onto her choker, flushing the power out of her and seeping it into her charm.

**We can pick this up later, when and if Tsukune needs another reminder that there are others out there that would be more than willing to share my side.**

_Maybe we should just stop. Won't it be easier for him to come back if we're NOT with another man in our room? How are we supposed to have his children when we don't even know where he is?_

**Think like a vampire, you weakling.**

Moka flinched at her harsh words, as a pair of angry eyes that looked up at her from the reflection caused the girl to freeze up.

**We have all of eternity to make him come back to us.**

Reluctantly, Moka sank herself into the water and whimpered quietly to herself like frightened dog.

Yes, she had Gin, but he was only supposed to be the one to make Tsukune realize what he'd lost. What she wanted was for Tsukune to see what a mistake it was to allow for this to happen and then come back to her and apologize! She didn't want to wait an eternity, she needed him now.

Moka's stomach lurched again and felt like she was going to throw up; even her own body betrayed her thoughts and feelings. No matter what she tried to convince herself to believe, Moka knew what she had done was inconceivably wrong of her. She needed to get out of this apartment and see if she could find him. At a minimum, she needed to see if he needed anything, after all he left his clothes and other things; did he even have anything to eat? She couldn't remember the last time he fed, and a vampire, even a second born one who didn't feed regularly could be dangerous. Moka tried to get out, but realized she didn't have a towel to dry herself with; romantic Gin had that and was already in the bed room, gathering up his things, and chuckling proudly to himself.

"One down, one to go. Oh, what a wonderful life this is going to be."

Then suddenly, a cell phone rang on the end of the night stand.

_Mm, wonder who could this be? _He thought, which he thoughtlessly picks up, unable to recognize the number on the caller I.D. shrugs and answers it. He was sure that no too many people in the human world knew of Moka or Tsukune and it was safe to say that this was nobody in particular. However, as he was all hands and no brains, he figured this could be a good way to earn Inner Moka's favor by taking care of some telemarketer. He couldn't wait to get in between those thighs when she became a little more receptive to him, for now it was best to take it slow with her. It wouldn't do to upset her even a little when she could tear him apart, even in his werewolf for, but he loved a challenge.

" Thank you for calling the home of the lovely Moka Akashi...I mean Aono, _formerly_ Aono, this is Gin how might I help you?"

A long pause made him stare at the phone to make sure the line was still connected.

"Gin?" A woman asked. "What are you doing answering my son's phone? Who is this?"

"Who is this?" He asked, clueless.

"I am Mrs. Aono, Tsukune's mother, is my son home?" She asked impatiently.

Before he could say anything, Moka's voice called out in the background.

"Gin," she called out, propping the door open. "I don't mind sharing the bath with you, but would you please bring me the towel after you're done? I really need it!"

Gin rushed to her, mouth agape, cell phone still in hand as he hands her a semi wet towel. Moka stared at the phone curiously, until she heard the voice on the other end of the line speak up.

"Moka? Is that you? W-Why are you sharing a bath with Gin? And where is Tsukune? Is he there with you? Hello? Moka? Could you please answer me, now!"

The very sound of Mrs Aono's voice and the reality of what she heard made the pink haired, young woman want to swallow her tongue in fright.

Whatever she may or may not have planned to keep within the confines of her and Tsukune, possibly even from their friends just went one step beyond her control. No matter what she wanted for her children and their future, she had hoped that it would have been months if not years until Tsukune's family was aware or not of the fact that they were not going to be involved with Moka's children. However, having Tsukune's mother, and very soon his entire family against her did not bode well for any chances of reconciliation.

_What do I do now?_

Moka stared at the cell phone in Gin's hands as if the thing would up and snatch her hand if she touched it. Even Gin looked eager to drop it on the floor and let the voice of Tsukune's mother call out until the batteries go dead or she hung up herself.

"Moka! Will you get on this phone right now and talk to me! Where's Tsukune! I'm worried about him and I need to know where he is! Is he okay? Moka? Gin? Please, can someone tell me if he's okay?"

So, this was the sound of a woman deathly worried for her child, a mother's voice that was filled with desperation and confusion, helplessness, hopelessly lost when the child they gave birth to is in trouble and now wail in despair for that child, this person they let grow in their womb, nursed to life from conception, then struggled with the pain of birth, only to watch that mewling, crying, hapless and helpless thing grow by the inches over the years. From sight to sounds, crawl to walk, taste to touch, everything that a child was, this woman on the other line had endured and succeeded into shaping the person that was Tsukune; and she did the absolute best to hurt him.

"MOKA!" Kasumi yelled again, even more impatiently this time. "Wake the hell up, dammit? Is-he-o-kay?"

**If this is what we planned to do anyways, then it is best that we take it one step to its completion, **Inner Moka suggested.

Moka shook her head in shock and terror at such a thought.

_I like Mrs Aono! She's been really nice to us and she's just being protective of Tsukune! What mother wouldn't?_

**Do you want to endure a life with humans? Do you really want to settle with their constant abuse and mindless cruelty to those different from them? Do you really want to be recognized as weak and defenseless when it is obvious they don't know their place? Do you?**

_I'm scared._

**Is it scarier than getting dressed in front of Tsukune with his favorite outfit and put on that special perfume he bought? Wasn't it hard to know we called our friend, the one we've kept in touch with for years and kiss him in front of the man we've let kiss us for the first time, touch us for the first time, and make love to us for the first time, knowing full well what it was going to do to him to get on your toes and kiss another man? Do you think it will be easier than taking Gin's hand while our Tsukune sat on that couch, watch us go down that hall, even as he saw us hoping, saw us seek his help to stop us and did nothing as we took Gin to our room and close the door?**

_Stop it!_

**Stop what? It was through your eyes that I saw everything that we did. Every part of your body that he made contact with, I felt as well. You were there when we unbuttoned Gin's clothes and touched him in a way we only touched Tsukune. We pulled him on top of us, felt his skin, a part of him touching ours and then entered us.**

_I don't want to hear anymore!_

**Do you think Tsukune wanted to hear any more of what Gin did to us, but we didn't exactly stop, did we? And he did hear, he heard everything, we made sure of that!**

_If he didn't, then he would have stopped us! He could have at any time and...and..._

**And what? Stormed in the door with Gin on top of us? With your face twisted in agonizing pleasure as we had Gin between our legs, letting him plow his way inside of us while we held our nails onto his shoulders? Yes, I'm sure that is exactly what Tsukune wanted to see if and when he stopped us.**

_Why...Why did we do this again?_

**Because we said we would if he didn't listen to us.**

For reasons only she understood and could accept, that stopped Outer Moka from any more questions. Heaving a shuddering sigh, Moka stood up, took the phone from Gin, pushed her wet hair out of the way and placed it to her ear.

"Please, Moka would you just...just tell me where he is?" Kasumi literally begged.

No vampire would ever stoop so low as to show such utter vulnerability, not even her own mother she rationalized, and Tsukune's mom did it without hesitation.

"Um...Mrs. Aono, This is Moka. G-Good afternoon," she replied, her voice hallow and lifeless.

"Moka! Please, tell me, is Tsukune alright? Where is he? Why isn't he with you and what the hell is going on?"

His mother still sounded concerned, but there was also a note of anger in her voice.

"Mrs Aono," Moka began to say, licking her lips and closing her eyes, tight; it was now or never. "A lot of things have happened. Tsukune and I are going to try and work things out, eventually, but at the moment we're having problems that..."

"_What problems_?" Kasumi Aono interrupted. "Can you please tell me if he's alright?"

Moka rubbed the heel of her hand to her eyes and tried to think of something to say to her.

_What am I doing_?

"He left last night. I haven't seen him since." She admitted quietly, and flat out.

The pause on the other line was only broken by the panting quaver of her once true love's mother's breathing.

"...Do you know...do you know where he might have gone?" She responded in a strict, yet completely weary tone. "Do you know…if he's coming home?"

"I don't know. Sorry."

Moka tried to keep the sound of her own hiccups out of the receiver, going so far as to cover her mouth with one hand. This is the reality of what she and Inner Moka had wanted and yet if it was so, then why had it hurt so badly? Why had she gotten so close to her Tsukune's family only to hurt them when she knew it was going to? How could she keep this woman who blatantly cared for the man she loved and try to keep her, his father, and his cousin, and who knew who else from him?

Another reality hit her: would her own mother go so far as to be this desperate to seek her out, to pine for her, even beg if she was gone and missing?

Moka shook the thought from her head; it was far too different from that, as the ways of vampires were not to be equaled to that of humans. Moka couldn't let the way vampires saw family become polluted with how humans viewed it. Even if that were so, even if there was a fundamental difference between the two people's concept of family, why had she miss her mother all those years she was gone, hoping for her to one day come back like Tsukune's mother hoped for him?

But, before she could even answer that, Tsukune's mother seemed to have gotten over her worry and decided to let lose her feelings about her and what she heard.

"I don't know what you plan on doing to try and mend things with my son, Moka, but where I come from you _DO NOT_ fix problems by inviting other men into your BATHTUB! Now, if you don't know where Tsukune is, would you be so terribly inconvenienced to get your mind off the man you are fucking and put a minimal effort into finding my son? If things are over between you two, fine, it is what it is, then! I loved you like a daughter and really had high hopes for you two, but if this is the reason he left then I am truly glad that I brought him up right! To actually think that you would become as vulgar as to have another man in the bath with you while Tsukune is god knows where. To actually think I called you daughter. You seemed like such a good girl! I can't believe you would do something like this! How could you do that to him?"

How could she do that to him? She asked herself that so many times, but each answer didn't feel or sound as just as the last one.

"It just happened that way, Mrs Aono," Moka responded, voice cracking after such a barrage.

Gin touched her shoulder, offering some sympathy, but it didn't feel the same as when Tsukune did it; it felt false, fake, like an involuntary movement than an actual testament to wanting her to feel better.

"Moka, I'll have Kyouko come by later to pick up his things."

"No!" Moka answered quickly, the tears in her eyes flowing down in rivulets. "We're going to work things out, I promise."

"_No_!" Tsukune's mother actually and quite literally managed to bark in a rare and very severe growl, even for a human. "She will come by and get his things, and if he's there, which I hope to god for your sake he is, I'll have her bring him home too; at least you two can find some way of patching things up that way, but I doubt it, the whole forgive and forget thing really does lose its appeal after something like this! Good bye...whore."

Click, went the receiving end and ended the transaction between former Mother-in-law and daughter. Her pink haired head flinched at that last remark, looking at the phone as if to see some of her own ear had remained on the receiver of the phone after being chewed out like that.

She dropped the phone on the floor and looked up at Gin. The next steps to completing her hope of severing all ties with Tsukune's humanity were in motion and she felt emptier for it than fulfilled. There was a growing 'nothing' inside of her and it didn't feel at all as how she thought it would; if anything she felt worse.

**Sometimes the right thing is hard at the beginning, but it will get better once the reality sets in after time.**

_Like losing Tsukune?_

**We haven't lost him. He just needs time to realize our way is better than his and that some extremes needed to be pushed. He needs to be reminded of his place.**

Moka Aono looked at Gin, who was saying something, but she couldn't hear him. It didn't register what he was saying, only that it appeared he was leaving.

"What?" She asked again, looking at Gin as he buttoned his shirt, ran his fingers through his long, silky black hair, and tying on his red bandana. His pants were already on and she thought he looked as slick and sensual as a man could with his own roguish air.

"I said would you mind if I came over later? I'd love to take you out for a walk in the park, maybe dinner?"

Gin smiled his sexy, narrowed eyed smile and suddenly he was better looking than Tsukune, especially the way he moved when they had sex. He certainly didn't miss her blush though; to him it was similar with all the other women he had the joy of pleasuring and knew exactly what her answer was.

"I'll call you," he said and gives her a deep, french kiss, hardening it with a firm embrace about her waist, with his hand cupping her bare bottom from underneath the towel.

Moka lets out a small squeak when he squeezed her cheeks, but he lets her go, walking away backwards with smile and a wink, letting himself out in style and grace. Once gone, the echo of silence caught up to her, for now Moka was truly alone. It was so quiet she could hear the footsteps of Gin walking away, whistling some odd tune that left him dancing on air, which made the young vampire peek out the crimson curtains she and Tsukune bought and watch last night's lover continue to walk away.

He _was_ better looking, better at sex, and overall more dashing to her, and yet she dared not to think about it with Tsukune in the same thought.

_Tsukune, _she thought.

She then noticed Gin pass a pretty brunette on the side walk and stopped her with a gorgeous smile that made his next victim roll her eyes at him, but to Moka it seemed like she was absolutely giddy as the lustful werewolf persisted on winning her over until she finally did cave in and offers him her phone number. Moka suddenly stoops over and vomits all onto the floor, with some of it spilling down her bare, inner thigh, feeling sad, confused, and above all, as the silence struck her terribly hard, alone; for the first time since meeting Tsukune all those years ago, she was on her own.

However, as Moka began crying to herself, she had no idea at the time that she wasn't truly alone, as a pair of eyes had been watching her unseen from above, a pair of purplish looking eyes that from midnight until sun up not only saw every sordid detail her former friend had committed in the name of "family", but was able to hear the thoughts of Inner Moka as well, every bile of unfeeling, bigoted and cold words that came from the silver haired demon herself. The young witch Yukari Sendo, who was struck in a pained daze, lets her brand new crystal ball, the one given to her by her mother, fall and break on the floor without much of a thought. She tries to get up from bed, but her legs didn't have any strength left after having sat cross legged all night and slumps to the floor, eyes drained of color, her pale face just aimlessly looking upward into the air. Yukari could remember, vividly, the first day the two met; she was a young troublemaker around school, the youngest student there, pulling off pranks on the other monsters for how they picked on her, not just because she was a kid or for being a gifted intellect, but because she was different, because her kind wasn't considered a monster like them. They hounded the young girl with names and threats, then one day the school President lured her out to some lonely woods to kill her and she would've died all alone in that god forsaken swamp if not for the timely intervention of Moka. The young witch remembered how kind and brave Moka was, coming to her rescue despite what she was, and never forgot what she had said to her on that day, of how they were alike, of how to never give up and if she ever needed someone, then not to be afraid to ask. But, after seeing everything that transpired today and of hearing all that was said, a very ugly and bitter reality hit Yukari: Inner Moka wouldn't have cared, that much she knew of the persona, even if both she and Ruby had been there to witness everything first hand, _that _Moka would simply laugh at them as easily as it had been Tsukune. She could even see her callous, smug face looking down at her right now, even laughing at her misery, making everything that happened that day in the swamp long ago, along with every other day after seem like a huge, ugly lie.

"That's why I'll never give up on you," Moka had said to her all those years ago, with tears and a warm smile on her face. "It's why I want to help you and be there for you, Yukari. No matter what."

"_No matter what_," were words that constantly rang throughout her head like a sinister echo in a darkened cavern, growing more and more misshapen and defiled.

To Yukari, Moka wasn't just a friend or even an unrequited crush; she was someone she looked up to. Moka Akashiya was very different from other vampires, she had taught her about tolerance, friendship, compassion, and even strength in the face of danger, qualities she took to heart. She led her to believe that there was hope in this world for even a witch, and that she and Tsukune proved that true love can conquer any adversity. But, the Moka she saw wasn't the Moka she knew, and it led Yukari to believe that maybe the vampire she believed in never truly existed.

_You liar, _Yukari thought bitterly. _You lied to me! You let me believe I had a friend, that I could trust other people and not be alone. You let me believe I had a place at your side, as your friend! But, it was all a lie, wasn't it? Wasn't it?_

Was this Moka's true colors and everything else before a fake? It pained her to think that she had been played all these years, that the kind hearted role model was nothing, but a sham, for if she hated humans with this much passion, then obviously someone like her, a being that was seen as not that far from human, probably never meant anything at all to her, it certainly made sense why they never kept in touch after marriage; she had no further use for her.

Why, then had she rescued Yukari all those years ago if that was the case?

She could see it herself how, all those years ago, after hearing that heartfelt speech which now felt so hollow, and embracing the vampire in a warm, tearful hug, were suddenly attacked by the monstrous student President until Tsukune came, saving them both and quickly released Inner Moka from her rosary prison, who finished up everything, and it all seemed so clear. That and other moments were all a front to show off for Tsukune, to lure him in like some hapless lamb, and when he wouldn't comply to her demands, she callously tossed him aside for the disgusting, perverted Gin who was always too willing to be led around by her legs; what was worse, she had made all of the other girls, her, Ruby, Kurumu and even Mizori unwitting accomplishes to make her look even better by comparison. If the Moka she witnessed in action today was the real person, then Yukari wondered how much damage Moka had committed in the past behind their backs while she fake smiled to their very faces. And the actions she took, the reasoning behind it all, with all the intolerance and apathy poured into it, a desire to hurt someone just for an all too consuming racism wasn't too far from the very people who tormented Yukari, especially the reptilian School President whom Moka "saved" her from. And, through it all was Inner Moka, who continued laughing at her, mocking at how easily she had pulled the wool over her and everyone's eyes all these years, and thinking how weak and pathetic they all were.

_You lied to me! _Yukari wept. _You made me believe I could trust you, that you were different from all the people who used to pick on me, that you were tolerant and accepting. You let me believe that it didn't matter who or what I was, that I could find friendship, even in you, that race wasn't an issue, but you lied! You lied to me! You lied to all of us! YOU LIED!"_

She wished she hadn't gone and seen everything, wished to have remained ignorant as that would've been preferable, but it was too late. She had to go chasing after the truth, had to give in to her own curiosity when Ruby told her not to pry and now matters were so much worse.

"...Oh mom," she wept, crying for her mother like a child that had been hurt severely and didn't know what else to do as the tears poured out uncontrollably, her breathing becoming shallow, and painfully gasping for air as every emotion overwhelmed. "...Mama, help me!"

She didn't know what to do, there was nothing she _could_ do, seeing and hearing everything that had transpired, especially of Inner Moka's cruel, insensitive thoughts, thoughts from a girl Yukari once idolized and believed could do no wrong. Now, she saw that same "idol" for what she truly was, a vile and wretched thing, with a vile and even more wretched soul or what was left of one, and who pretty much laughed right in her face while doing unspeakable things.

Falling onto her back, lying there in utter agony, she could only think of one other word to cry out:

"Moka!"

XXXXX

Moka Akashiya woke up with a start, her green eyes widened and alert.

_(to be continued)_


	8. Chapter 8

**There was one person's comment from one of my reviews who seemed to criticize my shock at Moka's sudden change in character, and while it is shocking, it isn't what bothered me. And so, I've taken this opportunity to really explain what it is that I have a problem with regarding this particular scenario and why I've responded to it in this manner. It's not the change in character that bothers me, I've read numerous fan-made stories where the characters in it behaved in a way that was contrary to how they are normally portrayed in the source material and it didn't bother me quite so much; that usually is what fan fiction is about. For example, I've read a **_**Negima**_** fanfic a while back where in it both Konoka and Setsuna turn evil and launch a violent takeover of Kyoto, Japan, and while I am a big Kono+Setsuna fan, I thought the change was rather interesting; don't get me wrong, I love both characters and find the lesbian pair to be a cute couple, but the thought of them going dark side was pretty fun, especially for the usually sweet, fun-loving Konoka. What made it even more compelling was how the author provided some pretty valid reasons for their descent into darkness: what with Konoka learning of her father's murder and, as heir to his estate, discovers that she is being forced into an arranged marriage that would've threatened her relationship with Setsuna, and faced with these ever changing events prompts the two kids to undertake such a drastic and otherwise dramatic turn in their overall character. **_**However**_**, the thing I found most endearing and the one thing about them that had not changed was how they felt for one another, in fact everything that they did was **_**for**_** each other, that despite turning evil, their strong feelings hadn't diminished, something that remains largely apparent in every fanfic that features the two characters. Up or down, thin or thick, whatever the scenario, be they villainous or good, it always showed how much they both care for each other. **

**It would be a far different thing though, if say Konoka, after having a fight with Setsuna about letting their future children hang around mundane (ordinary) people because **_**she**_** had a problem fitting in as a kid, would decide one night, with all intents and purposes, to punish Setsuna by not only having sex with her arch rival, Tsukuyomi, in their own bed, but to do it in her very presence and not lose any sleep over it. What kind of person would do that? Who could do that to someone who has been there for them time and again, who has sacrificed **_**so**_** much for them, has bled for them, died for them, gone to so many extreme lengths for them, only to subject that same person to a cruel and insensitive act for reasoning as meaningless as what may or may not happen to children they may or may not even get, and not come across as being either mentally unbalanced or completely soulless? How can anyone read something like that and not be affected by it? It isn't just the fact that Moka acts like a slut, it's certainly isn't the fact that it happened to the characters Tsukune and Moka, it could be any couple, fictional or real; it's that sense of utter betrayal, that senseless stab in the back that everyone can feel, especially when you know what the two characters have been through together, only to watch one virtually say to the other that it meant absolutely nothing and leave him bleeding to death. That in a simple tale of sex and betrayal, and I say simple because you see enough of this everywhere, what was either sacrificed or lost in translation was that of love, and most importantly of hope. I'm not saying you have to agree with me nor am I trying to start anything, but most of you wanted to know why I've reacted to this and I wanted to explain how it made me feel. That's just my opinion, and this is my response, that is all.**

**Chapter 8**

_The Dark Side of the Moon_

The sun shone brilliantly through opened blinders, nearly stabbing her emerald retinas with its blinding light after they were let it in without her permission; she wasn't ready for such a rude awakening. However, the atmosphere was a serene and felt relaxing one, and would've been more so if not for the nagging question that plagued her.

_Where am I and how did I get here? _She kept thinking to herself.

Upon waking up she soon found herself in bed inside a strange and unfamiliar room, dressed in a long white gown that was put on her without any recollection, and noticed a neatly stack of clothes placed at the foot of her bed. As Moka Akashiya laid there, trying to recall everything that had happened the previous night, she slowly began to remember last night, of finding herself walking aimlessly along a dark road without any memory, of being found by the cops and brought to some building where they placed her in this room, upon which she immediately fell asleep, and yet the question of where was here still gnawed at her.

"Hey!" A rude sounding voice caught her attention that startled her, letting Moka know that she wasn't alone. "Those damn orderlies bother you too, huh? You ain't alone, kid, they're always coming in here real early in the morning and opening those damn blinders while a lady is trying to sleep!"

Moka glances across the room at her roommate, an elderly woman in her 80s with long, white hair framing a stern and austere face in a rather disheveled appearance, as she sat on her bed in white, floral patterned nightgown.

"Hey, you bastards, I swear when my husband arrives there's going to be hell to pay!" She starts yelling at the door, her fist in the air as she rails on. "And when he does come and get me, you'll all know your place!"

"_Know your place_"; the words seemed to have some importance to her, but for what the confused, younger woman had no clue.

"You better keep an eye on your necklace there, too. They're real bad about taking your stuff and everything."

Uncertain of what she was saying, she glances down and notices the cross-shaped rosary still attached to the choker about her neck, nestled against her chest.

"So, what you in for, sweetie? They bring you in because you're 'unruly' or 'unreasonable' and people are afraid you'll hurt yourself like me? Bah! I'd love to tell you it gets easy from here, but then I'd be lying. Word of advice, don't let these A-holes walk all over ya, because they don't know shit! Trying to tell me I got anger issues, you just wait until my husband finds out what they're doing, these bastards haven't seen angry yet!"

Confused, but not wanting to stay any longer with this strange woman, Moka hops out of bed, quickly throws on the grey sweat pants, dark blue T-shirt and crops provided and sprints to the door, coming out into a hallway bustling with equally strange people emerging from other rooms lined up and down the hallway.

_What is this place? _She wondered as she walked precariously down the well-furnished hallway.

The building's interior was spacious, with several opened doors on either side, doors leading to rooms similar to hers and with people of all shapes and sizes milling about. Beneath her was a smooth tiled floor with large black and white squares that seemed to lead towards an even more spacious living room with furniture, a pool table, soda machines and even a flat screen TV, while above was what looked to be a massive, square shaped medieval mosaic glass ceiling hovering over everyone.

"Excuse me," a man said, accidently brushing past her, and found herself becoming annoyed that some human would dare to so.

_Who does he think he is?_ She wondered, angrily.

Turning about, its then she notices a large mirror next to her, placed on the wall over a bronze table, and sees just how much she'd changed. She appeared clean, with her excessively long hair trimmed down to a more a manageable length, as were her long finger nails; whoever had brought her here had gone through considerable length of providing care, but it didn't put the girl at ease any more than before.

"Ah, so our sleeping beauty awakes," came a man's voice from behind, causing her to swirl around to confront a tall, well-dressed man with dark brown hair tied in a ponytail, a pair of bifocals adorning his thinly bearded face, wearing a black vest and matching pants with a white shirt underneath, and carrying a clip board in his arm pit. "I'm glad you're up, for a moment there I thought you wouldn't come out of your room, you seemed very wary of us when you arrived. I hope Mrs. Blanche didn't keep you up all night, she can be a cranky one, even on her best days."

"Wh-Who are you, and where am I? What am I doing here?"

"Oh, excuse me, my name is Dr. Ichimei Kohaku, but you can call me Ichimei or even just Kohaku, I am the head doctor here at Hibachi House, it's a halfway house for people suffering from a wide range of..."

"A...a halfway house? What am I doing at a halfway house?"

"Well, when they brought you in here, you had no memory of who you were or where you came from, and by the looks of things you had suffered some major trauma, so it was decided to place you in my care; I wouldn't worry about it, you're not the first person I've had to deal with that had amnesia."

"A-Amnesia," she repeated to herself, thoughtfully.

"You have no recollection about your past, isn't that right?"

Moka wasn't sure about anything, all she could remember was being picked up on the highway, brought to a strange station and then delivered to an even stranger place where she slept for the last night; anything else beyond that was just a jumbled mess of incoherent images.

"My guess," Dr. Kohaku continued, "is that whatever happened to you caused some severe shock to the brain, giving you temporary amnesia. I don't think it's severe, given enough time, and if you cooperate with me Lucy, I think we can unlock what's buried in your subconscious, maybe even uncover any relatives or other loved ones who might be missing you."

"L-Lucy?" She asked. "Did...did you just call me Lucy?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. See, it was my daughter's idea actually; since you couldn't remember your name and we didn't know what to call you other than Jane Doe, my little girl sort of came up with the name from some anime she watches; I swear I can never understand the crap she watches, but it was a better alternative to Jane Doe. Ah, but she's an incredible little kid, apple of my life; I got some pictures of her I can show you, want to see?"

"No," she says.

"Oh, okay," he said, looking hurt. "Anyway, if you don't like the name…"

"Lucy will do."

"Good, good, well breakfast is about to start, everybody is already on their way to the dining hall. We have scrambled eggs, toast, waffles, pancakes, ham, beacon; you name it, our chefs already have it cooked, but if you'd like something else..."

"Thank you, but I don't prefer that kind of stuff."

"Oh, then what would you like to eat, I can have it made especially for you."

Moka had to think long and hard about that request, unsure of what to say; for whatever maybe lost in her mind, one thing she did know was that she was a vampire who required blood for sustenance, and knew of how important it was to keep a low profile amongst humans.

"Do you have any tomato juice?" She asked.

"I'm sure we have some V8, will that do?"

"Yes, it'll do."

"Then I'll have it brought out to you. But, in the meantime, all patients _are_ required to dine in the mess hall, and surely you can't rely on fruit and vegetable juice alone, why don't you try to eat something else with it."

"Fine...I guess I'll have some eggs and maybe a small piece of ham."

"It's a start; c'mon lets walk together," he says to her, beckoning gently for her to follow him down another lengthy hallway. "Sure, I couldn't persuade you to admire my photos of my little pumpkin?"

"…I'm sure."

"Fine, you're no fun, just trying to alleviate stress. I know what you're thinking; that this is some kind of nut house, but it's not an institution, far from it. We provide the best of care to patients dealing with a variety of ailments without making them feel like their outcasts from society. Here you'll find we have several activities for our patients to both relax and stimulate the senses. As you can already see we have a lounge area with games, refreshments, Wi-Fi and free computer access, and a TV. There are three course meals prepared for you, and after every meal patients are allowed to use our activities or roam outside on the premises, and even some of our less troublesome patients are granted even greater freedom to go places in town."

"Really?"

"Yes; this isn't a prison, I want everyone here to feel okay staying here and not like they're being confined, besides you haven't proven yourself to be a danger to anyone, so it's safe for you to go into town, however you are required by law to remain within walking distance, stay out of trouble and return before curfew."

The leniency did sound inviting to Moka, giving her the opportunity to bail on this place whenever she wanted, but then again there was no place else for her to go.

"However, this is a rehabilitation clinic and sessions are mandatory if we are to help you, so you must show up for your scheduled meetings. You have one session for this afternoon at 6:00 before dinner, so I expect you to be there on time."

Moka chafed at the thought of some mere human ordering her around, not having forgotten how cruel they had been to her as a child; those memories were still quite vivid in her wrecked mind.

"Don't tell me what to do," she muttered.

"I'm sorry?"

"...Nothing, I...I'm not really in the mood to talk with anyone, at the moment, is there any way I can avoid it, I really want to be left alone."

"Oh, I wish I can accommodate your request, but we will have to have a session if you're to regain your memory, and as a therapist I'm required to..."

"I just don't want to be bothered by you humans, okay!" She snapped out loud, causing everyone around to look at her, and Moka realizes the sudden slip of the tongue and covers her mouth out of shock.

She worried that everyone will know that she isn't one of them, but a monster, an S-class vampire.

_S-class? _ She wondered. _Is...is that what I am? An S-class being? Oh no, and everyone is going to suspect; these humans and their intolerant, they're going to..._

Moka felt like dying, looking around at everyone, especially the doctor who looked at her with a surprised look on his bi-spectacled face, and fearing that the jig was up.

"Well," Dr. Kohaku calmly said, "you're just going to have to learn to get used to us humans. Now, let's eat."

And, with a big smile on his face, gestures for her to lead the way towards the kitchen as he and everyone else oddly continues about her without hardly a care in the world. Breakfast was no help for her, either as she found herself surrounded by an odd assortment of humans all around. There were big guys, small guys, women, men, old and young, some as young as her, and all seemed to be oblivious to Moka's presence, and yet she couldn't help feel like she was back at school, waiting for one to send a nasty look in her direction.

"Everything okay?" Dr. Kohaku asked, sitting across from her.

"…Humans," she muttered.

"Humans?"

"Th-there are so many of them."

"Yeah, there sure are, but I wouldn't worry, they won't bite."

"Hey, doc!" A blind, black male said as he walked idly by with a metal cane, coming up to the table closer than she would've liked.

"Jay, what's up," the doctor responded.

"Who's the newbie?"

"Oh yes, Jay this is Lucy, she just came in yesterday."

"Pleased to meet you," the blind man said and offered his hand, but she was too reluctant to take it.

"She hasn't adjusted to being around people, yet."

"Oh, that's cool, give it time ma'am, they're some good people here, you won't have any problems."

"Just finished eating I see?"

"Yep, doc, on my way to hit the piano and maybe go outside a bit before my session. I'll be seeing you then."

"Alright."

"See ya around, Lucy!"

"See ya around?" The doctor asked with a smile.

"Little joke," Jay laughed and walked on, clacking his metal cane along.

"What's wrong with his eyes?" Moka asked.

"He's blind. Suffered a debilitating illness to optical retinas after an accident, incurable, so we've been working to help him regain some sense of mobility and independence; his progress has been remarkable so far.

Moka had never met anyone who was blind, but then again being a vampire, such a handicap wouldn't be a problem with their regenerative capabilities, something these frail humans clearly lack; it was just one more reason she should look down on these imperfect creatures.

"What progress is there?"

"Hm?" He asked.

"He's blind; his human physiology is so weak, he can't even heal his own eyes, himself. What kind of progress can he have? He should resign himself to his fate; he deserves it for being born an inferior creature."

"Ouch; harsh much?" He asks. "Granted we're not supermen, like you, pretty, but it doesn't mean we don't know how to make do of a bad situation. Jay has shown remarkable courage of the time I've known him; when I first met him he was doing exactly what you suggested he do, giving up. He saw himself as weak, ineffective and had lost all hope."

"So, what changed, then? Why is he so happy, now?"

"What changed is his outlook. Over time, the blindness sharpened his other senses, because the human body is designed like that, when one feature is rendered useless, the other parts of him reach near super human levels."

"I doubt it."

"Most people would, until they hear a blind man play a piano like a savant, but it wasn't just that. I watched a man who had lost everything, picked himself up and move forward with a drive I haven't seen in most men who could see. You can learn a lot from him."

"I'm not blind and I never will be!" She snapped. "So, what's to learn?"

"Well…"

"Live long and prosper, Doctor McCoy," said a short, wiry white man who flashed him the Vulcan greeting sign.

"And I you, you green blooded, pointy eared freak," the doctor jokingly greeted who threw up a poorly made sign. "Lucy, this is another one of my patients and resident Star Trek fan…"

"Trekkie, doc, not to be confused with those Trekker posers. Hmph, thinking the Next Generation is the future; Picard sucks!"

"Right. Our 'Trekkie', Norman. Norman, Lucy."

"But, Norman is the name these humans give me, I am really Kang of Klingon."

"'These humans', you're not human?" She asked, though she could clearly tell from his scent that he was.

"No, I am only half human."

_A half breed? _She asked, confused.

"Yes, you two could certainly get along," the doctor joked.

"I would love to stay and debate with about the fundamental reasons why my logic would beat your brash, human understanding, but other matters dictate my immediate attention."

"Your show is on?"

"Indeed it is. Live long and prosper."

"Live long and prosper my friend."

Moka watched this rather odd man walk quickly away, and wondered if she wasn't in a mental institution.

"Good man, but just a little out of touch with reality," the doctor commented. "You should've seen the guy that came before him; now, he was convinced everyone was really a cylon in disguise."

Moka tried to continue eating her food, hoping to avoid talking to anymore people, but despite the food being good, better than she would've given them credit for, and the V8 juice replenishing much of her strength, Moka couldn't help but noticed that her palate seemed to crave for something else, some unknown substance that was at the back of her tongue and was more than the vegetable drink's simple taste could quench or match.

"Is there something wrong, Lucy?" The doctor asked as he sat across from her eating his food, noticing her torpid reaction to the drink. "Is the V8 not to your liking?"

"No, it...it isn't that. It's just...I have this...taste in my mouth. I can't explain it, it's just..."

"Oh, I get that a lot; a bad taste that crops up in your mouth, every now and then, it'll go away."

"No, it's not a bad taste, not at all. It's actually quite tasty; I just can't quite place it."

"...Mm, is it a type of fruit drink?" He asked, upon which Moka shook her head no. "Something sweet, like a peach, maybe? Tell me what it is, and I'm sure I can have it delivered to you."

"No, it's not any beverage, I-I don't know what I'm thinking, forget about it."

"...You think it might have something to do with your past?"

Moka tried to ignore him and simply enjoy her meal, not wanting to discuss about her situation with anyone.

"Why are you still with me?" She asked abruptly. "Why are you doing this?"

"Mm, to keep you company. I don't know if you've noticed, but sitting at a table next to the far wall, alone wouldn't send a positive message about yourself."

It hadn't been lost on her that she was uneasy being surrounded by these strange people, people who weren't anything like her at all, least of all this meddlesome doctor. The cafeteria was huge, packed with many humans just milling about casually, and all of a sudden there were flashbacks of school as a child, and of how she was ostracized by the student body there, by the school's _all-human _student body.

"Well, I don't need your company," she said quietly. "Just leave me alone."

"Like I said before, we're not going to bite you," he joked. "You're gonna have to learn to loosen up a little, we're here to help you and I really do care about you."

The words _care about you_ seemed to ring throughout her head like an echo and suddenly his kind and sincere words almost felt familiar to the girl, but the pangs of her past quickly subdued it as a group of people sitting nearby started laughing about something funny and brought back all kinds of insecure feelings.

"Lucy, is something the matter?"

"I gotta get out of here," she muttered and scurried away from the table, fleeing towards the nearest emergency exit and out into a dark, lonely hallway where she felt like hyperventilating.

_I can't do this! _ She thought in a panic, seeing herself as a kid again stuck in the human world all alone. _I can't do this! I hate this place, I just want to go home!_

But, it quickly hit her that she didn't know where home was or if it even existed; Moka had to face the facts as she slid to the cool floor against the closed door that as far as anyone knew, this place, this wretched, foul place _was_ home and it filled her with so much dread that it could kill. Moka hid their at her private, little spot for the rest of the breakfast period, not seeing or being bothered by anyone, especially Dr. Kohaku, that was until a pair of burly looking orderlies found her hiding, insisted that it was time for group therapy and that she attend. Moka could've easily waylaid them both, and a part of her wanted to badly, but she felt it beneath her to do so, especially to a couple of peons she already thought little of, and reluctantly complied with their demands. She was soon led to a fairly large, living room like setting where a small number of people sat in a circle on comfortable recliners, while a well-dressed woman sat in the center taking notes.

"Welcome," the woman greeted, "please, before you have a seat, why don't you introduce yourself to everyone else."

All of a sudden, the spotlight was on Moka and she couldn't have been more despondent at the prospect of being placed on the spot like this. Why her of all people and not anyone else? Why were these humans picking on her, was it because she was different from them and they could sense it?

_That is it, isn't it? _She thought.

"Miss?"

"Why don't you leave me alone?" She murmured.

"Come again?"

"I don't want to talk, so leave me alone."

The lady looked at her with great concern and wanted to see if there was anything she could do.

"C'mon lady, lay off the kid, would ya," Moka's elderly roommate, who was amongst those in attendance, spoke up. "She don't feel like giving her name out, then don't force her; gah! You people, always butting into our business!"

"Hey, I'll have to agree with Blanche here," said a burly, middle-aged bald man.

"Well that's a first, Tanaka," said a younger man next to him, "you agreeing with someone else, for a change."

"Don't start with me, I just wanna pick up where we left off yesterday and get it over with!"

Moka felt a little taken aback by these people's response to her, never expecting any of them to come to her defense like this.

"Very well," the woman reluctantly agreed. "If you would take a seat, we can start with you, Mr. Tanaka."

"The sooner the better, I say; I'd hate to keep this farce dragging on any longer, am I right?" Blanche asked Moka, but she didn't reply.

"Okay, people let's just carry on with our previous discussion about our anger issues. Now, Tanaka you were saying about you and your son?"

_Anger issues? _Moka wondered. _Why am I here talking about anger? I don't even know what I'm doing here in this place, anyway!_

She sat in her recliner in silence while everyone else talked; with this being her first day to the group and everything, the therapist there must've thought it would be more productive if she observed their session first, before taking part in it. They were then each given a sheet of paper and a pencil, and were told to write down all the things that upset them the most, but Moka didn't bother to do so, finding their ways alien to her. After an hour of this, the patients were taken to a gym where they either worked out their frustrations or swam in a large pool; the pool and its water seemed to terrify her for some odd reason, so she stayed close to the gym. She readily took to the weights and especially liked kicking a punching bag, finding she had a talent for inflicting powerful kicks and it did seem to relax her, but whenever someone stopped to watch, Moka would quickly retreat to another part of the gym. In fact, whenever one or more people did pay a little attention to her or she heard them laughing, even if they hardly seemed to mind her one way or another, it brought about a panic attack that would inadvertently bring back memories of when she had been bullied as a kid; for whatever reason, that was all she could remember. Moka desperately wanted to find out everything about her as she felt more and more there was something or someone important that had to be recalled, but large patches of memory were impossible to fill in while mounting fear and prejudice towards those around her continued plaguing the frightened woman. The past however, her traumatic past that was too great to have been forgotten, even for an amnesiac like her, simply would not allow Moka to move forward and continued to get in the way; either she removed herself from these people or stay there in utter despair of the situation.

She spent the rest of the day doing various activities that were related to social issues and mental health, and for some strange reason the routine almost felt familiar, but after hours of this monotony, lunch period came and she was finally allowed to go outside onto the courtyard. There, she found herself out in a country like setting, with a path for walkers that ran along a nearby patch of forest despite being situated near the outskirts of town, while the building itself resembled a two-story house complete with a chain-link fence. Tranquil as it appeared, it nevertheless provided her with some relief that the great space afforded little possibility of anyone bothering her and provided some sanctuary from these troublesome humans.

"Hi," said small voice next to her, causing the preoccupied vampire to nearly jump.

Moka looks down and notices a young girl, no more than 13, with blonde pig tails looking up at her with a pair of friendly, hazel eyes. She was dressed in school outfit and must've just come from there, as she appeared so out of place for here, and yet this plain, ordinary human girl would just waltz up to her and say "hi".

"Who...who are...?" Moka started to ask, but then the girl extends her hand and says:

"Mind if I shake your hand?"

"What?"

"Mind if I shake your hand? In case you become great someday, so I can at least say I shook your hand."

The girl seemed harmless to her, a bit strange, yet harmless and a simple hand shake didn't sound too much of a problem. However, more feelings of fear and loathing surfaced, seeing the girl as yet another kid from her tormented past and balked at the idea of touching her.

"Um, actually I would mind, so could you..."

"Fine, you're no fun," she said in a slightly disappointed tone. "I was just trying to start conversation."

"Start a conversation, why?" Moka asked incredulously. "Why would you want to talk with me, I'm different from you."

"Different? You're not _that_ different from me, Lucy."

"...How did you know that name, who told you?" She asked, feeling her small meager of trust in the doctor had been betrayed and he blabbed about her to some random kid. "D-Did Dr. Kohaku tell you? He did, didn't he?"

"Well no, actually it's because I named you. Oh dude, did...did my dad use my idea? Ha! For a minute I thought he wouldn't use it, nice to see I can count on him for something!"

"Your...father?"

"Mm-hm, the name's Rin Kohaku, my dad's Dr. Kohaku, I leave next door, just me and him on account he chased mom away for being such a deadbeat; yeah, I know, a real shocker, right? He's supposed to be Mr. Perfect, fixing everyone's problems and yet he can't maintain a marriage. Plus, he's real weird the way he keeps showing pictures of me to every stranger he meets!"

"So, you're the one who named me Lucy? Why?"

"Oh yeah, I saw them bring you in, and you should've seen yourself in a mirror, I mean you had hair all the way down to your feet and covered your face completely, and they said when they found you, you had wandered about all wet and nude like you had just washed up and, well, you just reminded me of Lucy, from Elfen Lied."

Moka looks at her confused, and Rin reiterates:

"Elfen Lied, you know the anime? You never heard of it before, have you? What, don't you watch anime?"

Moka slowly shakes her head.

"Well, I am a big otaku and that was all that came to mind when I saw you, you looked like Lucy from when she...you know what, I probably shouldn't spoil it too much. If you haven't seen it, you should, it's really great, Lucy."

Moka wanted to get away from this girl; being named after a cartoon character, stuck in this mental asylum with all of these strange humans, and having to deal with this pesky human child was a little overwhelming for her.

"Where is your father?" Moka demanded. "I want to talk to him."

"He's right over there, talking to Koga."

"Koga?" Moka asked, following her gaze over by the front fence where she could see Dr. Kohaku standing next to a delivery truck and talking with a tall man leaning against a dolly in a black vest and jeans.

"Koga is the delivery guy, brings in all of the stuff needed, like food for the kitchen or furniture; pretty cool guy, way cooler than my dad."

"HI, PUMPKIN!" Dr. Kohaku suddenly cries out upon seeing his daughter, and fondly waves to her with a huge and enthusiastic smile, which Rin replies with an agitated, but fake smile.

"Hi, dad. Ugh! See what I mean? Weird."

Immediately, Moka walks over to the two men, wanting badly to ditch the girl and just talk to her father about being put someplace isolated and away from all of these humans. However, as she neared both men she could sense in the air that there was something off about Koga, something that made him unique from the rest of the, a quality that was most refreshing and quite welcoming since arriving to this human cesspool; Koga wasn't human. Moka could tell that he also sensed her coming and even what she was as he looked up from the clipboard in his hands and briefly locked eyes on her.

"So, how much is that going to be?" The doctor asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah, that's going to about 10,000 yen," the guy's gruff sounding voice responded.

"That much? Wow!"

"Yeah, I know prices are going up this year, the price of gas certainly is. Hopefully, this recession won't last too long, eh?"

"Dad," Rin said, appearing next to him.

"And how is the greatest daughter in human history doing?"

"Dad, we've been over this, stop embarrassing me in front of people!"

"Embarrasse you!"

"Hey, pops!" Koga interrupted. "Hate to interfere, but I got routes to make, so you could just sign here."

"Oh right! It won't take long, pumpkin, daddy's a little busy," he replied as he looks over the inventory list.

"Damn it dad, just pay the man and stop being cheap, I was trying to show Lucy you couldn't be any more of a jerk than you really are."

"Rin, when are you going to stop behaving so mean to your dear old, father?" He asked, actual tears forming in his puppy dog eyes. "Do you see my own flesh in blood treats me?"

"Ugh, you're impossible!"

"I cook and work and put clothes on your back, and this is how you repay me! Whoa, is me! Whoa!"

While father and daughter argue, Moka doesn't waste any time on walking up to the man named Koga, who continued unloading boxes of supplies from the truck for the orderlies.

"So," he casually says, "you going to say something or just stand there with your mouth open?"

"You…talking to me?" Moka asked.

"Well, I ain't talking to the guys, unless you think I'm gay, which I'm not. What's someone like you doing in a place like this, anyway? It's Lucy, right?"

She noticed the guy was pretty rough and wild looking, a bit older looking with spiky black hair, a swarthy complexion, a lean, toned build and an eye patch on his right eye and a big, cocky smile. Other than that, he seemed kind of laid back and comfortable to be around with, so she felt she could trust him.

"That's what they call me," she says, sheepishly. "So, I…guess that's my name."

"You guess, huh? You can't remember who you are?"

"No…not really."

"Really; well that's interesting."

"It is, how so?"

"Because, every chick I've met couldn't but go on and on about themselves, so consider yourself unique. They call me Koga, Koga Abarari, at your service," he says with a gracious bow. "Real sorry to hear you can't remember nothing, but then again it's rare to see a vampire being so vulnerable as the way you are, let alone stuck all the way out here at a half-way house."

"You…you know I'm a…?"

"A vampire? Yep. Could smell ya a mile away, trust me my kind never forgets the smell of your kind."

"And, what kind are you?" Moka asked, but Rin's plaintive squeals about her father prying into the girl's business at school, caused her to switch focus on a more immediate matter. "Actually, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I need you to get me out of here," she said in a hushed whisper.

"Come again?"

"You're right, I don't belong here with all these humans, so why don't you help me out!"

"And, where do you want me to take you?" He asked in an equally hushed tone.

"Anywhere…I mean I can probably hide out with you or…if not, then…I don't know."

"Sorry, I'd love to help ya out but, I mean I know playing out One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest without Jack Nicholson or a tall Indian around just is no fun, and I hear what ya saying, too. Being the only monster in a world full of humans ain't no walk in the park either, but stowing away a patient from here and hiding her out with me is sort of against the law around here. Besides, I'm in enough trouble with my slave owning boss after I accrued one, too many speeding tickets; one more infraction and my license is revoked. But, it's not too bad around here, the doctor here is an okay guy, a bit loopy, but okay… for a human."

"But, you have to help me get out of here, I hate this place, I'm not like any of these people, they're…they're…"

But, before she could finish, Koga reaches out and catches a flying pebble that would've hit Moka in the head a millisecond sooner.

"FREAKS!" A dark haired, 13 yr. old boy wearing a smoky grey and yellow hoodie screamed, as he and a few other boys began pelting the patients and building with rocks. "Yeah, freaks, run! Hahaha!"

"Suzaku!" Dr. Kohaku called out. "You and your friends disperse immediately! I'm not going to tolerate any more of your actions around here!"

"Dammit boy, don't your mama give you enough grief at home just for having your ugly self around, it ain't necessary for you to put us through the same thing, 24/7?" Koga yelled at him.

"Shut up!" He yelled back and continued throwing at the other people. "Nahaha! Look at all those retards run, man!"

"Yeah, get that fool!" Another boy egged him on as one of his rocks managed to strike a man in the head.

Dr. Kohaku rushes to confront them on his own, but fortunately the orderlies arrived to chase them away before any more damage or injuries could be incurred.

"Why don't you take some shock therapy, maybe that'll make you crazies feel better!" Suzaku joked as he ran away, laughing.

"Go see how if anyone's been seriously hurt and check to see if there's been any damage, I think heard some windows break," the doctor said to his orderlies.

However, there was some major damage the boys had wrought upon Moka's psyche, their brazened behavior and simple cruelty as they bullied the people there brought back memories of being bullied as a child, bullied because she was different from them and looked at as some freak, and of feeling helpless; it was just one more reminder of why she hated humans.

"Pay no attention to him," Koga said to her. "That kid's always going around causing trouble, don't listen to him."

"It's happening again, all of it!" She whispered to herself.

"Lucy?"

"See, this is what I mean. These humans, they're narrow-minded and terrible, all they do is inflict pain and misery on people because they're inferior. You cannot leave me here, you have to take me with you!"

"Luce'; you mind if I call you Luce?"

"Koga."

"Now, hold on Luce', I get what you're saying, but a couple of bratty, little kids can't be enough to convince you to pull chunks? I got no love either, believe me, but I can't simply haul you off and get in trouble. Again, sorry."

"Excuse me for the delay," the doctor said to him, returning to him his already signed clipboard. "I trust everything should be in order."

"Sure is, doc. Oh, me and the lady were just getting acquainted, unfortunately her pretty, little head almost got beaned by one of the boy's rocks, but I caught it in the nick of time."

"Oh Lucy, are you alright?" He asked, showing genuine concern for her safety. "I'm terribly sorry for that, just some local kids that come around here, causing trouble for my patients and staff. I hope you weren't too startled."

"I'm fine," she flat out said, agitated; however, she wasn't sure if it was his face or the fact that someone showed so much worry for her, that a certain, small cord was struck with the despondent woman.

"Well, thank you for your help, Mr. Abarari. Uh, Lucy why don't you go by the infirmary to be checked up, just in case."

Moka didn't reply nor even look at him, her feelings deeply bothered and conflicted. When finally alone again, she pleaded with Koga one last time to take her away from there, and again he said no. Still, feeling sorry for her, he reached into his jeans pocket and fished out a small compartment containing three blunts of marijuana.

"What's this?" Moka asked.

"Don't worry, it's not addictive, but I think I'll give you a small joint. In any case, it ought to help you get through the days whenever you're feeling pissed off, just don't let them catch you with it and if they do, I'll deny everything!"

"What do I do with it?"

"You smoke it!"

"Smoke it?"

"Yeah, of course it'll help to have something to munch on with you, cause it'll make you have the munchies."

"How is smoking this going to help me?"

"Trust me, it will," he said with a wink, and he hops back onto his truck, but not before calling out some parting advice. "Hey, if you ever feel like you're backed up into a corner, you know over anything, no matter where you are, what I do is go find the heaviest object that's nailed to the floor, and it can be anything that's large enough to cause some destruction, pick it up and chunk it at whatever's keeping you pinned. I saw it on a movie once and believe me it helps! And, if you should need me, I'll be in town for a few days, usually hanging out at the local tea house playing cards with my buds, you should ask the doc to let you out and play, ought to be fun. Ciao!"

After that, he starts up his rig and pulls out, leaving Moka dumbfounded, yet not reassured.

"His, cute ain't he?" Rin asked her, causing her to whirl about. "Didn't I say he was cool, and I saw him give you the joint, but don't worry...I won't tell. Hey, sorry about Suzaku, believe me he's a pain to everybody at school, he's always picking on people and getting into trouble, and gives me a hard time just because my dad runs a halfway house."

"You get picked on at school, too?"

"Yeah, sometimes, and there are times I hate having to wake up and go, you know?"

"I know, and I used to hate it. I hated every bit of it."

"Lucy, are you alright?" Rin asked, noting the bitterness in her voice, but rather than continue talking, Moka runs off without saying another word. "Hey, Lucy was it something I said?"

But, Moka wouldn't stay and talk with anyone, let alone be with a girl who reminded her too much of how dreadful a place the world of humans was, and wished she had died on the road rather than come to here.

At last, her therapy session with the doctor finally came and she couldn't have been less thrilled. Though Moka didn't want to go through with it, she went anyway and found herself waiting impatiently inside what was originally believed to be his office, sitting comfortably in a plush sofa, surrounded by soft, decorative pillows, Moka found Dr. Kohaku's "office" to be a spacious, fragrant den-like setting with a decorative little, waterfall replica, its tranquil sounds filling the atmosphere of this oh-so pleasant domain. The sounds of a grandfather clock, its tick-tocks filled the atmosphere with a methodical tune, where on occasion it emitted a soft chime signaling the time, while pictures of his daughter adorned nearly every corner, and nearby she saw a large fish tank filled with beautiful koi fish swam; three in all, that were curiously either white, pink, and what on that appeared to be a rare brown specimen swimming amongst them.

_What is this place? _She wondered, uncomfortably. _What does he hope to accomplish here?_

She waited impatiently in this strange office of his, feeling strangely relaxed despite fighting against it, but finally she hears a door open and closed behind her, and Dr. Kohaku hastily takes his seat in the recliner across from her.

"I'm terribly sorry," he said. "I was a little held up trying to calm some of the patients down after today, but ar-are you alright? You're fine, right? He didn't..."

"I'm fine," she responded, annoyed.

"By the way, I saw you talking to my daughter today; well?"

"Well, what?"

"Don't you think she's the cutest, little kid you've ever seen?" He asked, with a cute, cheeky smile. "It's hard to believe my little baby still has such an adorable, innocent looking face after all these years. Did you know, that when she was only 1 year old, she said her first word, and it was…"

"I just want to know why I'm doing this, why is this mandatory?" She asked, impatiently.

"We're trying to help you recover your memory, isn't that something you want? To remember everything?

"I don't need your pity!" She snapped. "Y-You're humans, all of you, I don't need or want you to help me, so just leave me alone."

"...There you go again with that. 'You...humans', I find it curious that you would have such animosity towards us 'humans'. Might I delve into that?"

"No, just leave me alone, I don't want to talk to you or anyone, you people are terrible and I hate you, I hate all of you!"

"So, you don't want to recover your memory?"

"I think I've recovered enough of my memory, doctor. I remember how you humans are narrow-minded and keep people like us, who are different and better than you in every way down; I was proven right by today."

"So, what happened to you was because someone was cruel to you, is that right? Because, when they found you, you had no clothes on, and it looked like you'd been in a fight. So, is that what happened, a person or, rather a human, had hurt you?"

"I...I don't know, all I know is that...I don't trust you, okay?"

"Then let's at least explore this…hatred you have, maybe along the way we'll find out what happened to you. I promise the sooner we uncover your memory and discover who did this to you, the sooner you're free to go and leave us humans behind, forever. Now, doesn't that sound like a fair deal to you?"

She was hesitant in permitting this human to pry into her memories, if not afraid to see what she might find, but what other choice was there.

"I assure you, this isn't a prison, and I only want to help you. Will let me help you?"

There it was, again; the earnest look in his eyes, sincerity to help her, this strange compassion coming from a human towards her, that for some reason felt familiar, and made the girl want to relent and let him do what he can to help.

"...Fine," she said quietly.

"Good," he said. "Now, tell me why are you prejudiced towards humans so much?"

"I'm not prejudiced, it's just...I mean..."

"If you hate humanity so much, then what does that make you?"

The question stunned Moka and she was most unwilling to reveal that to him.

"You can open up to me, I promise what goes on in this room will be strictly confidential, and no one else will hear or know about it. You can tell me anything, I will not judge."

"...Well...if you must insist," Moka responded, fidgeting greatly and becoming extremely agitated, but a sensation of wanting to cowl him into respecting her quickly took hold of her fear and ultimately decides to blurt out her closely, guarded secret. "Fine, I am a proud vampire, a member of a supreme monster race, there are you happy?"

"Yes, quite happy."

"You…you aren't scared? You're not surprised?"

"...Should I have reason to be?"

"...You don't even believe me, so what's the point," Moka replied, scoffing at him with utter contempt.

"The point is that you're willing to acknowledge I care about your well-being enough that I've earned your trust."

"I can never trust a human."

"Let me get this straight, you have no memory of yourself or your past, and yet you immediately have a dislike towards...us. Any particular reason for that?"

"I don't know...It isn't that I haven't any memory, they're just...images really, incoherent and confusing. What I _do_ remember is that I had a bad time living amongst your kind while growing up; everything else is just...out of order. I don't know if that makes any sense."

"No, it makes sense. What you experienced as a child and how you feel now aren't congruent with the trauma that caused your memory gap, however it would seem that it is interfering with your recovery, and quite possibly your development as an adult. Lucy, I want you to understand that you are currently traveling on a darkened road towards recovery, but you've gotten lost. So, sometimes what is needed is to take a slight detour or pit stop to check, and possibly straighten a few things out first, in order to uncover what set you off the proper path. It appears that you've regressed, mentally to the feelings you experienced of being bullied as a child and perhaps these feelings never went away. Am I right?"

"I don't know," Moka replied, a little hesitant to prescribe to his assertions about her. "I...I'm certainly not some child, anymore, I just don't trust humans."

"I never said you were a child, Lucy, only that your feelings of animosity towards humans seem rooted there. Fear seems to keep it there and it leaves little room in your mind for anything new and perhaps pleasant to reside there."

"You're wrong, I am not afraid, you just can't understand!"

"Lucy, please I really want to understand, I just hope you understand that I'm not trying to hurt you, I'm only trying to help."

"You don't understand, you can never understand!" Moka snapped. "No one had helped me whilst I lived amongst your kind! You wish to understand, then let me spell it out for you! I had to become so much stronger in spite of you inferior humans meddling with my development; I can tell you that in so many different ways, try every way possible to make you understand, but you still would not get it because your inferior mind cannot comprehend it. I am a vampire in a human world, put here against my will where I was the weak one! _I_ was the one who was scared and all alone without anyone to help me, not father, mother or any one! But, you can't possibly get it, nobody here gets it and its just...I feel even more alone than ever before! So, just leave me alone, you're wasting your time!"

She never knew she could say such things so loudly and quite so boldly, but it felt great to finally get that off her chest. She looked at the doctor, expecting to see some look of shock or shame in his meddlesome face, but all she could see was a look of calm serenity which infuriated her further.

"Why are you so calm, tell me!" She demanded. "Why are you so damn calm? You think you're better than me, don't you? Just like all the other humans, keeping my true powers down and forcing me to be as inferior as you, when _you_ are the true inferior ones, and I and my kind are far superior to you in every way, so don't look down at me, because you don't know me at all!"

Dr. Kohaku didn't get mad or appeared disturbed by anything she had just said, and as much as her mind wanted to believe it, a small part failed to ascertain any smug look of righteous indignation in his face; nevertheless, he was still a human and Moka felt he no doubt had some aura of superiority within his inferior mind, they were all like that. However, Dr. Kohaku got up from his seat and walked over to an armoire where she could see him fiddling around for something, but was too out of view.

"Where are you going, what are you doing?" She asked. "I'm not done talking to you, damn it! Who do you think you are to just brush me aside and do whatever! Would you talk to me!"

When he returns, he brings with him a portable burner and a small, cast iron cauldron where, upon lifting the lid was an even smaller cactus ball inside.

"What is this?" She asked impatiently, but Dr. Kohaku continued to busily mill about the room, strangely closing the blinds and turning all the lights off save for one table lamp.

"Tell me, Lucy, are you familiar with hallucinogenic drugs; peyote in particular?"

"...No."

"I picked this up from a fortune teller I met, awhile back; told me it would come in handy one day with a patient I'll have that, curiously enough matched your description. It isn't unheard of for therapists to use it on their patients, but it is still experimental. Nevertheless, I've used it a few times on most of my patients and have yielded positive results."

"Why are you doing this?" She asked, a little hesitant to have someone drug her.

"Because, I really want to get to the bottom of your problems, and perhaps even see what is troubling you."

"But, I've already told you everything, y-you just..."

"I know, I don't understand. You told me."

"Don't…don't interrupt me."

"Sorry. Lucy, let me help you; I want to understand, I really do, but without the ability to see into your mind, this is the best way that I can think of to do so. This fear or hate or whatever it is you think you have could be holding you back, hampering your progress and if it's not fully explored to where I _can_ help you, then it's possible you may never get your memory back."

"Maybe...maybe I don't want my memory back," she said, reluctant to see what horrors from her past exist. "I mean, if it's that bad, then what's the point of even examining me like some lab rat."

"Lucy, I know you don't mean that. And, you're not a lab rat; at least I don't think so. Whatever prejudice you have against me...You don't even know me, you don't even know some of the people here, so how can you say I view you as a lab rat?"

"I...I just know humans, that's all!"

"Then let me see what you see, please."

"...W-What will this stuff do?" She asked, reluctantly.

"This substance will at the very least relax your mind, enough to let your repressive memories flow little more easily to the surface as we talk, because you're too agitated by your environment and I don't think it'll be conductive to our session if you're at unrest. I wouldn't worry about a thing; it's a small dose so as not to harm you, okay?"

Moka doesn't respond, but she allows him to place the pot and its burner near her on the coffee table and watches him crumple some shredded paper on top of the peyote as kindling.

"I...I don't know," she quietly said.

"Well, then I guess I finally see the truth."

"See what? Tell me!"

"That you're not really a vampire at all."

"What?" Moka asked, growing irate at his assertion.

"Because, if you are indeed a proper vampire, then I would never have guessed I would meet a real live creature of the night and for her to turn out to be afraid to try something this 'inferior' human has cooked up."

"How dare you, how dare you mock me!"

"You're certainly aren't acting like a terrifying, supreme monster from where I'm sitting, instead you're behaving like what an inferior human would."

"You're wrong, I am a vampire and I am not afraid. I'm just too smart to do what you say."

"Too smart or too nervous, nervous to find out what I might uncover?"

"...M-m...Both."

"You can't be both," he laughed. "You're either one or the other in this case."

"I'm not afraid."

"Then..."

"...Fine! Let's get this over with!"

She quietly observes him ignite the burner to a slow burn, watching as the paper slowly begins to smolder, followed by a strange odor that rose with the swirling smoke.

"Now, I want you to lay back and make yourself comfortable," he instructs. "It'll take a while for the affect to take hold, but you'll soon notice your body and mind start to relax and when it does, just let go. Don't hold anything back, don't be afraid to share every detail, just let it go and remember, okay?"

Moka didn't reply, but she did do what he asked as soon as the peculiar smell enveloped her heightened senses, and pretty soon it felt like an anchor had been released from around her waist and she could feel herself floating in air.

"Can you hear me, Lucy?" She could hear his voice ask, which sounded far away, and yet at the same time was so oddly clear to her that she focused on the pronunciation of every word he uttered. "Are you able to understand me?"

"...I can hear you, doctor."

"Good; now we are embarking on a journey, Lucy, a journey into your past, a journey into the dark recesses of your mind, to when you experienced these terrible moments from your childhood, the moments that you spoke to me about. Could you lead the way for me?"

Moka slowly nodded her head, but found it difficult to do much with no couch or even a floor to stand on. Gradually, though it felt like she was floating gently towards somewhere, no longer in control of anything, only surrendering to the gentle pull of gravity; the whole experience felt exhilarating to just be free from any restraints that would've held her back and allowed this to continue until finally something came into view all around her, as if she had been teleported somehow to somewhere other than the doctor's office.

"Very good, Ms. Akashiya," said the teacher. "Now, would someone else like to try and answer the next question?"

Moka was pleased that she had gotten the right answer, but soon noticed the other kids looking at her out of the corner of her eye, strange boys and girls, who glared at her with contempt or derision.

"So, where are we?" The doctor asked right next to her, who nearly startled the pink haired girl, and yet she didn't seem too surprised at seeing him. "Or, more importantly when are we?"

It didn't take Moka long to instantly recognize where this place was or what time; her early junior high years, as well as being the very first week at a human school.

"This was my first week," she said, her voice still in a trancelike state.

"Your first week?"

"My first week amongst humans at a school."

"I see. And, this teacher, she called you Ms. Akashiya. Is that your name?"

She didn't know for sure, though she figured it must be, yet a part of her knew it wasn't a real name.

"N-No, I mean, I don't know. Akashiya, I…I think it's a pseudonym."

"A pseudonym? So, you used this pseudonym a lot? Do you remember what for, what it meant?"

"No..." she said, though she knew it was very important for some reason.

She heard snickering going on behind her, and glanced around to see the other kids whispering and laughing.

"She's that girl with the expensive clothes," one of the kids snickered.

"Maids bring her food, so she doesn't eat regular food like we do," another whispered.

"Because of her, we have to take another test!"

"Akashiya always helps the teacher! She's making us do more work!"

"Akashiya this…"

"Akashiya that…"

"Akashiya…Akashiya…Akashiya…"

They were all whispering to each other, but she could clearly hear every word. She knew no matter how she smiled, how often she shared her stuff or politely asked to play with them they were always cold towards her as if she were some kind of alien.

"Bullies?" The doctor asked, though she could tell from his voice that he already knew the answer.

"...No, just humans," she said with contempt. "Why couldn't they tell I was trying, trying to be like one of them, to fit in?...To be their friends?"

"Watch this!" One of the girls called out to another when she was surrounded by a group of boys. "Hey, _!"

"Where are we this time?" He asked as Moka noticed the scene had changed.

"Lunch period, obviously," Moka replied.

"I can see that, but why this moment in particular, and was she trying say your..."

He didn't have time to finish as Moka turned from eating her boxed lunch to face her peers, lifting back her pink hair and staring at their mischievous smirks. Doctor Kohaku observed as she swallowed hard, put down her lunch and stood with cultured grace before her tormentors.

"Hello," she said politely. "How can I help you?"

Everyone laughed at her like she was some clown, but the girl spoke up and asked:

"Yeah, we only wanted your opinion?"

"What is that?"

"Are you really sensitive to this?" She asked, holding up a bottle of water.

"Water?" The doctor asked. "Why would you be sensitive towards water?"

"Because...because it burns us."

"Us?"

"My kind, it's harmful towards us, that's why we only bathe with herbal water instead."

"I see, and how does she know that?"

"Because...they must be other monsters mixed in with them and they're taking advantage of me not being able to use my full strength because I'll be exposed."

"Really?"

"Look," she replied to the girl, "I'm really not interested in drinking any water. I actually have my own tea...w-would you like to try some?"

She sat back down, opened her thermos, pours her a cup, and offers it to the girl who quickly slaps it away.

"Nah!" She answered mockingly. "I want you to try this, instead. See? It's just plain ole water."

Popping the top off, she took a sip and exhaled in a mocking tone of pleasure.

"See? It's nothing special. Here, you try it?"

She pushed it towards Moka, who shied away from it.

"I'm sorry, but I can't drink it. I'm…sensitive to-"

"Just say it! You can't have 'common' water! You have to drink rich people water because I just drank from it and we're not good enough for you! You think you're such hot shit, that you're smarter than us! You can't wear plain clothes, you don't even take showers in the girl's locker room, you need your own room to bathe in! I saw it myself! You have to take a bath with special soaps!"

"You don't understand! I really am-Aaaaah!"

But, she wasn't even allowed to defend herself as the spiteful girl splashed water all over Moka's face, causing her to reel in pain and fall to the floor.

"See!" The girl squealed with delight as Moka struggled to her feet. "She can't stand to have regular water on her!"

"Yeah, look at that!" Another kid cried out.

"Let's get her!" Another child called out and instantly every other child there was chasing a fleeing Moka as she shielded herself as best she could.

Luckily for her, one of the teachers was nearby who luckily was able to hear her crying out, and chased all of the kids away, but not without giving a glaring reminder to her that they would be there when there weren't teachers around.

"That was dreadful experience," the doctor commented.

"They were all dreadful."

"But, why was that one special in your mind?"

"Because...because I wanted desperately to remove my rosary and teach them a lesson!"

"Your rosary?"

"Yes," she replied, instinctively taking it out from her blouse.

"What's so significant about your rosary?"

"My...I think my...m-mother gave it to me?...I think, to..."

"Is that who's been calling you?"

"Huh?"

It was then that she remembered, through it all as she ran blindly from the harassing students, that she thought she heard someone calling out to her.

"There was a voice calling out to you, don't you remember?"

"I…"

"Are you okay," the teacher asked her with genuine concern.

She looks up into the man's face and saw a face that seemed far younger than it should've been, a face of warmth and kindness, who's chestnut colored eyes and gentle smile were beautiful to her tormented, tear soaked eyes; it was a face so familiar and yet at the same time, out of place.

"_ , are you okay?" He asked again. "Did those kids hurt you?"

She felt safe and comfortable in his gentle hands, the very smell of his blood made hers churn like a roaring stream and she wanted badly to call him something, but the name was lost her tongue.

"Uh...I'm okay," she said, looking down bashfully, cheeks blushing a bright red. "Th-Thankyou, for saving me."

But, when she looks up, the face, that beautiful face was gone, and in its place was a middle-aged man with a mustache and fading hair.

"Well, those kids are going to get a good talking to from their parents; don't worry, they won't try this again."

Confused, she walks back to her chair to reclaim her things, but a great sadness and a deep longing followed after, and not for what the kids had done. Apart of her hoped the kids would try something again, if only to see that man once more.

"Who was that?" The doctor asked.

"That...that was Mr. Akira, the Wood Shop teacher."

"No, I mean the face."

"...The face?"

"Yes, the face you described to me earlier before it changed."

Described; did he see what she just saw a while ago, had she not imagined it as a faulty memory?

"...Who was he?"

"I...I don't know. He wasn't there before, I don't know who..."

"How about we move on, shall we?"

As they walked down memory lane, she was forced to relive every mock and torment from the kids. Most were kids who habitually bullied others for a living; others were fellow victims who soon turned against _her_ to be accepted by those who would normally tease them. All the while, the doctor was there like some watchful spirit, observing, but never interacting; then he asked:

"Who or what is Moa?"

"Huh? Mo-a?"

"Yes. It's what this voice you keep hearing in the distance says; you said its saying 'Mo-a'."

She couldn't remember hearing any voice; the merciless taunts were always so gravely upfront that she could hardly recall what some voice calling in the distance was saying.

"I don't know what you mean," she replied, but the doctor seemed genuinely confused.

Then, Moka remembered one day in particular, as she kept her hair down in a vain attempt to hide, peering from the pink locks to stay as unassuming as possible when a guy called out:

"Hey, this way!"

"And, who is this?" The doctor asked.

"His name...is...Hoshii, I think."

"Hoshii?"

"Yes, he was...one of the friendlier boys from school."

He beckoned for her to follow him, but she nervously picked up her pace to walk away further down the hall, only to hear voices coming around the corner.

"It's that girl, isn't it?" The doctor asked.

"Yes...Takane is what they call her, the one from lunch who embarrassed me."

Fearing what kind of fate would befall her this time, she had little choice, but to accompany Hoshii down a dark hall, where they hid long enough for Takane and her goons to pass by. Sighing in relief, she turned to her savior and smiled.

"Thank you."

"No problem. People like us have to stick together."

Blinking, knowing full well what he meant by that, she was about to deny it when he shrugged his shoulders and eased her worries.

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm a Pegasus. My family has been living here for a few years now. What are you?"

Her jaw worked, but she tried to keep herself small and unassuming.

"I'm sorry, I really should…"

It was then that she heard it, as clear as day, the distant voice that had first been faint, but like some fleeting phenomena, reappeared again.

"..._Mo...a!"_

Frowning, she shook her head, thinking she must've imagined it, but a hand on her shoulder brought her back.

"It's a simple question," said Hoshii and again she was getting nervous.

"Please let me go. I am grateful, but I was told I'll get in trouble if anyone finds out."

He lets her go with a disappointed look, and she scurried away down the hall.

"What happened there, he seemed like he genuinely wanted to be your friend?" The doctor asked.

"We can't be friends."

"Why not?"

"Because…because he's of the pegasi race."

"….I don't follow."

"They are a race of magical horses; unicorns, flying horses. They are creatures of Light and I am a creature of darkness; we cannot mix."

"…Okay."

There was another thing about Jr. High that he also noticed, especially amongst the boys.

"You're so beautiful!"

"Please, please, be my girlfriend!"

"Wow! You must be loaded with money! Can you help me buy…"

"Can your family help my parents get a better job! They work really hard…"

"It certainly sounds like you're popular with some of the kids," said the doctor.

"They don't love me," she quietly said. "They...wouldn't leave me alone, I was just some object to them!"

"How did you know unless you gave them a chance? Some genuinely looked as though they wanted to be your friends."

"I just know, okay? I just know. Besides, it wasn't my place to dictate who could be my friends or not, I didn't want to upset anyone, I only wanted them to either accept me for who I was or what I am and to be left alone."

"...So, who does have that kind of say, Lucy or should I say Ms. Akashiya?"

"My father; only he decides, but..."

"But?"

"He would only listen to...uhh!"

"What is it?" He asked, noticing her growing apprehension. "Who should he listen to?"

"...S-Sister," she said in a shallow breath.

They next found themselves sitting in the back of a limo, where she could feel it's comforting heater radiating its warmth against her exposed skin, and the texture of the upholstery, almost as if she was actually there. However, she felt no warmth of comfort inside her heart, allowing the long pink hair to shroud her forlorn eyes and grips the backpack tightly, as she soon found herself sitting across from none other than a tall, dark haired woman in a fully covered dress.

"Dear, little sister, what's the matter?" Her elder sister asked, voice oozing with false concern. "The humans not playing nice with you today?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Ria."

"Oh?" Ria asked, still trying to adjust to her sister's fundamentally shy personality, different from the 'real' Moka she knew. "The reason I asked was because I could not help, but observe the way you constantly jumped around all those little children, like you were afraid of your own shadow, and then you practically bolted inside the car. You sure there's nothing you want to talk about?"

"I take it this is...sister?" The doctor whispered into her ear, in which Moka nodded.

"Were those kids calling you names?" Ria asked offhandedly as Moka watched some of the students walking away in pairs along the sidewalk, chatting away about nonsensical things. "You know, as father's favorite, I am obligated to do everything I can to make your life as mis...I mean, as pleasant as possible."

Moka didn't listen, just continued watching the kids walking by, hoping that even though they couldn't see her they would somehow talk about how they wanted to be friends. No matter how many people there was around her, though she always remained alone.

"_Mo-a_!" Cried that mysterious voice again, which somehow managed to follow her into the cab of her limo.

"D-Did you hear that?" She asked Ria, but it didn't look like she had heard her.

"You know, sister dear," Ria's melodious and concerning rich voice caught her attention, "I can help you."

"Sister?" She asked again, but shakes it off when it appeared Ria hadn't heard anything. "L-Look, I don't want to hurt anyone, Ria."

"I never said for you to hurt them," the dark haired elder sister replied, seemingly insulted Moka would even suggest a thing. "But, would you at least like those humans to accept you?"

"There's more than just humans in that school, Ria."

"_Mo-a!" _It cried again, this time sounding like a boy was calling out to her.

"Okay, tell me you just heard that?"

"Oh me, oh my, I'm sure there are; however humans _are_ the majority, are they not? Humans are easy to deal with, sister dear. The trick is to always make them see you as someone they want to please, not the other way around. After all, learning to deal with them is the whole point of your being here is it not?"

"_Mo-a!"_

Moka covered her ears and closed both eyes shut, trying to blot out the sounds that plagued her.

"Are you okay, Lucy?" The Doctor asked.

"Sister..." Ria interrupted. "It's your choice to listen to me if you want, sister dear, but you're the one who has to want this. All I'm saying is give it a try and you'll get results. I promise you."

"She seems to show some concern," the doctor pointed out. "However..."

"I...I shouldn't trust her," she muttered.

"Some mistrust between you; perhaps animosity?"

Her jade eyes glanced through the pink locks at Ria with uncertainty. If there was one rule Moka had heard time and again from her mother it was to always listen to her heart and do what was right, but even though Ria had never done anything directly to Moka, there were times when she could feel a strong wariness from her eldest sister, a feeling that she should not be trusted.

"Let's take a look at your home, and your family," he proposed. "Can you recall your home life?"

Almost immediately the setting changed like the changing of movie sets, and now they found themselves inside a darkened castle like atmosphere.

"I take it this is home?" The doctor asked. "I have to say, it's a little more than I expected.

"We didn't have to do it like that, big sis," came a plaintive voice, and they glanced over to see Ria walking in front of a bronze, tanned girl in a white dress.

"And, who might this be, Lucy?"

"I...I think she is my...sister, my other sister, K-Ka..."

"It was necessary, Kahlua," Ria responded curtly.

"And that's Ria, your oldest sister, right?"

"Y-Yes."

"But…they weren't even involved," Kahlua continued to complain. "Father only ordered..."

But, Ria spun on her heels and speared her finger under Kahlua's neck just short of her windpipe.

"Listen well, sister dear, father told me to 'correct' the problem. Now, that vermin we paid a visit to owed us a _very_ large sum of money and they were more than a month behind. We got the money back and the lesson was learned, so what is the damn problem? If anything, it will send a message not to repeat the same mistake again. We carried out father's orders and sent them a useful lesson for the future. Mission accomplished."

"But…those were kids…you shouldn't have done that."

"Do you have any idea what they are talking about?" The doctor asked.

"...S-S-Sometimes...sometimes father would...have my older sisters perform jobs...very dangerous...jobs."

Ria tilted her lovely head as if she had no clue what the issue was.

"They were vermin, so what do they matter?"

"Our orders did not include them," Kahlua corrected her older sister with a small, but empowered voice. "If Akua was still here, I know she wouldn't have done all of that."

Ria's body leaned forward, her austere dark eyes getting angrier, and for a moment, she looked ready to rip into Kahlua for that comment, but when she noticed Moka watching her sisters curiously, Ria graciously backed down.

"You did very well, dear sister," she said, winking at Moka as she patted Kahlua gently about the shoulders and giving her kiss on the cheek, but not before whispering in her ear. "Just don't get in the way next time. Father would be upset to know you failed him."

"Did you know what kind of job they did?" He asked Moka.

"I...I'd rather not...talk..."

"That's fine. Can you tell me if you and your sisters got along?"

Moka wasn't able to answer that for certain as she could hear Kahlua's sniffling whimper, unable to understand why Ria had said that to her blond sister. She knew thoughts of failing father were considered the highest insult in their lives, and yet a part of her still struggled to understand why.

"She did that on purpose, but why?" Moka asked, more to herself.

"What's going on here?" The doctor asked, as suddenly the scene shifts to one of utter carnage as Kahlua rampages throughout the castle and murdering half the staff; she would've killed him too, had he really been there.

"My...my sister is sad," she replied, cowering in hiding.

"Why is she sad and why is killing all of these people?"

"She gets that way when she is sad."

"She's hurting a lot of people."

"I know. Ria did this, I know she did. She made her sad, and it...won't stop until father comes home and stops her."

"Will she hurt you?" He suddenly asked. "Has she hurt you during these...rages?"

"_Mo...a!"_

"Lucy?" The doctor asked when he noticed her attention drawn away.

"...S-Sometimes," she finally replied.

"She's going to kill us if she finds us, I know she will!" A young, red headed girl with pig tails cried, who cowered behind her from their rampaging, older sister.

"Your little sister, perhaps?" He inquired.

Another memory popped up, one of a year earlier where she was not only younger, but noticed her appearance had changed as well, as strands of silver white hair now danced over her eyes and a skin that seemed paler than before. Both she and the doctor were in a different part of the castle now, a spacious room with massive windows overhead and a wall full of deadly weapons set up on racks.

"This is unique," the doctor commented, both on her sudden change in appearance and the unique setting.

"I...I remember this," she replied, thoughtfully.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Came a scream from behind, causing her to whirl around in time to see that same red headed girl, charging toward her with green eyes full of wanton bloodlust and brandishing a large battle axe. Rather than flee from this demented child, she instead boldly gets into a fighting stance and, as if by instinct, responds with a high kick to the child's face that sent her flying to the other end of the room.

"Oh my," the doctor commented.

"...I won't give up!" The girl screamed, but didn't have time to get up when Moka rushes forward in a blink of an eye and pummels the girl, silly.

"Stay down!" She ordered, standing over the girl's bruised form.

"No!" The red head grimaced and tried to get up again, and for her trouble, Moka sidekicks her across the head.

"You're too persistent, Kokoa!"

"I won't give up, big sis; I'm going to be as strong as you are, one day!"

"Were you normally this rough on your little sister, Lucy?"

"I...I had to be," she replied. "It was how...father trained us."

"Let's try again, big sis! I know I can do it! I'll keep fighting and fighting until I defeat you."

"Well, that will never happen."

"What do you mean?"

"After today, I will no longer be living here," Moka said with regret, but her pride hid it well, even from Kokoa. "Father has decided that I go live with the humans and study amongst them."

"Y-You're lying," Kokoa said, tears streaming down her bruised cheeks. "This is some cruel trick you're playing, isn't it big sis."

"Kokoa..."

"_Mo...a!"_

"Did you hear that?" Moka muttered, snapping her head in the direction it came.

"No," came Kokoa's response, but not to the previous question. "No, I won't accept it! I don't care where you go; you're my sister and I won't give up until I've defeated you in combat!"

"It is for your own good," said a tall man, whose dark brown hair shrouded his pale face, as it shimmered in the glowing fire's light.

She found, to her astonishment that they had been transported to a well-furnished study, and were in the very presence of an austere man whom she, for some reason seemed to react strongly towards.

"...F-Father..." she whispered.

"Father?" The doctor asked.

"It is has been decided, it isn't safe for you here, anymore," he said in a gruff tone. "You must honor it."

"But...why can't I stay here with you?" She asked.

"It is for your own good that you study abroad and immerse yourself with the humans."

"But, what if I don't get along with them, father my place is here."

"Oh please," interrupted a blonde woman who sat in a corner, her venomous voice filled with contempt, "you belong here just as much as a stray kitten."

"That wouldn't be..." the doctor began to ask.

"No, she is not my mother," Moka replied. "...She is not my mother."

"Gyokuro!" Her father growled. "That _will_ be enough from you about this."

The woman's words stung like acid upon an opened wound, a wound that she felt was deep and sheering of which she hated her for.

"As you wish, husband, just send this little gnat away and be done with it."

"...My orders are final, _, you will go from here as I and live with your mother's friends for the time being, at least until it is safe for you to return; end of discussion."

Her focus back on her father, Moka knew that when he ended a discussion, that it truly meant there would be no further debate on the topic and there was nothing she could do about it.

Why was he trying to send her away, and was mother allowing this to happen, didn't they love her anymore? Why would her mother sign off on something like this, to be cast out of the one home she knew all her life? It left her feeling miserable, sad and unwanted, a feeling that she would carry all the days afterward, a feeling that threatened to surface once again.

"_Mo...a!"_

The voice came again, its faint sound continued to haunt the girl, diverting her attention like some frightening wail. Who was it, and why didn't anyone else hear it?

"You're curious about that voice, aren't you?" The doctor asked. "I too am curious about its significance. Let's continue on, maybe we'll ascertain it's meaning if we keep going. Now, this woman who was married to your father; your stepmother?"

"Y-yes."

"So, your parents are divorced?"

"No."

"...I don't understand."

"They were never married...My...my mother was, _is_, his mistress."

"Oh. I see; okay so, where is your mother, then?"

Mother; the very word that should've conjured up warm feelings, only wound up bringing more pain with it as an image of a woman, who looked very much like her wearing a red Victorian dress, smiled kindly upon her and handed to the girl her familiar, cross-shaped rosary.

"Now daughter," she said, her eyes full of sadness, and yet whose voice remained up-beat so as to provide some encouragement, "I want you to wear this rosary at all times."

"...Why?" She asked.

"It is designed to keep your powers sealed at all times, but it is different from the others, because you will not be able to remove it on your own. I made it so that the only person who _can_ remove it and release your powers is one who will always, always protect you… and love you, as I have."

"She seems like a very nice woman," the doctor commented. "So, I take it this is your mother?"

But, rather than be happy to finally see the face of the woman gave birth to her, Moka could only remember feeling hurt and angry, angry that mother would not only send her away, but render her helpless until she would be effectively at the whim and mercy of someone else.

"Keep it," Moka muttered and slaps the rosary out of her mother's hand, letting the silver cross bounce across the floor as she marched away from mother towards the waiting car that would transport her away, never once saying goodbye. Moka would come to regret that decision, as moments later after changing her mind, returned to say goodbye only to find both mother and a young Asian girl she remembered to being her adopted sister embroiled in a violent duel within the bowels of the castle's basement.

"What's going on here?" The doctor asked.

"Mother is...she's trying to fend off against...my sister?"

"Why are they fighting, and what are they fighting next to?"

"My sister...she's trying to do something with the...thing...the thing that's inside..."

"Mother!"

Her daughter's cries briefly caught the fierce fighter off guard where, before the girl's horrified eyes, her sister literally slices the woman in two. The very shock of that act caused the little girl to unleash her full fury upon the traitorous sibling, and in what felt like a blur, an action that had awakened the thing hiding within the large metal container, and Moka soon found herself within the grips of a large tentacle wrapped tightly about her; suddenly her strength seemed to be fading, waning deeply.

"I-I don't know what's...what's happening to me?" She asked as if putting to words what she felt back then, while actually feeling the sensation of having her energy sapped by that thing.

Just as things seemed bleak, a violent blast rips through the tentacle, freeing the girl and letting her fall into the protective arms of her mother, who had somehow healed herself and just eviscerated the creature's arm.

"...Mom."

With a final gesture, her mother clasps the rosary choker about Moka's neck, using her power to create recreate for her daughter an appearance and behavior that mirrored her.

"M_," her mother began to say before the creature begins to drag her away, "I want you to know that I'll always..."

"Are you sure this is going to work, Ria?" Moka asked worriedly.

Suddenly, it was a year later and they were somewhere else entirely, standing outside the limo after to a strange, yet familiar house. Moka remembered that earlier in the evening, Ria had offered to help her with making friends with the girl who had been tormenting her, and the two went through all of this trouble at Ria's suggestion.

"Trust me, sister dear, after this day they will be eating from the palm of your hands," Ria announced, sweetly.

"I don't want them to be afraid of me," Moka said as her knees shook and fidgets uncomfortably with the small basket she held in her arms, containing a cake and few small bottles of sake tea.

The man's cry came screaming banshee, this time drawing nearer, but she tried to blot it out.

"Now, you remember what we discussed?" Ria asked, brushing Moka's hair back and tied a pretty bow to the side with sisterly affection.

"Huh?" Moka asked, preoccupied by the sound; she was never afraid of it, but rather feared she might be losing her mind.

"I said, do you remember what I told you?"

"Yes."

"Do you mean it? Do you mean what you're going to tell them?"

"Uh, yes, yes I do."

"Then what could be the problem? You're just bringing some gifts for that nasty, little girl who picks on you. It's a little bold, but it's one of the best ways to show how much you'd like to be friends, right?"

"I guess."

The three of them approached the house, Moka, Ria, and the doctor who silently watched close by, as they walked up to a moderately nice house, far beyond a simple cookie cutter apartment or some affordable home she had come to expect her to live in. Moka's knees shook as soon as the door drew closer and closer. Ria couldn't help, but watch Moka stare at the door with apprehension and sort of laughed inside, but with an encouraging gesture from her, Moka knocked on it and took a step back. Movement could be heard from within as a small girlish voice called out: "I got it!"

When the door opened, Takane instantly stared daggers at Moka as she was surprised to see her there, standing on her front porch of all places, holding a small gift basket.

"What do _you_ want?" She asked nastily.

Moka's jaw worked, her cheeks feverishly tinting as pink as her hair as her shaky hands pushed the basket forward to give to Takane.

"I…I…wanted to offer you something and, you know…see if we could be…you know…friends?"

Takane arms slid across her chest and frowned, her tiny nose wrinkling in mild disdain.

"Hello, little girl," Ria intervened. "I need to speak with your parents, if you don't mind."

Ria made it a point to exhale heatedly through her nose and crossed her own arms over the bust of her gown as she looked down upon Takane like she was something to step on.

"Now!"

Takane balked, even going so far as uncrossing her arms and gripping the knob of the door to slam it in their faces.

"Y-You can't make me do anything!" She haughtily replied. "You and your stupid-"

"Why is it so noisy out here?" Asked Takane's father, who suddenly appeared behind her. "Takane, who are you talking to?"

"No one, dad, this is just some girl from my school and she was just leaving."

"Don't be rude," he said, putting an arm on his daughter's shoulder and nodding politely to Moka, and then took in the very sight of Ria in her form fitting clothing, as any man would. "What can we do for you?"

"Please accept this gift as an apology for whatever I did to you, Takane!" Moka said, bowing her head humbly and again offering the basket to her. "I'm sorry for whatever I did, but I never had any intentions of insulting you or your friends. Also know that if you give me a chance I would really like us to be friends! Would you accept me?"

"Oh really?" The father asked. "Well, isn't that nice."

He turned to Takane, waiting for her to accept such a strong and formal apology: "Takane?"

"I don't want her as a friend," she grumbled heatedly.

"That's very rude of you," Ria commented, her tone not delicate at all. "I would expect a properly raised child to be better behaved, isn't that right?"

"Uhh," the father replied, clearly embarrassed. "I-I know my little girl can be...abrasive, Miss..."

"Sekitan, Ria Sekitan, sir, " Ria said, making a deep curtsey that brought emphasis to her sizeable chest. "Or, just Ria, if we become friends."

"Uh-uh, right! Anyway, I know my daughter can be a little rude at times, but I've always allowed her to make her own decisions. See, her mother wanted me to bring her up to be independent and strong, but I always, _always_ try to teach her to be tolerant of others; I'm truly sorry."

Moka lowered the basket and started to sniffle right then and there, eyes brimming with tears. "I'm sorry for disturbing you and your family."

Moka turned to leave, but Ria held her in place and moved a little closer towards the awkwardly nervous gentleman.

"That is such a terrible shame," Ria said sadly, sighing as if all her hopes were dashed. "I went to so much trouble to try and mend a broken relationship. I do a lot of that in my position at Fairy Tale, I had hoped that by coming here personally I could witness and possibly guide my little sister in the ways of diplomacy. If those methods don't work, there are always other means to have people see that there is a difference between being strong and spirited, and just being plain mean."

As Ria turned to give Mr. Kikomura a narrowed eyed glance, she turned Moka away and prepared to head back to their limo. "Well, I do regret wasting your time. Come, sister dear, I guess there are some things that are best not discussed over, no matter how sincere or willing you try to fix things."

"Wait a minute, don't leave just yet!" The father called out. "It doesn't mean we can't work something out. Did you mean what you said that you work for Fairy Tale? I ask because, well Fairy Tale is a really big company and it owns the business I work for."

"Do I work for them? Oh me, oh my, our father is majority share holder and CEO of the company, and I his humble Chief Executive, and what with my darling, little sister here being his absolute favorite of his children, I really do try what I can to make both her and my father very happy. It would mean so much to my father, and I, if this little matter can be resolved between our precious children."

"She really knows how to lay it on thick, doesn't she?" The doctor commented. "But, at least we noe know the name of your family's company; that's something."

"Y-Your father...owns Fairy Tale?" Mr. Kikomura asked, gulping deeply. "And, you're Chief Executive?"

Turning on their heels, everyone could hear Ria tell Moka: "It is unfortunate, but it looks like father's going to be awfully upset once we tell him how Mr. Kikomura's daughter treated you, and that her father not only allowed it, but encouraged it."

"Now, hold on a second."

"But don't worry, sister dear, I'll make sure to get his name and address, okay?"

The man grew pale and his eyes darted to the limousine parked in front of his home with the large slogan of Fairy Tale Inc. on its doors, and started to panic.

"Uhh, please wait!" He called out to them, and humbly bowed before them quickly. "Please, forgive my rudeness and the rudeness of my daughter. Won't you please come in and accept our hospitality?"

Takane looked at her father as though he had betrayed her.

"But, dad I don't like that girl! She's stuck up and…"

"Be quiet, dear," her father commanded, laughing nervously and she shut her mouth with a snap. "This is very important for father, now would you please apologize to her right now and be sincere or I will ground you."

"But daddy!"

"Apologize!"

Lowering her head she turned to Moka, chewing on her words and pride that would have been note worthy for most proud creatures, and reluctantly said: "I'm… I'm sorry for how I treated you. Let's..._please_ be friends."

Though the circumstances were not ideal, Moka still nodded her head and accepted the apology.

"I really do want to be friends with you, Takane."

"Sure you do," Takane scowled.

"There, now isn't that so much better?" Ria said sweetly. "See how much better it is to be nice?"

"Please, won't you and your sister come in?" Mr. Kikomura asked, graciously accepting her hand and opened the door for Ria and Moka to enter.

"Is the Miss around?" Ria asked.

"Oh no, she works the graveyard shift."

"How unfortunate," Ria said, tilting her head prettily as she watched him turn a nervous shade of red.

"Takane, why don't you spend some time with Moka, get to know her better," he ordered, eyeing Ria the whole time.

"What?" Takane asked.

"Such a cute, little rebellious child, isn't she?" Ria asked as she patted Takane's shoulder gently, but upon walking past, she slid her nails over the very sensitive part of his back above his hip.

"Ohh…" He muttered, turning away from her when Ria made a point of looking just as embarrassed as him.

"My apologies, I hope you didn't mind?"

"Huh, oh-oh no, it's...that's alright, I'm cool, heheh," he said, blushing as if the touch of a beautiful woman was a bad thing, but casually brushed it away with a wave of his fingers.

While Ria and Mr. Kikomura enjoyed a bottle of sake, Takane and Moka share a nicely prepared strawberry shortcake, but Takane made little effort to hide her true feelings and was unhappy to have Moka's presence in her home. She also couldn't help, but notice how "well" her father was getting along with Ria and worried how her mom would react upon learning how this woman was cozying up to her father, or the way he was looking at her.

"I think a man of your fine character deserves to be rewarded," Ria hinted.

"Yeah?" He asked. "Hey Takane, why don't you kids go back into your room and play. Show your little friend around, okay?"

"...Yes father; c'mon."

After the two were alone, Takane couldn't put up with this any longer and finally asked something that had been bothering her outside of this semi forced intrusion into her life.

"Are you really as sensitive to water as they say you are?" She inquired, pulling out a super soaker gun from under her bed.

"I told you I was, Kikomura, I don't lie. Why would I say something like that when I want to be friends with everyone? You wouldn't like it if it felt like someone was stabbing you in the face, would you?"

"But it's just water. Water doesn't hurt regular people. Why does it hurt you?"

_Because I'm a vampire. A scary, dangerous, and deadly creature of darkness that can't stand to be touched by something as purifying as that element in its natural form! _Moka thought.

"Look, some people are allergic to certain foods, plants, bug bites, clothes, and some are even very sensitive to sunlight. I didn't ask to be born this way or to have pink hair and green eyes. I also didn't ask to be born in my family, but I love them still the same. Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful for what I have and who my siblings and my parents are, but I don't think you're being fair with me when you call me a snob just for being rich or for having baths and not taking showers with the other girls. I've never used my family's name, my family's money, or our wealth to try and bully people around. I worked really hard for the grades I get to make my parents proud. Don't you do better in school and try harder because _your_ parents support you?"

Fidgeting a little, Takane obviously didn't like how logical her unwelcomed guest was being.

"My dad helps me when he's around," Takane replied, "but I rarely get to see him all that much. He's always working and so is my mom. They're hardly in the same house at the same time except on holidays. And even when they are both home, they're just accommodating each other to keep things civil. I haven't heard them say they love each other in a long time."

Moka shuffled uncomfortably, having never expected Takane to make an admission like that. She couldn't imagine her mother and father not telling each other they loved one another; it was too unimaginable.

"It must be nice to have a sister come to your defense when someone's picking on you," Takane confessed when Moka got quiet.

Moka felt a lot better knowing that she was breaking some ground, knowing that some of Takane's actions might have stemmed from being alone a lot and having to put on a brave face; something Moka understood and did herself.

"It is. Ria is very protective of our family."

"She must really care about you, huh?"

"…Yeah, I think she does."

Moka couldn't remember how long they talked that night, but they got along better than she had expected, and before they knew it, it was time to go. Moka and Takane were in a better mood than before, but upon returning to the leaving room, they noticed Mr. Kikomura redoing his tie and buttoning up his collar, while his and Ria's eyes locked in some kind of bond of their own that Moka couldn't decipher. She saw Ria slipping on her long gloves on and wondered why she had taken them off.

"Thank you for telling me everything going on in your store and I appreciate you taking the time for my sister and your daughter to bury the hatchet. I'm sure good things will come your way if you stay your course at the store, Sutaku Kikomura."

"Please, just call me Sutaku, and you're very welcome, Ria."

"Oh, and don't forget," The dark haired temptress said as she slides a hand up the sides of her calves, past the knees and lifted, ever so slightly her dress just barely enough to show some leg as she finishes putting on her shoes on, "call me if you ever need anything. We're friends now, right?"

"Ah…yes I will, thank you, Ria. I look forward to talking to you, again."

"Thank you for talking to me, Takane!" Moka said, bowing politely.

"Yeah, and I'm sorry for how I treated you," she replied, having to bury her pride as she wasn't used to being wrong. "If it's any help…um…we can be friends, now."

"I'm so happy!" Moka exclaimed, practically pouncing on her and embraced her tightly.

"Ack! So strong!" Taken said, grimacing under the pressure, as though her lungs were would burst.

"Sorry!" Moka squeaked, blushing and smiling so cheerfully. "I work out with my sister."

"You know martial arts, too?"

Moka nodded and performed a quick little karate kick that made both Takane and her father's eyes widen.

"But, I prefer not to fight though…I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"You can't be that good, can you?" Takane asked nervously.

"I'm working on it," Moka chewed her fingernail shyly, "but I would rather we be friends and create happy memories from now on through high school. Don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Takane mumbled, looking a little cautious and sympathetic.

"Sister dear, please say good bye to your friend. We must be going."

"Okay! Thank you for having us! I look forward to seeing you at school!"

"Yeah, bye," Takane said.

"Well, that certainly turned out nice," the doctor commented. "I don't see how things turned out so badly for you if you were able to make a friend."

"No, they only got worse."

The scene changed to next morning and Moka was being driven to school in her limo.

"Can you drop me off here?" Moka called out to her driver.

"But, ma'am, are you sure? We're about two miles from your school and you're going to be late unless you run the whole way."

"Some of the kids at school think me showing up in a limo is snobbish, so I'll just run."

Moka took her satchel and pulled the door handle.

"I…wait! Miss, Let me get the door-"

But, Moka was already closing the door behind her and leaving her chauffer to stare at the back of her bouncing hair as she ran.

"Why did it bother you that they think it was snobbish?" The doctor asked.

"Because...I wanted to be their friend."

"I get that much, but why is this moment significant?"

"What do you mean leave her alone?" Some kid angrily asked. "We were having fun last time, right? If we catch her in the hall again, I've got a couple of water balloons-"

The words froze Moka in her tracks and she leaned fearfully behind some bushes, just in time to see several boys from the water incident walking by. Peering left and right, she saw she was still about two and a half blocks away from school and most of the students were already inside the gates. If she made a dash for it, she might be able to get away from them before they threw the balloons.

"It's not funny anymore," she heard Takane tell them, but the boys didn't appear to agree with them.

"What are you talking about? It was hilarious! Did you see how she squirmed and cried! We have to do that again."

"No, we don't. Look, it hurts her and…why did you guys egg me on to do that to her anyways? She hasn't done anything to anyone!"

"She deserves it!" One snapped at her, a short boy with bulging eyes and squat features. "And it's not like we had to convince you that much. You couldn't wait to do it."

"A hobgoblin?" The doctor asked.

"Hobgoblin?"

"That's what you whispered just a second ago, remember?"

She couldn't, too lost in her thoughts to remember saying some of the things that escaped her mouth, but it was true that the guys were all monsters in disguise just by their scent alone.

"And what's wrong with that?" Takane defended, but not without some repercussion.

SLAP!

Moka covered her mouth, stifling a startled gasp.

"Why did they do that to her?" The doctor asked, as if voicing her own thoughts of that moment. "Weren't she supposed to be one of their friends?"

"I knew she was going to be a waste of time!" One of the guys said and spat where Takane had crumbled to the ground, who glared back up at the boys who had once sided with her, but now looked down at her like a pack of wolves ready to feed.

"You bastards!" Takane yelled, grabbing her cheek and tried to stand, but another boy kicked her back down. "Why the fuck did you do that? Stop!"

"Because she's the enemy!" One yelled, reaching down and grabbing her hair. "We don't like her kind! Neither did you until…"

"She got to you, didn't she?" Another boy answered before the other could finish. "That's it, isn't it? She offered you something. What was it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about! Now let me go!" She screamed, kicking at the boys hard. "I'm going to tell!"

"I bet she offered her money."

"Maybe got her daddy a better job."

"I wonder if it was sex? Even their kind sees lesbianism as normal."

"That'll be sweet to imagine, right guys?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" She screamed, but the other boy had a good tight hold of her hair and tilted it back to force her to look up at him. "She and I had a talk, but she didn't offer me anything more than some cake and-"

"I knew it! She got a hold of her!"

"What do we do? If she says anything about this, M_'s family might get involved."

"That would be bad."

"Then maybe we need to make sure Takane here doesn't talk, right?" The first boy suggested with a steely hint Moka remembered coming from her father many times over.

This young boy was nowhere near as deadly in his demeanor as her father though, and yet it didn't make his threat any less real, though it didn't make Takane any less daunted.

"Are you kidding me?" She screamed at the boy, trying to get back on her feet, but was shoved down on her rear. "I'm telling everyone! You can't do this to me! We're already late for class and I'm never late, the teachers are going to worry about me! They're going to go-"

"They're not going to do anything, but call your father during lunch or the end of school," the largest boy answered. "So that leaves us several hours to do what we want with you and then skip town."

Moka shook her head, her fingers gripping her rosary chain and tugging as hard as she could. She knew that at her current level of strength and ability she might be able to help a little, but these weren't normal, human children, they were the lower level creatures in disguise that had very little fear about being revealed and could still be stronger then her even in their current forms.

"Stop!" Moka shouted, standing up to confront them. "Leave Takane alone!"

In an unexpected show of bestial warning, all the boys hissed and growled at her.

"It's her!"

"We should run before-"

"Wait! She reeks of fear!"

It was all that they needed to incite their bravery as they cackled and chuckled, the two boys not holding Takane down began approaching Moka, menacingly. The doctor watched as Moka tried to remove her rosary harder this time, ready to scream in frustration that she was too weak when she needed to be strong for someone else's sake!

"Mother, why?" She muttered under her breath.

"Yeah, that's right," said one of the boys, drawing in closer than the other, "call out for mommy! Hahahahaha!"

"You know what, I never did like you guys," said a male's voice from behind their shoulders.

"Hoshii!" Takane called out, who came out of nowhere.

While not as fast as vampires, a pegasus was an incredibly strong, pure bred creature that were considered A-Class monsters, and Hoshii was already on top them before the second boy could respond. Though strong in their own right, his attackers were clumsy and awkward, as two of the boys were already thrown off balance with a few well placed punches and kicks, making it painfully obvious that this fight was really one sided; by now, Hoshii had already punched one boy through a wooden fence, and was trading blows with the second.

"HEYYY!" The boy holding Takane screamed as Hoshii grabbed his face and shoved him hard against a wall from behind.

"Take her and run!" Their rescuer yelled.

Moka grabbed Takane by her wrist and ran as fast as she could to school where they alerted authorities. Despite some bruises Takane would be fine, and after reporting to the school principal what happened, those boys were later arrested by the local police and Hoshii praised as a hero when word got around what he had done. After all was said and done, both vampire and pegasus went to check on Takane in the nurse's office for her injuries.

"That was very brave of you two," said the doctor to Moka, "helping your friend when she needed it."

"Thank you," Moka mumbled. "Thank you for helping us back there, I mean. We would have been in a lot of trouble if you hadn't helped us. I'm… I'm not used to it. I'm indebted to you."

Hoshii was rubbing his shoulder and squinting one eye, but he seemed to be in good spirits.

"Nah, don't worry about it. Anyone would have done that."

"No, not really. I get in those kinds of predicaments all the time here and no one would have helped me."

"I helped you," Hoshii reminded her.

"You're not human," She whispered under her breath, but just loud enough for him to hear. "You maybe a creature of light, but you're monster like me, so you did the right thing. The good thing."

"_Mo...a!"_

"What was that?" She asked, the scream suddenly tugging at her heart like a strong sense of conscience.

"If I remember correctly, Takane was trying to keep those boys from hurting you again. I think she deserves some praise as well."

"Huh?"

"I said Takane took a beating for you, I think she deserves some credit."

"You...just how long were you standing there watching?" Moka asked.

"I can ask you the same thing...By the way, so what kind of creature are you?"

Taken aback, Moka shied away from him, not wanting to reveal something like that to him.

"I told you, I'm not allowed to tell. I'll get in trouble."

Turning down the hall, Hoshii asked her: "I'm going to guess you're a creature of Darkness; a vampire, right?"

"Creature of Darkness, creature of Light?" The doctor asked.

"It's a monster thing."

"Of course."

Moka turned her head so fast she didn't see a door just about to open in front of her, but Hoshii stopped it just short of it smacking her in the face.

"Ah, thanks," she blushed, knowing how she must look in front of him and the person coming out of the classroom. "Now, what makes you think-"

"You're allergic to water," Hoshii said. "And, you're very hush-hush about it, and you have more money than anyone in this school."

"That's not true!" Moka whined a little, "It's not my money. It's my father's."

"Still, that doesn't mean your family doesn't flaunt it. I mean seriously you get dropped off and picked up in a limo every day. Do you think people don't notice?"

"I didn't ask to be treated this way by my family or by everyone in this school. As far as what I'm allergic to, a lot of people have these kinds of things. And for being flamboyant, most wealthy people like to see that their family is taken care of from their home to their destinations."

"So you're denying you're a vampire?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Then admit that you are."

"I told you I can't!"

"Look," Hoshii said to her and stared deeply into her green eyes, "I saved you and Takane. I would think that would deserve some level of trust from you."

Moka's lips trembled and she nodded. "I would tell you if I could, Hoshii but...I gave my word to my father that I wouldn't. I'm keeping my word, okay?"

"Fine, I can appreciate that, but I'm taking advantage of your indebtedness to me."

"What would you like from me?"

Rubbing his neck nervously, he said, "Do you think you could put in a good word for me for Takane?"

"That's what you want from me?"

"Well, I-I kind of like her, okay? That's why I was following her and…well…I notice she picks on you, but you seemed to have become friends. I know she's tough and she's not exactly demure or shy, but…well…I like her. So…do you think-"

"You saved us and you think you need my help getting a date with her?" Moka gawked at him. "I'll do my best."

Moka thought Hoshii's reaction to Takane staring at him as if she just saw the most beautiful person in the world was very cute, and understandable as he had qualities that stood out and could mark him more than human if anyone was looking hard enough. He was wide of chest, carefree in his blue eyes, and had a long mane of auburn hair with just the slightest streak of white that was proudly worn in a tail at the nape of his neck. Tall and lean, he had a bit of a nose and a slight overbite, but there was a lot of confidence in his eyes, except when it came to Takene.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Moka exclaimed. "When they hit you I didn't know what to do! I'm so happy Hoshii came and helped us-"

"Thanks to you, Hoshii," Takane said, blushing.

Fidgeting under her appraisal, he just nodded, rubbing his nose with the back of his bandaged hand.

"Your hand," Takane noted and got up off the bed to take his wrist into her fingers. "Is it broken?"

Looking away, he shrugged his shoulders and was unable to answer her, so Takane did the one thing that not even Moka would've had the courage to do. Pulling Hoshii down, she kisses him tenderly on the cheek.

"Thank you for being there for us, I guess I had it coming though, huh? I am who I hang out with."

"You don't have to be like that," Hoshii mumbled, eventually finding his voice, but Moka would not let this moment pass. She was only shy when it came to herself.

"I have waaay too much to eat, so if you two want to share with me I would love the company," Moka suggested as she gripped Takane in a tight hug. "Besides, I'm sure Takane would feel very safe if someone was there to make sure no one else wanted to pick a fight with her."

So, later in the day, the three of them were having lunch, with Moka doing all she could for her friends to keep up the conversation.

It was the first time she had enjoyed a meal and not had someone accost her, and it made her very happy; for the moment.

It was at the end of the week when things would come to an end, as she and Hoshii were walking outside after school together, enjoying each other's company and she warming up to him. She then noticed a gift in his arms and asked: "Is that for Takane?"

The blush on his cheek was answer enough.

"I'm sure she'll love it. Is something wrong?"

When she looked into his eyes, she could see there was trouble, big trouble.

"I don't know if you've heard this, but her mother came home last night to see your sister...and her father."

"What happened next?"

"She didn't say, but she's really upset and…well…she…"

"I hate to ask, but…what did my sister do?"

"She was caught having dinner with her father."

"So they were having dinner?"

"Yes."

"What else?"

"Don't you get it? He's married and they were having dinner."

"Were they kissing? Did she catch them holding hands? Speaking into each other's ears?" Moka offered, in hopes to get a clearer picture of the wrongs her sister was probably involved in.

Hoshii shook his head, but went on to answer: "I don't know. She didn't say. All I know was that her mother didn't like it."

"Her mother?" Moka muttered, realizing out of all the times she went over to see her friend, she had not once seen the reclusive and less mentioned woman. "But..."

"But, just so you know her mother and father were fighting throughout the night, and she threatened to divorce him if he promised to stop seeing your sister."

"But…her father and Ria weren't doing anything wrong, right? My sister mentioned to me that Takane's father was promoted to manager and she was only confirming a few details with him."

"C'mon, your sister is the head of Fairy Tale, head Executive Officer! Why would she waste her time on some assistant store manager at one of their franchises? They _had _to have been having an affair. And, to be honest, I have a feeling that her mother was not so innocent, either."

"Then…if that's the case, if they are both equally guilty, then why...?"

"What can I say? Humans are complicated creatures, Moka," he answered thoughtfully.

Moka's voice thickened with anger and frank confusion: "What is so special about them? You can't be yourself around them. You can't show them your true beauty! I mean _can't_! I have to hide and pretend… I'm so much stronger than this and… and in order for me to be accepted, my mother said I have to appear weak and pathetic! What is so wonderful about that, Hoshii?"

"I believe there is something to be said about being humble and meek."

"Why don't we tell them what we are?" Moka whispered conspiratorially.

Hoshii flinched at her words, considering it blasphemy against one of the dominating rules of the monster world.

"No, you NEVER reveal what you truly are to humans…Never!"

Hoshii looked nervously about, but they were alone outside the school halls, right beneath a pretty sakura tree. Unfortunately, they were not truly alone, as some kids, including a concealed Takane was standing just a little ways off to the side, straining to listen to their conversation.

"We can't talk about this," said Hoshii.

"We have to tell her!" She yelled, grabbing on to his hand and entwining her fingers desperately through his, clutching at him tightly to keep him from leaving.

"You're crazy! She won't understand and she'll tell everyone."

He tried to shake her loose, but she wouldn't let go.

"Who cares? Let everyone know! Let's quit this fake existence and just be what we really are! Let's tell Takane the truth! She's our friend! She'll understand!"

"No, she won't!" He snapped and tried again to pull free and get away from her, but his efforts only made Moka hold on more tightly. "She won't understand, don't you get it? Takane isn't going to be able to handle it! She'll be horrified!"

"Don't you want her to see the real you and me, to see us as we really are? Would that be so bad?"

Moka was holding his hand with both of hers, looking at him pleadingly.

"I can't believe you're talking like this!" He shouted into her face. "I thought you were my friend, but…"

He saw the look of hurt on Moka's face and, suddenly noticed the attention he was getting from everyone around them, including Takane. Hoshii lowered his voice and asked Moka:

"Do you know the law? If a monster reveals his true form to a human, the witnessing human must die or else the offender will be executed in flames. Is that what you want? For Takane to be killed just because you wanted to show her how strong you are?"

"No, but no one will ever know! She's our friend and we can trust her. Once she understands why we've been so secretive everything will be fine, I just know it will!"

"I love her; don't you understand? Please don't ask me to do this. Maybe one day, I'll reveal my true identity to her, but only if the time is right for it and she's ready, now isn't the time; I'll deny everything!"

"But it's who we are and what we are! I'm tired of pretending! I'm going to tell her!"

She at last let go of his hand, but this time he grabbed on to hers and refused to let go.

"Stop! You can't!"

"Let me go!"

"I can't! You'll ruin everything! Please, stop this! I don't want to lose her! I don't want her to die!"

"If she loves you, she'll understand!"

"No she won't! How could she?"

"What won't I understand?" Takane's voice said coldly, appearing before them suddenly, arms crossed and rage in her eyes. "From what I can see, you two seem pretty desperate to put your hands on one another. It must be a pretty good reason, whatever it is."

Moka's mouth worked, unable to realize she had been overheard, but Hoshii spoke first.

"Um, w-we're lovers."

Moka's head snapped around to face Hoshii with tarnished cheeks and shocked eyes.

"What?" Moka asked.

Takane, on the other hand, had no problem believing him.

"For how long?" She asked.

"A while now, I only got close to you so I could be…close to her," Hoshii said and tried to approach Takane, but she took a deliberate step back.

"You're the worst," she hissed. "Both of you!"

Hoshii seemed willing to accept the blame and decided to subdue his shoulders and eyes regretfully.

"I'm sorry, I never wanted to hurt you."

"That's not true!" Moka insisted. "He's just being my friend and to spare you the-"

"Just admit it already!" Takane snapped, seething with white, hot rage. "You knew I liked him, and yet the two of you have been using me from the beginning! This whole time, you never wanted to be my friend, I was just a patsy to get closer to Hoshii! This is the secret you've been keeping this whole damn time! You two have been laughing at me behind my back, all along!"

"No, it's not..."

Moka wanted to explain, but how could she? She had to face the truth that Hoshii might be right, if she told Takane the truth she would have to die! How could she do that to her friend?

"It's not… that important. He was going to leave me anyway, that's what we were talking about. Hoshii fell out of love with me and wanted to be with you, he doesn't want-"

"So, you developed a conscience and couldn't go through with the charade anymore, huh?" Takane asked with an air of sarcasm in her voice, eyes red with tears as she began to back away. "I trusted you, I accepted you as my friend, and I loved him and…and you two did this behind my back? I hope you're happy! You two can have each other! I don't care! You're just like your sister, Ria! She did the same thing to my father and mom and they had a huge fight because of it! If it wasn't for my mom being strong enough to push Ria away they would have broken up, but she was a fool! She should have left my ungrateful father! I hate him! I hate you! And, I especially hate _you_, Hoshii!"

She threw her hand back and slapped him, and then Moka sprang forward.

"Don't you dare do that!" Moka screamed, grabbing a hold of Takane's arm and pulling it so hard she heard something pop.

"Aaaaaah!" She screamed as her arm was bent awkwardly at the shoulder, dislocated.

"No!" Hoshii yelled, forcefully removing Moka's grip from around her broken limb. "What have you done?"

Taking in the way Hoshii had to be firm, yet careful with Takane's arm, standing defensively in between them, she thought he was there to protect Takane from her.

"Why?" Moka muttered. "All I wanted was for us to be friends!"

"You two are monsters!" The girl yelled in anguish and ran away, holding her wounded arm and wounded heart, while Moka and Hoshii were left standing in utter disbelief at what had happened.

"Why did you do that?" She asked, bewildered green eyes staring at Hoshii through gritted teeth.

"It was better than letting you tell her the truth," he answered calmly.

"But…"

"But what? Were you going to trust the fate of all monsters to a fourteen year old girl? And for what? So that she would like you better? So you wouldn't feel so frustrated? You're so naïve! Such a law exists for a reason, to prevent war! They're an interesting and complicated people, and they are amazing in a lot of ways, but what they fear, they always destroy. If they ever learned the truth there would be bloodshed and chaos on a biblical scale, we'd probably become extinct! And you were going to risk it all so that one girl would like you better? Idiot!"

Moka tried to find a way around his logic, but she couldn't.

"You love her," she whispered painfully, knowing that he did.

He scratched at his neck and started to walk away.

"Yes I did," he called back. "I had hoped there could have been more and she and I would have looked past our differences, but it was such a stupid idea. I'll fall in love again… eventually."

And that was that…she had hurt him and he had to lie to her now former friend because of what they were.

"No, it was because of what _she_ was," Moka angrily commented.

"Because of her, Lucy?" The doctor asked, having observed the whole interaction.

"It was _her_ fault for being human, _her_ kind that created this world of misunderstanding and distrust! _Her_ kind that are so easily manipulated and so fickle that she was miserable! If they all knew I was a vampire and accepted it, then none of her heartaches would have happened! I hate them...I really, _really_ hate them."

"...You don't seriously...believe that, do you Lucy? The girl was clearly upset; it doesn't make her to be the villain."

"Oh, you'll see...You'll see."

The doctor found himself sitting in the back of a limo with Moka and Ria, once again, indicating that she was now beginning to take some control of her memories if she could shift scenes like this.

"Something wrong, sister dear?" Ria inquired in her rich voice.

"I hate humans," Moka murmured while looking out at the horizon through the dark tinted windows.

"Hmph, so what else is new, I hate humans too, but you don't see me sulking. This wouldn't have to do with your friend and her parent's little squabble?"

Turning her soft, pale skinned face and studious green eyes to Ria, she asked: "What happened?"

"What always happens when humans find out that their little tricks have backfired on them. They want what they lost and they'll blame heaven and hell to get it."

"I don't understand."

"Sis, you see we were having dinner. I just so happen to find out the poor man had been under appreciated at work after inquiring if he was due for a promotion. So I made sure he got one."

"Don't lie to me," Moka's normally soft voice was uncharacteristically authoritative, but Ria smiled that her normally docile sister was being as bold as she's ever been.

"Spoken like a true vampire, however I'm not lying. I promoted him and made sure he would have every possible interest in coming to work at the local corporate office. Out of all the other local franchises, his store has now outperformed every other store, and ranked first. I definitely think he belongs somewhere more lucrative, wouldn't you?"

Moka wanted to refute her, but if what she said was true then what else could she say?

"He was _very_ appreciative. I was delighted to be with him. In fact, I was looking forward to it. Do you know why? Because he needed me."

"He...needed you?"

"You don't believe me."

"No."

"Well," she sighed, "I don't have to tell you he was attracted to me, do I?"

Moka remained silent and listened carefully.

"He was very attentive to me in a way that had nothing to do with business or sexuality, sister dear. Mr Kikomura just wanted someone to spend some time with him, listen to him, have someone to talk to that didn't look down or brow beat him in anyway. He just wanted someone to care. It showed in his mannerisms and his attitude towards me. It was rather pathetic to say the least, but even though he wasn't at all that attractive or wealthy, there was something entertaining about him that allowed me to enjoy my time there with him. I simply had fun being in his company, that's all. Sadly, his wife didn't seem to think so."

This had almost been what Moka was waiting for, the big revelation of the interaction between her kind and the humans.

"When she came in, she had been up in arms about him being a cheating spouse. However, in his defense, he threw back in her face about how she was out with a boyfriend and had known all along. The poor woman tried to throw me out, but one look at me and she knew better than to lay a hand on me."

Moka was all too familiar with how much Ria enjoyed putting people in their place, still, what stuck with her the most was what she said afterwards.

"You said you hate humans, but do you want to know why?"

Even though the memory of what had happened was fresh, she only knew she couldn't understand why things were the way they were.

"Humans can only find happiness if they are equally miserable, sister."

That caught Moka's attention because of how much truth was in it, of how it all made sense to her young and fragile heart.

"They have to have everyone suffer at their level because misery loves company. Your friend's, whatever her name was, mother knew that her husband was happy so she had to tear down what little happiness he had, even if he was trying to find it elsewhere. Even a friend, someone he was attracted to and wanted to spend a little time with wasn't allowed. _So_, in order to make herself feel better and take back what she had been all too willing to throw away, she demanded he come crawling back to her or they divorce right then and there."

Moka began to see parallels with Hoshii when he called out that she and him were lovers. He knew Takane would accept that instead of something as simple as him and Moka being monsters; it was sick, it was all too sick, and that humans were simply perverted.

"And you know what?" Ria chuckled. "He buckled right in front of her, little sister. It's a real shame, because he had so much potential too. I'm sure if he had just been pushed in the right direction, he could have been a hundred times the man he was now. Sadly, I give it less than a year before he's going to be her whipping boy again. His wife came back to him only out of fear of losing what belonged to hers."

Listening to her sister predict the same potential expectations for all interactions with humans, another message brought her out of her thoughts:

"You shouldn't waste your emotions, expectations, or even your hope on them, little sister. They are sheep. They are only ever happy if they are mindlessly following the flock. We are wolves, we go where we please and get what we want, and damn everyone else who gets in our way. Sheep and wolves aren't MEANT to understand each other or be friends, sister dear. We are meant to devour them and they are meant to fear us. THAT is just nature."

"Lucy," the doctor suddenly spoke, almost startling her from behind, "...don't tell me you're buying this? Nothing she said is true."

"It is true. All of it. My mother was a fool, a fool for leaving me alone and sending me to go live with these people. I hate them!"

The doctor now found the two of them in a large, empty chapel where a man in a white hood stood off in the distance, watching the pink haired girl, now a few years older, kneeling on the floor, weeping for her mother.

"Lucy?"

"MOTHER!" She cried. "WHY! WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME ALONE! WHY'D YOU SEND ME AWAY! I'M SO ALONE! WHY?"

In a rage, she began trashing the place, knocking over tables and throwing everything around, smashing things in the process, all the while asking her nonexistent mother why, when all of a sudden, a voice broke through the noise:

"MO_A!"

The voice startled her silent, hearing the strange man's voice, a voice that had been calling out to her before, but was now just right behind her back, only a few feet away.

"Mo_a," he said again, this time more calmly.

Anxious to see his face, she slowly turned her head around, determined to get a look at who this person is, and suddenly she was back in class again.

"...W-Where?" She muttered.

"Why are we here now, Lucy?" The doctor asked, standing behind her desk.

It was a crisp, clear morning in her English class as the sun shone brilliantly through the windows, its blinders lifted and allowing the rays to bathe everyone in it; for a vampire, such a scene would've been unwelcoming and since wholeheartedly embracing her vampire heritage, it definitely bothered her, but not as much as why this day was being remembered.

"I...I don't know, I don't remember this day."

"Ahem, Miss," said the teacher, looking down at her, and she soon realized that it must've been her that had been calling out all this time, "could you answer the question I just asked?"

"...Uh..."

"I see, this must be a repressed memory," the doctor commented. "You're suffering brain damage, and while the memories are being jostled about, certain memory blocks that would've existed before have sense eroded; you're remembering things you must've either forgotten involuntarily or chosen to repress, though I am curious to see what about this particular memory made you want to forget it, if the rest we've seen weren't bad enough."

"Doc..."

"Mo_a!" The teacher demanded, snapping her too. Immediately, all the other kids began laughing and talking about her behind her back, reminding Moka once again where she was. With head held down, her long, pink hair hanging over her face in the familiar position, she rose up and prepared to answer the question, though she had no memory of what it was she had to answer. "This is very uncharacteristic of you, you're usually very attentive."

"The rich girl is finally losing it," one of the kids whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear and began laughing.

"Hey! One more word out of you, young man and it's to the principal!" The teacher yelled. "Now, let your classmate answer the question."

"I hate humans," she muttered under her breath.

"But, do you seriously believe in something like that?" The doctor asked.

"I..."

Moka was about to answer that question, when another teacher came running into the classroom, her frantic movements catching everyone's attention and snapping Moka out of her maudlin as she ran up to their teacher and whispered something into her ear. She next saw the teacher's face turn white, her eyes bug almost out from behind her bi-focal lenses, and suddenly proclaimed to the class:

"Uh, class we are going to postpone today's lesson plan and are going to watch the news this morning, something very, very serious has happened over in the U.S.; if you have any relatives over there now, you may use this time to try and get a hold of them.

"What's going on?" One of the kids asked, voicing Moka's own thoughts as she sat back down.

The teacher reached up to classroom TV situated up next to the chalkboard and turned it on where, immediately it came on to a news broadcast already in progress, the volume turned up loud enough for all to listen.

"Due to the difference in time zone," said a female news anchor, face as grim as granite, "we are just now getting information and footage of the events that are unfolding over in America, but for those of you who are just now tuning into this broadcast, we at the station have received confirmation that...two planes have hit the World Trade Center towers in New York City in what many now believe to a terrorist attack."

Everyone, in what had been a curious silence, then erupted into stunned gasps and whispered questioning. Moka, shocked herself, then looked at the calendar and saw that it was a Tuesday morning, on the 11th of September, 2001.

"I...I don't remember this!" She muttered.

"You...don't remember 911?" The doctor asked in a hushed whisper.

"The footage is just now coming in," the anchor went on to say. "I warn you, what you're about to see is extremely, extremely graphic."

Graphic it was for all who saw, the devastation, the smoke from the towers, the shocking footage of an airliner plunging into one of the towers just a few stories above people's heads, and the scenes of people plunging to their deaths. Many kids were distraught, some had to go outside and immediately call on their cell phones for loved ones that were in New York at that time; Moka began to remember that one girl in her class had an older brother who was a first responder in New York, and wouldn't come back, another student's father, who commuted from Japan to New York regularly, had an office in the North Tower above the impact zone; he was one of many that were trapped. And, another had an aunt and uncle that were on board Flight 93, on their way home for the upcoming holidays, she could hear her breakdown in the hallway upon learning of their fates. But, what bothered Moka the most was that she didn't remember any of this, and now that she did, it made her feel uncomfortable remembering it, more so than any of her other bad memories. And, after a while of footage, they watched the South Tower collapse before their very eyes, sending an avalanche of dust and debris cascading through the city, chasing frightened and dismayed citizens before its wake. The doctor leaned towards Moka and asked:

"You said that humans love misery, right? It doesn't look like they're having a great time of it; how does that stack up in the face of this?"

Moka, too caught up in these stunning events, struggled to prove her point that she was right and humans were a weak enemy that didn't deserve sympathy.

"...I...was right," she muttered.

"PAPA!" She heard a girl cry in the hallway, finding herself deeply affected towards a human's pain.

"I...I am right, y-you see!" Moka pointed. "This was caused by humans, other humans who were miserable and jealous of people in America, that's why they did this, and you ask me if I'm right? How could you look at this and say that it isn't true."

"If what you say is true," the doctor countered, "then why are those humans going into that building to rescue those trapped? Why are they risking their lives for them?"

She looked back at the screen and what she saw amazed her.

"We're going in," she heard one firefighter said after getting the go ahead to move on the North Tower.

She had failed to notice them before, but there they were, firefighters, paramedics, police and plains clothed officers rushing into the fray, with ordinary people helping wounded civilians out of the way, even after the first tower had collapsed and the second one was dangerously close to falling after, even while people continued raining down all around them, and still many more marched forward in orderly fashion, marching towards certain death, determined to save as many people trapped inside.

"And, you can live with that?" The doctor asked. "Thinking the way you do, you can live with watching that and not be moved?"

"I-It's their job," Moka reasoned. "Th-They're supposed to..."

"Hang on papa!" The girl said to her dad, talking to him on the phone as he remained trapped. "They're coming to get you, just hang on!"

These people, these humans, foolishly risking their lives were this girl and her dad's only hope; they placed so much faith in these people, but they were only human? What can humans do in the face of this? How can they be this fool hardy and yet, as much as it pained her to admit, she found herself admiring their bravery. Humans were supposed to be intolerant, sick cowards, but not this.

"Man, why are they going in?" One boy asked. "I'd get the hell away from there?

"Yeah," another kid agreed.

Why were they going in, why were they risking death to save those people, though Moka hoped for her classmate's sake that they would, it still left her confused and deeply troubled. Whether they were being paid for it or not, it definitely began to appear that these first responders were not performing a job, they seriously meant to save those trapped in the flames far above or die trying. And then, in one angle of footage, as it showed a column of firefighters walking under an overhang, heading towards the North Tower, it showed a close up shot of each man coming forward, their shoot covered faces being etched into everyone's memory, where amongst these men Moka took notice of one in particular carrying his equipment over his right shoulder, a very young man with brown, cropped hair and a fresh, young face that seemed to resonate with her. His chestnut eyes looked up at the tower with trepidation, not so much for his safety or for that of his comrades, but at the monumental task of being able to get to those people trapped up there and put out the flames; it was a kind of look those eyes of his displayed which made her heart ache for him as he and the rest of the first responders marched into the building and disappeared, forever. Then the North Tower collapsed, the girl who had been maintaining correspondence with her father this whole time screamed, and the man whom Moka had bonded with ever so fleetingly had, along with so many brave men and women, gone up in a torrent of debris high into the air, where the only remainder of that throng of heroes who went in was one lone firefighter, stumbling about in a daze.

"No," Moka began to say, "NOOOOO!"

"Lucy," the doctor tried to say, shaking her shoulders, "Lucy, you can wake up! It's alright, it's over!"

Moka woke up and found herself back on the couch, the windows open and the fan blowing out what was left of the peyote; it was indeed potent stuff, as she could've sworn she was there at all of those moments.

"Are you okay?" The doctor asked, re-taking his seat.

"...Uh, y-yeah," she said, shaking her groggy head.

"Well, I have to say, you provided some very...impressive imagery. At least we know that your family owns a major conglomerate called Fairy Tale, your sisters names are Ria, Kahlua, Akua, and Kokoa, and that your last name is Akashiya. But, what bothers me the most was the last vision you had."

"I...I don't remember it," she repeated. "It didn't happen."

"...911 didn't happen? Is that what you're really going to tell me?"

"No. I'm saying I didn't experience it, okay?"

"But, Lucy it was in your memories."

"No, you must've put them there, somehow."

"Lucy, I'm not a magician, I can't put anything like that in your head, this came from your own memory, a memory that you, for some reason chose to suppress. Why?"

"Because...I don't know."

"I think you do know."

"No I don't."

"Lucy, in the time I've gotten to know you, I've been able to learn a lot about you. An important facet that is made clear is that you have a lot of deep-seated anger issues, mostly directed at your mother, whom you feel abandoned you."

"Th-That's not true, I love my mother!"

"Then why is it that you hate humans so much?"

"Because...I told you, you saw."

"Because you got into a fight with your friend, the only friend you were able to make? You can't blame her for what happened, considering the circumstances, I think it's you who should shoulder responsibility."

"Me?" She asked, indignantly. "Why me? Why is it my responsibility?"

"Lucy, you really didn't see what I saw? You were almost aggressive in wanting to reveal your feelings to this boy and for that poor girl to know in some vain attempt for her to like the old you."

"So, what's wrong with that?"

"What was wrong with the way things were before, why'd it have to be on your terms? You don't think you rushed things a bit too much?"

"...You just don't understand."

"No, I thinik it's you who doesn't understand."

"...Don't you see, it's you humans who are always, always trying to force people like me to live and behave; you're too afraid of what you don't understand, and what you're afraid, you either try to control it or destroy it! It's as simple as that!"

"There's nothing simple about it, Lucy. I'm not above being yourself, there's nothing wrong with it, but at the same time you must also be mindful of other people and their belief's; Lucy, you need to understand that not everyone is going to agree with you, and while you should be true to yourself, it doesn't give you the right to attack someone if they don't agree with your decisions."

"I didn't attack her, she attacked us, and it's her fault!"

"The girl was upset her father was having an affair…"

"He was not, my sister didn't do anything to hurt their marriage."

"Lucy, it was plain to see that your sister's presence wasn't as innocent as you like to believe it was."

"You stupid human. What do you know?"

"Alright, then let's focus more on your friend, Takane. Whatever it was you were trying to accomplish, you definitely went about it the wrong way and picked an inappropriate time to do it, and you know it."

"There was nothing inappropriate about it; she needed to know the truth that me and Hoshii were different."

"And if she refused to accept it, then what?"

"She would've accepted it."

"But, what if she hadn't?"

"She would, if she really wanted to be my friend."

"I thought it was you who really wanted her to be your friend?"

"I did, I even went through all of that trouble to get her to like me, and I thought…"

"If all you wanted was to be her friend, then shouldn't that have been enough? Why was it so important for her to know that you were something completely different from her and at such a critical time, couldn't you two have been on equal terms instead? There's nothing wrong in letting her know about your true self, but you should've given it time, not rush it forward and drop such a bombshell, especially if you knew that secret might've gotten her into trouble all while she was dealing with a crisis at home. You should've asked yourself, 'If I tell her this now, would I be right to do so? Would she get into trouble if she found out? And, would now be an appropriate time for it or should I wait when she isn't in a bad mood?'; Instead of thinking about yourself, maybe you should've been more supportive of your friend when _she_ needed your friendship, it wouldn't have killed you to show a little common courtesy."

"Common courtesy? Well, what about everyone else, they picked on me and it was because of your small minded bigotry and your weak minds that my mother made me unable to use my full power to defend myself, like a proper vampire should!"

"...If your mother could hear you, right now, I wonder how she would feel?"

"Don't speak of my mother like you know her, you don't know anything about her or me!"

"I know enough, and as far as being picked on at school, you are not alone in that. Kids can be cruel and many a child has gone through what you have, including me."

"You?"

"Yes, when I was your age, I was bullied all the way through my senior year of high school," he said, laughing almost bitterly as the memories came flooding back. "Heh, there were times where every day I was punched, kicked, beaten and spat on, and would come home with bruises to show for it. One time, some guys from the football team shoved me into the girl's locker room, where the girls there proceeded to beat me up almost worst than the guys, and after that I was labeled a pervert and had to hide from my pursuers."

"Framed as a...pervert," she said to herself, his predicament sounding vaguely familiar to her, somehow. "So, what happened? Doesn't that prove to you what I was saying all along?"

"No."

"Then, what did you do?"

"You want to know what I did? After every insult, every beat down and random act of humiliation that knocked me down a peg, I would always pick myself up, firmly on my feet and move forward. I wasn't about to let it keep me down, I made up my mind to make the most of my life, so I graduated from college, married my college sweetheart, had a wonderful child and accomplished a Doctorate in Clinical Studies; all in I wouldn't say it's been a bad life."

Moka didn't say anything, but stubbornly looks away.

"But, Lucy you are different, but not because you think you're a vampire."

"I don't think I am, I know I am!"

"Right, not because you are a vampire, but because of how you went to handle your bully problem. You actually went up to one of your tormentors and succeeded in winning her friendship of you, and in the same process gained another friend; that in itself should've been a major success in your life. However, it apparently wasn't enough for you, was it?"

"What do you mean; all I ever wanted was to be accepted."

"You _were_ accepted, but the thought of being friends with a human wasn't what you were looking for though, or none of what happened would've happened."

"You're wrong, I did want to be friends, it's her fault that it ended."

"It isn't her fault and you know it, the reason it's still fresh in your memory isn't because it was unfair to you, but that you're harboring some unseen guilt for your actions or your rationale of the events would've allowed you to simply get over it."

"You think me guilty for what was clearly not my fault, huh?"

"What made you think she absolutely _had_ to know your secret right there and then?"

"Because she needed to know, that's all!"

"You can't just force your will on to others and expect them to accept it, it doesn't work that way!"

"Well, maybe it should, at least that way you humans will know your place and recognize who is your better."

"And, with that thinking, do you honestly believe she would've preferred being your friend if she found out the truth?"

"She would've, because she would've had the protection of beings who were her betters!"

"Is that how you see it, and after she took a severe beating for you, you still see her as inferior to you and this boy Hoshii, your own friend?"

"It would've worked, I know it would've!"

"And, you feel no guilt, what so ever?"

"A vampire feels no guilt, we are above accountability for our actions, we do what we please, when we please and you humans should accept it! You can't hold us back forever with your inferior laws just so you can be on equal terms with us!"

"Lucy, everyone is held accountable for their actions, even so called creatures of darkness like yourself."

"More of your weak laws to hold us back from asserting our dominance, huh?"

"That is not just a societal law, Lucy, it's a universal one; Karma, have you heard of it? Yen and Yang, a balance in the cosmos that is always maintained; if a forest is burnt down, another will grow in its place. It's said every action has a consequence, a cause and effect whether good or bad, and for every negative act you commit, it will be repaid ten times over, be it in this world or the next, and believe me you do not want to carry that weight on your shoulders. And yes, I do believe all men are created equal and _should_ be treated equally. You say humans are weak, but I think it is you who is weak. Lots of people feel just as alienated or misunderstood like you, but not all of them wind up hurting anyone or become consumed with hate, and your feelings of superiority aren't going to help you in the long run, it'll instead hinder you. This...Ria person, obviously has her own issues, but since she was an older figure that you probably had no choice, but look up to in your early years, you've allowed this person to feed your hate with her own hate and pain, do you see what I'm saying? And this hate that you've carried all this time has become so great, you embraced it!"

"I've embraced it? No, I haven't, and my sister spoke the truth, humans do love to make others as miserable as them, its how your kind gets off on it!"

"Lucy, in my experience, only deeply troubled individuals thrive on the misery of others; it lets them feel big when in reality they're small, petty people. And yes, there are plenty of people who inflict pain and misery for the hell of it, just as there are those who enjoy spreading kindness or feel a need to inspire hope in others; we're an imperfect group of creatures. But, it's that imperfection, that diversity, which makes the human experience all that more interesting."

"You don't know what you're talking about; you're just trying to confuse me."

"Oh I think I do know what I'm talking about, you've embraced all of the misery and anguish that's been done to you so much that you wouldn't allow room for a moment as pivotal as your experiences of 911, moments that were both tragic and yet inspirational for many because it clashed with what you have already accepted as your truth and were simply too proud to admit that you made a mistake in feeling that way. What other moments that you chose to forget? Perhaps there were moments that were better than what was observed! Did you even try to make friends or was your mind already made up that it was pointless to bother because someone like yourself was just too different from everyone else?"

"How can you say that? I tried, I really did! You don't know how hard I wanted to make friends or to mind my own business, but it's just..."

"Then why don't I believe you?"

"Because, you are nothing but a human! You wouldn't understand!"

"I believe you couldn't understand why you were in a strange land, surrounded by strange people, and were simply unwilling to adapt to a new experience that it put you at odds with everyone. And what about the man in your vision?"

"Wh-What about him?"

"You know who I'm talking about? He appeared in and out of your memories, you described his features so vividly and I believe that was him you claimed was calling to you. Was he like you, Lucy, or was he a human?"

"...Damn you," Moka whispered, tears forming in her eyes, and looked away as if silently indicating to a wayward servant that this discussion was over.

"The mirror is a window into the soul," he commented.

"...What?"

"The mirror; it's said it reveals our inner most demons or other such characteristics, so I want to try another trick."

He goes over to a nearby wall and removes a large, oval shaped, picture framed mirror with bronzed framing and presents it before Moka.

"Now, I want you to look into this mirror and tell me what you see."

Moka looked, and what she saw nearly froze the vampire with fear and shock at what was staring back at her.

"W-What...what did you do, what did you do to me?" She wailed, as she saw a reflection of herself, but not as she currently was, instead it was of a 14 year old version of herself, with the right half as her pink haired self, and the other was that of a silver haired, true vampire, both staring back in equal shock and mimicking every terrified movement. "This...this...isn't me!"

"What do you see?" He asked, looking at the mirror and seeing nothing unusual about her reflection.

"I'm...I'm...young! I'm young, but...the left side is...me, the younger me, my true self! How...?"

"I see."

"You see? See what, what did you do to me?"

"I'm not doing anything to you, you are, and it's just as I thought?"

"What?"

"It shows that you are beside yourself. Your soul is in conflict with the other half, trying to vie for control of your body. It shows that you, yourself don't believe the racist rhetoric that you're spewing, but that there is another part of you that does."

"I've had enough of this!" Moka cried and began tugging at her rosary, desperate to remove the seal and unleash her powers upon this human fool.

"What are you doing?"

"Damn it! If only I could remove this rosary from around my neck, then I'd...I'd show you your place!"

"...Curious, you mentioned that if it was removed that it holds some significance."

"That's right, once it's released, I become a scary vampire, and if my mother hadn't so foolishly put this block on me, I..."

"Well, I too would like to speak with this...scary vampire."

"Good, then remove my seal and you'll see."

"You want me to do it?"

"You care about me, right?"

"Why yes, I wouldn't be spending this time with you if I didn't."

"Well, mother said only someone who cares about me can remove the seal, so why don't you try and see."

"No, I got a better idea," he said and fishes out a long, golden pendant from his shirt pocket. "I always keep this on hand for hypnosis sessions, it shouldn't take long."

Moka looked at him apprehensively, as being put under hypnosis was not what she wanted him to do.

"Miss Akashiya, may I call you Akashiya? Look, I only want to talk with this inner you, not challenge her to a fight, if it's alright with you? Do you mind?"

Reluctantly, and eager to bring this session to an end, Moka relents and allows him to perform this little act.

"Now, I want you to keep your eyes on the pendant, nothing else, not me or the furniture, just the pendant and only the pendant," he instructed, swinging the item back and forth before her eyes, in a methodical pace. Soon, her eyes felt like they were growing heavier and heavier, until she could no longer keep them open and drifted off to sleep. "When I tell you to wake up, you will not be the same Lucy I was talking to before, you will instead be Inner Lucy, the persona buried deep within you, and when I'm through, I will snap my fingers and you will return to the way you were prior; do you understand me?"

Slowly, Moka began to nod her head while still asleep, and satisfied the doctor was about to command her to awaken.

"Okay, Lucy Akashiya, awake!"

It was then that he noticed the red gem in the center of her rosary suddenly glow a bright red, almost as if coming to life, which nearly shocked the man, but quickly thought it must've been a glare from the setting sun playing tricks on his mind; however, when he looks back up, the hard glare from Lucy's green eyes sent him reeling back.

"Hello, doctor."

_(to be continued)_


	9. Chapter 9

**I vividly recall one reviewer from my first story "**_**All I Need Is**_**..." who commented about the ending, apparently having issue with how Moka found redemption, in fact his/hers comment went something along the lines of "bad Moka, now behave," as if I was trying to discipline her like some dog or baby that needed a slap on the wrist. I know it was one, small note of criticism, not worth fretting about and for a while I've tried putting it off, however it did bother me that some of you out there might think these stories of mine were nothing more, but a way to create some scenario where Moka gets her comeuppance for cheating, and after my lengthy response to the reviews of Chapter 6, I figured now was as good a time as any to finally put this to rest. Now, I certainly don't think she deserves a parade for what she's done, if that's what you're wanting, but if you believe all I'm doing is punishing her, then you're missing my point entirely. Moka Akashiya isn't perfect; I know she's impressive and cool, and even inspirational to some, but it doesn't mean at all that she's perfect. Moka has her flaws despite being a vampire and one of the strongest characters in the franchise; for all her strengths she has plenty of moral failings such as being egotistical, brash, arrogant and a bit ungrateful, while at the same time also showing to be flighty or indecisive and now, thanks to these recent fanfics, we can add slutty to the list. Plus, I would have to say there's something to be said about a person who thinks so highly of themselves that they can't smell their own shit. However, it doesn't mean I dislike the character nor am I trying to tear her down, far from it; what I am trying to do is have this character to confront come to terms with these flaws, like we all must do at some point, because in the end, mighty Moka is just as human as all of us. **

**Anime fans out there who might be familiar with **_**Dragon Ball Z **_**would undoubtedly be familiar with one of its principle characters: Vegeta, warrior prince from the alien world that bears his name, renowned for his super strength and speed, and if you followed the show from beginning to end, you'd also be aware of his****progression. The character was as arrogant as they came, ignoring everything, friends, family, even his own well-being to satisfy his own warrior pride, even once boldly proclaiming that it was all that he was, all largely because he came from a rigid upbringing, coupled with a desire to conquer all foes in battle and feed his own sense of racial superiority. However, as the series progressed so did he, where towards the end he was forced to admit to his own failings and realized that what he had gained: a home, friends, and a family, were more important than what he wanted most. It's journeys like that, from a bloodthirsty warrior, to making a complete 180 that often gives hope to others and it's what I've been trying to do with Moka ever since "**_**All I Need Is**_**..." In many ways Inner Moka is a lot like Vegeta; she's incredibly strong, craves battle, is arrogant, impulsive, a narrow minded prima donna with a xenophobic mentality who's own pride is almost integral to her, is also the last person to offer thanks and the first to take credit for all of her victories even if some have been due to the timely intervention of friends and allies, while at the same time hides a softer, more compassionate side underneath a tight lipped visage. I wanted her to be able to reach the same kind of epiphany about herself as Vegeta had, but so far have felt as though I haven't truly accomplished that goal; in fact, I'm not sure anyone has done that for the character, not even the original creator. This was a rare opportunity to really get into her mind through a more psychological and philosophical point of view and bring those flaws to the surface for her to face rather than merely show sympathy for the devil and not resolve anything. **

**As for including 911 in Chapter 8, that was sort of a last minute decision; I had watched a recent episode of "**_**Hawaii Five-O**_**" that dealt with September 11th and flashback stories, as well as appreciating what was most important out of life, so it inspired me to do the same. Take whatever you want from it; love it, hate it, see it as a god-awful attempt at retribution, whatever, but this is how I choose to do my story and I'm sticking with it.**

**Chapter 9**

_"Who Wants to Live Forever?"_

"So, am I speaking with...Inner Lucy?" The doctor asked with a slight hint of trepidation in his voice as he stared into her cold, steely green eyes.

Moka could see her reflection in the mirror propped against the chair, could clearly see her perfect, silver white hair, menacing red eyes, and perfectly sculpted body sitting casually in the chair with sleek legs crossed seductively over one another; even with the magic seal still in place, Inner Moka had at last come out.

"You wanted to speak with me, doctor," she commented, flicking her beautiful hair back with little indifference.

"Oh, of course," he said upon having regained his composure and continue on with their session. "Well, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. And, since this is the first time we meet, can I ask you a question?"

"And, what might that be, doctor?"

"…Would you be interested in looking at pictures of my sweet, adorable daughter? I always have a photo of two available, and she just looks so cute in this one photo I have from her third grade play, I'm absolutely dying to…"

"I believe there was a more important reason you brought me out, doc."

"Um, yes," he replies, feeling a little dejected. "Ahem! Well, as I said it's pleasure to finally meet you, my name's Doctor Kohaku."

He extends his hand, wanting to shake hands with the vampire, but Moka simply scoffs at said gesture and leaves him hanging.

"Well...anyway, your other half has said some pretty, but colorful things about being a vampire that I'm sure you would care to enlighten, being that you're this…scary vampire."

"And I've heard a lot of the nonsense you've been filling her head with for the last half hour; shame on you doctor for confusing a noble vampire when she's at her most vulnerable."

"I take it that you're the part of her, who prides herself on being a vampire, aren't you?"

"A vampire's pride is all she needs to survive in this human run world, that and your blood," she said with a hungry smile.

"Pride. And, what does a vampire's pride mean to you?"

"It means more than your insignificant lives can possibly comprehend."

"Is that a fact?"

"That is the _only_ fact, doctor. Your stupid questioning is becoming quite tiresome."

"Well, I would hate to tire you out. It's a wonder the Outer you can even muster any strength with you around her neck."

"And, what is _that _supposed to mean?" She angrily asked.

"I'm saying that you are holding her back."

"Holding her back?"

"Yes, keeping her from truly living life."

"...Doctor," she starts to say as she laughed at his absurd remarks, "I'm not sure if you know this, though you probably should already, but what you just talked a while ago was a fake, a fabrication that my mother constructed to keep me subdued...if anything, she's holding me back from being a true vampire and putting your kind in your place."

"I don't believe that, and I don't know about your mother, but I know this..."

"You're right, you don't know my mother and if you say otherwise I'll show you _your_ place."

"You can threaten me all you want, but the bottom line is that the person I talked to was just as real, if not more so, than you. She feels or rather she wants to feel real emotions other than hatred, but you, with your pride and fear are holding her back from experiencing anything positive out of life."

"What do you know? And, I experience no fear."

"Right, because you're pride."

"No, because I am a vampire and the real me, not that weakling you talked to who happens to share my body!"

"That weakling, as you call it, is petrified with fear and its choking her."

"I told you I am not afraid of anyone!"

"I didn't say you were afraid of anyone person, I meant you are afraid to let go. Your anger at being sent away from your family, from the world that you grew up in, only to be thrust into a totally new one has prevented you from ever experiencing real joy in your life. You're hurt."

"I am not hurt, vampires don't experience hurt, and there is nothing mentally wrong with me."

"You can't even remember your name."

"It'll come to me in time; all of your efforts are a waste."

"Really? Why do you hate humans so much? Hate is a feeling, so it stands to reason you at least feel something."

"I despise humans, because your ways hinder me from truly being what I am. Every day, I'm surrounded by your ignorance and diseased bodies, it's why the only significance you serve is to service us; no more, no less."

"Yes, the whole sheep/wolves mentality that your sister fed you."

"It is a mentality that has been instilled within us since birth, because it is the truth."

"Then why did your parents send you to live among us?"

She couldn't answer that, but acted as though she saw little need to respond, which the doctor could see through.

"Sheep represent the weak, wolves the strong; is that about right?"

"It is, there's little to debate against that fact. Wolves are meant to eat the sheep, sheep are meant to be fed upon, its nature, the natural order of things, the difference between the weak and the strong!"

"...Even while the wolves are many, even sheep may become lions," he replied, more to himself.

"What was that?" She asked, incredulously.

"I remember hiking in the Sierra Rockies in the U.S. back in college; beautiful place especially in winter, and I happened across this valley meadow where a small herd of bighorn sheep were grazing. Oh, they were so big and majestic, and guarding the flock was this huge ram with these magnificent horns that framed his face. Then suddenly a large wolf pack appeared out of nowhere, there had to have been over a dozen or more converging on the group, and when this ram saw them, what he did was alert the herd to the approaching danger and literally chased them up into the mountains towards safety with him at the very back so none will fall behind. Unfortunately, one little lamb had gotten separated from the group; I could still hear its loud cries as the wolves ganged up on him and were biting down on its flesh, and I thought for sure it was done for. But, you'll never guess what happened, and it still amazes me to this day, but just when I thought it was all over for the little guy, the entire herd had doubled back and came running to the lamb's defense, fighting off the wolves, though they were outnumbered, and yet they were determined on protecting this yearling, whose mother was able to help the lamb up and led it to the safety of the mountains. Years later, I called my friend, who's a park ranger there and asked about that lamb, and he tells me he's all grown up and is running a flock of his own."

"Your point?"

"_My_ point? Wasn't _your_ point that sheep represented the weak and wolves the strong? So, what happened there? Sheep are sheep, right?"

Moka didn't respond, but simply looked away, miffed.

"Are you going to respond that...there are some exceptions to the rule?" The doctor asked. "It would seem that in this case, the sheep's will to defend one of their own was _stronger_ than the wolves' hunger or do you have some kind of rebuttal and explanation that supports your beliefs? Or, you'll just stuff it in the back of your head and forget about it, right? I'm waiting for your response."

"Don't order me around, you..."

"You what? Sheep? Oh yes, we sheep are weak and you wolves are strong, up to a point, only until when you're faced with their own inadequacies."

"Why do you insist on testing me, fool," she muttered. "Are you looking for me to put you in your place?"

"I'm not looking to fight you, Lucy, only to understand...you."

"And how can you possibly understand me?"

"So far I understand quite a bit about you, that you have a very narrow, and rather shallow view of the world, and that you are afraid."

"I told you, I'm not afraid!"

"You're afraid to admit you may have misjudged us, that you've misjudged the world around you, that maybe it's not all black and white."

"So, a sheep analogy was a poor choice, maybe maggots would've been a better description."

"You know, maggots have been known to devour a horse-sized carcass whole, something most wolves can't do by themselves. And, in fact there exists in the Amazon a species of tiny ants that have been known to topple over and defeat giant army ants with ease."

"What, are you saying the weak can overcome the strong?" She asked with a laugh. "Are you trying to tell me that you can take me on?"

"I'm saying that you don't know us as well as you think, any more than we know you. You were there when 911 happened, you experienced everything that occurred."

"Yes, I did. I was also faced with your kind's utter weakness in the face of an event of your own making."

"Weakness? Lucy, your fellow classmates were in pain, you witnessed other people suffering half a world away, and at the same time..."

"Humans love misery, that's all there is to it, it's like my sister said."

"And, what of the humans who risked their lives to help those people over there; what of they?"

Moka didn't answer; in fact she tried to blot out the memory of that day, reminding herself that she was far above it.

"You said humans love misery, but you can't explain why some would put their lives on the line for others, even in times of crisis."

"They're fools," he heard her say.

"What?"

"They're fools, all of them. They had no business trying to rescue any of those people, they lack the power to do so; it's their own fault!"

"You really believe that?"

"Yes. Humans lack the necessary strength that we possess, they should realize their own limitations, and yet they never do! Those first responders shouldn't have sacrificed themselves and it baffled me why they would even attempt something so stupid, why they're just like..."

"...Just like whom, Lucy?"

Moka stopped in mid-sentence, her face fool of further confusion and mind suddenly running into a roadblock.

"You were describing someone you knew, weren't you, or rather someone you currently know? A _human_, am I right?"

"N-No...you think I'd associate with one."

"Then, who are you referring to?"

"No one!"

"Then, all that time we examined your memories, who was the man that kept calling you?"

"My...my teacher."

"I doubt it; that teacher you described was a woman and furthermore there was a face that kept popping in and out of your consciousness, was that also your teacher?"

"He was just a figment of my imagination," she tried to explain, but he wasn't buying it.

"You said you saw his face on the news footage as one of the firefighters."

"Would you stop it!" She snapped. "I don't want to talk about it anymore! It's nothing to me, he is...he is nothing! You're only trying to confuse me and it won't work!"

"Who's trying to confuse whom, me or yourself? You completely shoved that part of your life into the back of your mind like it was nothing special to you, and now you're sitting here lying to me about it."

"I'm lying? Hmph! I'm telling you the truth; you just choose to believe what you want about me. Besides, it was a long time ago."

"Then what about the recent earthquake, tsunami; if we explored your memories further, will we come up with a similar reaction towards it?"

"I...I..."

"Is your anger and hatred towards humanity so great that it would cause you to block out any compassion for your fellow man?" He asked. "Then I need to know this: if you were there in New York on 911, would you have tried to save those people or would you turn your back on them because of your superiority?"

"Why are you even asking me that question?"

"You're a great and powerful vampire, who views herself mightier than all of the firefighters, police officers, and paramedics put together, but would you even lift a finger to help? Would you try to help those you hate with so much passion if you were there at ground zero or would let those people fall to their deaths even if you felt you could do a better job of saving them?"

Again, Moka remained silent, mostly to be indignant, but also reluctant to even dignify that with an answer.

"How truly sad. I never knew someone could have so much hate, let alone a vampire."

"That's right, I am a vampire, and they're humans, why should I even care?"

"Because you do care, Lucy, you're just..."

"No, I do not! You saw what happened to me, right? How your kind and your ignorance forced me to be your slave, bound by your intolerant laws and customs!"

"Yes, I saw you had a hard time of it, but then again you did have friends, and you made her..."

"Friend? Ha! I never needed her anyway, and besides she just proved my point at how weak and pathetic you humans are, and why I'm better off without them!"

"You...you really are blaming Takane, and all of humanity for what happened between the two of you?" He asked with obvious surprise.

"Why not, it was her fault that she couldn't accept me and Hoshii for what we were, her fault that instead of being my friend, she became another enemy."

"Lucy, she was upset, what did you expect?" He asked calmly. "Her parents were going through some problems, she saw you with the boy that she liked and was led to believe that you two were seeing one another behind her back, and then you hurt her, physically, and all out of some deep, seeded anger; if the shoe was on the other foot wouldn't you be just as upset?"

"NO! Because, I am far too superior to be affected by some pitiful, little human drama! Hmph!"

"I still think you are afraid."

"I told you to stop saying that."

"I will, when you admit to your fear of letting go your own pride. And all of this 'creature of light and darkness', sheep and wolves, maggots and whatever; all of these labels you apply to everyone, including yourself isn't going to get you anywhere."

"You know nothing," she mumbled, angrily.

"I know this; if you were one of the victims, either in the towers, caught in the tsunami or whatever, if you needed help and there were only humans around, I know a human would move heaven and earth to save you."

Moka casts her gaze from him in indignation once again, not wanting to catch the glint of familiarity in her troubled, upset eyes.

"And, Lucy, even if there were vampires in those towers, they would've perished just as easily as the humans there had, because there are no sheep, no wolves, no creatures of darkness or light, no humans or vampire, but two intelligent, flesh and blood, and deeply flawed individuals, who are part of an even larger melting pot of similar beings sharing the same planet, and maybe, the same cosmos."

"..."

"What was that?"

"If you remove my rosary, you'd see things differently," she said a little louder, which catches his interest.

"Your rosary? Yes, you mentioned that if removed, you become a scary vampire, am I right?"

"That's right!" She replied, flashing her angry eyes upon him in a snap. "You said you care about my well-being, didn't you doc?"

"Well yes, I want to make sure you get the best care, possible."

"If you care so much about me, then do me a favor," she said, her eyes taken on the look of a predator eyeing an unsuspecting prey, daring it to make a foolish move, "remove the rosary from around my neck."

"Remove it?"

"Yes. By doing so, you break the seal that binds my powers, and then you'll see what I'm really am."

"Seriously?"

"What are you waiting for? Obviously you don't believe me, so what do you have to lose?"

The doctor looks at her and then at the rosary against her chest, almost contemplating in honoring the woman's request and Moka felt like she could easily manipulate him into unleashing her full power upon him. She could easily hurt him even while trapped in her altered form, but the foolish doctor had challenged her ego and now she wanted to prove to him just how much difference there existed between his and her kind.

"Say please," he suddenly said to her.

"What?"

"You heard me, say please first and then I'll remove this seal from around your neck."

Moka couldn't believe what she was hearing; never in her life had she been made to stoop so low as to beg for anything and here this quack dared tell her to do so.

"I won't."

"Why not?"

"Because I refuse to beg to any human!"

"I wouldn't call it begging, more like showing a small ounce of humility."

"I will not do even an ounce!" She yells. "You will do as I say and remove this seal!"

"Not until you say please."

"Never!"

"Then why should I do what you tell me to, because I'm a human and you're a vampire?"

"Yes, you're supposed to do _exactly_ what I tell you to do!"

"That's another thing you need to learn about us humans, we don't like being told what to do, any more than you do; there have been conflicts because someone dared to order us around."

"So, are you saying you wish to fight me?"

"No one is saying that! I'm simply stating a fact that making demands and ordering people around is not the best way to get what you want out of life, eventually people will reject you for it and resist. However, there is no shame in asking for help."

"You're wrong, there is plenty shame in it. It's a sign of weakness."

"There is no weakness in being humble, maybe you should learn about that more."

"Just do as I say, human," Moka repeated.

"Say please."

"Now!"

"No."

"Do as I say or else."

"Or else what?"

She couldn't believe this mere human was challenging her, in her mind it was as if he was trying to make her grovel before him.

"Lucy, you can make this easier on yourself."

"You-_will_-remove this rosary, doctor," she threatened.

"Why, so you can 'put me in my place'?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I intend to do!"

"Then it wouldn't be smart of me to release the seal that binds you, now would it? All you have to do is say please."

"I won't," she said, turning her head away, again.

"Then prepare to leave that on for a good while."

Moka wanted to reach up and ring his scrawny, little neck and then force him through pain to do what she wanted, but she just turned away from him in a huff, thinking that even _he_ wasn't worth it.

"I don't have to put up with your antics, human. If I want, I can leave this place."

"You're free to do so, but where will you go?"

"Anywhere, anywhere I choose to go!"

"And, how will you get to 'anywhere', you didn't exactly arrive here in a brand new car. What, are you going to walk? If you do, you'd be even more displeased to know that humans, too walk along highways to reach an 'anywhere' destination."

"I'll find my own mode of transportation."

"How? Are you going to order someone to give you a lift?"

"If I have to. You humans are easily manipulated; some hapless idiot would be pleased to give me a lift."

"Yes, like a police officer."

"You don't frighten me, and an officer can be easily dealt with."

"Okay, so let's say you get what you want, then what? What if the next person doesn't fall for 'manipulations', what will you...?"

"Then I will make them relinquish their ride to me, and be grateful for my mercy!"

"And, what if they don't relinquish to your demands, easily? What if they become violent?"

"I can handle myself."

"Most drivers tend to handle themselves pretty well, too against carjackers, but then again I'm pretty sure vampires are also bulletproof or mace proof."

"I am resilient."

"You're also stubborn; I don't think you've thought any of this through, have you? How long, Lucy? How long will this forcing people to your will go on?"

"It has served me well for as long as I can remember and it will again."

"Like it did with Takane, when you tried to force your will on her."

"I told you it was _her_ fault for angering me, her fault for being a human and therefore intolerant!"

"You still blame her for what happened?"

"Yes."

"Well that is sad to hear, because you seem to think that the next human won't react negatively to your demanding personality."

"You are all stubborn and foolish people, never recognizing who are your superiors!"

"That's because we're taught to be independent and think for ourselves."

"Why? Tell me why, when you're so inferior! You use your so-called freedom to spread ignorance and hate towards someone who is obviously better than you in every way!"

"Lucy, I know you've been hurt in the past, and yes there are those of us who love misery and inflicting pain on others, even I have done a few things I'm not proud of, but there is some good in us, too and because we have freedom of choice we are also taught how to use that freedom responsibly. We're not perfect, I'm not perfect, and yet we recognize our imperfections and strive, every day of our lives to better ourselves; a common expression we use is 'I'm human', it's our way of implying that we're not always a perfect race of people, that we can be afraid or doubtful, and strive towards self-improvement. Humanity's strength is that indomitable will to always improve ourselves and find triumph in it."

"Humanity's strength?" She asked, laughing. "You admit you're imperfect and still you say you have strength? You're weak and scrawny; you're nothing, but food with self-delusions."

"You still haven't told me who that guy was in your memories."

"What about him, why do you keep bringing him up?"

"Well, you're the one who made such a big deal about him, I was only..."

"It's none of your business who he is, why the devil are you bringing him up, now?"

"I'm just curious, but isn't he one of those weak, scrawny, food items? Why is he always shown in these 'heroic' roles?"

"Heroic?"

"First the teacher, then the firefighter on TV, and the whole time he was calling you, which I assume was him."

"It is none of your business."

"Man, I find this fascinating."

"What is fascinating?" She asked angrily, though growing weary of this exchange.

"This pride you have, you cling to it like a security blanket."

"Are you calling me a child?" She asked, her temper rising. "How dare you, you've yet to know me."

"Let me see what I have so far; you're angry, you have feelings of extreme narcissism, xenophobia, and are thoroughly unhappy."

"Unhappy? I am not unhappy! I take what I want and defeat anyone foolish enough to challenge me, and I don't give a damn what anyone thinks, let alone a quack like you!"

"Don't kid yourself; you are a very unhappy individual."

"Don't psycho-analyze me, doctor, I'm not some depressed girl like the one you talked to."

"Yes, because apparently you own the other you."

"Nobody owns me."

"But you. It's because of you that you had no friends growing up, compelling yourself to make mistakes and shrivel up into an angry version of yourself."

"And what would she need friends from inferior beings for?"

"Because she's not a slave to her own pride like you, the poor girl is confused."

"I am not a slave to anyone or anything, I do as I please. That 'poor girl' wouldn't even know what to do without me; she's weak and hopeless, while I am stronger."

"You certainly don't sound very strong to me; if anything you sound more insecure."

"_Insecure_? WHAT would you know; you won't even remove my rosary to unleash my power!"

"Only the insecure go on about how strong they are, trying to convince everyone, even convincing themselves of it; those who are strong typically don't feel the need to brag about it."

"So, you're saying you can take me on, is that it?"

"No, I'm not fighting you, Lucy."

"Because _you're_ the one who's afraid, at least you have some sense about you."

"Boy, it's certainly no wonder you can't remember much, perhaps this is her way of trying to escape from your hold over her."

"I don't have to listen to this; you're just a foolish human trying to push his human ways onto me."

"Alright fine, then tell me what so great about being a vampire?"

"...What?" She asked, as if he had asked something stupid.

"You've told me enough about why humans suck; so why not tell me what makes vampires so much better?"

"You should know. If your minds weren't as undeveloped as your physical prowess, you'd know that, by now."

"Humor me or do you not know yourself?"

"You want to know?" She asked, eyeing him vindictively as she sat with an air of regality across from him. "Fine, a vampire is a supreme creature of darkness, feared and respected, an immortal being, everlasting and beautiful, the supreme of all monsters, an S-class monster!"

"S-class?"

"Yes, doctor, the strongest of the strong, with a strength that knows no limit."

"And yet, you're unhappy."

"I am not unhappy."

"You were certainly unhappy during school, being so far away from your home after having lost your mother, unable to make friends, and with thoughts of some lost love, I presume."

"A true vampire doesn't need happiness or love; we crave a challenge and seek it."

"So, you vampires don't know love?"

"No, we do not."

"Do you experience happiness? Do you laugh? Do you tell jokes? Do you cry? Do you take long walks at night or in the mornings? Do you like to dance? Do you jog? Do you play? Do you fantasize or dream? Do you hope?"

"No, none of that is irrelevant to us."

"Including love? You don't experience what it is to love someone?"

"...That is right," she said with conviction, though a part of her found it difficult to say so.

"And, all you do is fight, eat and…sleep?"

"That is right; we crave it from the day we are born, to assert our dominance amongst half-witted fools and boast our skills, and to feed ourselves on the blood of you humans, though rest is not always an essential issue."

"So, you are preconditioned to embody basic traits, but lack essential, character development?"

"That...is right."

"So, you're a machine? Is that what a vampire is some kind of robotic android or machine?"

"No! Where would you get a foolish notion like that?"

"I'm just going by what you said."

"I didn't say anything of the sort!"

"You're programmed to drink blood, fight, have no emotions; that sounds like a robot to me. Well, do you feel pain?"

"No, we are trained to ignore it, physical injuries mean nothing when measured against our healing factor, and we needn't worry about pain."

"So, you feel no pain."

"Yes, that's what I said."

"So, basically you feel nothing at all?"

"Y-Yes," she said, unsure of what he's getting at.

"Like some automaton? That you are some unfeeling, programmed being with no will whatsoever; if that's what it means to be an S-class, then it sounds rather depressing."

"How dare you call me some mindless automaton, you simply cannot comprehend what you're dealing with."

"I think you cannot comprehend your own feelings, Lucy. For you do feel, you feel something, but you are trying to bury those feelings under a tough exterior."

"Human fool."

"And, so far you have yet to tell me anything that remotely supports your case that being a vampire is all that wonderful."

"I just told you everything, you just weren't listening!"

"All I got was that you're powerful, you fight, apparently are unbeatable which would make fighting itself redundant, you don't feel, drink blood, and are beautiful and immortal. Basically, if you're not a robot, then you're saying you're some kind of a...super being?"

"And you say there's nothing great about any of that?"

"That you're super beings with no emotion or drive, I'd say not from my stand point."

"What do you mean?"

"I'd say it's an unpleasant experience. Don't get me wrong, all of that does sound appealing, at first, but to be a super being, in my view is to lose touch with the world around you and miss its beauty; to be immortal is allow everything that used to have meaning suddenly lose its appeal, as the days, seasons and even years become redundant in value. As you said, your kind doesn't feel anything, all you do is drink the blood of humans rather than get to know them and all you care about is dominating those around you, while being a slave to your own pride. I'd say to be anything more than a human is to be numb to one's emotions."

"You still make me to be a slave?"

"Yes, I do."

"Heh! Well, better to be a slave to myself than a slave to some human."

"Being a slave to anyone, even to one's self, is never a lesser evil."

"Is that so? Fine then, why don' t you tell me what's so great about being a weak human, doctor, since you seem to have all the answers your feeble mind can conjure up."

"...Mm, what does it mean to be human?" He asked, thoughtfully. "That's a question man has often asked himself for centuries."

"Ha, so you don't even know yourselves, huh? How utterly pathetic! No wonder you're so easily conquerable."

"I didn't say we didn't have an answer, it's just the answers are so varied, maybe because mankind is so varied."

"Varied? Alright, then tell me what it is that you think makes humans so damn special."

Doctor Kohaku took a minute to fully contemplate the answer, and at first Moka smiled to herself as it appeared the man couldn't even answer her question, but then he made a deep, thoughtful smile and said:

"The passing of the seasons, the subtlety of emotions, your first taste in something so sweet it pinches the insides of your cheek or eating ice cream so fast your head hurts and then laughing about it with your friends. Of summer months where you watch your kids playing on the beach or remembering your first winter and how its marvel never seemed to cease. Allowing yourself to grow up fast and then reflecting on your experiences when you become old and want to slow down. Or, holding your newborn baby in your arms for the very first time, and never wanting to put her down, again. We humans may not be powerful, and we're not be immortal, and no, we're definitely not perfect, but I think it's because of that...that each day could be our last, because of our own failings that...we appreciate today so much. That we take in what's around us more, that every fond moment we have is so special to us that we honestly say to ourselves that: 'I will always remember this day, this moment, for as long as I live'. Time is very precious to us because it's so limited, and that is why we strive to perfect ourselves, to take stock of our moral failings and face up to them rather than succumb to them, because we have a burning desire to see that our names, our legacies, may out last our own time here on earth."

"What?" She asked with genuine confusion, but a little effected.

"I think that, in a way, vampires and other monsters envy us."

"Envy you?" She asked with a dry laugh. "What would give you an absurd idea like that?"

"Well, in every story I've read and heard about vampires, werewolves or even zombies, it always deals with them interacting with humans."

"Duh, fool, because we hunt you."

"Well, there is certainly that, but the earliest work on vampires dealt with a count that falls in love with a human and tries to turn her into a fellow vampire."

"Hmph, she should be so lucky."

"In fact, every vampire story follows that same premise: a lonely vampire falls for a human, he turns her and soon he has a companion. And, I think it's because vampires, deep down are very lonely creatures, most of all."

"We are not so easily affected by loneliness as you might think, doc; you don't know us at all."

"Oh, I think I'm beginning to. Not only vampires, but the stories of werewolves turning humans into other werewolves or lamenting their lost humanity, the legend of the Yuki Onna who settles down with a young human boy she spared, and even zombies turning humans into one of them, I can go on about so many examples of similar stories, handed down over the centuries. You talk about S-class monsters being superior in every way to humans, but I think you're really jealous that we embody qualities that you, yourselves don't seem to grasp, and in some odd way you're all trying to capture for yourselves what it means to be human."

"You are so full of yourself; the only thing we want from you humans is to devour you."

"If that were the case, humans would definitely be an extinct species."

"The reason you're not is because we let you thrive."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? What difference does it make?"

"I think it makes a big difference, because I'm right."

"I know if my father could hear you, right now, you'd be eviscerated."

"You remember your father's reactions toward people?"

"Yes… that much I do, and..."

"And, you've remember seeing him harm anybody?"

"I..." her memory was still a little foggy. "I'm sure he has. He hates humans with a passion."

"And so do you?"

"Yes!"

"Don't kid yourself. You don't hate humanity."

"I know I'm not 'jealous' of you."

"I know you're a lonely girl or at least was lonely. I believe that, like the vampires in so many stories, a special human once crossed your path, didn't he?"

"Uh...n-no. Stop saying that, I don't need any human!"

"You're lying. You either don't remember or you're unwilling to remember."

"That is no one's business, but my own!"

"You talk about being oppressed by humanity because of our prejudices, and believe me we are capable of that, but from what I hear from you is that _you're_ the one dealing with pride and prejudice, and you're enslaved by it."

"I am enslaved to no-one!"

"A part of you doesn't agree with everything you've said to me, deep down you know it, and that part of you is bound by chains to your pride and your lust for feeling superior to people all around you, so much so that she can't ever experience love and happiness, do you see what I'm saying?"

"No!" She yelled, growing angry.

"You're angry because your mother and father sent you away, and now you're..."

"Enough! I won't hear anymore, you're only trying to confuse me! I'm not lonely, and sure as hell am not jealous of you humans! I don't need to jog, don't need to laugh, or be happy, and I don't need anything like love! I don't give a damn! I am powerful, I am strong and sensual, I am smarter and better than you and everyone else in this quack hospital you run and superior to anyone I see on the streets, and there's nothing you can say to change that! Now, stuff all of that into your notebook, you quack!"

Moka felt a little vindicated after going off on him like that, but a small part of her seemed to ache when she said she didn't need love in her life; nevertheless, Moka remained convicted.

"...Is that all you have to say?"

"I certainly don't intend to repeat myself," she warned.

"I see. Lucy, I want to tell you a little story I'd heard awhile back and then we'll close this up."

"You're really trying me, doc," she sighed.

"What's one story?"

"Do I have a choice," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"...There once lived a snow white, calico cat so beautiful and radiant, with eyes that shown like the stars, and was so powerful she could do anything she put her mind to. Not only could she do whatever she wished, but she had an endless supply of lives so that if she ever died, the calico would simply return to life, good as new, making her virtually immortal; truly she was a god amongst all the other creatures, which also made her quite arrogant and proud to practically everyone she met as they seemed insignificant to her, and she was content on ruling her regal life alone. Then, one day she met a brave and compassionate, brown Labrador dog who quickly became her most loyal companion and the two soon fell in love. They say the calico was the happiest anyone had remember seeing her whenever he was around, the two becoming almost inseparable, and though the time they shared was full of joy, the calico wasn't satisfied. The problem was the Labrador wasn't immortal like she was but an ordinary dog, and she constantly thought about using her powers to make him into a godlike cat like she was so that they may spend time together forever; sadly, however that wasn't to be for the Labrador had already died. You see, to the cat, time was ephemeral and came and went without much notice, so that over the years she contemplated about transforming him, he had grown old and sick as her mind was elsewhere, and by the time she knew it, he was gone. They say the great cat was the saddest she had ever been now that her companion had gone away, becoming completely inconsolable, for despite her incredible powers she could not bring back him and she soon found herself alone again, but this time it didn't feel the same as before. She cried a million times, and died million times, always miserable, never again feeling complete. And then, one day she decides to use up all of her powers to make herself mortal, where at last she died, this time for good, and was joyously reunited with her lost love in heaven. Do you know the point of this story?"

"Yeah, dogs and cats shouldn't mix."

"Well, that's one way of looking at it," he laughed. "But, I think it really asks...what's the point of having immortality, and all that power, if you have no one to share it with? It would be a shallow existence."

Moka remained quiet, for even she didn't know how to respond, and with a loud snap of his finger, she had fallen asleep and quickly reawakened, groggy, but a little coherent. She looks outside and sees the sun having already descended behind the trees.

"Our time is up," he quietly tells her. "So far we've accomplished a lot in our time, and learned a lot of...interesting stuff about you; we know your last name is Akashiya, that you have a family and that they run a company called...Fairy Tale. If you'd like, I can call them up..."

"No," Moka says, not sure anymore if she's ready to meet these people in her current condition, just yet.

"As you wish. It's my hope that next time we can learn even more about you, but we'll take things slowly, one step at a time. Tomorrow, we have a therapy group in the noon time, I would suggest you attend each session and you _will_ be required to take more than just a passing interest in it; I'm not trying to boss you or mistreat you, I truly am trying to help you. In the meantime, I want you to go eat a full meal in the cafeteria during dinner and not panic like you did this morning, and since we know you have an aversion towards clear water, you'll be pleased to know that we have herbal baths for our physical therapy patients that you're welcomed to use at your leisure, but if they are currently occupied, then you will have to either wait or share; consider it a lesson in humility."

"...Fine," she quietly says as she gets up to leave. "Anything else?"

"Yes. Lucy, a bad past...can affect our present and darken our future, which is a fact that affects all of us, regardless of our race or creed. But, and I mean this, no matter how bad, no matter how traumatic our pasts were, it doesn't justify hate; you'll only wind up dying many times over."

And with that said, Moka slowly leaves the room without looking back, her mind running with all that had been said and recalled. Even during the hypnosis, she was able to hear the words spoken to her inner persona, and they seemed to resonate strongly, though she tried desperately to stuff it back down. Walking down the hall, she could smell the sweet aroma of food cooking and realized that she did feel hungry, and that a meal, even amongst humans, might not be too bad, if only for tonight. In his office, Doctor Kohaku sits at his computer and Google's the name Fairy Tale Inc. which pulls up its website and phone number. He knows she told him not to call them, but his concern for her and desire to uncover all that is bothering her, prompts him to try and call them up.

"Fairy Tale enterprises," said a secretary on the other line after a lengthy ring, "this is Celeste speaking, how may I help you?"

Doctor Kohaku thought on it for a minute, but finally decides on honoring his patient's wish and holds off contacting anybody.

"...I'm sorry, I must've dialed the wrong number, excuse me," he says and ends the call.

Elsewhere, Fairy Tale operatives were scouring the nearby town, searching every alleyway and interrogating every seedy element they could find.

"Found anything?" The head operative asked his underlings by communicator as he waits on a darkened corner.

"I believe so, sir," one responded. "While at the local hospital, I was informed that the police brought in a distraught woman fitting our target's description and was transferred to a facility in the area, but they would not disclose where she had been taken. Shall I use force to reveal the information?"

"Negative, we don't want to draw attention. We know she's here and alive, that's more than we need. This town is small and if she is nearby, eventually she'll make her presence known, and when she is alone, we have her. Station yourselves at all exit points, the train station, the bus depot, anywhere she might try to leave. I don't want her going anywhere, is that understood."

"Yes sir," they say in unison.

As they continued their search that night, Moka continued to languish in her own dementia as she sat in the living room, mind still fraught with everything the doctor said during their therapy session. The herbal baths were indeed relaxing to her, far more relaxing than she expected them to be, and it left her feeling a little languid, however it did nothing to put her at ease. She tried to watch television as best she could, even with the sound turned down and it seemed no one else was concerned with watching it with her; not because they disliked her, but because they were preoccupied with other things. Nevertheless, Moka still felt like she was being ostracized for being a vampire in a world full of humans, as though she was back in middle school. Then, she heard the dancing of piano keys as someone began to play a catchy tune; her attention grabbed she looks back to see the blind patient, Jay playing on the piano with uncanny skill.

How was it possible for him to play anything while blind? He was a human, his senses weren't as great as a vampire's and yet there he was playing without missing a beat.

"Yeah Jay!" Someone shouted. "Play my song, man! Sing it!"

"Yeah, sing it, sing it, sing it!" Many people chanted, the words of encouragement almost alien to the girl as the blind pianist could not seem to ignore their requests as he and almost everyone else began to sing:

"I love the mountains.

I love the rolling hills.

I love the flowers.

I love the daffodils.

I love the fireside.

When all the lights are low.

Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.

Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.

Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah.

Boom dee ah dah. Boom dee ah dah."

What were they singing? Why were they singing? Moka couldn't understand it, and yet they seemed happy. Is this what makes humans happy, music? Moka wasn't able to bring herself to understand and was far too reluctant to try, and yet she found herself almost enjoying the catchy tune, wanting to sing along with these people she wanted to detest, and became disappointed when Jay finally finished.

"Do the one from the Discovery Channel!" Someone shouted.

"I don't know all the words to that one," Jay replied.

"Here, I'll show you," the guy said, making Jay scoot over as they began to play the jingle in unison.

Moka didn't want to stick around, she refused to listen to what they listened to and feel the way they did; she was a vampire and above such things. She went up to the roof, out into the cool night air, standing under a starry night alone and even more uncomfortable than she had been before. Moka had started to like the music and a part of her dearly wanted to go back, but her wounded pride wouldn't allow it.

Was it okay to hate, and hold on to her stupid pride, regardless of how much she wanted to do the things that humans liked most?

"Damn doctor!" Moka whined, shaking her head violently.

She remembers the small blunt and box of matches Koga had slipped to her that she still held on to, remembering how he said it'll help her deal with whatever's bothering her, but said to have something to eat in hand. So, she went back down to the kitchen to grab some vegetable juice, returns to the roof and hesitantly lights it up, allowing the affects to gradually go to work. Curiously, as she squatted by the door and enjoyed the blunt, it felt as almost as soothing as the Peyote fumes, though not as strong and it did help ease the anxiety. However, the memories of what she experienced, and the feelings of guilt only seemed to surface with less interference and more contemplation. Gazing up at the stars she could only see faces, the faces of people from her past, people who seemed to matter to her a great deal. They were like faces on a TV screen, accompanied with images that were equally important, and seeing herself as a younger kid wondering why she felt the way she did. All of this ran through her mind consistently, even as she puffed the joint down to its stub and rubbed it out on the ground next to her; she then sits down against the door and remains there, just idle, mind almost in a meditative state. The air was still, the sounds mute, and for a moment there was nothing else to disturb her, except:

"_Mo_a,"_

The voice nearly startled her and assumed she was dreaming, and yet it sounded as clear as day to her, though.

"Miss," said a voice from above her, causing her to jump and look up to see an orderly standing over. "It's lockdown, time to go to bed."

"Oh...okay," she replied, not realizing that she must've fallen asleep and been outside for a lot longer. By the time she returns downstairs, most everyone was already in their rooms, and with her mind still feeling the marijuana's affects, Moka wearily re-enters the room she woke up in earlier, bed freshly made and the room smelling like freshly cut pine. In her own bed, Moka's roommate Blanche, with head propped, night lamp's shade tilted over her and reading glasses on, was eagerly reading a letter in her hands like a happy school girl.

"Got a letter from my husband," she said, smiling up at the girl. "Can't tell you the details, the Nazis in this dump don't like that sort of thing, but needless to say, he misses me, _bad. _Can't wait to see you, too baby."

Moka doesn't reply, just wanders into bed and lays there, waiting for sleep to catch up, but the doctor's words soon catching up to her first:

"_What's the point of being immortal, if you have no one to share it with?"_

Her mind was still plagued after sleep finally did catch up, even in her dreams, where it seemed as if the doctor had cast some evil spell on her that would not give up its assault. She found herself back in class on that fateful day, the day she had blocked from her memories and wanted to deny ever happened. She sat in her chair, hearing the reactions of her fellow classmates, classmates she hated, still hated, and yet felt a pang of guilt and remorse struggling against that hate. And there he was, on the TV screen walking with the other firefighters, marching forward with trepidation etched on his face, that one firefighter whose image haunted and troubled her deeply. He was special to her for some reason, she found herself caring about him more than anyone else, and as his back was turned to the camera, she desperately wanted to see his face again. He then stops, just a foot away from the North Tower's doorway that was solid black with dark smoke spewing out of its corners as other first responders walked around him to go inside, where he slowly turns his head and for a moment, seemed to be looking right at her. Moka thought she was imagining it, and looked around to see if it could be for anyone else, but everybody was gone, it was just her sitting there alone in that room, and looks back to the screen; he definitely was looking at her. It felt like a significant moment in time, as their eyes met, locked on to each other, his cinnamon colored eyes haunting, piercing, and yet was full of a strong sadness, of some deep longing as if psychically he was asking her: _Are you going to let me go without saying anything?_

Moka didn't know what it was that needed to be said or done, but she didn't want him to go, she wanted him to stay with her. She tried to reach out her hands to him and opened her mouth to say something, anything, but no words came out, and her arms felt like dead weights as they laid, lifelessly her own desk, confused at what was going on and unable to do anything. With deep remorse on his face, the firefighter turns his back to her and, in slow motion runs headlong into the building where he soon disappears into the smoke, and then what soon came back out was a giant cloud of debris that enveloped everything into utter darkness.

"NOOO, DON'T GO!" She screamed awake, her arm outstretched in the air. "I love..."

Moka stopped herself; her eyes darted everywhere as they quickly adjusted to the darkness and she gathers her bearings, realizing she was back at the halfway house. The room was dark, with her roommate fast asleep across from her, even despite Moka's loud outburst. Arms shaking, breathing shallow, she cups her face in her hands in utter terror like a child that had a nightmare. The dream had felt so real, so strong, that warm tears streamed down her face, for herself, but for the person she was dreaming of.

Who was he and why was he so important? What was wrong with her?

Moka was almost afraid to go to sleep, and if she had been in her right mind, she would've scolded herself for being so afraid, but then what was right no longer seemed so right anymore.

"_Mo_a,"_ the voice droned on, drifting in the air like a phantom, which continued to haunt her for the rest of the night.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em…_

Moka Aono spent the rest of the day in her apartment, lying on the couch in nothing, but a white T-shirt and some panties, aimlessly watching "their" Blu-Ray collection, but was ultimately alone. Her only companion was her inner persona, who rarely said anything unless it needed to be said, but a companion she was not. She desperately needed someone to talk to, when Tsukune was still around he would usually take his lunch breaks back at home, spend some time with her and then go back to work, which didn't take too long. But, Tsukune hadn't returned this time, and for the last half of the day since early afternoon she watched the door, expecting him to come through it, like he always had, and yet here the was the sun going down and still not so much as his approaching scent. Every sound of footsteps outside her door got her hopes up that maybe, just maybe it was _his_ footsteps, nervously anticipating him waltzing through their door with a worried look and a grim, yet determined acceptance of their fate together like he always did, only to be dashed down into the ever deepening depths of her despair when those footsteps kept on going, and as the darkness grew, its shadows mixed in with a reddish glow stretching along every corner of this bleak living space as if it were a scene from hell, it only made the atmosphere feel even more unnerving.

_Where are you, Tsukune? _She wondered.

To get her mind off of it, off of him, she had been watching some of their movies non-stop, and was currently finishing watching Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith, right where the once heroic, now fallen protagonist begins to strangle the very life out of his pregnant wife in the midst of some hellish atmosphere similar to her own. As she tries to become engrossed in the film, a loud knock came at the door, jolting her out of her focus.

_Could that be him? _She wondered, as she jumped up and eagerly rushed to the door. _Could it be Tsukune?_

Before opening, she pondered on what to say to him once he comes in, on whether she should apologize for what she did or let him do the apologizing, instead.

**Let me out, **Inner Moka said, **I'll do all of the talking. I wouldn't want you acting too over joyed that he finally came back when we knew all along that he would. **

"W-What if he's angry?" She whispered aloud.

**Stop being a baby and do as I said, he wouldn't dare do anything to us, anyway.**

Moka thought about doing what she asked, once again feeling apprehensive about caving into her demands, but another loud knock forced her without thinking to simply open the door and try to soothe Tsukune herself.

"Tsukune!" She cried, but was stunned when she saw not her husband standing there, but his older cousin and surrogate sister Kyokou, standing angrily in the doorway with a pair of large boxes in her arms. "W-What are you doing here?"

Kyokou didn't answer nor asked to be let in, but simply barges into the apartment and marches straight over to the still playing movie, where she stops it in mid play and removes it from the player.

"_This_ is his!" She snapped, placing the disk back in its case and deposits it, almost their entire movie collection, and even the Blu-Ray into the box. "All of this is his, I know because I bought them myself for birthday!"

"Hey, what are you doing?" An irate Moka asked, but Kyokou continued her rampage throughout the apartment.

"I know he bought this," she said, grabbing a table lamp.

"That's our lamp!"

"And so are these," she said, dragging down several portraits from the wall, portraits Tsukune had bought from a yard sale down the street, portraits she thought were nice and had loved.

"What are you doing?" Moka angrily asked, standing in the woman's way. "You've got no right to come barging in here and taken our things!"

"'Our' things? Are you serious or just stupid?"

Moka's mouth dropped open upon hearing such an insult from a girl she thought was her friend.

**Let me out, I'll deal with this fool!**

But, Outer Moka felt confident in being able to handle Kyokou and remained stalwart in stopping her, herself.

"That's it, get out!" She ordered, but Kyokou simply brushed past her and continued stuffing his things into boxes.

"I will, trust me I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here, but Kazumi sent me to gather up his things, and him, and bring them home whether you or him have any objections and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

She then went on to gather several more things that belonged to Tsukune: a snow globe, food processor, decorative plates and cups, power tools, books, magazines, and in the process made it a point to "accidentally" knock over a few of her own things: some candles, trinkets hanging on the wall, a gothic portrait that was bought for Inner Moka, and so many other things before Moka's astonished eyes.

"Stop!" Moka yelled. "Stop destroying our apartment, you are not leaving here with my mate's belongings, do you hear me? He's coming back! Just you see, he'll be back and when he does, Tsukune is going to want to know what happened to all of his things and I'll tell him what you came here and had done, just wait!"

Flat out ignoring her, Kyokou then marched on down the hall to their room and nearly staggered, as despite Moka's lackluster efforts to clean up, the room still reeked of her and Gin's night of debauchery that the very smell was pungent even to a human's.

"Get out of there!" Moka yelled, hurrying after her. "You're not supposed to go in there!"

"...You make me sick!" Kyokou hissed at her, as she feared this is what her cousin must've had to deal with and stared back at this pink haired monster with disgust etched in her blue eyes. "God, what are you?"

"Get out of my house! Now!"

But, instead of heeding her warning, Kyokou goes into the bathroom instead and get some of his things from in there. Moka wished Tsukune would return this minute and put a stop to his meddlesome cousin's rampage like she owned the place.

**Let me out I said! This pathetic human will regret ever setting foot in our home!**

Moka followed her into the bathroom, and was shocked to see Kyokou grabbing Tsukune's mint green mouthwash and begin to stow them away into the box along with his back scrubber and dental floss.

"You can't take his mouthwash! We bought those together, one for each of us!"

"Oh really?" She asked in mock curiosity as she picks up Moka's mouthwash. "Cinnamon flavored mouthwash. I take it then this is yours?"

"Yes. Give it back and put down Tsukune's things, I tell you he's coming back! Wait, what are you..."

Kyokou pushes past Moka into their bedroom, mouthwash in hand, opens it and begins dousing the entire room with it, splashing the walls, the bed, and even her clothes until it was empty. Moka was struck speechless as the brazen act as the room's pungent stench began to take on a cinnamon aroma, one that seemed to satisfy Kyokou immensely.

"You know something?" Kyokou asked. "Cinnamon flavored mouthwash really is the ideal flavor to get rid of those nasty, bacteria and that god-awful smell that goes with it!"

Finished with the bottle, she chucks it with enough force into Moka's dresser that it knocked over everything onto the floor, including the expensive perfume that she remembered Tsukune had bought as a surprise gift for Moka on her birthday, the one she later wore on that fateful night.

"Ohh, I remember when he bought you this!" Kyokou said in a mock tone of nostalgia. "I remember how happy you were to get it! And, they don't sell this anymore, it was a limited time deal and was it expensive, too! You'd probably have to go all the way to America to find one like this!"

Moka went to retrieve it, but Kyokou was faster and literally jumps up and down on the bottle, using her full weight to smash the expensive brew in a very vindictively glee, again and again, even going so far as to spread it's spilled contents out so it would be completely soaked into the floor.

Moka stood there, devoid of words, hands trembling with anger as they hovered precariously over the rosary, wanting badly to remove it, unleash her full power and put the bitch in her place.

"You want to know something else, _bitch_?" Kyokou suddenly asked, putting emphasis on the word 'bitch' as if sensing her in-law's thoughts and wanted to point out that the only bitch in this room is the pink haired one who was left staring at her back as she worked quickly to remove Tsukune's clothes from their closet. "You think you may have hurt Tsukune, but the only person you hurt is yourself! He was too good for you. Too wonderful a guy to be caught with a sleazy, scum ridden slut like you! I hope you realize that, but who am I kidding, you're just a dumb bitch, anyway. What makes it worse is that you had us all fooled from the day we first laid eyes on you, especially me; oh, we all thought you were special, the perfect girl for my cousin, but boy did we find out differently."

Her barbed words, just the mere thought of being insulted by this lowly creature, along with all the destruction she was doing to their apartment, was a little more the vampire could take.

**Would you let me out already! **Inner Moka seethed from within the gem in her rosary. **How much longer are we going to let her get away with insulting us!**

"I hate you humans," Moka grumbled, catching Kyokou's attention. "All you do is judge and condemn those who are better than you in every way! This is why I did what I did, not to hurt Tsukune, but to open his eyes; he doesn't belong to your kind anymore, he was too good for it anyway, he belongs with me and soon we're going to have a family that won't know anything about you or your narrow minded ways."

Kyokou stared at her, mouth agape as if this was a side of Moka she was seeing and hearing for the very first time. When Kazumi had told her everything that happened over the phone, the college grad could scarcely believe what she was hearing. This was the same Moka who had taught her that not all monsters were bad and had entrusted her cousin's very safety to while attending Youkai Academy, even going so far as to keep her secret or that of Tsukune's transformation into a vampire from the rest of the family and attended their wedding. Now, hearing such a neo-Nazi, elitist speech from her, it was as if being in the presence of some dark imitation of the girl she once compared to a sister.

"So, marrying a human doesn't count anything to you, at all?" She argued.

"Tsukune isn't a human, you idiot! He's one of us, a monster elite, but your constant interference kept him from fully realizing that, so if anything it's your fault!"

"_Our_ fault?"

"Yes. You, his mother and father, all of you constantly interfering with our lives and influencing him with your human ideals! I had to grow up around your kind and your ways and I hated it, I will not allow you to taint our family with it, I will not let our children to go through the same!"

"Your children? What children?"

"The children me and Tsukune will have one day. It's going to happen, and together we'll raise the next line of the Shuzen dynasty as proper vampires as soon as my mate returns and you won't have any part of it!"

Kyokou just kept staring at her, a woman who was appearing to be more and more delusional with each word that escaped from her mouth.

"So go ahead, take his things, but he's coming back anyway, and when we talk out our problems, his going to make you bring everything back and it'll be like nothing ever happened!"

"You must don't hear yourself when you talk, do you? _Your children_? You did all of this for kids you don't even have, you're not pregnant! The only kids you'll have will be whoever you had bathtub sex with and don't tell me you're going to convince my cousin to raise his?"

"Get out! I don't have to explain myself to you, get out of our house!"

"I seriously hope he doesn't come back before _we_, his real family, find him and fall for your b-s again, because if he does, I'll drag him back home, kicking and screaming if I have to; no man in his right mind is going to put up with you!"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

"I will, when I'm done packing!"

"You..."

"Seriously, what did we ever do to you? We've been nothing, but nice to you, now all of a sudden you have a problem with us because we're human?"

"Yes, I do. You're ignorant, judgmental, and paranoid around us monsters, you just don't trust us to be your betters."

"...And you wonder why that is? You really have no clue do you, after everything you've done you wonder why we don't like you monsters? Tsukie was, and in every way still is human, that will never change no matter how much vampire blood you give him or what you subject him to, and he trusted you with all his heart, despite being a monster, he even stayed at that hellish school for you, and look what that got him! God, I trusted you, remember? Remember that day when I first set foot on your school and we were surrounded by all of those monsters, I was scared out of my mind, I couldn't go on and I wanted to take my cousin away from there and away from you. But you, you offered me your hand and told me, and these were your words, 'You trust Tsukune right? Well, I trust him too. So, as two women who both love and trust him, I'm asking you to trust me.' I never forgot that day, and, I trusted you..."

"And, I saved you that day..."

"Why did you save me that day, huh? I thought you hated all humans, so why stick your neck out for me? All I know is that from that day forward I learned to trust monsters, believed that not all of you were so bad once you get to know them, and most importantly I believed in you, we all believed in you, all of us, but most especially aunt Kazumi, the one you so _cruelly_ talked to over the phone and broke her heart believed in you! A lot of good that did us! Now, I'll never trust another monster as long as I live, I will always hate your kind because monsters can't be trusted! So, your right, we do judge your kind and we always will as long as monsters like you still exist. And my cousin Tsukie, this time I'll make sure he never sees you again, so burn in hell, Moka Akashiya!"

Finished packing, Kyokou heads out with his things, but Moka, livid at her insulting speech and threat to take away Tsukune forcefully grabs her arm.

"You're not going anywhere with his things!" Moka cried out. "And, Tsukune is coming..."

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Kyokou suddenly shrieked, violently recoiling from her grasp as though a hideous troll was attacking her. "Don't you ever fucking touch me again, you freak!"

"Freak!" Moka yelled, growing angry and tightening her grip around the rosary. "How dare you call me that, human! I won't stand for it coming from you!"

"You touch me and I swear to god I'll scream," a panic-stricken Kyokou warned; as Moka stared into her frightened blue eyes, all of a sudden it appeared as if Kyokou had reverted back to that scared, mistrusting girl she remembered from their initial meeting years ago, before she began to warm up to her. "You just stay away from me."

A knock at the door seemed to offer some solace to the situation, especially for Kyokou, who was only all too eager to get away from this vampire standing in front of her.

"What's going on in there?" An elderly woman's voice asked.

"I-It's nothing," Moka replied.

"If there's any trouble, I'll call the police!"

"No, that won't be necessary, it's just the...uh, TV! Yeah, it's up too loud!"

"All I have to do is scream," Kyokou reiterated as she inched her way toward the door, her hostile blue eyes warily trained upon Moka's irate green ones. "Some guys will be over later to get the rest of his stuff."

"What do you mean the rest of his stuff?"

"The stuff I obviously can't carry on my own, like the fridge..."

"You're not taking our fridge!"

"The fridge that I'm sure has his name on the warranty, yeah I'm taking it, that and the flat screen TV, not to mention the stove that Koji helped him pick up and roll in here, that's coming too. The washer and dryer, Tsukie also bought those, the dishwasher too, pretty much everything; I'd take the kitchen sink, but then I remembered how you hate water, so why bother with it."

"You will not take any of those things out of here nor will you leave here with all of his belongings!" Moka yelled, threateningly moving forward towards her.

"Take it up with Judge Judy! Until then, we're taking all of it and put it in storage!"

"No you're not!"

"You...you keep away from me!" She cried, her voice becoming louder again, threatening to draw more unwanted attention; Moka knew full well what happens to monsters that reveal themselves to the human public or committed any acts of violence and she wondered if Kyokou was aware of this, which reminded her just how much she hated living in their world.

Kyokou had managed to open the door, the crimson rays of the setting sun shining itself upon her as she struggled to walk with her load, like a welcoming beacon to deliver her out of hell itself. When she slams the door behind, Moka was left in the shadows of an increasingly empty apartment. She hadn't realize just how much of his things made up their home and with them gone, it seemed like hardly no one lived there at all. Nevertheless, Moka still remained resolute that Tsukune will return to her and that Kyokou had no right to barge into their home and ransack the place.

**Are you going to let her get away with that? Stop her, you idiot and when you do, let me out so I can straighten her out!**

_We don't want to draw any attention to us!_

**Don't worry, I know how to be discreet. Just get after her and let me take care of the rest.**

Resolved, Moka races outside, determined to stop this thief from making off with their things, but instead of seeing her walking away, finds Kyokou next door talking with her landlord, Ms. Tsubaki. She couldn't tell what they were discussing, but noticed Kyokou hand the old lady a card and humbly bows before her.

"Would you like some help carrying those boxes?" Ms. Tsubaki offered.

"No, I think I got it. Again, thank you."

"It's no problem; I'll let you know when I see him."

"What did you two talk about?" Moka asked the old lady after Kyokou left, who looks up at her with a miffed expression.

"She just wanted to know if I've seen her cousin and I told her what I saw."

Moka's face turned red and she could feel beads of sweat from underneath her shirt.

"You...told her everything you saw?" She asked.

"Yeah, I did, and she gave me her number to call in case I see him again."

"Why would you agree to that, if it concerns my husband then it's _my_ business, if you see him, you come to me not call his cousin!"

"So, are you looking for him, too?" Ms. Tsubaki asked, and suddenly it looked as though the little old lady was giving her an accusing glare, which made Moka feel uncomfortable and head back to her apartment. "...I thought so."

The landlady mumbled those last words, but Moka's hearing was far greater than a human's and she heard it plainly, and having mere strangers judging her was more than she needed. Slamming the door on the outside world, Moka was left with an apartment that was even more empty than before; she hadn't realized how much of Tsukune's things were here, and with his own body scent quickly fading away from the atmosphere, she soon realized that Kyokou's visit removed the last remaining vestiges of his very presence.

**You should've let me handle it, **Inner Moka said to her. **This was our home and you let that human come in and ransack it! I know much of it were just human materials that we could've done without, but it belonged to us; she had no right to come in and do what she did!**

_What if Tsukune doesn't come back?_

**And that nosey landlady, **she went on, ignoring the question. **What business is it of hers, anyway?**

Moka glanced down at the two wedding rings that shared her ring finger, both once a symbol of their love; at least Kyokou hadn't taken them away, and as she wandered through the half-empty apartment it began to feel as hollow and lifeless as the halls at her distant home. However, it wasn't what she wanted, far from it; what she wanted was her mate to be here with her at this hour of need. She entered the destroyed bedroom, its air filled with a strong, cinnamon scent while she tried to pick up all of the junk that littered the floor, and comes upon the broken remains of her expensive bottle of perfume, crushed into tiny pieces with its contents seeping through the carpet and floor boards thanks to Kyokou, and breaks down crying. What had once been a tender memento of his love and commitment to her, had went to becoming a tool used to "punish" him and was now soaking into the wooden floor. She recalled first setting eyes on it, two years ago when she and Tsukune went shopping one day and a sales woman offered to give a sample of some new line of perfume that came in.

"How do you like it, ma'am?" The woman asked after spritzing some on her wrist.

It was a pink substance which matched her hair, and the aroma was uplifting, the best she ever smelled.

"Oh, I love it! What is it?"

"It's our new line of Cherry Blossom in Spring Time, loved by women, but said to drive men wild when they smell it on a charming lady like yourself, madam. "

Moka liked the sound of that, anything to charm the pants off of Tsukune and keep his focus on her instead of work or other distractions.

"But, you should hurry, because this is a rare, limited time sale and they're going fast!"

"Ooh, Tsukune you have to buy it for me!" She cheerfully demanded.

"How much is it?" He asked the lady, and when they were told its steep price, Tsukune's face turned pale and Moka walked away disappointed.

"I'm sorry Moka," he sadly told her. "I really wish I can get that for you, but we have to maintain a budget."

"I'm not speaking to you, Tsukune!" She said with a deep frown and a pouty expression. "You can't even give up a few thousand yen for a bottle of perfume."

"Honey, that was not a few thousand yen back there! I mean, we can't simply throw around money like its useless paper!"

"If you don't have enough money to spare, then all you have to do is go to daddy and he'll loan you the money we need!"

"Not for perfume, Moka, I'm sure about that! Look, you don't need any perfume, there's nothing wrong with how you smell, you smell great!"

Moka glared at Tsukune as if he said something he shouldn't have, and punches him square in the eye, sending him tumbling to the floor with a dazed, but confused look.

"What did I say?" He asked, though he kind of knew the answer to that.

Then a week later on her twentieth birthday, she remembered Tsukune acting strangely coy all that week, coming home late, becoming forgetful, and asking her odd questions. Moka wondered if he was seeing someone behind her back, but thought it was ridiculous as this was her Tsukune she was thinking about, he'd never do anything like that.

"Is Tsukune alright?" She asked Kyokou one night as they walked home from a night out shopping.

"Tsukie? Of course not, I mean of course he is. W-Why would you say that?"

Moka looked at her suspiciously, thinking her odd behavior was a clue that maybe she did know something about Tsukune.

"What's going on, Kyokou?" She asked in growing panic. "You can tell me! Is...is Tsukune...he wouldn't be..."

"Huh? No, oh, oh god no! Moka, Tsukie isn't doing anything like that, I swear, he's just...well..."

"Well what? Is he in any kind of trouble? He is, isn't he?"

"No, it's nothing like that at all!"

Moka wanted to believe her, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something from her, and it had something to do with Tsukune.

"You're lying," she accused and then flashed a hurt expression upon her, looking in her blue eyes with a pair of saddest and most worried green eyes that the warmed over, protective cousin in law had ever seen. "I...I thought we were friends, Kyokou."

"We are, Moka."

"I...thought I could trust with anything."

"You can."

"And, I thought you trusted me."

"I do, Moka, you're being..."

"Then why won't you tell me whats wrong with Tsukune, I really want to help, if there's anything bothering him, anything at all, I need to know now!"

Kyokou tried to look away, not wanting to peer into those wounded eyes again, eyes that appeared to be on the verge of crying, which brought about a pang of guilt for lying to her; it really dawned on the loyal relative that Moka truly did love her baby cousin and actually felt bad for doing this.

"Well..." she began to say, "...if you must know...Tsukune is in trouble with the Yakuza."

"The...yakuza?"

"Yes, their a violent gang that runs the country and Tsukune owes them a ton of money. He didn't want me to tell you or you'd worry."

"Where is he?" Moka asked, desperately grabbing onto Kyokou's shoulders until they hurt.

"Ow, he's back at home! He got me to lure you out, said he wanted to face them alone!"

That was all Moka needed to know before she shot off in the direction for home, literally leaving Kyokou in the dust.

"MOKA, WAIT UP!" She cried, but Moka was already out of ear shot, dashing through crowds of people and traffic in a desperate attempt to reach Tsukune, her hand gripping the rosary tightly, waiting for the chance to unleash Inner Moka when the opportunity was right. When she arrived home she was out of breath, but scaled the steps two at a time with uncanny skill.

"Mrs. Aono?" Ms. Tsubaki asked when she poked her head at the door, watching Moka whiz on by. "Where's the fire?"

"I can't talk now!" She said, running up to the door, which was suspiciously left ajar. Even through the crack, it's tiny opening was dark and foreboding, and she could smell Tsukune's scent mixed in with that of others; it was evident he wasn't alone.

**Be ready for anything, but don't let them see you attempt to remove the rosary, **Inner Moka said. **If they're able to cause Tsukune this much trouble, then obviously they must know of our weaknesses.**

The thought terrified Moka, that there was a gang of humans that could cause even vampires trouble, but Tsukune was in danger and she knew she could rescue him so, with a deep breath, she carefully opens the door and steps into the pitch black apartment.

"Hello," she meekly called out. "Tsukune, are you there? If you have Tsukune, then come out!"

Suddenly, the door behind her slams shut, and the lights blared on all around her.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone cried.

She was just one jerk of her wrist away from removing the rosary seal when Tsukune and an assortment of his family and her mother appeared.

"W-What's going on?" She asked.

"It's your birthday party, sweetie!" Akasha squealed, giving her shocked daughter a hug.

"My...birthday?"

"Yes, my son got us together and organized this _whole_ event!" A delighted Kazumi said.

Just then, a winded Kyokou finally came in behind her, followed by Ms. Tsubaki.

"Sur-prise," Kyokou wearily said.

"So, the yakuza thing..."

"Yakuza?" Tsukune asked, looking at Kyokou.

"Hey, it was all I could think of, you should have seen the way she was looking at me, Tsukie, I was close to crying for lying to her like that."

"Sorry," he said to Moka, "but I wanted it to be a surprise."

"And...you remembered my birthday?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"We've got cake!" Koji said, cheerfully, bringing out a large, rectangular shaped cake with white icing brilliantly decorated on top and in its center was an ornate candle in the shape of the number 20.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Said Ms. Tsubaki. "You mean to tell me you put your poor wife through all this trouble for a surprise party?"

"You're welcome to join if you like," Tsukune offered. "We've got plenty of food."

Ms. Tsubaki had to contemplate on it, as normally this diminutive woman was not a festive person by nature and it appeared she might not join in.

"If that cake is vanilla, then I'm doubling your rent," she responded.

"Alright, c'mon everybody, let's all sing happy birthday!" Kazumi said.

"Do...I...have to, why don't you all just...go on ahead without me," said a still exhausted Kyokou.

As everybody gathered around her, all with happy faces and singing happy birthday, she felt somewhat confused; even though birthdays were celebrated amongst her kind, they were usually different, mostly extravagant affairs where people paid homage to the person in question, whether they wanted to or not. A large banquet was held in order, servants would line up to cater to their every need, and combat spectacles would be held in the person's honor, often gory and to the death, but most important of all the mood was always a cool one as vampires were raised to feel little warmth or happiness; she was used to that. However, with these humans, and even her mate and own mother there was a warmth about all of this, even amongst such modest trappings that she found hard to ignore, a warmth that nearly touched even her.

**Don't tell me you're going to fall for this crap? These meager celebrations would not befit a creature of prime and elegance; face it, you're becoming more and more human.**

Moka glanced around at all of their faces, with their human joy and content, even shocked to see her own mother join in the festivities, but most importantly worried to know that Tsukune had orchestrated it.

"Go on Moka, make a wish," said Kazumi.

Before blowing out the candle, there was only one thing she wished for as she looked across at Mrs. Aono. Moka wasn't without gratitude for this gesture and was very happy that her husband remembered her birthday when she herself had forgotten it; it wasn't exactly something vampires normally kept track of, being so long lived and all. However, things like this could not remain this way forever; she and Tsukune were no longer apart of this world and something had to go. After having cake, which turned out to be devil's food cake, and their festivities were soon joined by curious neighbors, including kids who wanted to join in, Tsukune brought Moka alone outside while everyone enjoyed the festivities and gave her a deep and loving kiss, a kiss she reciprocated well.

"I'm so sorry," he said to her.

"Sorry?"

"For lying to you all this time and scaring you."

"You don't have to be, I thought the idea was great," she lied. "It really shows you care about me for you to go through all of this."

"Still, I know what you're thinking."

"You do?" She asked; a little worried that he might've sensed her desires.

"Yes, your mother told me about all of the grand banquets vampires hold when they celebrate someone's birthday, and that you've had a couple yourself."

"Yes, but...this is fine, really I'm happy."

"You're just saying that, I know you want more and I just didn't have the time to book a hall in which to celebrate it."

"It's fine, Tsukune, really I'm fine with it, just having you and mother here, and your family...a girl couldn't have asked for more."

"Oh really, because I was kinda hoping you _would_ be mad at me."

"Why is that?"

"Because if you were, then I'd have the perfect gift to make you happy, again."

He handed her a small, gift wrapped box from his pocket and upon opening it, its contents caused her mouth to open in a silent scream of joy.

"The perfume!"She squealed excitedly. "Tsukune! You remembered; but I thought you said we couldn't afford it!"

"I know, but I wanted to give you something special and I remembered how much it meant to you and with it being so limited and all, I decided...what the hell. It wasn't easy though, I had to work double shifts to be able to afford it, but it was worth it if I could make this birthday a memorable one and make up to you for it not being...you know, spectacular."

"...Oh Tsukune!" She said with tears in her eyes. "Yes, it is, I won't ever forget this!"

With tears of joy streaming down from her emerald eyes, she grips him in a warm, yet bone crushing hug.

"I'll wear this only on special occasions so it'll last! Oh, I love you, Tsukune."

"I...love you too...Moka," he grimaced.

She was so overcome with joy that she almost failed to notice the scent of Tsukune's blood had become especially intoxicating, due in part to it being pumped rapidly from his tight squeeze, and clamps down on his neck with enraptured ecstasy.

"Aaaaaawwww!" Moka moaned.

"Aaaaaahhhh!" He cried. "Not again!"

It was a happy moment, a wonderful evening, and a cherished gift. Now, that same gift, treasured as a symbol of just how far her man was willing to go for her, had gone from being used as a weapon against him in her war against human influence, and was now reduced to tiny shards on the floor, its sweet smelling contents gone for good.

"...She didn't have to do this," she wept as she picks up a tiny shard in vain. "How could she?"

**It's just a worthless bottle of perfume, **said her inner consciousness. **We'll have Tsukune buy us some more, it can be easily replaced.**

"But, I don't want another one," she began to cry. "This was special; I only used it on special occasions for him, not...Why did it have to come to this?"

**Don't you dare start crying! It'll take more than breaking some bottle for that foolish human to hurt us! Pull yourself together and clean up the mess she made, it'll get your mind off of worrying.**

Begrudgingly, she did what she was told, angrily sweeping up the broken shards of her destroyed "gift" and then the daunting task of cleaning up the bedroom, still reeking with the scent of mouthwash. She opens the closet, her clothes strewn about by Kyokou's rampage, also drenched with mouthwash, and takes a long look at its interior, recalling what it took for it become as wide as it was. Moka had asked Tsukune one day to hire a contractor to expand their closet so it would better accommodate the contrasting tastes of both her egos; instead, he took it upon himself to do the impressive task himself by buying do-it-yourself books and bringing in his dad's tools for the job. She had her doubts at first, but as she stood before it, marveling at the remarkable craftsmanship he had done and the space for all of the different sets of clothes, shoes and other apparel, Moka had to admit that this, not the perfume, was a true testament to her man's devotion.

**And yet, he wouldn't grant us what we wanted? **Inner Moka reiterated. **He did all of this, everything we asked from him and yet he'd refused to acknowledge our reluctance to keep our children away from his human breed? He should've obeyed us, don't forget that!**

_I haven't, _she sadly thought.

Moka tried to pick up the scattered remains of her wardrobe, soaked and ruined, amongst them the black, cocktail dress that she painfully recalled wearing on that dreaded night and knew full well she wouldn't be able to wear at least that ever again; she found herself somewhat relieved. Depressed, she plops down on her bed and the very act itself brought back more memories, dreadful memories of last night and all that had come to pass. She kept telling herself over and over again that it wasn't her fault, that Tsukune was to blame, but she found it increasingly difficult. All she knew is if Tsukune had stayed and given into her demands, none of this would've happened.

"Tsukune, where are you?" She asked aloud, noticing the shadows creeping ever further up the walls, signaling night's approach and still no sign of him; she was reluctant to spend another night without him, without knowing if he was okay.

**What are you thinking?**

"We need to go find him."

**Are you crazy? And make it seem like we're the weak ones! Don't go chasing after him, he left us! He should be the one to come crawling back to us, begging for forgiveness!**

"You heard Kyokou, he hasn't contacted his family, and they don't know where he is! Aren't you worried? He's been gone since last night, he didn't eat anything at all, what if he's hungry and the only reason he hasn't returned is because he still thinks Gin is here, he might do something reckless?"

**Mm, you do have a point. A hungry vampire would be dangerous to humans and bring unnecessary attention to us. Very well, we'll go find him, but when we do, you let **_**me**_** do the talking, got it?**

Without needing to say more, all too eager to go looking like an excited child let out to play, Moka puts on some shorts and heads out to look for him, following his scent in the wind. It was even fainter than inside the apartment due to the wind, but she was able to retrace his steps from the previous night and was stunned to find it wind up on a nearby park bench. It struck her conscience to think that he spent the entire night on a park bench, alone, cold and miserable, while she was fucking Gin in their warm bed.

"Oh god, what have I done," she whispered, holding her head in agonizing shame.

**He only did this to himself; we have nothing to be ashamed of.**

As she struggled to make sense of this travesty, it was then that she picked up a different scent altogether, one that was deathly familiar and indicated that maybe Tsukune wasn't as cold and alone as previously thought.

"What...what was she doing here?" Moka asked aloud, alarm growing inside of her. "Y-You don't think he..."

**No. He wouldn't. That fool maybe naive and pig-headed, but he isn't stupid.**

"But, there's no mistaking it; Ria was here, with him, and now his scent is gone. It's like he went with her!"

**Ria used Tsukune, she raped him and threatened his father, he hates her. He wouldn't go have sex with her, just to get back at us!**

"Then, how do you explain..."

**I don't know! Call her up. If he is there, with her, I'll make sure he knows where his place is. If he thought what we did last night was terrible...**

Racing back home, she picks up her cell phone and checks the call history to see if maybe he called, but to no avail. She then dials his number, but no one picked it up, which made her even more concerned.

**Call Ria; you must've caught the little dumbass fucking her and was too scared to answer his phone.**

Reluctantly, she dials her number, listens to the dial tone with bated breath, and skips a beat when she finally answers.

"Oh me, oh my," she said on the other line, sending a chill up Moka's wretched spine, "if I live and breathe; and how is my dear sister?"

"Where is he?" Moka flat out asked.

"Where is whom?"

"You damn well know who I'm talking about!"

"...Sister, dear I'm in the middle of something, so excuse me if I implore you not to beat around the bush and tell me what it is I supposedly had done? Who are we talking about?"

"TSUKUNE!" She screams in the phone.

"Oh me...oh m...really sister?"

"Where is he? Tell me, dammit what are you doing with him?"

"I haven't done anything with him."

"Don't lie, I know you saw him last night, I can smell your scent mixed in with his."

"Oh my, don't tell me you finally decided to get off your ass and have gone looking for your wayward husband?"

"That is none of your business."

"Oh, but I'd say it is."

"Why are you with him?"

"With who?

"WITH TSUKUNE!"

"What makes you think he's with me, right now? I haven't seen him since last night."

"So you _were_ with him? Why? Why'd you show up and what did you do?"

"And why should you care?"

"I care because he's my bloodmate, that's why?"

"Poor, deluded little girl, you use the term bloodmate so loosely and yet you have no idea what it means do you."

"Just tell me, why were you with him last night?"

"Because he called me."

_He...called her? _She asked herself.

"Why would he call you?"

"Because, dear beloved brother was so hurt, so devastated by your betrayal that he didn't know who else to call. It would seem you've deprived him of contact with all your other friends, with exception of your...paramour that is."

"And he called you?"

"Yes. Who else was he going to call, you?"

Moka felt like kicking herself; not only had she wound up putting a wedge in their relationship, but in her jealous effort to keep all the other girls from interfering with their marriage, she had left Tsukune with Ria as his only option. Right now, she would've been glad if it was Kurumu who'd picked him up, not her conniving sister.

"Let me speak to him," she demanded.

"I told you, he isn't with me, I haven't seen him since last night."

"Don't lie to me, I know he's there having...sex with you to get back at me. It's the only reason he'd call you, now put him on the phone or I'll go to father about what you're doing!"

"Threaten me all you like, but I'm telling the truth, I haven't got your jilted husband."

"Then where is he, what did you two do last night?"

"Well, we talked, he told me what you did, and then he asked me if I could drop him off somewhere."

"Where? Tell me where he is and I'll find him!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why...not?"

"Because he told me not to tell you, and I respect his wishes."

Moka was flabbergasted; why didn't he want her to find him?

"You have to tell me, I'm his bloodmate, you must let me know where he is!"

"You maybe he's bloodmate, but that is highly debatable right now."

"Don't judge me, I don't have time for that, now tell me where he is!"

"I'm sorry, but though I am obligated to cater to your every whim, my heiress, he is the newly named heir and has requested that no one, not even his own family that you went through all of this trouble to distance him from, may know of his whereabouts...until he's ready."

"What? Ready for what?"

"I guess you'll have to practice that one prerogative that you've never been known to exercise: patience. Toodles!"

Ria, with a big smile, hangs up the phone on her distraught baby sister and turns over in bed at her current paramour.

"Who's that?" Gin asked, resting his head on his arms in utter triumph.

"Oh me, oh my, why be concerned with such trivial matters," Ria replied. "Does it really matter? Anyway, I've got to be going, there's a little family incident that needs taking care of."

"You really have to go?" Gin asked as she stepped out of bed, flashing her incredible bare bottom, which he boldly smacks. If there was one thing he was certain of is that Moka's older sister was, in everyway better, both in body shape and performance in bed; he begins to wonder if he had picked the wrong sister. "We could try for seconds, maybe even third."

"As much as I would like that," Ria replied, slipping on her tight fitting, long sleeved dress, "this can't wait, but...maybe, who knows."

"You're that kind of woman, huh? Leave them wanting more?"

"You got it, but there is one thing I need a _big_, strong wolf, like yourself, to do for me."

"Sure thing, anything you command, what?" He asked eagerly.

"I know you're seeing my baby sister, Moka, am I right?"

"Um...yes," he replied, warily.

"...Don't worry, I won't tell, but I need you to keep our little rendezvous a secret or Moka might find out and spoil our fun; you think you can do that?"

"Hey, you can count on me, I keep secrets from Sun all the time."

"You bad boy."

"The bad ass; don't worry, it'll be between you and me."

"Good, good, and before I go I want to give you something."

"What's that?"

She reaches in her purse and hands him a small, plastic bag containing two blue pills.

"Something to loosen her up a bit, you know how Moka can get."

"Heh, you don't have to worry about that," he said, readily taking the pills and not even asking what they were, "I got her loose enough."

"I highly doubt it, I know my sister better than you, and besides these will make her extremely willing to do anything, I mean what you did with her before will be nothing in comparison when she takes these, trust me. I'm sure a suave gentleman like yourself knows how to give it to a lady?"

"Sure do," he said with a wink. "Okay, I'll go and do it, it might be better than you say it is."

"Oh me, oh my, I'm counting on it, yes I certainly am."

Leaving the maid cafe/bordello he ran, Ria steps into the back of her limo and immediately begins brushing herself off as if her body was crawling with invisible cockroaches.

_Gah! That filthy animal! _She screamed in her head. _The lengths I will go, ugh! Can't believe I let that animal touch me, he fucks like a dog in heat and doesn't even know how to aim straight, I swear the inside of my legs feel like they were drenched in hot glue; and that bad boy bandana, who is that fool trying to kid? I see my sister has simple tastes if some retard is enough to break her vows; Tsukune was a lover better in bed than that loser, hell his own father was far better than him and that's saying a lot. Oh well, if he does like I ask, which would be a miracle given where his brain is at, then this travesty would've been worth it._

"Driver, take me as far away from here as possible!" She ordered. "I don't care where!"

Back at the apartment, Moka paces about in worried contemplation, her movement creating a slight disturbance for the people below her.

"I can't believe it!" She said aloud. "Why would Tsukune go back to her? Why won't he even let me come see him? I thought...he was supposed to...he wasn't supposed to do this!"

**Obviously, he's trying to get back at us! **Inner Moka interjected.

"But, she said..."

**Our sister is lying, Tsukune was probably right there with her when you called. That's right, while you've been pining for him this whole time, while we've been fondled and degraded by another man the entire night our beloved was out fucking that slut, well he's not going to get away with this!**

"What are you suggesting?"

**If that's how he wants to play, then fine, we'll play his game. Invite Gin over, we're not done with him, yet!**

"Oh, oh no, I-I don't want to go through that again, don't you think we've done enough?"

**Enough? It won't be enough until we've won and our rebellious mate learns his place, not to mention payback for his bitch of a cousin coming in here and destroying our home! Now call him!**

Moka didn't want to go through another lewd act with Gin, she already felt soiled enough, and concern for Tsukune's whereabouts still weighed heavily upon her, even if he was with Ria; besides, if it was true, then it was only because of her that he did so.

**Besides, you know you still want to do it with Gin, at the very least the werewolf is useful something, and enjoying another night with him will only show Tsukune that our resolve is to not be underestimated and remains as strong as ever! **

She was forced to admit that having sex with Gin was unlike anything she's experienced with Tsukune, and thoughts of him did cloud what little judgment remained.

"No!" She grimaced, shaking her head violently. "No, I won't, I don't want to, it's...it's wrong, I mean..."

**Either you do it or I will.**

Her resistance shattered, Moka's reluctance gradually became an addictive willingness to call up her paramour, as well as a curiosity to see if what she felt while fucking Gin was indeed a fluke or that she genuinely had feelings for him.

"Hello...Gin," she said into the cell phone.

"Hey, Moka, what's happening?" He asked, sounding as if he'd been expecting her to call. "And, what can I do for you?"

As soon as Moka asked him to come on over, Gin didn't waste much time in getting there, but not before taking a quick and thorough shower so she wouldn't catch hold of Ria's scent on him. Walking up the steps towards her apartment, all decked out like a male stripper on his way to a client and with a single rose in one hand and a bottle of red wine in the other, he passes by Ms. Tsubaki's place as she looks out at him from her front window.

"Goooood, evening sexy," he said, flashing her very a cheesy smile, upon which she merely scowls and shuts the curtains.

Before knocking, he makes sure his hair was okay and sprays some breath freshener to hide his previous engagement from her.

"Come in!" He heard from inside, not having to knock twice.

"Alright," he said to himself, "you _are_ eager, tonight."

When he opens, his grin grew wider at the sight that greeted him, that of a half naked Moka, sitting nervously on her couch in nothing, but her white bra and panties. With her clothing ruined by Kyokou, Moka had little options available to make it a sexy evening, so she decided to present herself in such a manner; she knew Gin wouldn't mind.

"I see we're skipping the foreplay today and getting right down to business!" He said. "Um, you know who isn't here this time, is he?"

The very suggestion of Tsukune made her heart heavy and to want to ask herself what exactly she was doing.

"No," she said sadly.

"Oh, well...his loss, I say."

"Enough about him," she says, hiding her emotions and putting on a happy, yet determined front. "Its just you and me, tonight. How about we go ahead and..._pick up _where we left off?"

Just as Gin stood there gaping in his horny, dumbfounded stupor, a mother and her little daughter walks by the still opened door that he forgot to close and upon seeing the half naked Moka, the mother quickly hurries the little girl past before she saw anymore.

"Gin!" Moka squealed, covering herself in vain.

"What are you complaining for?" Gin laughed. "Give the kid something to look forward to when she gets to be your age."

He then sticks his head back out and shouts at the girl:

"Hey, sneak peak, kid! I might come calling on you in 10 years! Don't know what you're missing!"

"GIN!"

"Alright, alright, geez!" He said and finally shuts the door behind him.

Moka never felt more embarrassed than just now, wondering what must've been going through their heads at what they'd just seen.

**Who cares about that! Let's get this done with, I'm anxious to let off some steam.**

"So," Gin says, sauntering over to his familiar conquest, "let's say we start off with a little something different? Like, say I let your more dangerous side out to play, this time."

"You're...serious?" She asked, a little surprised and a little hurt.

"Yeah," he said as he sat close enough to grope every inch of her, "I think I can handle her, this time."

**I doubt that, very much.**

"So, what do you say, Moka?"

"...Don't...don't you like it when you make love to me? Why her, first?"

"It's nothing against you, per se, it's just I want to try something a little different, that's all."

The feel of his strong fingers sliding gently over her tender, exposed skin sent waves of arousal coursing throughout her body, bringing back reminders of how great he was in bed and overriding any common sense that may have existed.

"I...I saw you talking to that woman after you left here," she said to him, slowly losing her control. "What happened between you two?"

"What, that? Oh, Moka it was nothing, see I was...asking for directions to the...uh, the nearest flower shop, so that next time I could buy you a new rose, here ya go."

He hands her the flower, but it didn't make her feel too at ease.

"Gin...do you...love me?"

"What's this all of a sudden?"

"Please, Gin I really want to hear you say it."

"Ah...um...sure I do," he said with a pained smile.

**Get on with it, **Inner Moka complained. **Quit acting human and let me out.**

"But..." she tried to argue, but Gin's fingers began tracing along her tits, remembering how she letting him fondle them last time was all he needed to entice this desperate housewife.

"C'mon Moka, pleeeease."

"Well...okay," she says, her inhibitions gone, rationalizing that he meant what he said about loving her and removes the seal that bound Inner Moka.

"Oh yeah," he said quietly as he marveled at the stunning transformation, and of how her enlarging physical features stretched out the already, form fitting underwear she wore.

"Well, like what you see?" Moka asked, waving her long, silvery hair about proudly and smiling down upon him confidently and dangerously. "Why don't you take a picture or did you just come all this way just to stare?"

"Huh? Oh right! Let's do it!"

"Really? Because, I remember the last time I wanted to have sex with you, you chickened out; I'm curious to find out what changed."

"Can't a guy change his mind, I mean he would have to be a fool to leave all of _this_ behind! Ooh, a bit soon?"

"Forget about my lost mate, let him stew in his indecisions, I'm not going to waste my time pinning for him like some little, lost lamb; as you said, he's loss! Now, if you're ready, lets go into my bedroom and show me what you've got."

Upon entering the bedroom, he was quick to take note of all of the destruction that went on in there, as well as the strong smell of cinnamon mouthwash.

"Doing some redecorating?" He asked.

"Oh, Tsukune's mousey, little cousin came by and threw a tantrum, it's nothing," Moka casually says, ripping the sheets off and sitting on the bare mattress, gingerly patting it to entice Gin into joining her. "She thinks this'll stop me from putting my husband in his place, she's got another thing coming; well?"

"Boy, you don't beat around the bush, do you? It might get cold, during the night, you know."

"I can handle it, besides I have a feeling we'll be keeping each other both warm or is that too much for you?" She asked with a teasing, yet challenging stare.

"Works for me, but first how about we spice up the mood?" He asks, holding up his bottle of wine.

"It's red, my favorite color; you really shouldn't have."

"I thought you'd might like it; got any glasses?"

"In the cupboards, but be quick, I don't like to be kept waiting."

"No problem," he says, scurrying over into the kitchen to pull down two drinking glasses with the faded initials of Tsukune and Moka printed on them, realizing that these must've been from their wedding reception. "Hey, all I see are your wedding glasses, should I use these?"

"Yeah," she responded without much pause.

"Fine by me; sorry buddy," he said, and begins pouring the blood red liquid into each glass, and then takes out the pills Ria had given them, breaking each down and depositing them into Moka's drink; hoping to get an even more desired experience from it.

"What's taking so long?"

"Hold your horses, you horny slut," he said under his breath as he mixed the crush pills into the drink with his finger. "And, if this works, you too will be a horny sex slave, princess."

Smiling, he returns to his intended target with the drinks and hands her the drugged glass.

"A toast?" He asked and she responds to his request. "To our future kids, may they know what lengths their parents went to provide them with a future!"

He watches Moka drink hers down in a single gulp as he downs his, a single sliver of the red liquid trickling down her chin as if she was bleeding.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Ginei," Moka tells him. "I'm only doing this to get back at Tsukune for allowing all of it to happen, I still intend to bare his children."

"Of course, I agree, I'm on your side. I only meant that, once Tsukune comes back and you two can get to work on making your dream come true, that your kids know what you had to do."

"They won't know until they're old enough," she mumbles, actually worrying on how her children may look on their mother's actions right now and wondering if this was the best idea to do. "Right now, let's not think about that, you and...and I should...whoa!"

"You feeling okay, Moka?" He asked, feigning concern.

Moka felt the bed was levitating and all of her proud, inhibitions started to flow away as Gin suddenly became more appealing than she remembered.

"Oh yes," she said with a relaxed smile, her libido kicking into overdrive. "Take me Gin!"

"Whoa!" He cried when she grabbed a hold of his shirt and pulled him back, on top of her.

"Take me, use me, do as you will!" She said, hungrily. "Tonight, I'm yours!"

She didn't need to ask twice, as the eager werewolf took full advantage of his highly compromised, horny vampire slut, the two making wild sex nonstop for the rest of the night; it was an experience Moka's next door neighbor had a front row seat while in bed, much to her soured enthusiasm.

XXX

By the next morning at Hibachi House, Moka Akashiya's night had been anything, but physically or mentally pleasant. She wasn't able to sleep a wink since getting into bed; each time she closed her eyes a disembodied voice haunted her very mind, robbing any chance of a peaceful night's rest. On top of that, there was a nagging feeling in the pit of her soul that caused her to turn constantly, leaving Moka's very body restless as if something needed to be done, as though there was a wrong that needed to be made right, and it became so consuming that, aside from sleeping on a strange bed, in an even stranger environment, it made everything feel that more uncomfortable. She blamed it on yesterday's therapy session, their discussion still ringing in her head, causing the woman to question her judgment and had unknowingly opened a Pandora's Box of memories she probably had a good reason for stowing away.

"You look like you slept the sleep of the damned," her roommate, Blanche said who had yet to get out of bed, and took note of her young companion's frazzled appearance. "Yeah, the first few nights usually get to ya; the beds are uncomfortable, the pillows are flat, they leave the room temperature the way it is every day, its pure hell!"

"He said they're supposed to help us," Moka replied as she wearily slips on some neatly prepared socks, blue jeans and a red sweater at the foot of her bed.

"Help? Hah! Honey, that doctor couldn't help an ant carry a grain of sugar, this place isn't built to help people like you and me!"

_You and me? _Moka thought, incredulously.

"I've already talked to my husband about what goes on here, and he's going to the medical review board about what they're doing to me! Dr. Kohaku is going to need some therapy when he gets through with him!"

"Well, I hope it works. I hope you do put him in his place."

"That's right, honey, I sure will, just you wait and see."

But, Moka couldn't wait for some stranger to meet with some committee to shut this place down, she wanted out now. After last night, Moka didn't know how much more her tired body would be able to take. Heading for their private bathroom first, she checks herself in the mirror and notices what a mess her long, pink hair was, but unable to find a brush or a comb to fix it, simply ties it into a long pony tail and for a moment she resembled her mother more than she could remember.

"...Mom," she said to herself, thoughtfully.

She could almost see a reflection of the woman that she called "mother", unable to find a name in the back of her mind or if the woman was even alive and looking for her. Moka looks on the rack full of cheap, complimentary toothbrushes and tooth paste to see if they had any mouthwash, which they did, but the only kind she could find was a small bottle of mint green.

"They don't have cinnamon?" She asked herself. "I can't use this!"

The situation seemed intolerable; her body ached all over, hair was a mess, she failed to get any sleep at all, they didn't have her favorite brand of mouthwash, and to top it all off, Moka was so out of it that she failed to notice she had inadvertently turned on the faucet until her fingers were scorched on the water.

"_Dammit_!" She yelled.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, sister!" The old lady called from outside.

"I'm not your sister," she muttered, sticking her damaged fingers into her mouth to soothe the pain.

_What was I thinking? _Moka wondered upon noticing the running water and angrily shuts it off, but as soon as she looks back up, she lets out a startled cry as standing behind her, reflected in the mirror, was a nude man holding out his arm as if to reach her, his lips moving silently. When she spins around, she sees no one standing there, but it nonetheless left her extremely rattled.

"What's going on in there?" The old woman asked.

Moka didn't answer; she hurriedly leaves the room and races down the hall, her mind racing even faster. What did she see and who was it? The image was brief, but she was able to get a look at the man to remember every detail about him; he was tall, with brown, cropped hair, had chestnut eyes that were forlorn and pleading, and there was a strange X shaped scar about his left chest.

_It was him! _She thought to herself, remembering him as the man from her dreams, the man who continued to haunt her even after the therapy session last night, and whose identity remained lost to her. _Was that real, did I really see him? What does it mean?_

There was something about him this time, as if it appeared as though he was trying to say something in particular to her, like he was desperately reaching out to her, but lost the will to speak.

_Who is he? _She thought, the strain causing a slight headache.

"Are you alright?" A middle aged woman stopped to ask; Moka realized that she had doubled over in pain and was creating a scene. "Do you need me to call someone?"

She looked at the woman helping her up, at her kind face and warm eyes that squinted pleasantly as she smiled, bringing forth an image or a memory of another kind woman, but Moka's anger towards humanity shoved such warm sentiments back down and replied with a slight wrench of her arm: "I'm fine."

The smell of freshly cooked food didn't help her mood either, and standing in line with all of these people around her was still just as agonizing as before. The doctor's words continued to ring in her head, as well as a burning desire to uncover who she was, which clashed with a fear of discovering more disturbing stuff from her past. Moka feared that maybe the doctor was right about the mystery man from her memories, that perhaps she had gotten close to a human, closer than she would've liked; it was inconceivable for her to have developed feelings for a mere human and forgotten all which separated them. She wondered if perhaps it was because of him that she lost her memory in the first place, that this man had done something to her.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty, you awake?" The serving lady asked. "I was worried you might start to spaz out there for a moment, what will you have?"

Moka was so lost in thought, that she hadn't noticed how fast the line had moved.

"How about some nice, fluffy scrambled eggs to get the morning going," she suggested, scooping up a large spoonful of eggs onto a plate and putting it on her tray.

"...Thank you," Moka thoughtfully replied. "Do you have any more of that...V-8 juice?"

"Sure, they're all down there," the lady replied, pointing further down the line where the drinks are kept. "Is that all you're going to eat?"

"...Yes."

"Gee, Chiba what are you guys trying to do, kill her?" A random guy asked. "Half the people here know you can't cook for shit!"

Moka looked at the man and then at the food server who seemed visibly hurt by the insult, and became annoyed that he would openly criticize a small, old woman's food that she worked so hard to make to her face and act like it was a joke; then again, it helped prove the vampire's assertion of humans and how they enjoy inflicting pain in order to satisfy their own pain.

"Well, we gotta get rid of you people, some kind of way!" The server fired back. "Heaven knows, the doctors sure aren't doing their jobs if we still gotta see your ugly mugs every morning!"

Everyone laughed, including the rude gentleman, and they continued bantering back and forth with crude jokes.

"Why you gotta be like that, Chiba?" Another gentleman further on back asked. "You know you love me, right?"

"Ha! You must be crazier than I thought! Let me guess, you're suffering from…paranoid delusions, am I right?" She retorted and again everybody laughed or agreed with her.

What was going on? These people were insulting one another, and yet at the same time they appeared to be enjoying each other as if they were all friends. Moka couldn't put heads or tails about it, she just simply grabbed her juice and made for the nearest, isolated table she could find. There was little this place could do for her, let alone teach her anything new or conflicting, just more lies and false imagery to create doubt in a mind that was already made up.

_Who cares if I don't remember anything, _she angrily thought. _I know who to trust and who not to trust: I trust me and not..._

_"Mo...a!" _

The disembodied voice muttered once again, this time followed by the memory of that man in the bathroom with her, causing Moka to wince in pain and frustration.

"Get out of my head!" She grimaced, shaking her head violently. When it all seemed quiet and everything normal again, she settles down to eat her breakfast when a loud crash erupted from behind. The blind man, Jay had accidentally fallen over himself, spilling his full tray all over the floor as the whole cafeteria fell dead silent. With all eyes on the fallen, disabled man Moka fully expected everyone to laugh and deride him for being different, the way those kids had done to her all those years ago, but instead Jay stands up, dusts himself off, raises his hands and says:

"I'm okay! Ladies and gentleman, all part of the show; carry on with your meal! As you were!"

Everybody laughed and began applauding the disabled, yet perfectly fine gentleman.

"Here, let me help you get that," said Norman who started gathering up his food. "Great pratfall, by the way, _love_ slapstick comedy from the handy capable!"

"Why thank you, I always depend on the kindness of strangers," said Jay amidst the whoops and hollers of his adoring fans.

"Hey, don't get gay on me, Klingons don't like it!"

"I did not know Klingons were homophobic; hell, I did not know trekkers were homophobic, you all seem pretty gay to me."

"Very funny, and I'm a trekk-ie, not trekk-er; get it right, man!"

What was wrong with these people? They were all supposed to be making each other miserable and inflicting soul crushing pain, not brushing off every little thing, celebrating their mistakes or even helping one another.

_Humans! Th-They're humans! These must be different, they're all insane, that's it! Because, normal humans behave differently than this, I know I'm right!_

_"Mo...a!"_

_Stop it! Get out of my head! _

Moka could do nothing, the voice, the memory of a man who has no name, and remembering that dream she had last night, and now these people; none of which would permit her to sit and eat her meal in hate-filled content.

XXX

Moka Aono woke up later on with a splitting headache, her hair a mess and legs sticky. She had slept through the morning and once again found it was the afternoon, their room partially illuminated with an afternoon sun that strained to enter through closed, maroon colored blinds.

**Ugh, what happened? **She thought through what had to be the worst hangover she had ever experienced, if not being the very first; vampires were not usually prone to such ailments and could hold their liquor better than humans, and yet Moka was balled over by this.

She lay alone in bed, naked and wet; the very mattress underneath her soaked with sweat, semen and a smell she hoped wasn't piss. It didn't take her very long to figure out that the smell wasn't indeed piss, but shit; someone had crapped in her bed.

**That fool wolf did not do what I think he...**

Moka tried to muster up her weakened strength and after much difficulty slid off her bed in a hurry, and stood before the bed to see a dark turd where she'd laid, staining the mattress in a brown circle.

"He did! When I get my hands on him, I'll..."

It was then that she noticed the smell of food wafting in from the living room and thinking, with heightened adrenaline that quickly woke her up, that Tsukune had at last returned and was cooking a meal. This would've been his lunch hour and he was always doing that, preparing their meals even though she did much of the cooking, and he must've come back while she slept.

"It's about time," she muttered to herself.

She noticed her ruined and tattered clothes from last night, all strewn about the room and decided to just throw something else on instead, eager to see him, but then thought about her decision to even get dressed. Tsukune had been gone for two nights now, letting her be violated by Gin and leading her to worry while he was shagging up with Ria; and so she decides to simply appear before him as is, triumphantly showing him the bruises she let Gin inflict during their wild night of sex as pay back.

"This will teach him to defy me," she said to herself, standing elegantly before the dressing mirror, as she examines her marked, nude body and bunching up her pert, but gnawed on tits, determined to put her wayward husband in his place with the show she planned to put on. "But, I knew you'd come crawling back; you didn't have the stomach to leave this."

_Remember, you said we would only talk, _her outer persona said. _We'd let him apologize and then talk, right?_

She _was_ happy to see him again and have him back, but she still remained miffed at what he had done and aside from not wanting Tsukune to see how much she missed him, Moka also wanted revenge. It wasn't enough that she showed him her resolve in the face of his defiance to her wishes, but now he needed to answer for allowing this to happen twice, and to do that she will make him suffer greatly for this outrage.

"Tsukune!" She yelled as she throws open the bedroom door and walks, nakedly into the living room. "So, you finally came back, huh? And after all that foolish nonsense about leaving me, but if you thought I'm going to just let it slide, you got another thing..."

"Tsukune?" Gin asked from the floor, sitting cross legged as he eats an already prepared meal for himself. "Sorry, hubby no show. Hey, hope you don't mind, but I made myself a little something to munch on, but you don't want anything do you? You already had some of my blood, so you must be fed. By the way, you were all out of clean plates, and probably won't have any more without a dishwasher, so you might want to get some foam plates; hope you don't mind?"

Moka looked around in disbelief at the near empty apartment, with everything gone: the refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher, couch, recliner and even TV, all gone.

"What happened?" She mouthed, but couldn't find the voice.

"Oh yeah, some people came by early this morning while you were asleep, said they were sent by Tsukune's cousin to get everything that belonged to him. You were still out, so..."

"And you let them in and take everything?"

"Yeah!" He said as though it was a no-brainer. "They said there was some legal precedent that gave the next of kin the right to do this or something, I don't know, I spaced out through most of it. I mean, it ain't my stuff; so they came in, took the stuff, asked me to sign a form saying that they came and performed their job and were gone. When they got the fridge, they removed all of the stuff that was in it and, not wanting food to go to waste, decided I do you a favor and...well, eat it. I was hungry anyway, so I figured why not; there's still some left if you want any."

"I don't want any food, you idiot!" Moka snapped at him, flabbergasted that Kyokou had actually followed up on her threat and had guys come to clean out their apartment, knew that legally she couldn't do anything about it without risk bringing unwanted attention to her current situation or vampire heritage, and worse still that she, an S-class monster, would let this happen while she slept. "I can't believe this, I can't believe you would let this happen! It's bad enough you took a shit in my bed, dirtied up my mattress, but this? You can't be this stupid!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't go playing the blame game on me, I wasn't the one who pissed off his family if they felt they had to go and do this, and certainly wasn't the one who crapped in your bed either, that honor goes to you."

Moka's jaw dropped at the sound of this bold accusation, that either he was even dumber to insinuate an upper class being like herself would do anything like that to her own bed or Gin was telling the truth.

"You mean you don't remember?" He laughed. "Man, you so enjoyed me pumping into you, working that cunt of yours like you wanted, that you just splurged all over; it was gross, but I was already in mid-stride and didn't want to break it. You ought to check your behind, because it's all smeared in it!"

"I...I don't believe you."

"Go ahead and look, I don't see how you cannot smell it, I can. But, looking at you, all naked and proud, I can honestly say I would still hit that in a second, just not now. Nope, it's time I be heading off, don't want to over stay my welcome. Thanks for bringing me over, stinker."

Moka growled in annoyance, but made no effort to do anything about it, faced with the memory of the wonderful night they shared and how she was so lost in utter ecstasy that her bowels were released like some animal. She was so embarrassed, and yet at the same time conflicted; Tsukune was still gone, everything in their apartment had been removed from under her nose and she shamed herself in bed, but Gin had pleasured her in a way that made it seem strangely worth it. She didn't know what to think or do, but change back into her outer persona, tired of all of this. After retrieving her cross, replacing it on its chain with a slight click and her body shrinking back down to the pink haired girl of before, she half expected Gin to catch her when she fell, but wound up falling face first to the hard floor.

"Whoa, Moka you okay?" He asked, not having once made a move towards her.

She slowly lifts her head, dizzy and seeing stars, with blood, her own blood dripping from a bruised nose, but too weak to move.

**Clumsy fool, **Inner Moka berated, **get yourself up and don't look like a weakling!**

Slowly, she began to move her weakened limbs and crawled to a stool by the kitchen counter less than a few feet away, the only seat that was left.

"Do you need any help?" Gin asked as he kept on eating, while watching her crawl, her shit stained, bare ass offering him a meal time entertainment.

Moka felt that if Tsukune were still here, he'd have helped her without bothering to ask, even if she didn't really need it; unfortunately he wasn't here and she only had Gin to keep her company, where his only saving grace was being good in bed and apparently nothing else.

"I'll be fine," she said upon finally reaching the stool and steadily pulling herself up.

"Hey, you're probably hungry after the rough sex we had last night, why don't you get something to eat?" He offered. "I'd offer more of my blood, but you know, you got all that I could give you."

"I don't need your blood," she said, still exhausted from the transformation.

"Well, suit yourself," he replied, and after finishing one last bite, gets up and heads for the door. "I'll be seeing you. I wouldn't worry about old Tsukune, he'll cool off and come waltzing back in in no time, though you might want to clean yourself up, reconciliation is going to be tough with, um...how you currently are now. See ya."

With him gone, as she sat on stool, the vinyl seat sticking to her messy rear end, and the deafening silence that permeated the air along with her own depraved aura, the shock and disappointment of not finding Tsukune home suddenly hits Moka like a reverberating shockwave. Whenever Gin was around she didn't think about his absence very much, just on the sex alone, but whenever alone, she needed her mate, needed him badly, and it confused her terribly.

_All of this was for our kids, to create a better future for our children, _she thought sadly as she glances down at her semen soaked inner legs, felt a tickle in her hymen, and stared at bite marks on both sets of breasts. _What's the point of all of this? Why do I still keep going to Gin and let him do this? Why do I think he loves me, when I want Tsukune?_

**Don't confuse yourself; this is for our kids.**

_With Tsukune, right?_

**Of course, don't be stupid! Gin is just a means to an end, a tool to use against Tsukune's wayward personality, that's all. You must not lose sight of our goal, understand me? Stay our course and eventually Tsukune will return to us, apologize like we planned and give us what we want for the children we'll have with him.**

But, as she surveyed the absence of so much stuff she wondered how long this plan would last. The removal of so much of their things wasn't warranted, but was rather a vindictive move on the part of Tsukune's mother and cousin, items that he was still paying off on, only to be removed just to spite her. Now, the place hardly looked as if a couple was living there, let alone any one person at all.

"Tsukune," she muttered sadly.

**Who needs that junk; we're better off, anyway! We'll just buy newer and better things.**

"How, we don't have any money. We can't go to father, not without explaining why Tsukune isn't dealing with this."

**So we'll wait until Tsukune returns and get him to buy us new stuff, until then we can make do without it. Now stop moping about him, I don't want to have to hear you whining over him all the time, it's demeaning!**

Moka wanted to whimper in utter frustration at her predicament, but a knock at the door interrupted her maudlin thoughts and feelings.

**See, that's probably him, now!**

Leaping off the stool, nearly ripping the hairs off her ass while doing so, she runs to the door and flings it open.

"Tsukune!" She happily greeted, only to turn pale when she saw Ms. Tsubaki standing before her, who quickly shielded her eyes. Embarrassed, Moka closes the door to a crack and demands: "W-What can I do for you, Ms. Tsubaki?"

"...I wanted to talk to you."

"Okay, go ahead, speak!"

"I got a complaint this morning from Ms. Oneda just a few doors down, she said her and her daughter walked by your room last night, where I assume you were entertaining your guest, and that you...flashed them both?"

She struggled to remember through the fog of what happened last night, and quickly recalled a woman and a child walking past her opened door, where they caught a glimpse of her naked body.

"Oh...that," she replied. "Um, I can explain."

**There's nothing to explain, just tell this little fool off. The two should be grateful we didn't come after them for spying on us. Tell her!**

"Well, I'm waiting for an explanation!" The landlady said impatiently and it miffed Moka to think that this tiny, human woman was making demands of an S-class monster like herself, so she brazenly opens the door and stands before the shocked woman in all her naked glory.

"Um, y-you know what, I did appear...n-nude before them, so what of it? It was my business, anyway?"

"...And, the disturbance last night? That was your business, too right?"

"What about it?"

**She ought to be pleased; we showed her what she could've had if she wasn't so decrepit.**

Moka didn't want to say all of these things, she certainly didn't want to stand about naked, in full view of her land lady and anybody else who might be watching, but she had to uphold her own pride and principles in being a vampire and prove to Tsukune that this is serious business.

"Look, Ms. Tsubaki...I'd rather not discuss this, right now, I'm tired."

"I imagine we all are," she replied, disgusted that she had to stand in front of her like this, but determined to say her peace. "Look, what you do within the confines of your own room is your business."

"Then leave it as such, okay?"

"_**But**_, how that business reflects on me and the people who have to live here, _is_ my business, you don't own this room you live in, you rent it from me, got that? I don't know what you think of this place, but it isn't some run down motel, I'm trying to run a safe, family oriented establishment and I don't need you or your low-class trash dirtying it up, I'm already getting complaints about your boyfriend or whatever harassing girls whenever he leaves, just now he harassed a 16 yr. old girl on her way to school!"

"What?" Moka asked who was shocked at his behavior after he assured her that she was the only girl that mattered. "Y-You must be mistaken, he wouldn't do anything like.."

"Look! If you've decided to stop respecting yourself then fine, that _is_ your business, but as long as you're doing that, I suggest you do it someplace else, from now on, _okay_?"

"...Fine," Moka replied, still a little miffed. "Anything else?"

"Yes, your rent."

"The rent?"

"Yeah, your rent is due today, as it always has on been on this day."

_Crap, the rent money! _Moka panicked, remembering that Tsukune had the account information with him in his wallet, and she still had no idea where he was.

"Um...my husband usually takes care of that, hehehe."

"I know. You happen to know when he'll comeback, _Mrs._ Aono?"

"Um...soon, uh...he just went out for a bit, you know. I just ask that you give us just a little more time, he knows the rent is due and I'm sure he'll show up to pay it."

"Well...I'll give you an extension by the end of the week, I just hope your husband makes it back by then."

"Oh, he will."

"But, I doubt it," she heard Ms. Tsubaki mutter under her breath as she walks away.

"Excuse me, I heard that, what did you just say to me?" Moka asked, angrily.

"…It's none of your business," Ms. Tsubaki retorted with a wry smile and cast an unfavorable glance at Moka's body before walking back to her apartment.

**Stupid bitch! **Inner Moka seethed as Outer Moka slams the door behind her. **Who does she think she is telling us where to go and what to do?**

"She owns these apartments, we pay her rent," she replies, and the very mention of rent reminds her of the dire situation she now finds herself in. "The rent. Oh god, what are we going to do, now?"

**Relax, there's very little she can do to us from now until the end of the week, and by then Tsukune would've returned, apologized to us and take care of this matter.**

"You really think so? I mean, he hasn't shown up yet, his family doesn't even know where he is and he hasn't called us! What if he doesn't return? What if he decides to stay with Ria and become his..."

**Stop your panicking, you little fool! Tsukune wouldn't do that to us, he needs us, he owes us for saving his wretched hide all those times and turning him into a vampire! His threat to leave us was just his way of showing off to us; he hasn't got it in him to do something like that! Now stop whining!**

"But..." she tries to argue, but figures it to be hopeless and complies. "I still can't believe Gin would do that after he left us, he swore that last time was a misunderstanding. Maybe that's what it is, another misunderstanding; yes, that's it! Maybe he was only asking the girl for directions."

**You think that fool loves us? **

"Of...of course he does, he cares about us, right?"

**He doesn't care about us, he let you fall flat on your face, and we don't need love from anyone, anyway. Like I said, Gin is just a means to an end, something to tide us over for the time being, that's all.**

"So...we don't need love? What about Ts..."

**What about Tsukune, you were going to ask?**

"I'm not complaining, I was just wondering...if we don't need love, then what of Tsukune, I mean what is he to us?"

**Tsukune is our Bloodmate, handpicked by father to one day lead our clan; as long as he loves us, that's all that matters.**

"But...but I love him, I mean I still do."

**Fine, whatever. Besides, you were so worried about Gin's love for you, what was that?**

"I...I don't know...I like both of them, I guess."

**It matters not, as long as we get what we want out of this, I don't care.**

She didn't care, and yet as Moka looked at the empty apartment room, wondering what tomorrow may bring, and dreading another night alone, sleeping on a filthy mattress and sheets that needed to be cleaned at the public Laundromat now that their washing machine was gone, it certainly felt like it was something worth caring about.

"I don't like being alone," she muttered to herself.

**Toughen up, vampires show no fear of solitude, in fact we seem to thrive off of it. This is our domain and no one will dare threaten it.**

But, her words brought no comfort to the confused vampire, as the scent of her love grew even fainter and became virtually non-existent in some places, replaced instead by Gin, sex, and the smell of shit emanating from the room. As for the rent, Moka wasn't going to wait and see if Tsukune would return, she needed to find a way to make some money by then or risk finding another place to stay, but balked at the thought of working for humans. She then remembered that Gin ran a Maid Shop/Love Hotel downtown and, unable to get him off her mind and finding it preferable to working for a total stranger, she hoped he might have something. Moka had never done anything like a Maid Cafe before and was unfamiliar with what went on at his establishment, but the werewolf had awakened something within her, a desire or rather an addiction that needed to be fulfilled with sex. She was a vampire after all, a creature of sensuality and conquest; it only made sense to her to follow such impulses, and so with shit still smeared on her ass, she eagerly went back into her smelly room to change. She had no mouthwash to rinse with, no bath products left or even perfume to wear, but it didn't matter as excitement built up at the thought of experiencing Gin's world; Ms. Tsubaki would to get what she wants after all.

XXX

"So, class we're going to continue with our previous discussion about anger," said the mediating counselor at the group therapy meeting. "Last time, we were listening to Mr. Kenshiro's story and today we're going to try a few exercises later on, but first I want to greet our newcomer we have with us; I know last time she didn't want to talk, but I've been assured that she _will_ participate in our activities this time. Now, could you please stand up and introduce yourself to everyone else."

Moka Akashiya still didn't like being there or having to stand up and have all these human faces staring up at her, as if she were back in middle school.

"It's okay, you don't have to be afraid," the therapist assured her, but it did little to put her at ease.

"I...I'm not afraid," she responded, meekly. "My name is...Lucy Akashiya; I don't remember much. I don't know why I'm here."

"Well, we're going to help you with your memory and see what we can do."

"No, I don't know why I'm _here_...with all of you."

"Oh, well this is a group that helps deal with any hostile, negative emotions that seems to be crippling us. Why don't you tell us what you _do_ remember, what has made you angry enough to be placed here, even though you don't feel like you should?"

"I...I don't...I mean, I just...can't get along with all of you, it feels unnatural."

"Heh, you and me both, sister," said Mr. Tanaka to her right.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"Sometimes I feel like I don't belong amongst the human race, either; just a bunch of ignorant, weak minded douche bags, the lot of them!"

She didn't expect to meet a human who voiced her own thoughts so eloquently, but then something else he added caught her by surprise:

"...And, I'm the biggest one!"

"Okay, Ms. Akashiya you can sit down. Mr. Tanaka, we were about to get to you, so please tell us about your issues with people; why do you hate humanity so much?"

"All my life, I always believed in doing a job worth doing and I'd do it well, never expected a reward for anything from nobody," he rambled on. "You wanna know what ticks me off, lady? Fine, I'll tell ya, it's bullshit like that: being told to be some...altruistic chump in a crummy world like this where everybody walks all over ya! I hate it, I mean I really fucking hate it! The human race blows, doc, we're all a bunch of mindless, gutless, good for nothing sheep, being fed on by opportunistic wolves; no meaning, no justice, no nothing!"

This portly, balding, middle-aged man who was dressed in an unkempt shirt, tie, and brown slacks was furthest from a being like her as a cockroach was to him, and yet he shared a cynicism about the human race that would've made Ria proud.

"You were a cop for twenty five years, were you not?" The therapist asked, calm in the face of such a tirade.

"Thirty, thirty long and miserable life terms. Protecting and Serving the public; and for a while I really did my job like a good and honorable public servant, never expecting thanks from anybody. But, after a while of doing this, it starts to get to ya, I know it got to my marriage; my wife of twenty years finally had had enough and walked out on me after I needed her the most. That...that wasn't the last though, believe it or not, I'd have to say the straw that finally broke the camel's back was this case I worked on back in 95', where this 13 yr. old boy was beaten to death on his way home from school by a 16 yr. old."

It was shocking for her to hear such barbarism; even though her racism towards humanity still remained it was shocking.

"Humans are just awful," she said aloud.

"Yeah, you got that right doll, but that ain't all of it. We finally nail this punk and I'm thinking he's going in for life, but do you know what the fair and just courts of this country did? They gave the bastard 16 months in a reformatory; _16 months_! He beats a kid to death for no reason and they give him a slap on the wrist, how do you like that?"

"Is that what sent you on the path of anger and hatred?" The therapist asked.

"Yeah, but in a way I guess I've always felt that way and just...kept it subdued, eating up this sentimental bull crap about kindness and compassion just to get by. Oh, I didn't stop doing my job, I mean a guy has to feed his family right or what's left of it. Even in a world where killers get off easy, and the public servants risk their lives on a daily basis, you still have to make a living! And when they did finally retire me, all I get is a pension that isn't worth spitting on and a hearty pat on the back. All worth it, huh? And then, there's my son!"

"Tell us about your son, we'd all like to hear."

Mr. Tanaka paused for a bit, his angry brown eyes staring blankly to the floor as if lost in some terrible thought, but continues: "Me and him...we never got along, not once! We argued constantly about anything and he would literally go out of his way to do the exact opposite of what I would do."

"What about him angered you the most?"

"...He was optimistic to a fault, you might say. One day, some firefighter's kid brings his father to school, and all of a sudden my boy...my blind, naive, stupid boy comes home and starts going on and on about wanting to become a firefighter, about being a hero and saving people's lives! It made me sick!"

"...Fire-fighter," Moka said under her breath, almost to herself as though the word itself struck a sensitive nerve.

"I thought he was only doing it to get rise out of me, me still being a cop. We get into this big argument all that year, him wanting to become a fireman, and I was trying to drum it into his head that it was all a pipe dream, that he shouldn't waste his time helping other people because they weren't worth it, nobody was worth it, not..."

Mr. Tanaka once again looks away, lost in thought, and then with a frank smile goes on to add: "I look my 12 yr. kid's eyes, our only son and said...not even you!"

Everyone looked at him in shock, even Moka, never imagining any parent, especially her own father from what she could remember, saying something so cruel to their child.

"Did you mean to say that, Mr. Tanaka?" The therapist asked. "Were you trying to hurt your son?"

"No! I was only trying to keep him from going through what I had went through growing up and becoming so disappointed with the work like I was; I wanted him to go into business someday, anything but a public servant, that's all! Besides, I figured he knew I didn't mean it, I said things like that all the time!"

"So, what happened between you and your son?"

"The kid stops speaking to me, he actually refused to talk to me ever again, except when it was in response to a question or demand, and even then it would be so short and quick that it would've been better to have not said anything at all; I figured it was a phase and he'd get over it."

"But, that's not what happened, is it?"

"No. It wasn't until after he graduated from college and he up and moved far away to the south that we hear back from; he tells us that he became...a firefighter. Doesn't even call for a year, had to find out through a single postcard sent through the mail. He continued talking to my wife; they were still on speaking terms, but never me. Then, during Christmas, my wife somehow convinces him to come visit us for the holidays, and only then I find out he married and had his own son; they loved each other, better than I did, I guess."

"Did you two talk that day?"

"You know, we did actually."

"Were you able to bury the hatchet?"

"Hmph! I think all I said to him was, pass the soy sauce. I figured why should I apologize when I was only thinking of him, I mean he should've known I was doing him a favor. And all during his visit he goes on and on about how great it was being a fireman, that his dream came true. Never said goodbye to me when he left, never even looked at me. We don't hear from...about him for another year, until 2011 when that Earthquake and Tsunami hit. It didn't happen in their area, but...my wife gets a call from his wife, and...and she tells us that he's dead; apparently, he and a group of firefighters from his area had voluntarily gone down to the disaster area to help survivors when people were being evacuated, he was among the first responders working to make sure everyone got out alive. My son was off duty..._off duty, _spending the paternity leave to help with his then pregnant wife, but he responded anyway and was able to save a trapped mother and her two kids before a big wave hit and washed him out to sea; they never found his remains."

Everyone remained quiet, so quiet Moka could hear cars on the highway just outside, as the weight of his story hit them, but especially her.

"He wasn't even supposed to be at work, so why would he do a thing like...?"

"What did you do when you heard the news?" The therapist asked as Mr. Tanaka looked like he was about to break down.

"...Oh, I balled like a baby," he said after a desperate attempt to choke back his emotions. "My ex-wife said she never saw me cry before in her life, except on that day."

"And why is that, Mr. Tanaka? Is it because you really loved your son and didn't mean to say those things to him or was it because, you never got to say you're sorry?"

"Sorry," he said thoughtfully. "It's such a simple word: sorry. You'd think anyone could say it every day, but...I miss my boy!"

Mr. Tanaka couldn't hold it in as tears came cascading down his hardened face, muscles trembling greatly as the man poured his emotions out.

"I'm sorry, Kenji! Oh god, I'm so sorry!"

Moka felt stunned and unnerved to find herself thoroughly moved by his story and the outpouring of support everyone else around him was showing. They were putting their arms around him, whispering kind words and being respectful; but, she had been taught that humans thrive off of the misery of others, so why were these humans trying to console Mr. Tanaka? Furthermore, why had his son, who wasn't even supposed to be working on that fateful day, whose job was to rescue people and yet was only a job, and who had his own family to think about, sacrifice _his_ life to save some random people? She felt like wanting to go over there and hug Mr. Tanaka or say something that'll cheer him up, even though it might not do him any good, but old prejudices die hard, especially within a vampire.

_I...I shouldn't feel anything for him, _she thought angrily. _His son was a fool, anyway! Wh-What made him think he could make a difference when he was only just a human?_

"He was a fool," Moka wound up saying out loud, and suddenly everyone turned to look at her. Moka thought she should've bit her tongue at that moment, but felt this needed to be said. "Your son was a fool for risking his life like that. He was a human, he had no power, no real strength. You were right, it wasn't worth it, he should've known better than to be some hero."

"Ms. Akashiya," the therapist began to ask, "what would make you say that about Mr. Tanaka's son?"

"It's true, isn't it? Humanity is weak; you can't decide if you want to destroy something for being different or pretend to be some kind of hero."

"So, are we supposed to choose one or the other?"

"Well..."

"What if we choose to do good and help others?"

"Just know your limitations and recognize who your betters are! Mr. Tanaka's son should've recognized that, realized that his frail, human physiology had its limits and left the rescue attempt to people who are better qualified to survive under those conditions, that's all!"

Everyone seemed genuinely shocked that their young, pretty newcomer would say something so hurtful at a time like this, and Moka thought it was a little strange that they would feel that way, but she found Mr. Tanaka slowly nodding his head as if agreeing with her.

"Yes...you're right," he replied. "He was a fool...he gets that much from his old man, and he should've recognized his limitations. As angry as I want to be towards him, for robbing me of the chance for us to reconcile our differences, for leaving me this...big hole in my life, I wanted to curse his name until the day I die, but...when I learned...of all that he did that day, saving over 40 people in a single day, when that...lady, with her two small boys, came to me, smiling up at me as they hold these...drawings of my son wearing Superman's outfit and saying 'Thank you', at the end of the day...he was _my_ boy...and the only person I can stay mad at until the day I die is me."

"It's going to be alright, Mr. Tanaka," the therapist tried to reassure. "We're going to help you see through this."

"No, no it's not going to be okay," he wept. "Nothing's ever going to be the same again, don't you understand? Doesn't any of you? My son is gone, I killed my son when it should've been me, it's my fault!"

_Nothing's ever going to be the same again! _His words echoed in her mind, bouncing off the walls and inflicting great, internal distress in her heart.

"No, no don't say that," some of the people said to him. "You don't want to think that."

"The fact that you're able to share with us all of this, shows that you are willing to help improve upon yourself and overcome your anger. I know your son wouldn't want you to continue suffering like this; you've acknowledged your guilt, which I'm sure must've been a tough thing to do, and now that you've reached out to us, we can help you."

"Save the touchy-feely act, doc," he said. "Nothing can help me, nothing can fix my life now that's in ruins, that _I've_ ruined. A parent shouldn't have to outlive their child! It ought to be me who's dead and not boy, not my boy."

"Your son fought to preserve life at the cost of his own. At the very least, if you won't help yourself, if you won't fight to live on and let go of the hate and anger for you, then do it for your son. Honor him by finally letting go."

Mr. Tanaka said nothing, but it looked as though her words had struck a chord within himself, it certainly did with Moka who had very little to say.

"Now class, I want to try a little experiment; we are going to sketch whatever or whomever it is that affects us the most, it could be a co-worker or a family member or even a boyfriend or girlfriend, whomever, and then you're going to pretend to talk with this person as if they are here and discuss why you are so angry with them or angry at all and you just wanted talk to them."

She goes around each person and hands out a sketch pad with drawing pencils; Moka wasn't sure about any of this, but Dr. Kohaku insisted that she participate and there were very little options.

"Now, I'm not asking any of you to draw the Mona Lisa, just your best rough sketch will do and this is for private use too, so that you can work on issues and we can discuss them."

Moka raised her hand.

"Yes, Ms. Akashiya?"

"What if we don't remember anything, I don't think this is for me."

"From the way you talked today, I'd say you remember something; just...try to recall as much as you can and we'll work from there. C'mon, you can do this, I have faith in you."

She couldn't remember anyone having faith in her and she wanted to be indignant in the insistence of participating in this crude, childish game. Nevertheless, with a frustrated sigh, she picks up the pencil and sat for what felt like an hour trying to remember something. The therapist said it could be anyone from the past, and as murky as much of it was, there wasn't a whole lot to choose from; a co-worker, family member, or even a...boyfriend.

"Boyfriend," she whispered.

Suddenly she began to sketch like a woman possessed, drawing methodically something that required incredible detail, erasing each mistake to get certain lines right or ripping out a sheet whenever the picture turned out wrong and starting over again with sweat building on her brow, but determined with a mysterious, singular goal locked within the recesses of her mind. When she was finished, what stared back at her was a perfectly drawn face portrait of the mysterious man she'd been thinking about, every line and shadow of his smiling visage done with perfect precision as though it came fresh from her mind.

"Why, that's a beautiful sketch you've made!" The therapist said when she looks down at her work. "Can I see it?"

Moka hands her the sketch pad and she holds it up to get a better look.

"That's some detail you've got there," one woman commented, who she and a few others came over to get a glance. "You must be some kind of artist."

"He's handsome, Ms. Akashiya, do you know who he is?" The therapist asked, handing the pad back to Moka.

"...N-No...I don't know."

"He is good looking," Blanche said upon seeing the drawing.

"Is there anything you remember at all about him, surely there must be if you can draw a detailed picture of him. Is he short? Is he tall?"

"Medium build," Moka responds in almost a trancelike state. "About 5' 10", with an X-shaped scar on his chest."

"Sounds like he's one of those hoodlums on the streets, then," a guy remarked.

"He can't be, not with a face like that!" A woman argued.

"Hey, you never know."

"You're wrong," Moka said, "he isn't like that, isn't like that at all. He's kind...and generous, and he wouldn't ever hurt anyone."

"Must've got the scar from an accident."

"If you say he's nice, then why do you feel anger towards him or around him?" The therapist asked, but Moka just shook her head, eyes transfixed on the gentle face in her hands. "Is there a reason you decided to draw him, then?"

"...It's not him that I feel...feel any anger towards him, but what happened to him."

"And, what happened to him?"

"...S-Something bad...s-something wrong...terrible...horrible...all I remember when I see his face is anger...sadness...and despair, but not at him."

"Mysterious," one guy whispered. "Looks like we got us one of those mysteries you read about."

"These feelings were the last thing you felt before your memory was lost?" The therapist asked, but then Moka began to blink real hard in pain, and noticing the attention it was getting, as well as this unknown interest in a human she had no memory about, yet continued to plague her, she rips the paper from the pad and starts crumpling it up.

"Hey!" Most of the people shouted in confusion, upset that she would destroy a wonderful piece of artwork.

"Ms. Akashiya!" The therapist went, but Moka was already up and storming away from the group. "Wait up!"

The therapist picks up the wadded up paper from the floor and begins to chase after her distraught, pink haired patient.

"Uh, that'll be all for today class, we'll pick up tomorrow. Ms. Akashiya, please wait!"

"Leave me alone!" She shouted back, not stopping her fast paced stride that her therapist had to literally jog to catch up.

"I just want to talk to you; I promise it won't take but a second of your time!"

But, Moka wasn't slowing down and the therapist had to run right in front of her in order to block the young woman's path.

"Why won't you people leave me alone?" Moka wept. "I don't need your help, I don't even want it!"

"Lucy..."

"That's not my name, don't call me that!"

"Ms. Akashiya; can I call you that? Listen, I know you're under a lot of stress right now and if we made you feel uncomfortable back there then I apologize, we were just curious about your drawing."

"Would you stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"That's another thing, why are you all so nice! You're always so nice to me, stop that!"

"I...I don't understand, what's wrong with being nice?"

"I just want to know why are you so nice to me, can you answer me that?"

"It's because we want to help you."

"Why? Because it's your job, is that it, isn't it? You don't care about me at all, you're being paid to care and put on this false show!"

"Ms. Akashiya, my _job_ is a college professor of mathematics, this is just a volunteer thing I'm doing," she tells her.

"Volunteer?" Moka asked, bewildered by the word.

"Yes, it means I chose to do this for free."

"Y-You're not even doing this for money?"

"No, most of the people who work here don't, either; that's why the taxes on the place aren't too high."

"Then why? I don't understand."

"Well, mostly because I got early classes and for the rest of the day there's nothing to do, but also I want to help those who need it; it's why I became an educator, and it's why I do this."

"It's wrong!" Moka said, shaking her head. "It's all wrong!"

"What is?"

"You humans...you're so frustrating to me! Oh, I just wished I was never brought here!"

"Look, why don't you go out, a breath of fresh air would do you some good. In the meantime, you know, would you mind if I hold onto your picture if you don't want it?"

"...Keep it," she says in haste and storms away from the therapist, who reopens the paper and looks once again at the picture, admiring her handiwork as well as the warm, gentle smile of this mysterious figure from a woman's past.

Once outside under the warm, soothing sun she felt she could relax a little, walking as far away as her legs could take her and letting nature intrude. It was unusually warm for early October and the air felt very comforting, so free of any odors to infest her nose, nearly soundless and tranquil. Moka gradually found herself paying more and more attention to the birds, the squirrels scurrying about, and even saw a rare raccoon dog warily skulking out of the brush in the distance; despite a fuzzy memory, she was certain that she could nary recall ever seeing one of those before. So focused in the splendor of seeing this endangered animal in the wild, it soon dawned on her that she was doing exactly what Dr. Kohaku described as one aspect of being human, matters that a proper vampire would otherwise consider to be mundane.

_So what? _Moka thought bitterly. _It's just a lowly animal, anyway! I'm above that!_

Abruptly ignoring the rare sighting and wishing nothing more than to brood alone like any vampire should, she soon heard soft singing nearby in the surrounding brush. She couldn't make out the vocals, but it was a melodious tune, one that drew her closer and closer to its source, towards a small clearing where a young girl in school uniform laid sprawled out on the ground on top of her over coat, with one leg over the other as though there wasn't a care in the world. Moka didn't want to disturb the girl, being human and all, even though she never knew a human could sing something so beautiful, but unfortunately one wrong step snaps a twig underneath her foot, its sound so loud it would've shocked a quiet library with its noise; Moka felt like dying right then and there, and secretly hoped the little girl didn't notice.

"Hello?" The girl asked in mid song, and Moka knew the jig was up. She quickly turns around and prepares to make a hasty retreat when the girl next says: "Oh hey, it's you!"

Moka looks over her shoulder and sees it was the doctor's daughter, Rin who rather than seemed shocked at being intruded, as she would if she were a vampire, instead warmly greeted the pink haired woman who stood nearby.

"It's me, Rin. Remember, we met the other day?"

Moka didn't know what else to do, it seemed like she just couldn't get away from humans, no matter where she went.

"You enjoying the weather, too?" Rin asked.

"...Yes," she replied with a sigh. "I...needed to get out of the building for a while."

"Tell me about it, school can be like that too."

"Really?" She asked as her interest peeked that a human girl would have some grievance about school.

"Yeah, I fucking hate it. Everybody is a total ass and a tool, and even though I get good grades, kids pick on me all the time because they're jealous!"

"I...I didn't know."

It was strange and downright eerie that this girl, this human girl voiced her own feelings from so many years ago when she was _her _age.

"I had the same problem when I went to school," Moka replied.

"I bet it sucked right? Did they talk bad about you behind your back whenever you got the right answer to something?"

"Y-Yeah."

"I bet you had to deal with stuck up bitches too, am I right?"

"Yes."

"And they get on your nerves and shit? Heh, girl I've been there!"

_She's just like me!_ Moka thought with amazement.

"Yeah, but I don't let it get to me," Rin added.

"You don't?"

"Nah, they're just tools, gonna be left behind anyway or wind up working some low income job when they grow up. Besides, whenever I get out of school I come out here, usually when it's warm or not too cold, and just relax, let the day wear off and I'm cool. Oh hey, you never guess what I saw! A raccoon dog! It was scurrying about not too long ago, it nearly startled me! Did you know there are like a few of them in the wild, and I got to see one! Awesome, huh?"

"You...really come out here and relax? Does that help you?"

"Yeah, that or play Halo online or watch my anime collection; you know do whatever to get your mind off the stress. C'mon, why don't you sit down and talk."

She wasn't sure if she should, but Moka couldn't think of anywhere else to go where there wouldn't be a single human presence, and one human girl seemed to be the lesser evil.

"What...were you doing just now?"

"Huh?"

"That song...what was it?"

"Oh, it's just something my mom used to sing to me every night before I went to sleep, back before dad chased her away!"

"You really hate your father, don't you?"

"Yeah," Rin replies, but then thinks on the response more thoughtfully and then corrects herself. "No, I don't really hate him, it's just that...sometimes he makes bad decisions and has a way of frustrating me, you know? You ever have that problem with your father?"

"I..."

"Well, well, look what the loony bin let out!" Yelled Suzaku, who appeared out of nowhere with his little gang.

"Ugh, get out of here, Suzaku!" Rin yelled. "Can't you go bully someone else?"

Moka eyed them furiously, reminding her so much of the boys who used to pick on her and once again reaffirming every prejudiced thought about humans.

"Why go anywhere, when there's a place full of whack jobs and psychos to mess with?" He asked with a mischievous grin.

"Look at her!" One of the boys pointed out. "It's the crazy doctor's daughter is getting ready to kick your ass, Suzaku!"

"Yeah, looks like we interrupted her make out session with her new girlfriend!" Another joked.

"Now that'll be something; a school girl and a hotter, older half crazed chick going at it in the woods, who wouldn't pay to see that?" Suzaku commented and all the boys laughed at the insulting remark, a remark that saw Moka turning red with anger before finally snapping.

"You humans are just terrible! So what if these people are different from you! All you ever do is pick on others because your own lives are miserable, so you can bring them down to your own pathetic level and feel happy! Are your lives that worthless that you will not be satisfied until we're mad like you?"

"What got into her?" One boy asked as he and the others seemed less than fazed, all but Suzaku who appeared to be visibly affected by Moka's harsh words.

"What the hell do _you_ know, bitch!" He yelled, and picked up a pine cone and chucked them at Moka, striking her in the thigh. "Eat shit and die!"

"Lucy!" Rin cried out.

No longer contained, her anger passed the boiling point, Moka began to angrily advance towards the boys with murder in her once tranquil, green eyes.

"You little bastards!" She yelled, causing the other boys to back away.

"Oh, you did it now, Suzaku!" One boy cried. "RUN!"

They all dashed into the woods, but it didn't deter Moka one bit who immediately began chase.

"Lucy, wait they're not worth it!" Rin cried, trying to grab hold around her waist, but to no avail, Moka's rage was unchecked and the vampire was soon taking flight after the fleeing boys.

She didn't know what she would do the to them nor cared at all that they were only kids, all Moka cared was exacting revenge on these small-minded, ignorant and weak creatures called humans with their love for nature, sentimentality, intolerance, non-compliant, complex and fake lives that has become the bane of her existence. Ever since arriving at this place, it has been like reliving a nightmare of years gone by and now she didn't know if she could take any more of it. The boys were running well ahead of her, she could hear their footsteps and panicked voices, and like the predator Moka knew she was, whose instincts have been homed into her kind practically from birth, the enraged vampire knew it would be only a matter of time before catching them. However, the boys appeared to be as much nature buffs as most of the humans in this area, as they seemed to know every nook and cranny of these woods and before long used a clever tactic of splitting up in every direction so as to slow down their pursuer, which is what happened. Though their trick worked, it didn't deter their predator who only stopped to pick up the scent of one boy in particular, the one named Suzaku; however, stopping only made her aware of not only a different scent altogether, but of someone grabbing hold on of her waist. Bewildered at first, Moka was shocked to find that Rin Kohaku had been with her during the entire chase through the woods, holding on for dear life about her waist as she undoubtedly was being flown through the air at break neck speed. With hair a mess and wide, hazel eyes staring shakily up at the woman, Moka felt like dying on the spot as she knew the jig was definitely up.

"..._Coooool!" _The girl yelled with a huge smile, looking at Moka as if she was the coolest person this young teen had ever had the privilege of meeting. "You-are-strong! I mean, damn!"

If Moka was bewildered before, she was floored by this girl's reaction; she had just been carried through the forest by a woman who possessed unnatural strength, and all she can do is smile like an idiot and say "cool"?

"I wanted to stop you, but you were like...off, man!" She said, finally releasing her grip from around Moka. "You really scared them; hell, you nearly scared me! Um, one question: can we go again?"

"...Just...just leave me alone!" Moka ranted, backing away from the girl. "Okay? Just...just...keep away from me!"

"Lucy, wait! Those boys won't bother you anymore! Lucy!"

But, her words could not keep up with Moka, who fled away from her, away from the institution, and away from all else. Nothing made any sense to her, everything and everyone seemed to be out to get her, and as she ran through the woods, with the wind rushing by, she could almost hear a voice calling out:

"_Mo..a! Mo...a!"_

Faster and faster she ran, but the voice grew louder with every step, chasing her as fast as she had chased those boys, only this time her own inhuman speed couldn't help. It was everywhere, hounding the girl who ran blindly through the woods, playing right next to her ear as though some invisible man was running right behind her.

"Leave me alone!" She screamed as she ran, never seeing the bus coming until some good Samaritan grabs her by the waist and throws her on ass.

"God, are you okay?" He and a dozen others asked.

Moka blinked hard several times, trying to gather up her bearings, yet with more humans crowding around her with worried expressions on their faces, it slowly dawned on the distraught woman that was no longer in the woods, but on a street corner in town.

"You were almost hit, just now," her savior commented, a fish salesman on his lunch break who looked genuinely concerned.

Moka sees just how close to the street she was and to an imminent death, and yet this stranger took a moment off his lunch break to save her.

"You...saved me?" She asked. "Why?"

"Why?" He asked, just as confused as she was. "Look, are you okay?"

"Maybe someone better call the police," someone said, the sound of which made her panic.

"No! I mean, no need, I'm fine. I just...was running late, that's all. I'm okay."

"You sure?" He continued to ask, still wanting to help, but Moka quickly got up herself and tried to hide her disdain of having him touch her.

"Yes. I am fine! Thank...you."

Very quickly composing herself, she wastes no time in sticking around these strangers and starts walking, aimlessly about this concrete jungle. Moka was relieved to finally be free of that prison, but what had been perceived as freedom has now become an even bigger nightmare as she becomes lost in a sea of these humans, in what was an even bigger community of buildings that blot out the sky and vehicles of all forms, but what made it even worse was that she still had no memory.

"Like to try some of our new line of clothes?" A saleswoman, standing outside advertised. "New brands, straight from the U.S., but half off the original price!"

"Fish!" A swarthy man advertised from inside a booth, holding a large fish in his hands. "Get your fish, here!"

"Excuse me, lady," said a rather large, dark skinned foreigner who tried to offer her a restaurant pamphlet. "Would you care to try our specially made, calamari soup, the best you'll find anywhere in Japan!"

Moka was close to freaking out again, only this time there was nowhere else to go; there were humans everywhere, there various scents intermixed with that of food or perfumes nearly overloading her nostrils, and yet there were very few places to escape from all of this.

_I gotta get out of here, _she thought frantically. _I gotta get out of here!_

What she saw ahead of her, however, across yet another street corner seemed to her like an oasis in a desert, a lighthouse along a dark sea of people for this weary traveler desperate for salvation.

_A tea house, _she thought, remembering what the delivery guy, Koga had said the other day about being in the only tea house in town, and so far this teahouse was the only one she'd seen. _He must be there. Oh, please be there!_

She ran across the street, almost getting hit once again in her haste, but the moment she drew even closer to the modestly sized building, Koga's scent became apparent in the air and it spurred her on even further. The tea house was crowded, but not terribly busy. Most were college students, sitting in corners and taking advantage of its Wi-Fi, while others were long distance travelers like herself, taking advantage of being off the bustling streets and enjoying a rather, quieter atmosphere to chat away others and drink their tea in relative peace. Moka kept her head down, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone and doing her utmost best to avoid bumping into anyone, as she homed in on her quarry's scent; she didn't have far to look. In the center of all of this there appeared to be a group of men at a table full of Saki and playing poker, one of them, to her relief was Koga, laying back casually in his seat in roughly the same outfit she remembered seeing him yesterday, and holding his cards out in front like a cocky player.

"Your move," he coolly says to his opponents, laying down a card from his hand and waiting patiently for their next move.

His opponent, from what she could tell, was a rather strange looking monster in the guise of bald, human wearing a white duster and pants, and whose features were obscured by a red goblin mask; his entourage was equally strange. Amongst them, towering behind him was a blond, bearded fellow who was as enormously bulbous as he was jolly, in a grayish blue suit, the top opened to expose his T-shirt wearing tank for a stomach, while both his meaty hands fed whole cakes into a cavernous mouth. On his expansive shoulders perched a balding midget in a lime green Hawaiian shirt and dark green pants who, hardly seemed phased by his gigantic friend's appetite, watched the game going and seemed to be dropping hints to a lean, silver haired gentleman standing behind Koga, who scratched his small goatee as if dropping some subtle hints to his boss; strange as they were, these characters felt almost familiar to the girl. As she watched, a memory was beginning to flicker into view, something that was obscure, yet growing prominent. Moka saw these men, younger, but no different standing upon a hill that she slowly approached on; however she wasn't alone. With her were three other girls she had never seen before, all of them were strangely dressed as sukeban (girl gang) members, as if marching towards a confrontation with these weird guys.

"I feel ridiculous!" Cried her blue haired companion.

"Well, this is how _ said humans dressed," said another companion who was much too young to be hanging with them.

Moka wanted to crawl under a rock and die of embarrassment, and yet she knew there was something more important at hand, for up ahead she could see what was at stake or rather who was at stake.

_It's him! _She thought, seeing the man of her visions sitting beneath the fat man's shadow, captured by this gang to be used as bait. _No, no not again! Please, stop!_

"_Mo...a," _the hushed voice came again, causing her to nearly stumble into the silver haired man.

"Hey, watch it!" He yelled.

"Sorry," she said, whose voice, if not her very scent had managed to catch Koga's attention.

"Yo, don't talk to my friend like that, she's with me!"

"She is?" The boss said in his guttural voice. "How convenient, Koga that your companion would show just when I was about to win the Miazake Express!"

"If that's what you want to call your posturing this whole time, then fine, but we ain't done and my friend was running a little late," he said as he boldly grabs Moka about the waste and pulls her over to his side. "Besides, she's my good luck charm. Have a seat, good-looking."

"Good luck charm?" The fat guy bellowed. "Hahahahahaha!"

"Che-che-che-che! Koga is full of it, I say!" Said his small companion. "No amount of luck is going to save you from _my_ magic!"

"Hold it!" His boss commanded. "We mustn't resort to such tactics amongst this human vermin, besides I don't need magic to mop the floor with this scum."

"I'll remember you said that when I come to collect on what you owe me!"

"I owe you nothing, fool! If memory serves it's you who owes us and a shit load of people you ripped off!"

"Explain again how I ripped you and your friends off!"

"You ditched the goods you were delivering when those Fairy Tale security agents started inspecting your truck! That stuff was worth more than you are alive!"

"I had to look out for my neck!"

"You're always looking out for you neck, especially when it's _those_ guys!"

"Hey, even I get bored of doing that every time, but with pissed off warlocks and Tao Masters breathing down my neck, the last thing I need are some angry vampires and men in black suits!"

"You wouldn't have quite so many enemies if not for your shady dealings!" The midget said.

"True, but I'll make turning over a new leaf my New Year's resolution."

"I'll remember you said that, when you hand over the deed to your Miazake," the boss said who, despite wearing mask, Moka could tell was enjoying this.

"By the way, thanks for showing," Koga whispered in her ear. "I was really up against the wall, here."

"You...were?"

"Yeah."

"What's going on, and what's the Miazake Express?"

"My truck, now do me a favor and pretend you're glad to see me."

"What?"

"Just do it!" He says as Moka notices the masked stranger staring at the two of them.

"I hope we're not disturbing anything private?" The masked man asked.

"Uhh, oh I'm so sorry, please don't stay mad at me!" Moka cried, embracing Koga in a warm hug. Though it was all an act, the words themselves felt prophetic, coming out of her almost on impulse and without being rehearsed, as though they needed to be said; but, she had just met the guy.

"Smooth, smooth," Koga whispered in her ear with a big grin. "Now, see the guy standing behind me?"

"Yes. I noticed him on the way in, why?"

"Is he doing anything, any small movements at all?"

"He's been scratching his goatee a lot, why?"

"I thought so. Ass has been cheating this whole time! Follow my lead."

"Okay, enough dawdling Abarai, I raise you three aces!"

"Good one, boss!" One of his many underlings cheered him on.

"You got him for sure, boss!"

"Not bad, not bad," Koga complimented. "Mm, I'm thirsty; hey baby how about you get me a drink?"

"A...drink?" She asked, a little lost. "You want me to give you a drink?"

"Yeah, spot me," he said to her, holding up his cup and motioning for her to come around and grab the bottle of Saki.

Slowly catching his hint, she does as she's told, filling his cup in the process.

"Now, pretend to spill the bottle on him," he whispers when she's close enough, but holds the cup in front of him so as to not show him talking to her.

Moka prepares to walk back around to her seat with the bottle in hand and accidentally stumbles into the white-haired man, spilling its contents all over his purplish suit.

"HEY!" He screams.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" She says to him.

"Sorry, my ass! I just had this dry cleaned! Why, I ought to fry you, you little..."

"You gonna fry who?" Koga asked, giving the irate gentleman a look of foreboding intent that this, obviously lower class monster knew to steer clear of. "If the lady says it was an accident, then it was an accident, capice?"

"Capice," he said with great reluctance and then humbly bows to Moka. "My apologies."

It was then, during his bow that he got a good look at her and his eyes narrowed as if caught with some sense of familiarity.

"Hey, I ought to get that looked at unless you don't mind people thinking you went and blew chunks all on yourself!" Koga joked.

"...Yeah, I better get this cleaned," the guy said, eyeing Moka suspiciously the entire time. "Sorry, boss."

With his underling and ace in the hole now gone, the masked man knew it left him at the tender mercies of not only a high class monster, but a reputable high class poker player; if there was a hint of foreboding upon his face, that mask did well to hide it.

"Now, where were we?" Koga asked, grabbing a card from the deck. "Oh yes, you wanted me to lay down my cards. Well, after you."

The boss hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should go ahead with his deal or fold. As the situation at the table began to heat up, little did Moka know at the time, that several Fairy Tale agents had snuck in with the crowd and instantly spotted her pink hair, which stood out like a signal flare.

"All soldiers, come in!" One of the agents spoke into a wrist communicator. "We've located the target! We're at the local teahouse, meet us immediately!"

"C'mon boss, you can beat this loser!" The midget cheered his leader on.

"Show him how we do business, boss!" The loud giant roared.

"C'mon boss!"

"Yeah, you can do it!"

"Then we can rule the entire eastside with our new truck!"

All of his pompadour wearing, goofy looking underlings continued to cheer on their masked leader, but it didn't do him much in the way of instilling confidence as he eyed Koga with uncertainty.

"Yes, boss put me in my place," Koga egged.

"...Your place?" Moka asked, more to herself.

"But, before you put down, lets raise the stakes a little," Koga added. "My truck, and my services as a bodyguard, for your entire west side connections and your gang's services for whenever I might actually need it. Deal?"

"Why all of this, all of a sudden?" He asked him.

"Why not? We're playing for broke. How about it...Monster Industries?"

_You cocky bastard..._the leader thought. _Why's he placing down these bets? Why is he even smiling like that? He couldn't have a winning hand, he's bluffing! Damn it, if his girl hadn't distracted my man, Koga would still be on the ropes and I'd have won by now!_

"So, are we doing this while we're still young and beautiful or what?" Koga asked, breaking his opponent's train of thought.

Close to the breaking point, but too damn proud to quit, his adrenaline pumping so much that he could've jumped out of his skin, the masked man had two choices: fold or play ahead and hope for the best.

_...FUCK IT! _He thought. _I'M DOING IT!_

"ALRIGHT!" The man screamed, jumping up and striking a dynamic pose for everyone to witness.

"Hold on," the Fairy Tale agent said to his comrades. "Something's about to happen; wait."

"YOU THINK YOU CAN PUNK THE NOBLE, THE GREAT, THE UNBEATABLE LEADER OF THIS ILLUSTEROUS GANG YOU SEE BEFORE YOU! Well, think again, for I do not know the meaning of the word 'punk'! MEN, SOUND OFF!"

His top lieutenants all strike a pose as they sound off for the assembled crowd.

"HAHAHAHAH! I AM SEA MONK OF AWA!" Yelled the fat one.

"CHE-CHE-CHE! I AM GHOST BRAT OF IYO!" Yelled the midget.

"AND I AM...THE GOBLIN OF _**TOSA**_!" The Leader cried the loudest, and most boisterous of all. "And, with my man Wraith of Sanucki in disposed, WE...ARE...THE..."

"**MONSTER INDUSTRIES**!" They all say in unison, striking a very dynamic, though ridiculous pose.

"I accept your terms, fool!" Said the goblin. "You've sealed your fate, and now, we, shall own you! IS THAT RIGHT, MEN!"

Altogether, they begin chanting and striking their fists into the air, making themselves into a magnificent spectacle of manliness and brotherly love, as well as a group who's fighting spirit was comparable to none.

"HERE! TASTE MY EPICNESS AT THE ART OF POKER, AND BEHOLD, THREE KINGS AND TWO QUEENS! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Ohhhh," the Sea Monk bellowed. "You got him, boss, you got him, yeeeeahhh! BWAHAHAHAHA!"

"Che-che-che, that's great! Nothing's going to stop us now, boss!" The midget giggled, while the masked leader stood triumphantly as everyone basked in his glory, everyone but Koga.

"Aces and clubs," he said simply with a smile, laying the cards on the table with a very modest confidence. The gang seemed frozen in place, stuck permanently in their epic poses, despite the fact that they lost big, and that everyone knew it. "Now, as I was saying."

"You...you cheated!" The masked man accused. "Y-You cheated, there's no way you would've gotten that win, I had you!"

"I ought to take a serious offense at being called a cheat," Koga said. "You got some balls, ugly."

"I know you cheated, because I was winning up until my guy had to leave and..."

"And, what? You were winning, up until your guy left, the same guy you had standing behind me and looking over my shoulder, and throwing you signals about what I had on me? Is that what you were complaining?"

The irate gang leader was struck dumb and speechless by the accusation, and hearing the subtle sounds of disapproval from people all around them.

"How about you quit your whining and pay up! Let's see, you owe me money, that's for sure, triple than what was originally agreed when we started! And, I do believe I also own all of you, so I'll tell you what; pay what you owe and I'll forgo the servitude clause, entirely."

The distraught gang gathered into a huddle, discussing on what their next course of action should be.

"I...don't understand," Moka whispered to Koga. "If they're your servants, why are you giving them options? Why even play this...'game' with them and give them a fair chance to win, anyway?

"Oh, they're not my servants, well not yet," he replied. "I just want more money and to punk these losers for good, they're always getting on my nerves."

"But, I don't understand the nature of this game, what is it anyway?"

"It's a human game called poker. What, your kind don't play poker? Everybody does, the whole point is to either gamble for what you want, like me, or gamble it all away like these jack-offs."

"To...gamble? Is that what humans do? And you enjoy playing it?"

"Yeah, I play it all the time, this and Russian roulette, which is intense!"

"What is Russian Roulette?"

"Well, it's this game that was invented from way back, where you take this gun, six-shooter revolver, loaded with one bullet and put it in-between you and your opponent, and take turns pulling the trigger against your head; the one blows their brains all over the place is, naturally the loser."

"It sounds stupid; and these humans play games like that?"

"It's the game of chance; life is all about taking chances, it's just one big gamble. I'd say it's one of the few things these people have made that I actually like; got to know when to hold 'em or know when to fold 'em!"

"What do we do, boss?" A gang member mumbled to his leader as they continued to deliberate.

"See, like these jokers," Koga added, "some people just don't know when they should back away from the table and go home with what they got, so instead they need to be taken by guys like me in order to be taught a valuable lesson about life."

"I say, we take him," the midget suggested.

"Are you kidding, he'd rip us all to shreds, even with his powers restrained! Not that I fear him or anything, but a wise leader must know when to fight," The Goblin responded, then he eyes Koga's new woman. "It's all her fault, if only she hadn't shown up when she did, none of this would've..."

"Hey boss!" Said his silver haired subordinate who had just returned.

"Wraith!" He berated him. "What happened? How could you let that foolish girl take you by surprise?"

"Boss! She's no ordinary girl!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Doesn't she look familiar to you, boss? Like someone we know? The pink hair, the green eyes?"

Now that his underling had pointed it out, it soon began to dawn on him and everyone in the gang just how familiar this mystery woman was to them.

"Yes, I do believe I see it," the leader commented, more to himself. "There's only one way to find out."

"Well, Goblin, you and your 'Monster Industries' have wasted my time long enough, how about you pay up so we can get going?" Koga asked. "Me and my friend would rather be somewhere other than looking at you."

"Alright," said the Fairy Tale agent to his subordinates, "let's get ready to move in on my signal. We'll surprise her from behind; if any of those idiots get in the way, kill them."

"I would hate to keep you and your friend from anything more important you would like to do," the Goblin said, casually and as non-descript as possible. "A pink haired, femme fatale showing up out of the blue like that, she must be very special."

"I hope you're not implying anything indecent about the lady," Koga threatened.

"Not at all, just implying that she is, indeed very unique around here; it's not every day a beauty like hers shows up. I remember, many years ago, back when we were a low level gang of youths..."

"Which, you aren't now, right?" Koga asked.

"...As I was saying, I and most of my men can vividly recall another pink haired maiden who happened across our paths and reshaped our destinies. She carried with her a rosary from around her neck."

_A rosary from around her..._Moka thought with a heightened level of concern, meaning the sudden flash of memory she just had wasn't some random hallucination. _It...couldn't be! If it is true, if these people do remember me, then that means...him...that man...he was real!_

"No," she muttered, flinching in agonizing pain as she gripped the sides of her head.

"We do not remember her name, only by the one we gave her: ROSARY BOSS!" The Goblin went on, and then pointed towards Moka was still reeling from the sudden epiphany.

Koga noticed the men were making her feel uncomfortable and began to grow agitated; he also noticed the men in black near the entrance that had been eyeing the woman and appeared to be moving their way.

"Look, you children are aggravating the lady, so how about you either pay me my money or get ready to be my bitches for so and so, before I go I Stewie Griffin on all your asses!"

"You wear a rosary, don't you?" Asked the Wraith.

"I don't know what you're talking about!'' Moka replied.

"She must have it hidden under her shirt," said Ghost Brat, upon which Moka gripped her blouse with a bright blush.

"Alright, you guys are asking for it!" Koga yelled, getting ready to stand up in defense. "You insult my friend and now you gotta deal with the alpha male!"

_What's going on? _Moka asked, confused that this total stranger would stand up for her.

"Psst!" He quickly whispered to her upon getting up from his chair. "Behind! Don't look! Get ready to run!"

Moka didn't know what he meant, but unbeknownst to her, four Fairy Tale agents were narrowing the distance between them and their long awaited target.

"How about you apologize to the lady and we'll forget all of this," Koga suggested. "Well, not what you owe me, but I'm willing to go easy on you on getting my payment."

"C'mon, Rosary Boss!" Yelled Sea Monk. "Kick his ass and lead us!"

"Yeah, Boss," yelled another one.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Moka yelled as the Fairy Tale agents were less than a few feet away.

"Didn't she have another man with her?" The Wraith asked which grabbed Moka's attention. "Yes, there was something different about him, different from all of us."

_Another man? Oh god, please...he couldn't be real, he couldn't! He's just a figment of my imagination, it doesn't mean anything!_

But, deep down she knew it meant everything to her, and it frightened her to no end thinking about him. Was the doctor right? Did she really fall in love with a human? If so, then what happened to him? What did she do to him, if anything at all.

"I wonder what she did with him?"

"I thought they were inseparable!"

"She must've ditched him, somewhere."

"Stop it!" She shouted. "Just stop it!"

"Okay, that's it!" Koga yelled and seeing his cue, lifts the table up and punches through it, smashing his fist straight into Goblin's mask. "Heads up!"

During the ensuing chaos, he then swirls about and hits one of the Fairy Tale agents causing him to bump into one of his cohorts, who in turn fell into another guy, who spilled his drink on the blouse of another guy's date, this domino effect resulting in a massive free for all that erupted all around Moka.

"What's going on?" Moka asked as Koga grabbed her hand.

"I don't know, I thought you'd tell me," he replied. "Those guys in black suits aren't after me...as far as I know!"

"Ugh! You'll pay for that, Abarari!" The Goblin cried, vengefully. "I don't care how strong you may be, no one sucker punches the Goblin of Tosa and gets away with..."

Before he could make good on his threat, he noticed a draft upon his face and reaches up to feel the exposed contours of his face, a face that differed very little from that of his mask.

"Damn!" Koga went. "No wonder you're mad!"

"Huh, ooh, hoo, hoo!" The Goblin squealed in embarrassment, his once boisterous sounding voice now frail and nerdy. "M-M-MEN, GET HIM!"

"Not today!" Koga yelled, kicking one gang member in the stomach.

"Look out!" Moka cried out as a Fairy Tale agent got up and charged at the two.

Koga reaches under the man in mid-stride and flips him over, sending him flying into the Sea Monk, who was still enjoying one of his large cakes until the flying agent caused him to spill it. Picking himself up, with cake all on him, the agent didn't seem to care at all that growling, pissed off giant stood, towering over him with murder in his eyes.

"Outta my way, lard ass!" He yells at the behemoth. "Before I really get..."

The agent couldn't finish that sentence before the Sea Monk bats him away with an enraged fist. With everybody embroiled in a brawl, those low-level monsters like Monster Industries didn't feel the need to hold too much of their powers back as they found themselves engaged with some of Fairy Tale.

"Beat it!" One agent warned the Wraith.

"Heat it, you say?" The Wraith said as he produced a small fire ball from the palm of his hands. "O-kay."

"Oh, time to go," Koga said, making sure to grab a bottle of saki and, with girl in hand, punches his way out of the tea house before the Wraith set off a mini explosion that sent a number of agents, and some of his own men, flying. No one else was seriously hurt, but it did help chase a number of people out of the establishment, as well as create significant damage of which Monster Industries was left to deal with.

"My place!" The owner cried, and looked furiously at the last people standing, which was Goblin and his crew. "Who's going to pay for all of this?"

"Um, what do we do now, boss?"

Safely driving away from the scene in his Miazake Express, Koga laughs excitedly at what he had done, thinking it was the most fun he had in a long time, while Moka sat quietly next to him, confused.

"Wooh! Nothing like a good fight to get the day started!" He proclaimed. "You were pretty handy yourself in a jam! Thanks for having my back!"

Moka wanted to just sit there in silence, not wanting to discuss anything with anyone, but simply glad to be with anyone other than a human.

"Man, you're not much for talking today, aren't you?" He asked. "Does someone, normally have to take the initiative with ya or what?"

"...Who were those men back there?" She finally asked, seeing no point in remaining silent if she was to ride with him the entire time.

"Fairy Tale agents, from the look of it."

"Fairy...Tale? You've heard of them?"

"Who hasn't, besides a few people around here. I know it's none of my business, but...do those creeps, I mean the other creeps, the ones who started going on about 'Rosary Boss', did you...uh..."

"...You gonna drink that?" Moka asked, pointing to the saki, but grabs it without waiting for an answer and begins drinking it.

"Be careful with that, it's got a kick to it."

"I don't care," she says, reacting immediately to its strong taste, but desiring nothing more than to forget the question and hoping to forget what she saw. "Anyway, what difference is it of yours?"

"Sorry, just asking."

"What do you know about Fairy Tale?" She then asked him. "I heard them say you had troubles with them."

"Oh yeah, see I got something of a...off the books kind of operation, a part time occupation, if you will, where I rip off certain businesses of their 'goods', ferry said goods around the country and sell them at half the normal price. Had a few partners that I was working with at the time and we would strike at their sea ports, and one night the CEO caught wind of our little activity and sent down two of his 'problem solvers', _your_ people, and downsized my company. So, I've been lying low, but still operating."

"What do you know about them?" She asked again, drinking the saki heavily, afraid at what else she might learn.

"What would you like to know? That it's a no good, less than wholesome conglomerate that has its fangs sunk in just about every business from here to Timbuktu? Or, that it's run by your not so-friendly neighborhood vampire family..."

"Shuzen," she replied.

"Ah, so you _do_ know about them?"

"What are you implying?"

"Nothing, just that I know those guys back there weren't interested in me, that I am sure! But, I guess it's none of my business, so why bother with it."

"I...I don't know them, I never met them before in my life," she said, drinking more of the Saki. "And, I've never met those...people you were talking to, either. I don't know any of them, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. So, how's life been treating you at the house?"

"The house? Why? What do you care, you left me there."

"Just thought I'd ask."

"So, you just drop the conversation, like that and move on to something else, is that it? I didn't have to command you to stop, but you just moved on."

"Why wouldn't I? You don't want to talk about your life, then fuck it, you know."

Moka tried drinking more, but the Saki's affects already began to take their toll on her, and she found her thinking slightly impaired.

"Look...I just...you don't under...," she rambled. "You really don't care that I'm forced to live with them? With the humans?"

"Oh, I care, believe me I know what it's like."

"You do? They pick on you or force you to live by their rules?"

"Don't know about the picking on me part, I mean I got into a lot of fights in school, and it got so bad that I up and dropped out by the 8th grade, but it wasn't so bad it bugged me."

"Really?"

"_Hell _no, punk ass kids respected me by the time I up and left, they stopped talking about me behind my back, that's for sure. But, the being forced to live by their ways and being made to act like a trained pooch while they hold the leash? That always got to me."

"And...and you hate it? You hate it, the way I do, right?"

"Oh yeah, ever since I was kid."

"Then...then how can you work with them? How can you even play their games and...stuff?"

"Because; I mean, I gotta pay the bills. Hate won't do that for you; ain't got the time and energy to deal with all that, so I just move forward."

"Move...forward? I...I-I don't understand."

"Move on with your life, the whole hakuna matata mentality, can't waste your life worrying how humanity screwed you over in the past."

"I think...I think it's foolish. Just...plain..._lazy._"

"Whoa!" Koga said, as he began to notice her succumbing to the Saki. "How many drinks did you have?"

"What...diff-erence, is it of yours?" She asked, trying to drink the rest of the half emptied bottle.

"I told you to take it easy with that stuff!" He laughed. "Man, you are a light weight!"

"I...am a vampire...and I don't need..."

After an abrupt hiccup, Moka slumps over in her seat and lands her head in his lap. Faced with a past out chick in his cab, her apple-shaped head resting gently on his crotch as he eyed her supple body clothed in tight sweat pants and T-shirt all while driving, he found himself in a trucker's dream.

"A vampire you are indeed," he said to himself with a grin, remembering how they were often known as creatures of extreme everything, and what monster in his right mind would pass up the opportunity to take advantage of a helpless member of this sexually appealing and overly proud race or to simply dump or kill her before she had enough sense to retaliate; by all appearances, vampire Moka was in an uncompromising situation and at this monster's tender mercy.

XXX

After finally getting herself fixed up for her visit as best she could with the limited amount of clean clothing available, Moka Aono walked down main street with showy confidence to see Gin that same day. She was simply glad to get away from that apartment complex and it's dreary, increasingly uncomfortable atmosphere. It hadn't escaped her mind that Tsukune might show up at any moment while she was gone, but Moka had to get out of there or risk being driven mad. In any case, she both needed to raise some money in case Tsukune didn't show up on time with the money, in which a part of her felt depressed in thinking about him not showing up, and at the same time a part of her desperately wanted to see Gin again. She had heard he ran a Maid Cafe downtown, and the thought of working at such place would've, once upon time discouraged her, yet it now filled her with some growing excitement of trying something so dirty; but then again she was doing that a lot these days.

_Is this what I want?_ She continued to ask herself. _Should I even be doing this?_

**Of course you want to. You want to sit around that smelly apartment, anyway, waiting for that stubborn mate of ours to finally leave our sister and come home?**

_N-No._

**Besides, we need the money and you need to do something to at least keep your mind off of expenses. Now, relax and keep doing what I tell you, I know what I'm doing.**

_Well, it's just I've never done anything like a...maid cafe, before, _she thought to herself, blushing. _What if I don't like it?_

**It's no different than when you, Kurumu and Yukari dressed up as maids and sold the school newspaper back at the academy.**

The old School Newspaper Club that they worked on, both her, Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, Gin and...Tsukune; they would all work together for something that seemed so simple to her now and always had each other's backs. Those were good times, good times that felt so brief and wonderful, but now gone. Now, she had slept with Gin in front of Tsukune, chasing him away from her and possibly their marriage to god only knew where, and she had personally saw to having little or no contact with the others. She wondered if it had all been worth it, and if so then why did it hurt thinking about it? Why did it hurt her so much thinking about what she had done to Tsukune and why does it hurt thinking about him at all? But, most of all, why did hurt when she thinks of Gin and feel a strange excitement when there should only be total and complete revulsion?

**Enough of that! Focus; Gin isn't anyone special, he's just our boy toy, remember? The tool we need to win this, so focus on the task at hand and we'll have everything we want: Tsukune, a future for our children, everything!**

_I...think I love him... more than just a…a boy-toy, I mean. Not like Tsukune, but just...in a way that's different from him, I think._

**Whatever, just don't get too attached to him; when Tsukune returns and caves into our demands, we may have to limit seeing him. Now, just be as you have been before and don't let him see you begin to choke.**

Moka considered her inner personality's words well, but when she finally stood outside Gin's establishment and saw what it was, her mouth fell open like a dead fish and any resolve she had nearly died on the spot.

"Welcome to Gin-Sempai's, where all your fantasies come true," said a pair of attractive and very young women standing outside of the establishment in nothing, but tight-fitting tank tops and striped panties. "May we pleasure your delight, master?"

What she originally thought was a maid cafe was actually a shimapan or panties cafe, where all the waitresses work in striped panties and tank tops, located conveniently down a red-light district; the thought of servicing patrons in nothing but underwear was less inviting than doing so in a maid outfit.

_I...I can't..._

**Grow up, we've done worse! You thought you couldn't make passionate sex with Gin, either and you did, twice! What's walking about in your underwear amongst a bunch of high school twerps compared to what we did already? Don't let them see you chicken out! Now, go on or let me do it!**

"...Um, ahem...m-may I please see your boss?" She asks one of the girls. "I'd like to...see about a job...here."

"Oh, then right this way," one of the girls happily said, gesturing with a hand for Moka to go inside, in broad daylight where she feared anyone she knew might see her going into such a place.

The cafe was bigger inside than it appeared outside, but it was seedy nonetheless with similarly clothed girls walking about the place on top of floors that boasted a surface shiny enough to cast a reflection. It was lunch hour, and the place was packed with hungry, horny business men who chose to have their lunch being served by teen girls in striped underwear. There were tables to sit at, but there also appeared to be leather sofas as well, where groups of men could sit and playfully pulled some of the girls down on their laps. To the far right of her was a large staircase that led upstairs where she could only imagine the people heading up there were doing, but descending down came the proprietor of this bustling business; to her his dark hair seemed beautiful, if not slightly disheveled and reeked with recently had sex that only she could tell, and become upset over.

"Moka, what a fine surprise!" He said. "I never thought you'd come to my place of business, you should've called, I would've had a rose waiting for you."

He notices a small vase containing some fake roses by the entrance and plucks one to present to Moka.

"For you," he offers.

"Uh, thanks," she says, taking the 'gift' without much consideration. "Why do you smell like sex?"

"Um, you see, I...oh boy. God, I really wish you called."

**Forget about that, just ask him the question!**

"F-Forget about it," she tells him. "I just wanted to ask you for a job. See, the rent is due at my apartment and Tsukune usually takes care of that, but since he isn't around I needed some money and so I..."

"Sure," he said without much consideration. "I always enjoy helping you out Moka, you know that."

His good intention came craftily veiled with a desire to see her strutting about in striped underwear and a T-shirt, and overcome with excitement he comfortingly drapes an arm around her, where his fingers gingerly gropes in between her buttocks.

"You needn't worry Moka," he said softly. "Your upperclassman is always there to assist your all your wants, I'm the new guy in your life now, and I'll always be there to lend a helping hand."

"I appreciate that, Gin," she said, blushing. "Do I need to fill out anything?"

"You? No need, just show up tonight and I'll get you set up. We do, however have a dress code and last I checked you don't own any striped panties."

The very conversation itself was abhorrent to say the very least, but to this housewife just the feel of his strong arm wrapped around her tiny, supple frame once again, of his toned fingers going up under her short skirt and smoothing the crease in her panties as she stared up into a suave, debonair grin brought back more urges and conflicting emotions. Once again, she found herself torn between pleasuring herself or pining for her lost husband, but growing physical demands brought her to the brink of diving headlong into base desires and erased all feelings of doubt in the choice she was making.

"Do...do they have to be striped?"

"Yeah, but no problem, I got like several used pairs upstairs from girls who don't need them anymore, I can loan them to you if you'd..."

"No!" She said, a bit abruptly than she meant to, but balked at the thought of wearing used panties. "I mean, that's okay, I'll...go out right away and buy some, and then I'll be back tonight."

"Fine by me, and after work tonight, you and I can stay after hours for some quality time, eh?"

"Of course, and thank you," she says and prepares to leave.

"Moka," he said, stopping her in place with a gentle grab of her arm by his strong, but tender grasp, a grasp that a part of her wished was a little rougher in spite of the mixed feelings. "I just want you to know, you made the right choice."

"...I know," she said, swallowing back her emotions, and left to go buy a new pair of panties for work tonight.

XXX

When Moka Akashiya finally awoke, the sun was already beginning to set behind the trees and nightfall was slowly approaching. She remembered riding in a truck with a strange man she had recently met the day before and got drunk off of some Saki, but it now felt like they've stopped somewhere. Alarm hit her upon realizing with mounting dismay that she had fallen asleep inside the truck's cabin with him and feared she must've been subject to all sorts of heinous things while unconscious. Rising up with a start, she soon discovers however a denim jacket and an old trucker's cap had been draped over her, while all her clothes remained intact; in fact, Moka found no reason to suspect she was molested at all, only that someone had simply allowed the girl to sleep unmolested.

_So, he just let me sleep? _She wondered with some mild apprehension. _Where is he?_

She sees the driver side door open, letting in a cool, almost summer time breeze in, where outside she sees him lying by a nearby creek, dangling a fishing line that was tied around his right toe with a pile of freshly caught fish lying next to him. Bewildered, she puts on the jacket and cap, and immediately hops out of the truck to confront him rather than leave without saying anything, his peculiar actions so far have compelled her to seek some answers.

"So, sleeping beauty finally awakes!" He jokes without even looking up from his fishing. "You really are a light drinker, I mean I think you only drank half a bottle, usually it takes me four or five of the stuff to get me blitzed!"

"How long have I been out?" She asked.

"Oh, I'd say a few hours; a cat nap. I know some people who'd go to sleep at three in the afternoon and wake up early next morning!"

"And, you've been out here this whole time?"

"No, first I stopped at a bait and tackle store just a few miles out of town, chat for about an hour with a buddy of mine who owns the shop, then stopped to grab a quick burger to eat, drove a few more miles listening to my mix tape, and yes people still make mix tapes, and then finally decided to stop to fish; this hour is usually the best to catch fish, by the way, and being a country boy myself, I never pass up a good opportunity like this!"

"And, this whole time you...let me sleep, undisturbed?"

"Yeah, I figured it was the gentlemanly thing to do to let a lady sleep off a hangover."

"Why?"

"Why?" He asked, looking up at her with bewilderment of his own.

"Yes, why? Most guys in your position would've taken the opportunity to...you know. You really expect me to believe you honored my privacy this whole time?"

"Well...yeah. You're welcome by the way."

"Welcome? You don't expect me to say thanks to you, I'm a vampire."

"Yeah, yeah, vampires are supreme, vampires are awesome, ya-da, ya-da, ya-da, only now you're a vampire with no memory, zero tolerance to rice alcohol, and who could've gotten a ride with a guy who would've taken advantage of you; if that's what you're into."

"...How...how dare you imply that!" She responded, visibly shocked at such an assertion.

"I think I have fair enough reason to imply that, seeing as how instead of thanking me for being celibate, you're asking me why I didn't rape you in your sleep!"

"That isn't what I meant at all, it's just...you being so nice and all, you can't really expect me to believe that you would help me twice and not expect anything out of it!"

"Well, first of all you so far ain't loaded, so I'd say I can't get much out of ya, anyway! Second, I don't rape women, no matter how rape able they seem! And third, who says I need a reason to do anything nice. You vampires go about acting like the world owes you a favor for simply existing and think you aren't deserving of a little sincerity. You also act like you're entitled to do and get whatever it is you want without expecting any consequences, now I could've raped you back there thanks to your decision to get wasted rather than talk about why those guys had it in for you back at the bar, going on about that rosary around your neck, which isn't real hard to miss considering I can see the choker it's attach to as plain as day; real smart princess!"

Moka felt indignant that this monster would talk down to an S-class monster such as her, but at the same time she blushed deeply at making such a foolish mistake like that.

"Luckily for you, I ain't about that. I may be many things: a scoundrel, scum, heavy drinker, brawler, working class slob or, if you're like my ever-loving ex-wife, a deadbeat loser, but a pervert I am not! Now, you must be starving, I know I am; want some? How about it; I cook, you clean?"

"Is this…relaxing for you?"

"Nah, I was just hungry for some fish. It's so much cheaper to get food straight from the source than buying it. I was planning on sharing my catch with you anyway, before I take you back."

"Take me back?"

"Yeah; you didn't still think I'd take you away from that place? They'd have a manhunt out for you before you even got two towns over!"

Moka was deeply reluctant to go back to the halfway house, but finding herself out in the middle of nowhere and unwilling to simply stomp off and run into someone who probably would take advantage of her, she saw very little options available.

"C'mon, I got one more coming up and we can wolf all of this down!" He said with a big smile.

"Wolf down? You mean you expect me to..."

"I expect you to not act like a stuck up lady, for once and chow down on this fish like you did with that Saki! You can eat like slob, right?"

Moka blushed again, and Koga felt like laughing. With the sun still setting and darkness only hours away, Moka sat by the camp fire, having eaten almost half of her helping of cooked fish with the inscrutable Koga as he regaled the woman with stories about his past: of his mother and sister, quitting school at age 14, traveling all over the countryside doing anything to make ends meet whether it was wrestling crocodiles in Indonesia or working as a debt collector for the Yakuza. By age 20 he got his GED, married his childhood sweetheart for about 2 years before divorcing, and spent the last part of his life as a trucker; all in all Koga was becoming less mysterious by the minute, helping her to open up a little, only telling him things about herself that she could remember, but comfortable enough in revealing them.

"...And, now that my ex has taken pretty much everything I own, short of my truck, I now have to make ends meet," he goes on, finishing up on the story of his less than stellar life, though he made it sound interesting to her.

"Wow, you've...had it pretty rough," she said.

"Whoa, you actually listened? Most girls I tell that to usually drone it out, but then again most girls I talk to will also give it up to you for money."

"Well, you are interesting, and quite nice."

"Thanks, I'll take that as payment for the meal I brought in."

"I did help clean it."

"That was down payment, listening to my sob story was the full payment."

Moka laughed, the first time since she could remember, and noticed that she was no longer being plagued by disembodied voices or dealing with humans ever since hanging out with him. She found Koga very charming, a bit rough around the edges, but charming and polite, in which a rare quality he was.

"Thankyou," she said quietly, as if it took a lot of courage to say.

"Thanks for the meal? Oh, you're welcome."

"No, not that. Thanks for...you know, what you did for me today. You're right, I...should've been more appreciative."

"Hell, don't mention it, just being me. And, um, I want to apologize for giving you a hard time with all of the questions and everything; I keep forgetting you got amnesia. Forgetting...amnesia, ha, I think I just made the world's sorriest pun, huh?"

"Huh? Oh, oh, I get it, amnesia is when you forget; funny! But, seriously don't worry about it, I'm okay."

"That's really all you remember? What the doc helped recover?"

"Yes. If I knew those men at the tea house, then...it's locked away in my memory. I certainly hope that...me and...that goblin guy...ehh!"

"Ha! I wouldn't worry, I'm pretty sure that guy couldn't get lucky with Chinese prostitute, let alone a lady such as yourself."

"Stop," she said, gushing uncontrollably. "I'm no lady."

"I've never been one to agree with a vampire on anything, even on pain of death. You're a lady alright, there's no denying that."

Moka noticed a necklace about his neck, hanging just inside of his dirty, white T-shirt and wondered if it was a rosary just like hers, maybe even making him a fellow vampire just like her.

"Is that...around your neck," she points out.

"Hmm, this?" He asked, pulling out a crude necklace that had large claws strewn at its center.

"Is that a...power seal? I was asking because...I don't know, I thought maybe you were a vampire like me."

"Oh, no, it's just...something from my father, really. It's nothing, just a reminder. Actually, believe it or not, my power seal is in the eye patch."

"It is?"

"Yeah, it ain't just decoration, you know. But, hate to burst your bubble, I'm not a vampire; sorry."

"Oh," she said, looking a little disappointed. "It's okay."

As disappointed as she was, she nonetheless found some tranquility in the setting they were in; the sound of crickets chirping, birds making strange calls as dusk settled upon them and the time being spent with a new friend, it all brought Dr. Kohaku's words back to her.

_Why think about that, now? _She wondered with growing aggravation. _It has nothing to do with being human, not at all!_

"It is really nice out here, though," she comments.

"You think so, too huh? Being a trucker, you travel all over the countryside and you see lots of places like this. I was once down by Osaka, find this large creek with a view that, at a time like this, the sun sets on the water and its sparkling like diamonds."

"Really? I wish I could go to a place like that, maybe even one day go with you, once this is taken care..."

It was just then, just as she was feeling some connection being established with Koga, that her train of thought was interrupted by the call of a most unusual bird calling overhead. The two look up and see that the unusual sound came from a very unusual and surprising sight: that hob-knobbing amongst a murder of ravens flying over yonder, each one as silky black as night, there appeared with them was a large, brown bird that Moka at first mistook to be a hawk, only as it landed in a nearby tree did it turn out to be a rare, brown colored raven. Moka thought she was seeing things, that the glare from the sun was playing with her eyes and that she only mistook it to be brown, but upon looking closer, the bird did indeed appear to have cinnamon colored wings, as brown as the chestnut bark that held up the green trees all around.

"Is...is that raven...brown?" She asked Koga.

"Oh yeah, good eye; yeah, this must be a first for you, huh? It's rare, but every so often you see a brown raven. I dated this witch once who was into ravens, told me once in a blue moon you'll see some born with different colored feathers like white, splotchy or spotty, but that the brown ones are the rarest ones of all and if you see one, then obviously you were meant to."

"You don't say," she said, strangely drawn to this unique specimen. She found it odd that she would notice it out of the blue, and that its very presence seems to take all of her focus as though it was the most beautiful thing her green eyes had privilege to witness. Its chestnut wings reflected the golden rays of the sun, casting a bronze sheen about its smooth, pretty feathers as though they were metallic, and its radiance seemed to draw all the other ravens about it.

"Look at that," he said, pointing out at the birds. "See, all of them are females, except for him. You'd think, because he was so different that they'd keep away from him, but nah, because its mating season and it looks like all the girls are flocking to him! Ladies' man! I think it's because that he stands out, like how peacocks mate, you know."

He was surrounded by so many female ravens, all flocking around him either out of curiosity or because of his attractiveness, and yet he seemed uninterested in either of them; strangely enough, it seemed to her that his large, strong, yet gentle eyes were trained only on her. She didn't feel weird out or unphased by it in anyway, instead Moka felt honored and even possessive that his attention be on her and only her, despite upon being a clearly, separate and highly removed species from him.

"He's beautiful," she found herself saying.

"Easy, I think they saw him first," he joked. "Besides, I'd say he's a little out of your league, don't you think?"

Her stomach started to growl, catching her by surprise that she would still be hungry, but apparently it was loud enough for all in the vicinity to hear because Koga smiled, knowingly.

"Hungy, still?" He asked.

"Yeah, I guess fish alone isn't going to do it for me," she said, almost looking at him pleadingly.

"You vampires need blood to replenish your strength, right?"

"Yes; that or tomato juice as a substitute. I'm sure I can get some more elsewhere."

"Why wait and go hungry? I say, if you gotta eat, then eat."

He rolls up his sleeve and presents his bare arm for her to bite on.

"You...you really don't mind?"

"Nah, just don't drink too much, I gotta drive you know?"

Moka bites her lip, unsure if she should do it, but her stomach was growling and the sweet taste of that warm liquid coursing down the woman's throat once again after what felt like forever did seem too inviting to pass up.

"You're sure about this?" She asked once more.

"Will you go ahead and drink, the mosquitos are starting to bite and I'm afraid they won't leave much behind for you at this rate."

"...Mm, okay, but I...I prefer the neck, that's where I...ahem, get the most blood in a single bite," she replied, blushing.

"Oh, okay," he replied and tilts his neck towards the right, exposing a nice, healthy vein for the hungry vampiress. "Like this?"

"...Yes," she said with hunger in her green eyes.

Never had he seemed so tempting to her before than now, the throbbing of blood pumping and undulating underneath his membranous skin with each pass almost beckoning to her, its thumping sounds like an addictive music that captured Moka in a trance. As she moved in closer to him, she could begin to smell it, permeating her taste buds and leaving an enchanting taste, and yet there was something missing, like a secret ingredient. But, blood was blood, and if Koga was all too willing to supply her with the rich nectar that all vampires crave for, nectar that she had been denied for far too long, then who was she to be choosey. It was Moka's hope that Koga would become a good friend to her, it was something else she wanted badly out here in the middle of nowhere, and so far he's proven to not only generous, but someone she could trust as such, and maybe even more. However, when her sharp, piercing fangs bit into his neck and began literally inhaling his blood, her pleasure faded instantly as though some mechanism in her brain had found rejected the blood being processed. It wasn't him, far from it, Koga was a nice person, but her taste buds just flat out rejected his blood and she immediately pulled away before ever fully being satiated.

"What's wrong?" He asked, noticing her abrupt release, which she hadn't meant to be so. "Is everything okay?"

She couldn't bring herself to explain to him that his blood tasted wrong to her, for she found it hard to explain to herself. Ever since losing her memories, there has been a taste, a certain taste that persisted on her tongue like a ghost, and much like an addict there was nothing else she consumed that served as an adequate replacement.

"...Um...yeah," she said. "I think I'm going to go for a walk, instead. Clear my head."

"You sure everything is okay?" He asked, but she was already wandering away, lost in thought.

_What is wrong with me? _She thought. _I'm a vampire, right? I'm supposed to like blood, so what is it about Koga's blood that doesn't agree with me? Why can't I enjoy a can of tomato juice without taste buds acting up? Is it because I crave only human blood, when blood is just blood? Or, is it because there's someone else's blood that I crave?_

The sudden realization hit her like a frightening thought, wondering who had bewitched her so that she was at risk of starving to death and how could it be undone. It was stupid that she would be that hung up on the blood of one man unknown to her or that it would be causing so much woe. Suddenly, a loud caw and the sudden rustling of trees snapped Moka out of her thoughts as she looks up to see the large, chestnut colored raven taking off down the path ahead of her. Curiosity gripping her ever more about this creature she ran after it, wanting to see where it landed to next and hoping to touch it or even capture it herself. She felt confident in apprehending the creature, as being vampire she had the speed and capability to capture a creature as simple as a bird, even one as exotic looking as this bird. As she ran, she had already made up her mind not to let this fascinating creature go, unknowing of if or when she'll ever get another opportunity to see it, and fantasizing that if her memories ever returned and was reunited with her family, that she would have such a fantastic creature to keep as a pet. However, the bird proved to be faster than she realized, flying ever further ahead of her that she had to quicken her pace in the thick wood, in which the bird had no problem soaring through with a supernatural stamina all in its own. It flew through the ever growing shadows of the trees, almost disappearing from sight underneath, however every so often it'll pass through an opening and the sun would strike it's bronzed feathers like a moving homing signal for her to follow. Still, fly as it could, she was nonetheless confident that if push came to shove, she can catch it with relative ease; catching a bird is no large feat for a predator like a vampire, catching a fleeing human would be considered child's play. Unfortunately and strangely enough, her quarry disappears suddenly, as though it was nothing more than a figment of her imagination, and would've been chocked up as such if not stumbling upon a single large, brown feather on the ground, freshly removed from the bird as if either a parting gift, a taunt or confirmation that he was indeed real. Upon examining it after picking it up, she noticed no aberration in its coloration, just smooth chestnut appearance with some silver along the edges. The texture was soft and delicate in her hands, while her fingers which constantly ran sent a calming effect through her and she felt extreme calm for whatever reason, like everything would be alright.

_I better get back, _she thought, noticing how far she had gotten out, but still delighted in her recent acquisition.

What came next was a subtle interruption to her tranquility, however as the sweet, familiar metallic smell of blood, human blood wafted gently in the wind coming from a direction towards her left. Intrigued, she followed the invisible contrails to its source not too far away, but it was the brutal sounds of hitting that greeted the curious vampire before sighting it at the wood's edge, and it was what greeted her eyes that proved to be more disturbing than satisfying.

"Get up!" Yelled a muscular, sweaty foreigner who stood outside his small, run down house beating up on what Moka originally thought was a little, rag doll, but when that "doll" began to stir, she realized to her horror that it was young boy. "You worthless, no good shit! Always getting into trouble, worrying your mom to no ends!"

"C'mon, Ryan leave that kid alone and get inside!" A woman at the door, watching the entire proceedings, a woman she assumed was the boy's mother, said in a more irritated tone than concerned.

"Shut up and get your ass back in the house!" The man yelled back at her, and turned his attention to the writhing form on the ground, in which he takes his massive, combat boot and kicks him so hard, the kid was literally lifted up into the air by its force. "Come on, get up! You supposed to be tough and shit!"

When the boy failed to do as he was told, the towering man actually grew irate at what he perceived in his alcohol addled mind as defiance or just plain weakness, raised his giant foot to deliver a bone rendering stump on his back.

"You worthless..." he muttered, raising his foot again, preparing to deliver an even harder stomp on his back and teach the boy a lesson for his defiant and weak stance, when suddenly the man was violently propelled backwards onto his ass by a force he at first didn't see. "...W-What the f..."

He was more affected by the sudden shock of being attacked by an unseen assailant than his painful landing, but as he quickly regains his senses and sees his attacker standing before him was nothing more than a pink haired woman, any sense of shock died underneath a wounded pride that the man sought to remedy.

"Who the fuck are you, bitch?" He asked, angrily standing up and towering over her with a 6ft. 5in. frame that would've intimidated most, but Moka stood her ground firm, green eyes aflame with seething rage at this overgrown android's attack on a helpless child. "I said, who the fuck are you and what are you doing on my property?"

"How dare you," she seethed. "How dare you beat up on a defenseless kid!"

"What are you, his teacher?"

"No, I'm not, I was walking by when I saw what you were doing to him, son of a bitch!""

"Huh! Stupid, mother-fucking japs, always butting their heads into things that don't concern them!"

"You want to fight someone, then why don't you try fighting someone your own size...bitch!"

"Oh yeah? Like you? You don't think I won't hit a woman? You don't think I won't mess up that pretty, little face?"

The man stalks menacingly toward Moka like an ogre, his blue eyes filled with such sinister intent that she wasn't sure if what she was dealing with was a human or some low level monster in human guise, but either way her resolve was far from shaken as his shadow loomed over.

"...Too bad," he said in a thick, lust filled voice, "you ain't bad looking. Maybe when I'm done with you, I'll just make an example out of you, right here, right now; show the boy what it really means to be a man."

With that said, Moka swiftly kicks him hard and sends the man flying back onto his ass. This only infuriated him further, who jumped to his feet even faster, fueled now by both pride and adrenaline and swiftly marched towards her, fists balled tightly into solid, red pistons ready to pound her face in.

"Thats it!" He roared. "Time to put you in your place, bitch!"

A fist raised, he sends it careening towards her while in mid-stride, and she readied herself in a battle stance, determined to meet his attack head on, when another intervened in between the two combatants, catching his fist and stopping it stone cold.

"No way man!" Koga yelled. "It ain't happening!"

With impressive strength of his own, sends the man flying back onto his ass with just simple push of an arm and stood defensively before Moka.

"Koga!" The man yelled. "The hell are you doing here, I didn't know you were back!"

"Well, I am and I see you're up to no good, as usual!"

"If she's your bitch, then maybe you ought to tell her to mind her own, goddamn business!"

"If you don't shut that goddamn mouth of yours, I just might make you into _my_ bitch! Now back the hell off, man!"

Still pumped up with pride and anger, the man looks up at Koga, whom he knew was a bear in a fight, and if he were a smart, betting man, would know to back down.

"_Raaawwwr_!" The man roared, lunging at Koga who merely punches him in the face and knocking him a few feet away towards his porch.

"RYAN!" Cried the woman who came out to assist him, and eyed Koga with hate. "You two better get out of here before I call the cops!"

Helping Ryan to his unsteady feet, she lumbers him grumbling some inaudible defiance back inside his home.

"Lucky thing I decided came to check up on you," Koga said. "You alright?"

Moka had so far been rescued twice and she still didn't know how to respond to that, but her mind quickly returned to the wounded boy at her feet who steadily tried to get back up.

"His hurt," she said to Koga as she rushed to the young lad's side. "We have to do something!"

"I wouldn't, if I were you," he said to her.

"What are you saying?" She asked, surprised at his sudden reluctance. "He's a human boy, his bones aren't strong as ours, he'll need some medical treatment."

"...I really don't think you understand."

Annoyed, Moka tries to help steady the boy to his feet and attempts to look at his injuries.

"Are you alright?" She asked. "Can you walk? I can find some people to leave you with, they'll take care of your wounds."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" The boy cried out, smacking her helping hand away and upon looking up at her with furious, brown eyes; it was then that Moka received a most unwelcomed shock: the boy she had saved was none other than Suzaku, the neighborhood bully whom she had chased earlier today.

"It's...it's you!" She stammered. "But..."

"Suzaku, man look," Koga tried to tell him, but the boy, who's pride was more wounded than the broken bones and bruises on his face wouldn't allow him to acknowledge their sincerity.

"I don't need your help!" He said, staggering to his feet with great difficulty, the anger in his voice straining to hold back a trimmer of an emotion.

"I don't understand; why was your father...?" Moka tried to ask.

"I said get LOST FREAK!" He screamed at her, staring up into her green eyes with a veiled pain in his puffy, brown ones so acute and so intense from the swollen, purplish cheeks which surrounded them that it was almost heartbreaking.

"BOY!" An irate voice cried out from within the house. "YOU BETTER GET YOUR ASS IN HERE, NOW!"

Without saying another word, Suzaku stumbles back into the house where, behind closed doors they can hear the man yelling some more curses and insults at him.

"That wasn't the boy's father," Koga tells her, looking at the house with equal forlorn. "His name is Ryan Mathewson, a Marine from one of the U.S. bases stationed here who shows up every once in a while to bang the boy's mom. He's a real treat; just about everyone can't stand him, not even his fellow servicemen, always picking fights and turning into a drunken loser whenever he can't back it up. I heard once while on patrol in Afghanistan, his own squad tried to leave him behind during an ambush so the enemy could get him."

"He was...beating on the boy," she muttered. "I still can't believe it was him! Why?"

"Because, he thinks he's cock of the walk!"

"No, why does the boy's mother allow this to happen?"

"Because, the sex is great. Why else would any woman bet on a guy like that? He beats her, too when he doesn't get his way, but he loves beating on that kid of hers, claims he trying to teach the boy on how to be a man; makes him feel superior. And, as you've seen so far, the boy takes it out on you and pretty much anyone else he thinks deserves it."

"Deserves what?"

"For him being born, I guess? I try to stay out of it, it's another one of those complicated, human affairs, but that's just how they are."

Moka grew angry as memories of yesteryear came flooding back, reminding her of Takane and how she and her parents inflicted pain upon everyone to make themselves feel good.

"I hate humans," she muttered under her breath. "I mean it, I really hate humans! They're all the same, all of them!"

"C'mon, Luce let's not stay around here, any longer than I want to," he said to her as he tries to gently lead her away and noticing how much her body trembled a little with a smoldering rage. "Like I said, I try not to get involved; it's hazardous to your health."

"My health? Ha! I feel just fine! For a while, I was actually feeling sick after what the doctor told me, trying to make me believe I was wrong about humanity when it was he who's in the wrong! I can't wait to tell him what I saw today, to see the look on his face when he tell him what I think of him!"

"Well, if you're going to do that, then now would be a prime time to tell the good doctor off!"

"And, why is that?"

"Because, the guy probably only has a few years to live; he's got Leukemia and it's slowly killing him."

The news came at her like a sudden shock of electricity from an unknown source, never fully anticipating a bit of news like that.

"Oh, you don't know, do you?" Koga asked. "Well, I'm not surprised as my species have a better sense of smell than yours, but you can smell it in his blood which, it's probably not a good idea to drink from, but then again I don't know how vampires respond to tumors. But, yeah he's chock full of holistic medicine inside, but I'd say he's on borrowed time; such is the fate of being mortal, I guess. And, rather than simply staying at care facility and giving his daughter over to his ex-wife so as to spare her the burden of taking care of his sorry ass, he's running this half-way house and putting that girl of his through all of this drama for no other reason than because he's pissed and wants everyone around him to be just as miserable. Still, no skin off my back; wouldn't be surprised if the next time I come by here, I find another guy in his place. Business as usual."

Moka took all of it as it was and didn't question any of it; humans were like that, and since they were mortal and susceptible to death, it would stand to reason that on the last days they would seek out to drag as many people they know down with them into despair.

"Take me away from here, please," Moka pleaded once again.

"Hey look, it's gonna be fine at that place. They're humans, but really the worst they could do to you is get on your nerves a little."

"Why should I continue being around these ignorant people!"

"Because, these ignorant people run the law around here, for one, and we have to obey them in the name of harmony or suffer the consequences; god, it sounds like my last marriage, sheesh!"

"It should be us who make the laws and they the ones who have to obey them or else," Moka said with an icy bitterness that could've literally chilled the air around them and might've scared away most of the small, eavesdropping animals as they scurried away in the underbrush.

"Yeah," he laughed. "And, what exactly would you do, Judge Dredd?"

Moka was ready to answer, though not having really thought out her hatred carefully and undeterred in saying something she would later regret, but fortunately a most unwelcomed, and surprised interrupting came from a familiar voice crying out from the shadows.

"LUCY!"

"Who the fu..." Koga started to say as his scent and hearing could immediately ascertain the identity of Moka's ardent pursuer even before she came into view.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as Rin came running up.

"Looking...for you," she replied, short on breath and sweat raining down from her hair matted brow.

"Damn, you look like you've been running through the jungle!" Koga joked.

"Huh? Oh, hi Koga! Man, Lucy you can run, I've been looking all over for you!"

"You've been searching for me this whole time?" Moka asked with some surprise. "Why?"

"Why?" Rin responded with some level confusion. "Uh, so you won't get in trouble if you don't report back in time, which is 3 minutes from now."

"And, you got lost in the woods just so you can find me?"

"I'm not lost, I grew up around here, and I know the area like the back of my hand!"

"You shouldn't have come looking for me; I was just fine on my own!" Moka replied with stiff indifference. "I prefer to stay with Koga!"

"Come on, Lucy, I know he's cool and all..."

"Thanks," he said with suave smile.

"But, you have to report back or my dad's going to call the cops to say you went AWOL! Koga, tell her...please."

"...You heard the lady," he said, and gives a wink at the girl, who blushed upon receiving such an acknowledgement from this dark-skinned, one eyed rogue. "Besides, I better get on back to my pad before Monster Industries decide to give me a congratulatory trashing ceremony for earlier. You gotta go back."

"Fine, I intend to see Dr. Kohaku, anyway, so I may as well get this over with!"

"Good, now let's go!" Rin eagerly persuaded.

"I guess I should give these back?" Moka asked, taking off the jacket and cap, but Koga declines.

"Keep em, I got a ton like them anyway. And, I gotta say you really pull off the denim jacket and trucker hat look, if ever there was one. I'll see you around, Luce!"

"Um...see ya...around, too Koga," Rin nervously says, upon which the tan-skinned gentleman smiles in return, causing the girl to nearly lose herself by the simple gesture and watches him leave.

"Well?" Moka asked, impatiently.

"Well, what?" Rin asked, her attention elsewhere as she watches Koga's ass in his tight, denim jeans walk away.

"Are we going or what?"

"Oh! Uh, yeah let's...let's definitely get out of here before...we get laid...I-I mean, before we get late, I mean before we're late; that's right, I meant to say that! C'mon, I know a shortcut."

Rin doesn't anymore time dawdling about in her stupor, she grabs Moka by the hand hurriedly leads her back through the woods towards the halfway house. Already in a foul mood from her encounter with Suzaku's parents, Moka greatly detested being led anywhere by a human and jerks her hand back.

"I can walk by myself," she said to the girl.

"Oh, okay," Rin replied and lets her go first. "But, you don't know which way to..."

"I can find my way through these woods on my own; I don't need the likes of you to show me around these woods!" Moka yelled back while walking incredibly fast for the girl to catch up on.

"Hey, wait up!" Rin cried out as she scurried after her, but didn't have far to go as Moka appeared to be stumbling in the other direction, uncertain if this was the right way to take, and yet unwilling to let the girl know. "Um, Lucy."

"I don't need your help!" She yelled back, obstinate and still walking in the other direction.

"Yeah, but you're going in the wrong direction; the halfway house is that way," Rin tells her, pointing straight ahead of her. Rin couldn't see it, not that Moka would've preferred it, but the proud vampire tracker was blushing heavily at the error in judgment, and quickly regains her composure so as to march back to Rin with nary a sign of defeat.

"I knew that," she muttered.

"Maybe I should lead the way," Rin suggested.

"You think I'm stupid, don't you?"

"Huh, no! What gave you that idea?"

"Alright, so I screwed up back there, it doesn't make you smarter than me or better than me!"

"Lucy, I never said I was smarter than you or better than you, I don't think that at all!"

"Y-You don't?" Moka asked, visibly confused at this human girl's response.

"No, what would make you say that? Trust me, I wish I was like you!"

"You...do? But..."

"Yeah, why wouldn't I think so? You are so cool, like the most awesome girl I've ever met!"

"You...think I'm cool? Awesome?"

"Yeah, you're beautiful, even with Koga's clothes on you, which by the way is cool in itself that you're such good friends with him; and you just tore through the forest after those boys without hardly breaking a sweat or getting dirty, and you're hella strong, too! I don't know how you do it, but you gotta tell me your secret!"

Moka wasn't sure how to handle this human girl, or how to react to this situation; not too long ago she witnessed an incident that reaffirmed her prejudice towards humanity and now here was a human girl idolizing all of the qualities that made vampires unique to her kind. She had complained about how her classmates used to pick on her because they were jealous, but she couldn't remember a single one ever showing any idol worship like some little, middle school girl was; it was what she wanted and yet it felt so uncomfortable.

"You're just different," Moka muttered.

"Huh, you say something?"

"You're annoying. Stop it! Just stop looking up at me, okay! I'm different from you, that's all, so just drop it."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say anything to upset you."

Moka looked at the kid and she couldn't help, but feel some guilt for being so ugly towards her, even if a part of her balked at bestowing any form of compassion to a lowly creature.

"No...it's alright, I didn't mean it," she finally said to the kid. "It's just been a bad...bad time for me, that's all."

"Losing your memory and all, I guess I can understand."

"You are special, though."

Rin beams up at her and views it as a compliment.

"Why, thank you, Lucy! Y-You really mean it? Me, special?"

"I meant in the way you act, you're special from the other humans because you're not so narrow minded and intolerant, that's all."

"Oh. Um, thanks. I...try not to be."

"...But, you're also pretty too, so that's something."

"Oh, thanks!"

"Why did you come all this way after me, anyway?" Moka asked. "You could've went about your business and left me; why'd you make it any of your business what happens to me?"

"Because, silly, you're my friend, I'm supposed to look after you."

_Her friend? _She thought and upon looking down at this smiling girl who walked next to her, an image flashed before her eyes, that of a different girl entirely, one with dark hair, purplish eyes and an equally large smile, a smile of idol worship, as well as friendship.

"You okay, Lucy?" Rin asked, her features returning within the blink of an eye.

"Yeah," she replied and moved on, though her mind once again at war with itself, remaining so all the way back to the halfway house, followed by a sound calling away in the wind from around her that she assumed was that raven again, but didn't want to think that it was something else entirely.

It was many years ago and again Moka found her appearance changed, her demeanor slightly altered, and the setting different from before. It was easily recognizable this time as being inside her family's castle, her tiny, pre-teen frame walking about the family's palatial dining hall as many servants bustled about in setting up everything for what appeared to be an upcoming event. By her side walked her mother, appearing as elegant in her crimson, laced dress as she could ever remember who seemed to be supervising the organizing.

"But, mother why not?" Moka complained.

"Because, it'll be too inappropriate for you to try, dear," her mother patiently explains, her warm smile doing little to pacify Moka's obstinate mood.

"But, Angelica Pierce and the other kids are going to participate in their first bout, so can't I? Are you ashamed of me, mother?"

"Of course I'm not ashamed, where would you get an idea like that? Besides, Angelica Pierce is far older than you and it wouldn't be too dangerous for her to do."

"Dangerous? Oh mother, I can fight and defeat anyone who challenges me."

"I'm sure you can," her mother laughed, finding her young daughter's defiant outlook charming rather than annoying. "You are my brave, little warrior after all. Say I let you go and fight, wouldn't you get your new dress ruined? The dress I picked out for you and that you liked, hmm?"

Moka had to weigh in on that, considering her options of proving her mettle in an arranged fight earlier than was expected or risk destroying a beautiful dress she did make such a fuss over; it proved to be vexing.

"Well..." she said thoughtfully, "when you put it that wa..."

Suddenly, a young maid comes hurrying along with an arm full of cooking pots and accidentally tumbles over the child, bringing the pots cascading across the floor with a loud crash that brought the room silent. However, as the maid lay on the floor, stunned and with the wind knocked slightly out of her, she realizes that the prevailing silence in the room was due to her embarrassing position, but of whom she ran into. The little girl towered over the prone woman, hardly scathed at all by this maid's fumble, but nonetheless angered that this lowly animal would dare run into the way she had and damage their family's fine cooking ware.

"You idiot!" Moka screamed and began kicking the woman, hard in the sides, each kick powerful for a girl her age and seriously impacting the woman's ribs. "How dare you bump into me like that! I should kill you for this!"

"I'm sorry, my mistress!" The woman begged as she faced the floor in utter humility and pain. "F-Forgive me, I wasn't looking where I was going!"

"Forgive you? Why would I waste my time forgiving a clumsy dog like you?"

"Lucy!" Dr. Kohaku called to her from a nearby corner, observing this scene with great concern and hoping she could hear him, but it appeared his patient was too caught up in her brutal display of power.

Moka places her tiny foot upon the woman's neck and begins pressing down, her kitten heeled pumps leaving their mark.

"...Mistress, please!"

"Silence! You will learn your..."

"Lucy, stop! Lucy!"

"DAUGHTER!" Her mother yelled who firmly pulls the girl off of the maid.

Shocked, Moka watches as her mother, the feared, respected Hell King and shinso vampire, stoop down before all eyes in the room and gently helps the maid up.

"Are you alright?" She asks her with such compassion that Moka wondered if she remembered whose mother she was supposed to be.

"Y-Yes, my mistress."

"Can you walk? Can you still perform your duties for today?"

"I...I think so. Yes, my mistress."

"Very good, gather up what you were carrying and try to finish up. Everything is going to be fine, just don't let it happen again, okay?"

"Yes...I hear you, mistress."

"Will some of you help her carry some of her load to the kitchen?" She orders two other maids who obediently begins helping her pick up the pots.

"Mom?" Moka asked, confused at what just happened. "What are you doing? Why didn't you punish her?"

Her mother looks down at her after briefly supervising the cleanup and for a moment Moka seemed nervous that she might've spoken out of turn for questioning her actions, but then some things needed to be questioned.

"Mom?"

"You're okay; she didn't hurt you at all."

"Of course she didn't, no human can hurt me."

"Then, what was that just now?"

"It was the principle of it, she had no business bumping into me like that, if we don't set these vermin straight, they'll lose all respect for us!"

Moka said it in a way and volume that it seemed like she didn't care if all of the maids and workers heard her, affirming her stance.

"So, it's the principle, right?" Her mother asked. "You wanted me to kill a human for bumping into you by accident?"

"Well, why not? They're lower than us, so why not kill them for that? Why do we keep these cattle around, anyway, they're incompetent, they're weak, and are completely small-minded! So, why not punish them for something like bumping into me?"

"Even if it was an accident, which it was, by the way!"

"So it was an accident, that isn't the point."

"No, the point is that they are weaker than us, therefore they should be destroyed, huh?"

"Well, yes."

"You truly do not understand, my daughter," she patiently tells her.

"What's to understand, mother?"

"Well, for starters you can go and apologize to her for what you did."

"Me? Apologize? Never! I'd sooner kiss a human than apologize to one!"

"What if someone had done that you? Wouldn't you want them to apologize?"

"If someone did do that to me, then they deserve to kill me for letting them take me down."

"...Oh honey, I know you don't mean that," she responded while almost, visibly upset to her daughter say that.

"I do, we're the superior ones; are we not taught we either conquer our foes or die? These humans aren't the same as us, mother?"

"Humans have the same rights as all sentient beings, daughter and just because we are different, doesn't make it less so; what you did was reckless and unnecessary, and I guarantee you that you didn't learn to be so intolerant from us."

"But, I did, I did learn it from you; well, not you but...father doesn't feel the way you do, he teaches us..."

"Oh, I think I know your father better than you and let me tell you that he wouldn't have been proud of what you just did today. He may tell you he hates humans, he may even act cold when they are in his presence, but not once have you seen him mistreat them, now have you?"

"No, but...I still don't see why I have to treat them with any kind of respect, they are our servants and are weak, who cares if they get hurt or die?"

Seeing she was not getting through to her daughter, she seems ready to dismiss the argument when a small caterpillar inching along the floor catches her emerald eyes and a plan takes shape. Walking over to the tiny, underdeveloped creature, she keeps a stiletto heal menacingly over the unsuspecting being while her daughter watches.

"It's so tiny, so weak and helpless," she whispers to Moka. "If I wanted to, I can squash it beneath my boot without much care."

Moka looks on, her young, red eyes watching in curiosity, expecting her mother to step on the insect; and why not, as she herself had crushed many a bug for casual amusement.

"Orihimie!" She then calls to a maid. "Hand me your broom and dustpan, please."

"Yes, my lady," the maid responds, and Moka's mother carefully brushes the fuzzy caterpillar onto the dustpan and walks out onto the balcony where she deposits it on the wall.

"You could've killed," Moka points out. "It's just a bug."

"I could've, you're right, but I didn't. In fact, I can a lot more things if I wanted to, being more powerful than any vampire, even the elders, I could either conquer all the vampires or flat out destroy them simply because I'm stronger than all of you, but I won't. Just because I'm big and strong doesn't give me the right to treat others who aren't like animals; we are all different, my daughter, and we all share this world together. If every human was dead, where would we get our food? We do live off of their blood, right? Furthermore, if they were all gone or if they and every other creature was gone except us it would be a very lonely existence for our long lives to live, wouldn't you agree?"

Moka glanced; she didn't want to hear what she had to say or cave in to such a ridiculous demand, but her mother only smiled warmly and knelt down beside the frowning, little girl as she wraps a loving arm around her.

"Are we not best friends, darling?" Her mother asked, of which Moka nodded. "As your best friend, you trust me right? Have I ever let you down or disappointed you?"

"No."

"And, you've never let me down, now have you?"

"No, mother."

"Well, as someone who trusts and loves me, as I trust and love you, can I trust in you to do the right thing?"

Moka looked away thoughtfully, her small face taking on the appearance of a mind locked in a bitter battle between pride and conscience, and for the better part of her own logic it would've made since to the prissy child to ignore everything and continue fretting about pointless matters. However, Moka Akashiya, whose surname bears the pride of her mother, marches briskly back to the maid and performs a brief, angry bow.

"Sorry!" She yells at the surprised maid, but then adds: "But, do not let it happen again or I won't be so merciful!"

"Y-Yes, my mistress...thank you," the maid replied and scurries away.

Her mother looks on with a proud and an approved smile, but Moka felt like she just spat out a bile of acidic vomit and her face could not hide the distaste of such an act.

"It sounds like your mother was a smart and caring person," the doctor comments.

"She was wrong," Moka replied through a bitter breath. "Wrong about everything."

"No, she wasn't wrong, Lucy, she was only trying to provide sage..."

"SHE WAS WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING!" Moka snapped at him, trying to silence his foolish, meaningless words. "My mother simply could not understand the ways of being a vampire, and I didn't know why. Was she displeased with me? Did she want to punish me because I wanted to participate in the ritual martial arts competition?"

"Lucy," the confused doctor tried to explain, "I think you're overlooking what she's trying to tell you; it wasn't a punishment, that's for sure."

"Goodness, Akasha," came an unexpected voice and Moka looked up to see her stepmother, Gyokuro walking into the picture, having observed everything like it was a comedic act, "sometimes I wonder how you could be considered a shinso after that hilarious piece of advice you gave to your daughter!"

"And, where would be the honor in that?" Akasha asked. "Where would the honor be in killing a human for every, minor infraction or lording over everyone who isn't a vampire?"

"Honor?" Gyokuro retorted as if it was a joke. "We don't need honor, we are the forever young and beautiful, what do we need honor for when we can get whatever we want? If it was my darling Kahlua, I would've..."

"But, it's not your daughter I'm talking to, Gyokuro, I don't need you trying to raise my daughter," Akasha warned.

"Or what? You'll give me a stern talking to? Ha! A real pure blood would've allowed their child to eviscerate the wretch where she lay; I swear, at this rate you're going to raise your child to be a weak, helpless fool, prey to those whom you would teach her to show compassion for."

And, Moka knew, she was right as that is exactly what happened to her a year or two later when she was sent to live amongst the lowly human race. Though Moka hated to see her mother being insulted by anyone, the very indignity of being forced to apologize to a human was too much for even a young one like her to bear and she storms out onto the balcony, close to tears and further ashamed to show it.

"Stupid mother," she angrily muttered, hurt that her own mother would betray her like this.

"Lucy," the doctor tried to comfort.

"Why did I have to apologize to her! It was her fault! What did I do to deserve this?"

"She wasn't trying to punish you, Lucy."

"But she was! She made a fool out of me and worse, she'll kick me out of my home to go live with _them_! I hate her!"

The words just flew out of her mouth before she even realized it and the shock that came with it was like a reverberating shockwave. Did she really mean to say that? It was still hard to conceive anything like that; Moka knew, deep down in her faulty memories that she deeply loved her mother, so why had such words come out.

"She makes you mad, doesn't she?" A voice asked, of which she assumed it was her doctor. "You think you deserved to slaughter that unruly human bitch, huh?"

"...Yes, I do," Moka replied almost like it was a no-brainer. "Why do you say that, doc?"

She looks up to the doctor, but was stunned to see that rather than the comforting, and all around naive human male, stood her eldest sister Ria in her usual black, full-bodied dress and casually looking out beyond the valley stretched out before them; not really seeing the landscape, but relishing more the anguish in her little sister.

"Ria," Moka said.

"Who else were expecting, sister dear? I saw what happened back there, I thought she was wrong, too."

"Don't say that about her, I love my mother."

"I thought you hated her?"

"No. I was just mad, that's all."

"Mad that she was wrong?"

"...I...I don't know."

Ria looks down on the wall and notices the small, furry caterpillar Akasha had kindly freed; it's plump, soft body busily minding its business as it inched along the wall. A part of Moka felt some sense of tranquility watching this tiny, frail creature, it's prickly looking hairs made it seem like a cute, plush toy and she knew that one day it'll blossom into a magnificent butterfly. Ria cups a leather, gloved hand over this creature, its fingers gradually closing out the light as they swallowed the caterpillar up, and for a while she could feel it moving about her palm, it's tiny legs almost tickling the sultry vampire princess. With a mere flinching of the muscles in her wrist, she tightens her hand around the caterpillar with rock hard grip until all that came was small, trickle of ooze pouring of the crevices of her hand. When she reopened her hand, all that was left of the caterpillar was a stain on her once, pristine glove, which she casually wipes on the wall's side. Moka didn't know how to feel; at one point she was upset and confused that her sister would do that to an animal that hadn't done anything to them, but then again she wanted to be indifferent to it at the same time, like a true vampire would be towards death.

"Do you know why I did that, sister dear?" Ria asked. "Because it was its fate?"

"It's fate?"

"Oh me, oh my, yes, It was meant to die, sister dear. By crawling in our path its fate was sealed, I was meant to snuff out its life. Do you know what would've happened if I hadn't killed it? It would've just met its fate through some other means: like being eaten by ants, scorpions, or birds, being washed out by the rain, get stepped on by some oblivious person or run over as it crosses a road; only 1 out of 10 survive to adulthood. And yes, they undergo an amazing metamorphosis and become something truly magnificent to behold, but it's fate doesn't change."

"No?"

"Not by a long shot, sister dear. As a butterfly, it and its ilk still encounter so many dangers from birds, spider webs, car windshields, high winds, famine, all sorts of hazards that are less threatening to people like you or me. And, even if they survive all of those which, few will, do you know what sole goal in their meager, insignificant lives is? They migrate vast distances to mate, lay eggs, and die."

"They die?"

"That's right, they die."

"But, why?"

"It's in their nature, they're hardwired for it; yep, after only three months of remarkable life on earth, they mate and then die so that their descendants may carry on the same routine again and again. So, you see, it was the caterpillar's fate to die either you look at it; such is the fate of these lesser beings. They were given such short lives because they are meant to die, meant to live a pre-arranged life that is brief and insignificant to higher beings like us. That maid fell before you, because she was meant to die, your mother just can't see that; do you understand? There's no point in trying to relate to humans or even acting like they are anything like us; they're no different than a caterpillar. Do you want me to...remedy the situation and show that wretched caterpillar its fate? You are father's beloved, as such I am bound as his right-hand to honor any request you have."

Moka allowed Ria's words, and colorful analogy sink in her small, silvery head. She loved her mother very much, that much was certain, but Moka knew she was wrong; it was just too inconceivable to view humans as anything remotely like her and Ria made such a view so simple to look at. Her pride had been wounded and the maid was at fault; as a vampire, a being far removed from all things human, she had to reassert dominance and where these lowly creatures' place was.

"...Yes," Moka said quietly. "Do it."

"As you wish, my dear sister."

Ria quietly disappears with a humble bow, leaving only Moka and the doctor, who looked at her with a most troubled expression on his face.

"Your sister just threatened to murder someone," he finally said after a lengthy pause. "And, you signed off on it?"

"...I did," Moka said in a matter of fact tone, trying to play off how troubled she felt recalling that.

"So, what happened? What happened between your sister and this woman?"

Moka was hesitant to speak at first, trying to jumble together the right words to better explain what happened as the memories for that night gradually marched into view, but she rationalized that she was, once again a vampire and above any level of shame or regret, so she answered him.

"...That night...," Moka began to say, "...she was found with her neck broken and blood drained at the bottom of nearby ravine."

"And, you suspect that this...sister of your might've had something to do with it?"

"I don't know," she said softly. "Father was mad."

"He was?"

"Yes, so Ria blamed it on Kahlua, said she had lost controlled and killed another servant; father was most displeased."

"What did he do to her?"

"He grounded her for the next six months," Moka said without shame, saying it as if it was a perfectly normal thing for a parent to do.

"He grounded her for six months?" Doctor asked. "For committing a murder?"

"The maid was part of his property," Moka said with little indifference. "Human help is hard to come by, it cost him a lot of money to find a replacement."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" The doctor exclaimed, trying to find any kind of logic in this story he's being told. "I'm talking about a life, a human life, and you act like it was if she'd destroyed an expensive piece of furniture! You don't...feel anything?"

"...N-No," Moka replied, trying to down play the small amount of compassion that struggled to the surface. "Besides, it wasn't my fault it happened!"

"It wasn't your fault, why?"

"Why? I don't know, because I didn't actually think she'd go through with it!"

"Is it that or that you really think that all things mortal deserve to die and therefore that woman's death was of no concern of yours?"

"I never said that?"

"But, you were thinking it when you told your sister to kill that woman, weren't you?"

"I..."

"Let me ask you another question: what was your mother's reaction?"

"I..."

"Did she know you had something to do with it?"

"I don't know, she didn't say anything!"

"But, do you believe she was happy at what happened?"

Moka thought deeply and let the question weigh on her uncertain shoulders, remembering the moment and the look of sadness upon her mother's face when she found out about the maid.

"She was," she lied to him. "She was happy because she remembered that she was a vampire and that her daughter had just proven herself to be a proper vampire."

"Even if said 'proper vampire' didn't exactly come forward about putting a hit on someone."

"S-So what if I didn't, what of it?"

"She wasn't happy, and you know it."

Moka couldn't deny it, as much as she wanted to, of seeing the look on her mother's face that night after the ball, and she came back from observing the body along with her father; the look of sadness, of disappointment, and most of all of knowing, that somehow her daughter and best friend had gone and betrayed her.

The session ended early this time, and the doctor was kind enough to provide Moka with a bottle of vegetable juice to help her become refreshed after another, peyote induced trip down memory lane, but the mood was just as heated as before.

"Well," the doctor broke the ice, "I've learned some rather disturbing facts regarding your family's history, in particular this...older sister you have. I don't think she served as a good influence on you as a child, and if she's still around then perhaps she had something to do with losing your memory."

"Don't go blaming my family on my problems, doctor," Moka mumbled, wearily rolling the cool drink bottle about her sweaty forehead. "The problem is with you."

"You're still going on about humans as being the problem."

"I know you're the problem, I see it every day."

"What do you mean?"

Moka didn't want to talk anymore, but they're time together wasn't up yet and she knew he was only going to pester some more.

"Just today, I had a run in with that boy, Suzaku."

"Oh him, look I know he can be a...problem, but..."

"Do you know he's being abused at his home, doctor? That the reason he's a problem is because of his abusive parents?"

"...What?" The doctor asked, genuinely surprised. "No, I didn't know that."

"Really? Because, I heard that the only reason he picks on others is because he wants to make them suffer just like him. It would seem I was right all along, doctor!"

"Now, wait a minute, Lucy. Granted I suspected there might be something going on in his home, just never knew what or had the legal right to go an investigate, but I never disagreed with you that humans, some humans process their anger out on others to make them feel better, which I guarantee they don't, at least for very long. If you're willing to go to the police with this information, I assure you action will be taken."

"And what will happen? What are you humans going to do about it?"

"If the police find any evidence of abuse..."

"So, I'm a lair now? You think I didn't know what I saw?"

"I didn't say that, it's just that evidence needs to be collected for a court of law to take any action, and if there is any evidence, the boy will be taken away."

"Taken to where, doctor?"

"To foster care, I would imagine."

"What will happen to him in foster care?"

"I don't know, I guess he'll be adopted by a good family, eventually."

"Eventually? That's it, he's just taken away and rots somewhere until someone else gets him, is that right?"

"Lucy, I don't know what you want me to say; it'll be certainly out of my hands, whatever happens, I mean if I could do something more then, believe me I would. Why do you care so much for him, I thought you hated humans?"

"Oh, I don't care, I just find it curious how your words of encouragement and compassion fall short when stacked against your species inadequacies. He was too weak to defend himself from his attacker, you're too weak to take charge of the situation and raise the boy yourself, your laws are so weak that it can't do more than put some orphaned children in some foster facility."

"Our laws are designed to protect the weak."

"And, because of that it is weak and it reflects upon you! That is the problem; do you deny it, doctor?"

"Yes, I deny it greatly. I also, vehemently deny that the boy was at fault for being abused simply because he couldn't defend himself!"

"You would say something like that and I think it's sad, too."

"You think it's sad? I find it sad that you alone clutch to such an antiquated notion."

"But, I'm not alone, that's the difference, because others think the same way I do; others like me!"

"Who, your sister?"

"No, Koga agrees with me."

"Koga? The delivery guy? So, you spent some time with him today, what did he tell you?"

"A lot, actually, of how reckless your people can be and how you love inflicting pain on others because of how small and petty you all are!"

"Did he? What else did he say?"

"Well, for one thing he pointed out what a total hypocrite you are!"

"Me? How so?"

"You told me that the kinds of humans who find pleasure in inflicting pain on others are disturbed individuals, but let's talk about you! Koga told me you were sick, that you might die someday."

"...He did, did he?" The doctor asked, a little shocked at the news. "I can't see how he could've known but..."

"Is it true, doctor?"

"Yes, it's pretty...what does this have to do with what I said?"

"Why don't you admit why you put your daughter through this?"

"My daughter?"

"You keep your daughter around in your place of work, wasting away her life and letting her feel alone and pick because you're angry about your fate and don't want her to be happy! If you did, you would've sent her to go live with her mother, the one you chased away, but no you're keeping her here until you die! How do I know you're not doing the same to the other patients like my roommate, does making them suffer help ease your pain?"

Moka half expected to see an admission of guilt etched across his face or at least a look of anger that this vampire had figured out his small-minded, petty motivations and that she was right all along. However, the doctor took off his glasses and looked at her with the utmost shock and confusion, like he had just been accused of a horrifying crime he didn't commit.

"Lucy...that's a terrible thing to say. I love my baby girl with all my heart, I wouldn't do anything like that to her. And, for your information, Rin and half the staff are well aware of my condition. I don't know what Koga told you, usually he has a good head on his shoulders, but he doesn't know anything about my situation to make any kind of an accusation like that. As for my family situation...the situation with Rin's mother is...more complicated than you can know, but believe me when I say that if she was a viable option for my daughter, I would've had her go live with her a long time ago. Nevertheless, I know my days are limited and I've made peace with it, but I don't intend on dying just yet. I intend to live as long as I can, at least to see to it that Rin is old enough to take care of herself."

"Well, who's afraid to admit the truth, now? You don't seriously believe..."

"That I'm not scared? Of course I am, but I'm not going to turn into an asshole to fit your view of humanity."

"You should be mad, knowing that you're not an everlasting being like me, and yet you say I should be jealous of you? It should be you who's jealous of me! I'm immortal, you are not!"

"Lucy, have you ever watched the Twilight Zone? It's an old program that went off the air many years ago, but still comes on TV; the episodes were designed to be scary, but they were also thought provoking. I remember the scariest episode I ever saw as a kid was one in where a guy, just an ordinary fellow, was granted immortality by the devil and he went around testing his newfound 'gift'. Unfortunately, every death defying incident he was in began to lose its luster, even life itself lost all meaning; and when he accidentally kills his wife after she tried to stop him from committing another foolish test of his might, the man felt no remorse whatsoever, not even when he finally allowed the devil to take him to hell. It frightened me then, it still frightens me now, because immortality turns you into an unfeeling machine and I'd rather die than lose my love for Rin or anyone else I care for."

"It's nothing like that, you just don't get it."

"It is exactly like that, you said it yourself yesterday; vampires feel no happiness, no joy, no sorrow, any of those 'human' feelings, you definitely feel no love."

"That isn't true, I do love."

"Love who? Yourselves? I see you've brought in a feather."

Moka glances down at the big, brown feather she had been twirling in her fingers for the last hour and a half.

"So, what of it?" She nervously asks.

"Where'd you get it?"

"Outside; I saw a raven and decided to..."

"Ahh, you've met Chairo."

"Chairo?"

"It's what we've been calling him, the big, brown raven; first showed up a year ago, very beautiful animal, and incredibly smart. He caught your interest."

"...I don't know, briefly I guess."

"I remember last winter, there was this white, albino raven that popped up here one day; she was beautiful too, with white feathers, red eyes, a real eye pleasure. Still, I got the feeling she was a bit...stuck up! Anyway, here were these two, uniquely colored birds, and the white one was brushing off all the other male ravens like they were beneath her, and yet Chairo was the only one who didn't pay her any attention. She would fly in his field of vision, nest in the branches above him, do all sorts of things to get him to notice her sort of actually going up to him like all the other females, but Chairo either didn't like her or had his pride, too. In the end, the white raven moved one and Chairo is still here being free, I thought it was cute."

"Fascinating; what does it have to do with me?"

"Nothing, actually. I just never thought vampires were avid bird enthusiasts."

"I never said I was! I was only curious about it, that's all!"

"Then why hold on to his feather? If you were anything like your sister, anything at all like her, you probably would've killed him just to prove how badass you were!"

"Don't talk about my sister like that, you know nothing!"

"Am I not speaking the truth, is that not what she tried to teach you?"

"No, I..."

"And, while we're at it, let's talk about mom. You accused me of inflicting pain on others for pleasure because of my own anger, but what about you?"

"What about me? I'm not anything like you! What would give you the idea that I'm angry at her!"

"But, you are angry at her! All of your hate is about your mother!"

"Shut up."

"It isn't humans you're mad it, it isn't even them that have caused you this much grief, I'm not even certain it's because of them you lost your memory, but a large part of your grief stems from unresolved issues with your mother!"

"Shut up! I love my mother, you don't know what you're saying! Ever since meeting you, all you've done is confusing me, and drugging me with this!"

In a fit of anger, Moka kicks the still smoldering peyote off of the table and sends it crashing to the floor.

"I can't sleep, you got me seeing things that aren't really there, you've filled my head with utter nonsense, you even got me hearing things that aren't really there?"

"What things, what are you hearing?" He asked.

"Voices, doctor, voices that you put in my head!"

"And, what are these voices telling you."

"There not telling me anything!" Moka literally shrieked, thinking that the doctor might see her as a head case. "All its saying is Mo.. At this, and Mo..a that! The same things I hear when I'm put under!"

"Really? And, what about these things you are seeing, what are you seeing?"

"For one thing that mirror trick you pulled, I can't hardly look at another mirror without freaking out, and just this morning I...I thought I..."

"You thought, what?"

"I thought I saw a man in the bathroom with me."

"A man? Who was it, did he do anything to you?"

"It was the same guy I dreamt about in during our last session, doctor! He's been in my head all day, it's freaking me out!"

"Fascinating."

"Fascinating! Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"And, you swear you've never seen him before? Because, it seems like he's a very important figure in your life; I'm guessing since we haven't encounter anyone fitting his description so far, that he isn't someone from the distant past, but rather someone quite recent, maybe even current. And, he's human, right?"

"Stop that, you're only confusing me!"

"Lucy, I can't magically conjure up a person, all I did was bring out your memories."

"Then he's the one who hurt me!"

"How do you know that?"

"I don't need to know, he's human, that's all that's important, right?"

"No, I don't think he represents fear or apprehension, because in each case he was in the role of the protector, a heroic figure of a sorts, and I think it's his voice that you are hearing, but since he's popping frequently in moments when you are lulling in anger and resentment, I believe he represents your guilt."

"Guilt?"

"He's a reminder that you don't belong here, and by here I mean you don't belong wallowing in your own anger and self-delusions, of listening to your sister's racism or remembering the bad people do to you."

"I have no guilt, I've done nothing wrong! And, I don't give a damn about him, whoever he was or is!"

"Don't kid yourself," he said with sympathetic eyes which only frustrated her even more.

"Stop looking at me like that! I'm not the problem, my mother is not the problem, my sister isn't the problem, you are! You and your human ways!"

"If your mom isn't the problem, then why did you say you hated her?"

"I...don't know...you made me say that! I didn't really say it, that's what happened."

"You didn't really say it, but you felt it then."

"Just shut up! Just shut up, okay?"

"You got a very poor poker face, I can see it plainly."

"What?"

"You think you're the only one who hasn't spent some time with Koga and learned anything from his worldly view. I said he has a good head on his shoulders, and he's made some astute observations about people like you."

"Like me; what's that supposed to mean?"

"He once compared life as one, big poker game where every day you take chances, and in this life there are usually two players involved: you got your pros, who know when to fold em or leave them, and your suckers whom are easy to take advantage of. They are either cocky in themselves or completely clueless that what they got could help them win or lose big, in which they bet almost everything on the latter, and you normally can read it in their faces, the sheer lack of a poker face. Sweaty forehead, twitchy palms, the nervousness in your eyes and the fact you can't even rest are all signs of a born sucker."

"Shut up," Moka muttered.

"You're not sure if what you bet on in regards to humanity or yourself is the right course for you, I know it, you know it..."

"I said shut the hell up, you know nothing. Humans are the problems, you are the problem, everyone else is the problem, not me! It was never me!"

"Like how it was your friend's fault for getting upset with you about your sister having an affair with her father?"

"She wasn't even having an affair, they were just talking, I told you that!"

"I find that hard to believe, Lucy! This is the same sister who killed a caterpillar to justify killing a maid who bumped into you, excuse me if I have misgivings about her sincerity!"

"You wouldn't believe because it's in your nature as a small minded, ignorant insect!"

"And, it's Suzaku's fault for not defending himself from an abusive parent? Because he was human?"

"It's exactly it, you're all human, you're all weak and-and insignificant and you can't act any better and...and..."

"Let's stop this routine, Lucy, and get at the heart of the matter; it's not humans and it isn't me, it's your mother that's got you upset, and you're taking it out on everyone else because of that! You couldn't relate to her point of view and when she sent you abroad, away from the world you grew up in, it angered you into thinking that humans were to blame for woes! And, if she were here, right now, which I don't know if she is alive, but if she heard you saying all these things now, knowing the way she felt, how do you think she'd react? You think she'd be proud of the way you're thinking or that you'd been given life lessons from your sister? Would she be happy knowing how you felt about her, because you're afraid to see past your own hatred?"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" She shrieked, grabbing the sides of her head to drown out the doctor's words and sobbing uncontrollably. "Just leave me alone! Why won't leave me alone?"

For a while the room was quiet, with exception to Moka's sobs, and Dr. Kohaku had to admit that they weren't going to be getting anywhere with the time they had left; his patient had, for the most part, clammed up and was unlikely to open up today.

"I'd like to say we made some progress," he finally says, "but, it feels like we went from a 180 to a 360 today; maybe it would be best if we continue this tomorrow."

Moka didn't say anymore as she immediately propelled herself off the couch, only too eager to get out of the room and be by herself for the rest of the evening.

"Wait!" He called out loudly, reluctantly stopping her in her place just before the doorway. "...Wolves don't just go where they please or get what they want, they live in a highly structured family group where each member depends on one another to survive and our led by their leader to food; in reality they're no different from how sheep live, but those wolves, those **lone** wolves you so praise much who go where they want and get what they want, only get what they want by scavenging off of others and go where they want because they are outcasts, and rarely live long; _especially_ the females. Your sister or who ever put those words in her mouth couldn't tell the difference between a wolf and a common jackal, so you need to ask yourself: what are you? That's all."

Moka wanted to say more, to tell this foolish therapist off and even put him in his place, but the very sound of his voice was exhausting enough and she dearly wanted to get out of there, shrugging off his parting words, and yet not really escaping them.

XXX

Later that night and miles away, after spending the entire day shopping for the right materials for her new job, Moka Aono finally reports to work in her new work clothes.

"I like what I see," Gin said with an appreciative, and hungry smile as he sat in his 'office' which was nothing more than a love pad. He sat in his chair, eyeing every supple form of his latest job applicant, admiring the way her stripped panties, white and pink colored, appeared etched against her hips and the way her tiny, tight white T-shirt was stopped short of the mid-drift by the bust line. Nevertheless, this was still a job interview and Gin tried to conduct himself professionally. "Could you twirl around a bit, if you don't mind?"

Moka did what she was told, but it made her feel uneasy, standing before him in barely anything on, parading herself in front of him as if a piece of candy and will soon walk back out onto the busy floor where she'll cater customers and call them masters in this same outfit. It had been at the urging of Inner Moka that she bought the shortest outfits she could find in order to draw more attention in what she saw as a competition game.

_I can't believe I'm doing this! _She thought. _I feel so embarrassed!_

**Quit your complaining.**

_But, you saw the way people were looking at me when I came in here! You really want me to go back out there dressed like this!_

**So, let them stare, we have nothing to be ashamed of. And, if any of them so much as make the wrong move, remove the seal and I'll take care of them.**

"You really went all out, didn't ya?" Gin commented. "Short everything. You wouldn't mind letting your significant other out, maybe she'd like to do this?"

Moka clutched on to the rosary that nestled in between her white boobs and felt hesitant to grant such a request, let alone go ahead with this plan.

"How long will I have to do this?" She asked, her voice tiny and shrill with fear.

"Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds, my clientele are actually very respectable gentlemen. However, as part of the job you will have to learn how to be submissive to their wishes and I mean 'submissive'; if they ask you to jump up and down, then smile and jump in place. If they, I don't know, sample the goods...eh, try to take it in stride; remember a happy customer might decide to leave you a big, fat tip and most of my girls go home with over 200 yen so..."

200 yen did sound inviting to the wary vampire, theorizing that in a few short nights she might earn enough to pay the rent, at least until Tsukune came back, but even if he didn't it would give her something productive to do with her time.

"200 you said?" She asked, her interest peeked. "And, all I have to do is serve their orders?"

"That and, ahem, them-some."

"What does that mean?"

"Hey, forget it, it's nothing, really! Besides, I know why you're doing this."

"You do?"

"Yeah, you couldn't get enough of me! You figured you can come work with me and spend all day and night with your man! And, we have this room, just you and me, you won't have to worry about no nosy neighbors or relatives always judging you. You'd like that, right?"

"Well...yeah, I am getting sick and tired of all those humans interfering with my life and trying to control me. I guess, we can finally be alone together like this."

Moka did like the thought and entertained the notion of being in a private world together, with no intrusions or feelings of regret that what she was doing was considered dirty. She then thought of Tsukune and of how nice it would've been to have such a secluded spot, especially when they were dating. Now, it felt like she was enjoying that privacy with another man; she still loved Tsukune, but it just felt like now she was starting to love being with Gin as well.

"That's the spirit!" Gin says and gets up, turns Moka towards the door and gives her a playful, but firm smack on her ass. "Now, go make me some money!"

When Gin opens the door for her to leave, she was stunned to see a distraught, young woman in a green cocktail dress standing outside, with daggers being shot out of her green eyes as she glared at Moka.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Moka asked.

"Who am I?" The woman repeated in an irate, aggravated tone. "Who the hell are you? Is this another one of your paid sluts, Gin!"

"What did you just call me?"

"What are you, deaf? I called you one of his paid whores, he's got a dozen of them out there honey, and he brings them up to his 'love nest', did you really think you were the only one?"

"Gin, what is she talking about?"

"Uhh, Nikki, what a surprise!" Gin responded as he carefully pulls the woman into the room with him. "I...didn't think..."

"You didn't think I'd stop by and see what you really do when I'm not around?" She angrily replied. "You think I'm stupid? Who is she? She looks like she's still in school, you sick bastard!"

"I'm 24 years old!" Moka yelled. "And, I'm his girlfriend!"

"His girlfriend?" The woman retorted. "Honey, he's got like over a dozen girlfriends, you're going to have to be more specific, little girl."

Moka was anxious to rip off her rosary and put this pushy woman in her place for all of the insults and lies she continued to spew, but Gin wisely gestures not to.

"Hey, Moka how about you go on the floor and meet with some of the girls while I deal with this, I'm sure someone will help you."

"Gin, what is she talking about?" Moka asked.

"Yes, Gin, what am I talking about?" Nikki asked.

"Damn it Moka, would you please just go, we'll talk later."

A little rebuffed by his rude dismissal, and further miffed by the triumphant, smug smile on this other woman's face, Moka nonetheless retreats downstairs with a deep uncertainty in her heart, as her new love argues with the his other woman behind a closed door.

_Who was she? Why, was she saying all of those things? Gin wouldn't be involved with several girlfriends, he has me._

**And, what if he does, we were never in this for love; remember he's just a boy toy, a tool and nothing more.**

_But, he loves us, right? Not the same way Tsukune loved us, but he loves us, and Tsukune had so many girls after him; maybe that's what she meant by a dozen girlfriends, that they weren't real girlfriends, but only wanted to be with him and he was trying to tell her off._

**Would you get a clue! Gin is nothing to us, he's just good for fucking; it's Tsukune who loves us, not that wolf, and the sooner that good for nothing finally returns, we can finally ditch the mutt.**

_I don't know; I don't know about anything, anymore. I feel like my whole world is turned upside down, I don't even know if any of this was a sure thing to bet on._

**Ugh, for the last time, this is the right thing! **Inner Moka sighed. **You share my body, you also share my resolve, so don't choke out on me now, not after having come this far! We play to win, and I'm not backing out. Now, smile and get ready, we have work to do.**

Moka put on her best game face when she stepped onto the bustling floor of scantily clad waitresses and horny patrons. But, her heart sank into the striped panties she wore when whistles and cat-calls could be heard all around her, the moment all eyes laid on the new, piece of candy.

"I have to play to win," she coached herself and pranced onto the floor in her high-heels like Gin's highly trained call girl.

XXX

Moka Akashiya didn't have easy access to the mineral baths this time, after leaving her session with Dr. Kohaku early and getting dinner out of the way, she found the baths currently occupied and was actually forced to wait behind these humans. She was told to wait by the doctor, told that it would be a lesson in humility, but Moka wasn't having any of it and went to complain that the people using them must be removed and the tubs cleansed of their filth. She fully expected them to comply with her demands, but Dr. Kohaku was adamant that her request be denied and that she either wait or go without taking a bath. Moka had spent all day running after kids, hanging around crowded teahouses, riding in a truck, gutting fish, chasing after birds and getting into a fight, so through it all she was far from being clean, but the obstinate princess with no memory decided to go to bed without taking a bath. And so, she sat in the living room, mindlessly watching Star Trek with Norman and most of the other patients.

"So, he's fighting himself?" One of the female patients asked Norman, feigning interest in the program. "Why?"

"Weren't you watching?" He asked. "Oh, that's right, you just came in. Well, there was a transporter accident and Capt. Kirk came out split in two, where you got a passive, indecisive Kirk and an aggressive Kirk, see what I mean?"

"I got that, I meant why are we being made to watch Kirk fight himself, I don't get that?"

"Duh, it's to demonstrate the eternal conflict we all have within ourselves and of how the strong actually needs the weak to help balance itself out, see what I'm getting?"

Moka was actually able to hear every word he just said about a program she had just recently began taking notice of and thought his description was absurd.

"I'm surprise you were able to get that from this old show," the woman retorted.

"Hey, I've seen this episode over a dozen times since I was kid, I know Star Trek and this is what it teaches!"

If Norman was the big expert on this show then Moka theorized the entire series was full of it; to think that the simple minds of humans would dare put their flawed ideology on television programs and encourage their young to think that way.

_No wonder he always felt that way, _she thought, a thought that nearly made her tense up in surprise. _He? Who am I talking about?_

She felt like she should know, the very memory of a he at the very back of her clouded mind, but resonating so strongly in her heart. The show brought her back from her reverie, catching focus on the dialog between the Capt. Kirk and his hostile double, listening the more compassionate one telling the other of how they need one another or risk dying and of the dark clone crumbling before his weaker counterpart, just as Norman explained, but it was pure dribble. The notion that the strong needed the weak to survive, and not just to prey on, but needed their very presence to feel complete, it felt maddening to listen to. After the show ended, everyone began milling about as though the program had actually grabbed their attentions for a brief moment, and then she heard him, the blind man, Jay begin playing a soft tune on the piano; it was different from the before, more slow and melodic, not as fast paced or upbeat as before. She had assumed all their songs were the same, but never imagined the tunes were so varied or that the tunes to these songs carried with them different meanings.

"Come on, baby, dry your eyes

Wipe your tears

Never like to see you cry

Won't you please forgive me?

I wouldn't ever try to hurt you

I just needed someone to hold me

To fill the void while you were gone

To fill this space of emptiness

I'm only human

Of flesh and blood I'm made

Human

Born to make mistakes."

What kind of song was that? A song that declared their very weaknesses openly as if a tribute to being human, when they should be ashamed and live in shame. It was like sheep singing what it meant to be a sheep rather than live in fear of the wolves all around them. What made it worse, what made it seem like a big slap to the face, was that everyone around her were either becoming lost in his singing or dancing to it.

"Ahh yeah!" Norman yelled. "I love it! Sing it, Jay, sing it!"

"You people listen to this?" Moka asked him.

"Not always, some of it, but I love anything the Human League puts out!"

"The human league?" Moka asked, incredulously.

"That's right, saw them in Fresno back in 95, hell of a time to be alive!"

"This is ridiculous! Stop it! Stop it right now!"

Jay stopped playing and all eyes were on her as she stood up and looked at every human in there as though they were truly insane.

"What is wrong with you people?" She asked. "How can you all be happy with what you are, with the way you live? And, stop singing that song! What so great about being human?"

For a moment there was a stunned silence and a part of her began to regret ever saying anything at all.

"Well," Jay spoke up, "sounds like someone is a critic."

"Hey, not everyone is a Human League fan, it's not you."

"Oh I know, my singing is gold."

"It's not the song!" Moka continued to rave. "Just stop singing, what has singing ever done for any of you? You're all prey, you're weak, helpless, small minded prey, and yet you sing despite your handicaps, watch TV filled with your meaningless nonsense and even crack jokes that you laugh at! And, this is okay! And, it's not just that I hate this Human League, I hate humans in general, I hate the fact that you celebrate being human, I hate that you would even call yourselves as something ridiculous as the Human League!"

"So, we should all spend our days and nights wishing we were, who, you?" Jay countered. "Sorry you don't like us, but life's too short to worry about people like you."

"What do you mean people like me?"

"He means..." a lady tried to intervene politely in order to defuse the situation.

"He means, people who hate," Norman responded. "You got a problem..."

"Now, Norman," the lady said.

"Stop defending her, Miyako!" A younger woman said. "All you do is defend a bitch like you did for Blanche awhile back and she turns around and talks about you behind your back; for once let them say their peace!"

"I do not hate!"

"Sounds like hate to me," Jay said. "And, it sounds like you hate yourself more than us."

"Me? I don't hate myself?"

"Hate for others always comes from hating thyself; it's that inner pain you feeling and you don't know how to express it properly so you take it out on others."

"...I...w-what..." she stammered, so angered and frustrated to come up with anything coherent. "...P-P...then, then what's so special about being human?"

"Nothing," he responds, which surprised her. "There's nothing special about us, we're all children of Mother Earth, all of us, and we're no different from any of her creatures who share this planet with us. How about you stop thinking small and see the world through a wider lens."

"Yeah," said Norman. "If this world is ever visited by aliens from another planet, like from a more advanced world, they might view you and me as being insignificant."

"What?" Moka asked.

"Listen to him, this guy has seen more Star Trek to shake a fist at," said Miyako.

"Well now, now that that's taken care of, I seem to lost my place, anybody care to remind me or come up and offer a request?" Jay asked. "Anybody?"

"I got a request," said Norman, jumping on the couch and ready to dance.

"Not that god awful song from Star Trek V, anything but that!"

"I have you know 'The Moon Is A Window to Heaven' is a classic among fans; not so much the film, though."

"You ain't dancing around naked; I may be blind, but I don't want to imagine you nude."

"You don't even know what I look like!"

"And, I'm comfortable with that, too!"

"Play something guys!" A woman whined. "I need me some music!"

Dumbfounded by their apparent lack of concern and complacency, Moka just leaves the room, still taken aback by Jay's bold, rather odd comment. As she leaves, she looks back over her shoulders as the people, these humans, listening to Jay play a different tune, upbeat enough to get everybody up and dance, having a good time and thoroughly happy. His words, strangely poignant, continued to resonate within her troubled mind in spite of her vampire pedigree and brow beaten philosophy of how different their ways were from hers.

_We are all children of Mother Earth, _came his words, echoing throughout her head; it was strange, but they sounded almost, exactly what her mother was trying to say.

Halfway into a quiet, deserted hall, she could faintly hear a whispered voice trying to call to her; it was indiscernible, but she knew what it was and were she not already weary, it would've disturbed her.

_Guilt? _She thought. _Do I have a right to feel guilty? Do I even have a right to feel so angry? If we are all children, like my mother tried to say then...what am I fighting for?_


	11. Chapter 11

**I read your reviews for chapter 10 and some of you had some enlightening responses, to say the least. I realize the content has gotten a little R rated and I apologize as I'm new at the rating system on this sight, but it will be corrected. I also noticed some of you were miffed that Tsukune hadn't reappeared for a while and became concerned that he would be replaced by the new character, Koga as a love interest. Like those who wanted to see Akua, all I can say is, give me time baby, Tsukune won't be replaced and he will reappear, in fact a large portion of this story's second half will focus on his development through all of this, it's just that I'm trying to flesh out the two Mokas a little bit more right. For now, you'll have to bear with me on this, for as a story about infidelity is simple to make, and trust me it's been done to death, a tale of redemption and rising from anguish and despair, as it is in life, is going to be a long, complicated journey. When I sat down to do this, I knew it wouldn't be short and quick like my previous stories and it was my hope that you'd enjoy the ride more than I did in creating it, which most have; however, I have pride in my work and don't wish to rush it only to wind up losing the meaning I'm trying to convey. With this chapter I ask you to forgive me, but this is another walk down slut road with Moka Aono, who most of you seemed surprised that she would demean herself further by working in a seedy cafe; apparently everything she had done before and the reasoning behind them made perfect sense to you. Anyway, I did this chapter for two reasons: one, to show the ugly reality of infidelity that has been painted over as being good on the side of the adulterers rather than their victims, and for a long time I have felt the act itself has been given a somewhat sympathetic light for far too long; if that weren't the case then wouldn't be here, now. For so long, readers or film and TV viewers have been given conflicting messages about said practice, that it is either good under certain circumstances or, as in **_**Get What You Wanted **_**and**_** Take What Is Yours**_**, we're supposed to feel some sympathy for the devil. I wanted to show that there is nothing romantic, noble, compassionate or even sympathetic at all about those who perform this practice or find it exciting, that these are not so much thoughtless individuals, but rather reflect the actions of a deluded mindset that carries with it a degree of narcissism about themselves****,**** their partners or their accomplishments, all of which feeds into base emotions of pride, lust or, in the case of Moka and Gin, both. Some of you may feel differently about it, and you are entitled to your opinions, but this was something I desired to do when writing chapter 1 and I wanted to get this out of the way before moving on.**

**Secondly, I wished to remind all of you that this isn't just about how Tsukune and Moka are affected, but how everyone else is as well, especially Sun who has been Gin****'s girlfriend**** since high school and has been featured in all of the spin offs thus far****,**** and yet has strangely been reduced to a minor character since it would stand to reason that she****'d**** be just as affected as Tsukune. So, this chapter was to hint at the likelihood of Sun having a far greater involvement in this story****,**** and with that said... **

**Chapter 11**

_"What's love, but a second hand emotion"_

Sun Otonashi: a beautiful creature of the ancient sirens, a race revered by their beauty as well as feared for their haunting music, traits she herself once shared before being adopted by a human family, who was well aware of her abnormal parentage, and fallen madly in love with a charming, handsome werewolf she's been inseparable with since high school. This pint sized, blue-haired beauty was many things to those who knew her, but right now she saw herself as the luckiest woman in the word. It wasn't just because she had a warm and loving mother, she was grateful for that as well, but aside from the death of her adopted father, a vital piece had been missing in that perfect world before she met Gin Morioka. Now, as she stared at the web cam of her computer, trying to carry on a conversation with him, she founded difficult to look directly at him out of a girlish embarrassment, burying her face into a stuffed toy wolf, trying desperately to chat online with poise to that special guy on the other end.

"I see you got my present!" Gin said.

"Is it that obvious?" Sun said, bashfully playing dumb while clutching the wolf doll like a shy, but giddy little girl. "I hadn't noticed."

"Well, I'm glad you were able to get it at all, you told me you were being worked to the bone by Marin, I didn't think she would let you."

"I know, but I was able to get all the work done and get to the post office in time. His name is Junior and he's the strongest, handsomest, and most loyal friend ever! Marian made fun of me when she told me I got mail and I went ballistic trying to retrieve it, saying it's a waste of energy, but I like it."

"Well, obviously."

"I was so happy I tripped and fell over chairs when I found out you sent it! You're so considerate! You knew I'd love it!"

"I know my girl."

"Yes you do, you know me so well, I feel so lucky to have you. I love you Gin."

Gin shrugged uncomfortably at Sun's declaration, but smiled in acknowledgement.

"Hey, what can I say?" He replied after a comforting silence staring into each other's eyes. "You're important to me. I'm glad you like it."

"So...when are you coming back to visit?" She asked. "I'd visit you if I could, but the money I'm saving up is coming along slower than I thought. Marian is refurbishing the restaurant, working on the interior, keeping up with health and building codes and...it's been a hassle."

"She's not working you too hard, is she?" He asked, with some concern. "You need to get some rest."

"We _could_ use some manly help around here," she suggested.

"She'll probably just put me to work."

"Um yeah, that is the idea. Come on, baby, why don't you come over to stay, I'd reaaaaaaally appreciate it!"

"Uhh, I really wish I could...but, working at the club and then training for the next fight is…"

"Fight! Oh, Gin I wish you'd quit that job, mixed martial arts is dangerous and you're going to get hurt! I know the money is good, but...remember you said you would stop fighting in high school?

Gin grumbled, but smiled while displaying his finely cut chest.

"Hey, you don't need to worry! I've never lost a bout and with the money I'm making, I'll be able to come down to see you soon."

"And stay? You'll stay? Oh, listen to me, I sound like I'm treating you like some...dog on a leash or something!"

"Oh no, not at all, Sun; I'm cool with it, in fact it's kind of sexy."

"You know, I like to think there's more to life than just sex."

"If that's true, then I don't want to live anymore," he joked and they both laughed.

"I don't want to sound like I'm pushing you into anything you're not ready for, but after all these years together, I'd just like to have you near me more instead of half-way across the country."

"I know, I know."

Blue eyes and rosy cheeks stared back at him in a way that always melted his perverted heart, but his loins always got the better of that.

"Look, Sun, I know you want me to move in with you two, and...I do think about you all the time and I'm not dodging you or anything, I mean I have too much to live for knowing you're waiting on me. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that. I care for you, _and_ Marin, but...the money situation just isn't right. When I do commit, it'll be when I'm able to provide for the both of you, give you everything you want 24/7 and not have to lift a finger to work for it. I just need a little more time."

She frowned, but her gnawing insecurity was assuaged with so few, earnest words.

"Okay," she said with the most adorable pout he had ever seen on a girl, "but promise me you'll quit if things get out of hand, okay Gin? I don't want you to get into any trouble."

"I promise, babe," he answered and smiling so very disarmingly.

"If you need any more money, I'll send some to you!" She said. "I'll work more hours and see if I can get an extra job! I can wait tables as well as cook on my off hours! I could even sell some of my clothes or-

"Sun, I'll be fine, okay? Trust me."

"Okay, but come soon. I could have a room waiting for you and I would see about taking a day off to be with you. Marian was even teaching me how to properly marinate different types of steaks for you when you get here. We can have a huge grill party in your honor! What do you say?"

The idea was beyond tempting for him, but his life was even more tempting. Gin hadn't completely lied to Sun, for he was a fighter, but for underground fights on bets, where most of his "income" went toward his business of catering to his sexual needs. He loved Sun, that much he knew was true, but she just couldn't fulfill his needs every time; he wanted more, he wanted Moka. She and Tsukune fighting could not have happened at a better time, and now that he had Moka right where he wanted her, he could add her to his web blog displaying his sexual conquests online, which had begun to wane in popularity. Too bad he didn't have his camera with him when he started banging Moka, that kind of footage would have been priceless. He told his fans he would get some kind of footage of this girl he bragged was a 15 on a scale of 1 to 10; true Sun was a beauty to him, but Moka was Moka. She was the popular girl at school, whom all the guys wanted to get in bed with; you just did not say no to her, and yet had always been out of reach thanks to some weak pansy she had the hots for. Now, with him out of the picture and her interest in him virtually gone, all he needed to do was keep up with the sweet talk and let her know she's completely safe with him if or when does Tsukune come back . Then the trap would be set and his time with Moka would be locked in web history forever and he can finally dump her.

Was there anything greater? He finally had that wimp Tsukune beat by taking the most sought after girl in high school away from him; everything just so damn perfect.

"That sounds great, Sun," Gin lied, "I can't wait."

"Are you hiding anything from me, Gin?

"W-What are you talking about?"

"You forget I know you as well as I love you. When you scratch your ear like that it means you're not being completely honest with me."

"Uh, I _really_ do want to have more than enough money to go down and see you, Sun. I just don't want it to be enough for a temporary stay."

"Gin, if you're with me then there is nothing more fun than that. I just want to be with you. I could care less about going out or doing anything expensive. I don't need gifts or anything if I have you. To me, nothing is more valuable than you.

"Sun, I want you to know that someday, when the time is right, I'm going to take you away and ask you to marry me like we always wanted."

Sun's large blue eyes popped open and she immediately forgot what was on her mind.

"Y-You really…_really_ mean that?" She asked. "You're not just saying that are you? You really intend to marry me?"

"Of course, I know how much you've been looking forward to it, ever since Tsukune and Moka's wedding; hell, maybe even before that, and that's why I've been saving up lately. You want a fancy wedding like they had, don't you?"

"Sure, I'd like that very much, Gin. I guess I can wait a while longer, and I'll always be here for you too, can't wait for...you know, the big day!"

"Yeah, me neither," he said with a nervous grin. "Sun, you know there's only you and me. No other girl will do. Do you hear me?"

Sun ducked her head deeper into her stuffed toy, trying to stifle a joyous squeal.

"Oh god, tone it down!" He heard Marin moan in the background, realizing she must've been eaves-dropping during their entire conversation.

"Thank you, Gin. I believe you, but there is one thing, though, if you don't mind."

"Yeah, Sun. What is it?"

"I like it here with Marin, she's been practically my mother and...when you do come for me could you just stay with us instead of whisking me away to somewhere if it's not asking too much?"

Gin already had a serious frown in response to that request and Sun was whining quietly, voicing her distress at her beloved man staring at her with a very disapproving glare. That she made any sound at all proved how upset she felt about him not seeing her goals eye to eye, but it upset Sun even greater in knowing that the two most important people in her life couldn't live together.

"I'll think about it," was all he could say to that.

"It's okay if you don't want to, seriously!" She said, almost apologetically. "Where else would you like to live? I'd be more than happy to be where you are or wherever! …You not mad at me, are you?"

Her large blue eyes looked at him pleadingly, hoping he wasn't, but he found it hard to stay mad at those eyes, anyhow. However, the area where Sun lived was, at best back water dive, despite the locals there being friendly in their own hokey way, and it was something he felt they had little in common with.

He couldn't understand what Sun saw in a place like that or in people like that.

"Mad? Why would I be mad? I'm cool either way."

"I'm glad. Don't you think it would be a great place to raise our kids?

Gin flinched at the sound of children and the thought of raising them around humans, especially backwater humans, unintentionally brought up Moka's little dilemma with Tsukune. Nevertheless, a small part of him _did_ feel guilty about everything he had done and the fact that he was hiding things behind Sun's back, but he needed this right now. He knew he wasn't the man she wanted at the moment, and one day he would be, but Gin had everything going so well for him as it was, so why change that?

Sun really was the best thing in the world for him, but he just wasn't ready to settle down much less have his kids, if it ever came to that, growing up around some puny humans anyway, and the way she averted her eyes made him realize she was only slightly aware of that.

"I'll wait for you, Gin."

"Sun, you know I love you and I'll be over there before you know it, I swear."

I know, Gin, I know. Take your time and come to me when you're ready. I've got a lot of work to do here anyway, and I want things to be perfect for you when you do come. I'm just glad you still want me even though I'm some silly girl with weird dreams."

"Your dreams are not silly!" Gin lied and stood up to slam his hands on the desk to make a good show of it, imitating Tsukune's earnest behavior in some strange homage to him, thinking it would help endear Sun even more. "I want them too, Sun and I _will_ marry you and take you as my wife! Do you hear me? You're my girl and I will make you happy!"

He wondered if it worked, but he didn't need any vocal confirmation, Sun's look of sheer wonderment and utter contentment, was all that was needed.

"Just let me try to do things my way over here for now, okay? Okay, Sun?"

She already nodded in anticipated acceptance, before asking:

"What all do you need to do?

"This and that."

"What does that mean?"

"Sun."

"Alright, alright, sorry," she laughed. "I have faith in you, Gin, and thanks for the toy."

"Everything will be fine, trust me."

Though Sun had unwavering love in this man, little did she know that in the other end of his room, lying on his bed right in front of him was the irate woman from earlier whom he had just fucked to keep her placated and was gradually waking up from a well-rested sleep, so Gin cuts his conversation short with and bids Sun good night. He had a way of things and they were not always ideal in the eyes of some of his friends and those close to him. What with Sun in one hand, his underground life in the other, his friendship with benefits in Moka, and then his desires to get what was available to him in a lifestyle he felt he deserved was a juggling act that this amorous werewolf was maintaining rather competently, yet dangerously.

"Mm, Gin baby," the woman moaned like a fat, well-fed cat, "you really no how to hit the spot just the way I like it, not even my husband could muster anything like that when I'm mad. Why don't you come on to bed, honey?"

Still, with so many things in the air, Gin figured what harm would come to anyone as long as he didn't disappoint what was most precious to him. And, what was most important to him, right now was checking the status of all his uploads to the web site and screened through all the large thumbnail pics of all of his past conquests. He already had a blog going of when he would upload him and Moka having sex. It shouldn't be hard, she had come to him instead of pining over Tsukune and was now working for him downstairs, all he had to do was put on his game face, sooth her of any woes she might have and then everything he could possibly want would be his.

"Keep that thought, baby," he said to the naked and horny woman, "I gotta check on something."

Looking into his mirror, checking his hair, stared into his own dark brown eyes and smug smile as he stood admiring how he looked, Gin knew there was nothing, more precious to him.

"Some more Bloody Mary on party five," Moka Aono said to the bartender upon depositing a tray full of empty bottles.

"Busy night," said the bartender who was a young brunette woman.

"Yeah; these people...they're..."

"Pretty sleazy," the bartender said after a deep drag of a cigarette, her thick mascara covered blue eyes showing some sympathy. "What's a pretty young thing like you doing in a place like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, this hardly seems like a place for you."

**It should be none of her business what we do with ourselves, **Inner Moka indignantly replied.

"Oh...I just...needed the money and I know the owner here," Moka responded. "I've already been here for a few hours and seem to be getting the hang of things."

"That's good to here, and it's good to know people when you really need it, you know?"

"Yeah," she laughed nervously.

"So, what are you?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know what I mean; no human girl looks as perfect and flawless as you do, clearly you're not human."

Moka blushed and her ego felt inflated for the first time since coming to this place.

"I probably shouldn't say, you know?"

"It's cool, I'm not human either. You probably couldn't smell it on me, what with all the foul odors around here, but yeah I'm one of the non-human minority. We monster gals have to stick together, you know."

"I'm so glad to meet another one like me! To tell you the truth I've felt uneasy being around so many humans; touching them, having to work so closely with them, even catering to them."

"I know, right? I mean, every now and then a monster in disguise would come in here and the place would feel half-way decent, at least!"

"I hate humans, hate all of them, well most of them, but all in general."

"You're preaching to the choir, sister."

"So, um, why are you working here?"

"Same reasons, I guess, I needed the money. I could tell you some sob story about how life backed me into a corner and made me do something I wouldn't normally do like most the girls here will tell you, but I figure in being blunt and say I needed the money and that this job seemed easy."

"Oh, that's nice," Moka said, feeling hot under the collar. "Um, I better go back to serving the tables, again. Do we have anymore Bloody Mary?"

"Sure, coming right up!"

Moka kept shifting the weight being pressured on her feet as strutting about, constantly in high heels, waiting on horny men while balancing a serving tray for the whole night had begun to catch up on a vampire like herself. She could only imagine how this must be affecting the human girls that had been doing this longer and a part of her almost started to show some level of respect for them.

**Don't get distracted with idle chit-chat! **Her inner consciousness chided, as if discouraging her from ever respecting humans. **Just do your job and be done with it!**

A little irked, she fishes out the tips given to her by the men from inside her panties, about several yen in all and places it on the bar.

"Wow!" The bartender remarked. "Look at all the dough! You _are_ a hot number around here!"

"Thanks. Its just been so hectic and even though I'm new, the customers keep wanting to give me money and stuff them down my...well, I didn't want to keep walking around with them all night and didn't know where to put them, so..."

"Leave it here with me, I'll watch your earnings."

"Really? You wouldn't mind?"

"Nah, like I said, we monsters gotta stick together; don't worry, I'll make sure no one lays hand on it."

"Thanks."

"Anyway, here are those Bloody Maries you ordered; give them hell!"

Finding a kindred spirit and fellow monster amongst this tawdry realm made it somewhat bearable, but the night soon wore on her and her spirits. She thought working with Gin will help take off her mind off Tsukune's absence, but talking about hating humans only brought back hurt feelings. She rarely saw Gin, and when he did come down from his "office", it was either to grab some refreshments from his own stock or sit down and chill with some of the staff, like he did when things began to wind down. He always appeared sweaty, his perfect hair recently fixed up as if it needed it, and sat on a leather sofa with his broad arms draped around two floozies who showed up to meet with him. Moka wondered if Sun even knew about all of the girls he was seeing, and then it hit her; did she even know about her. She and Gin had been seeing each other for nearly a week now, and since Sun was a good friend she worried it how will their relationship.

_Our relationship? Do we have a relationship, what about my relationship with Tsukune?_

**We have an arrangement with Gin, that's all. If it bothers you that much, then why not have a relationship with both?**

_Both of them? Do I...do I really want that?_

**Who cares, Gin could be on the side, whatever.**

_What about Sun?_

**What about her?**

_Won't she get hurt?_

**Tsukune was hurt by our actions; if Sun gets in the way of us having a perfect future and our family, then she'll be hurt, too.**

Moka watched as a busy waitress stumbles over in front of Gin, in which he kindly "helps" her up, while at the same time groping every inch of her supple, young body.

**Look at him,** Moka's inner consciousness pointed. **He's such a tool; all we had to do was invite him over and the fool did the rest. Just remind him that we're all he needs.**

_And, Tsukune?_

**He'll regret walking out on us and hooking up with Ria. I will not have him see us pinning over him like weaklings; if he thought what he forced us to do before was terrible, he hasn't seen anything, yet****.**

By closing time, most of the girls had left and Moka felt the evening had been productive. Making her way up the stairs, she could already smell the pungent stench of sweat and sex even before entering Gin's room.

"I'm glad you could join us," he said.

"Us?"

"Yeah, I invited a few friends over; please, come in, come in!"

When Moka enters, she sees over on his king sized bed that his friends were two women, both of whom were clearly underage, as well as the irate woman from earlier, all sweaty and nude, lying casually for her to see.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Moka, you've done some _a-mazing_ things since coming here," Gin pandered, "and I'm really glad, believe me you have no idea how glad! So, me and the girls were wondering if you would be anxious to take things one step further?"

She looks at him, then at the girls, and back at him.

"You're kidding?" She asked.

"I never kid about this, baby. You and me, in an orgy! It'll be awesome."

"I don't know."

"Come on, Moka! I bet you never did this with what's his name!"

Mentioning Tsukune or even implying him always struck a chord with her and she didn't even want to think about him involved in something like this.

"Don't say that," she said. "Don't talk bad about him."

"Okay. So, he _would_ do something like this!"

"No! I'm not saying that!"

"Then what are we arguing about? All I want is..."

"Come on, Gin!" One of the girls complained. "If the mousey little girl isn't feeling up to it, then let her go running home, crying to her husband!"

"Ha, ha, ha! That's bad, Ayaka!" Another girl congratulated.

Their ribbing, especially from one so young, irked the proud Moka as they seemed to know just where to hit and make her lose grip on whatever morals she had left as it brought back ugly memories from junior high. Though she wasn't sure about doing it willingly with other women, let alone one, her pride would not allow any backing down and besides, Gin would be there, at least she hoped.

"Will you be...in there with us?" She asked.

"Sure," he replied with a big grin. "I wouldn't be left out of something like this!"

Committed to doing this, but so nervous she felt sick to her stomach, she starts to strip in front of the ladies and Gin, who eyed her like a pack of hungry dogs.

**I bet those fools are jealous.**

"Get on the bed, Moka," he ordered, "I need to take care of something, real quick."

"Okay," she obeyed, smiling meekly as she crawls onto bed awkwardly to join the other women.

"You look nervous, honey," one of them mocked, but Moka snubs her with an aura of regality.

As for Gin, he goes through the motions of locking the door, grabbing a bottle of lotion from his dresser and, unbeknownst to the thoroughly uneasy, but proud vampire, activates a web cam hidden inconspicuously behind a vase of roses, which he plucks one up to give to Moka.

"As thanks, I thought I'd give you small present before I give you an even larger one," he said with a big grin.

"T-Thanks," she responded, graciously taking his gift and making the other girls jealous.

"You never gave me a rose," one of the women complained.

"I'll give you one next time," he said impatiently, "now let's get things started ladies."

All of the women were more than happy to oblige, but Moka, which the camera playing could hardly catch the look of disparaging acceptance as she allows them to fuck her for the entire world to see.

By the time Moka walked back to her apartment the sun was rising and shone its cleansing rays upon her defiled form. She felt unclean, sad, confused and ashamed as her neighbors were by now coming out of their apartments to go to work or school and happened to notice her coming home in the clothes she wore yesterday. Moka had done everything possible to clean herself up before leaving work, and yet she still reeked of sex, the very stench permeating her nostrils as she walked up the steps, passing by all her neighbors and worrying if they could tell. She could feel their eyes on her, almost hear some of them whispering to each other as she walked on by, each step a long and arduous one towards the sanctity of home, an abode that, despite what had happened inside, remained so at least to her. Ms. Tsubaki, the landlady, had opened her door to get the paper in time to watch the "mighty" vampiress skulk on by and shook her head in shame.

**What is that fool looking at? **Inner Moka asked. **She should mind her own business if she knew what was good for her!**

At last slamming her door to the outside world, she rests against it as an overwhelming sense of relief washes over, the very experience of being in the light of day itself with all those people surrounding her alone was growing increasingly disheartening; she wished Tsukune was here.

**Stop acting like a weakling! I told you he'll be back, but until then stop acting like a frightened child and be a strong vampire!**

However, she didn't want to be alone; it truly was like being in junior high, all over again. In her efforts to force Tsukune from allowing their children to experience the same pain and shame she experienced as a kid, she now found herself in the exact same position years ago, before ever meeting him. She so hated being alone and when Tsukune came into the picture he filled a void in her life, and when he threatened to leave her side she literally fought tooth and nail to keep him there, in which he gradually, and happily did. She took for granted that he'd always be there for her, no matter what happened; how could she have let him go this time or not even try to find him?

**He walked out on us, remember? What happened four years ago was different, he was a human and had just found out about us, that's why he panicked and ran. But, this time he not only knew about our species, he chose to be of our kind and forsook humanity; he should've known better!**

She had to admit that was true, he did accept being turned into a vampire in order to both protect and be close to her, and he also knew what growing up around humans had been like for her; it should have dawned on him how important it was to keep their children from the same thing. Nevertheless, as she looked at the empty apartment, its vacant silence deafening to her sensitive ears, the likelihood of their ever being any children seemed unlikely, unless…

_No, get that idea out of your head! I'm not having his child; it's Tsukune who'll be the father, Tsukune!_

Walking to the bathroom, she wondered fretfully what it was about Gin that made her decide to do anything with him or compelled her to get into an orgy with him and three other women; correction, one woman and two girls. Did she feel satisfied? Physically she did, but it was only physical; was she happy? She didn't know that. Was it love? She did feel for him, just not the same way as Tsukune, but was it a true love?

**He is a boy toy, nothing more! **Inner Moka reiterated.

"I...I want to loved," she said to herself. "I want to be loved, again."

**Whatever; just keep going to him until we've won this argument****.**

"Fine!"

She walks before the bathroom mirror, half expecting to be staring at her alternate self like the last time, but the reflection she saw caused her to scream in shock.

"N-No wonder everybody was staring at me. Look at me!"

In her efforts to clean herself up, she somehow missed how the parts of her body her flimsy clothes failed to cover up were pot marked with scratches and bite marks from the sex she had; they were as clear as day and so many people must've seen them on the walk home.

"I'm a mess!"

**They'll heal; don't be a baby about it.**

"Not that; me! I'm a mess! What's happening to me, this isn't like me! You said everything would be alright, but...but nothing feels right at all!"

She heard no response and assumed her inner personality had retreated deep inside her jeweled prison, weary of the whining. It left Moka feeling even more alone now and knew she would be sleeping alone this time, Gin would have to wait for tonight back at that degrading dive that fed her need for money and sex while waiting for her distraught husband to come back. Her stomach growled, the sound of it so loud in this hollow atmosphere that Moka could've mistaken it for an animal; its been doing that a lot lately as no amount of Gin's blood supply, which she drank as much as he was willing to give, could provide her with she needed the way Tsukune's blood did. Moka would have to go to bed hungry again, but hunger meant nothing when stacked against a vampire's pride, much to her chagrin.

"Oh, Tsukune," she muttered unhappily. "What am I becoming?"

She had a dream that day, more of a memory actually of a conversation she had with her father after an arranged duel between her and Ria, while only still a little girl.

"You failed, Moka," her father had said, his red slit eyes looking out the bright window.

"How could you expect me to defeat sister, father, she is an elder like yourself," she complained to him.

"You must rely on the source of your strength, my daughter. Many vampires come to rely on that, I thought you might, as well. But, you failed to call on it."

"I...I did not mean to fail you, father," she said, close to tears upon hearing how she failed him.

Her father then turned around and hugged her warmly, his strong arms wrapping about in what she saw as a show of pride.

"My daughter, I have faith that you will carry this family's name high and bring me great honor."

She smiled, knowing full well that she will do whatever it took to fulfill his hopes and dreams of being the ideal vampire, of carrying on the Shuzen line with all the pride it deserved. Over her father's shoulder she next saw three people standing there: her former friends, the unicorn Hoshii and the human girl Takane Kikomura.

"What is so special about them?" She remembered asking Hoshii years ago during a discussion about humans, her voice thick with a smoldering rage at them. "You can't be yourself around them. You can't show them your true beauty! I mean _can't_! I have to hide and pretend… I'm so much stronger than this and… and in order for me to be accepted, my mother said I have to appear weak and pathetic! What is so wonderful about that, Hoshii?"

"I believe there is something to be said about being humble and meek."

"Why don't we tell them what we are?" Moka whispered conspiratorially.

Hoshii flinched at her words, considering it blasphemy against one of the dominating rules of the monster world.

"No, you NEVER reveal what you truly are to humans…Never!"

She vividly recalled the feelings of isolation, of being contained and never free to be her true self, to dominate over these sheep and show off her very magnificence as a vampire. And then, came Takane, a girl who was meant to be loyal to her, but her human breeding prevented the girl from ever accepting that.

"We have to tell her!" She yelled to him, grabbing his hand and entwining her fingers desperately through his, clutching at him tightly to keep him from leaving.

"You're crazy! She won't understand and she'll tell everyone."

"Who cares? Let everyone know! Let's quit this fake existence and just be what we really are! Let's tell Takane the truth! She's our friend! She'll understand!"

"No, she won't!" He snapped and tried again to pull free and get away from her, but his efforts only made Moka hold on more tightly. "She won't understand, don't you get it? Takane isn't going to be able to handle it! She'll be horrified!"

"Don't you want her to see the real you and me, to see us as we really are? Would that be so bad?"

Moka was holding his hand with both of hers, looking at him pleadingly.

"I can't believe you're talking like this!" He shouted into her face. "I thought you were my friend, but…"

Hoshii, Moka felt, despite being a monster of a different breed and order, was a naive and frightened fool letting humanity's laws subdue him, and all for a little human girl; _her._

"Do you know the law? If a monster reveals his true form to a human, the witnessing human must die or else the offender will be executed in flames. Is that what you want? For Takane to be killed just because you wanted to show her how strong you are?"

"No, but no one will ever know! She's our friend and we can trust her. Once she understands why we've been so secretive everything will be fine, I just know it will!"

"I love her; don't you understand? Please don't ask me to do this. Maybe one day, I'll reveal my true identity to her, but only if the time is right for it and she's ready, now isn't the time; I'll deny everything!"

"But it's who we are and what we are! I'm tired of pretending! I'm going to tell her!"

"You're the worst," Takane hissed when she stumbled upon the two. "Both of you!"

"I'm sorry, I never wanted to hurt you."

"That's not true!" Moka insisted. "He's just being my friend to spare you the-"

"Just admit it already!" Takane snapped, seething with white, hot rage. "You knew I liked him, and yet the two of you have been using me from the beginning! This whole time, you never wanted to be my friend, I was just a patsy to get closer to Hoshii! This is the secret you've been keeping this whole damn time! You two have been laughing at me behind my back, all along!"

"No, it's not..."

Moka wanted to explain, but that stupid law prevented her from revealing the truth and out of fear for Takane's safety she had no choice!

"It's not… that important. He was going to leave me anyway, that's what we were talking about. Hoshii fell out of love with me and wanted to be with you, he doesn't want-"

"So, you developed a conscience and couldn't go through with the charade anymore, huh?" Takane asked. "I trusted you, I accepted you as my friend, and I loved him and…and you two did this behind my back? I hope you're happy! You two can have each other! I don't care! You're just like your sister, Ria! She did the same thing to my father and mom and they had a huge fight because of it! If it wasn't for my mom being strong enough to push Ria away they would have broken up, but she was a fool! She should have left my ungrateful father! I hate him! I hate you! And, I especially hate _you_, Hoshii!"

She threw her hand back and slapped him, and then Moka sprang forward.

"Don't you dare do that!" Moka screamed, grabbing a hold of Takane's arm and pulling it so hard she heard something pop.

"Aaaaaah!" She screamed as her arm was bent awkwardly at the shoulder, dislocated.

"No!" Hoshii yelled, forcefully removing Moka's grip from around her broken limb. "What have you done?"

Taking in the way Hoshii had to be firm, yet careful with Takane's arm, as he stood defensively in between them, she thought he was there to protect Takane from her.

"Why?" Moka muttered. "All I wanted was for us to be friends!"

"You two are monsters!" The girl yelled in anguish and ran away, holding her wounded arm and wounded heart, while Moka and Hoshii were left standing in utter disbelief at what had happened.

"Why did you do that?" She asked, bewildered green eyes staring at Hoshii through gritted teeth.

"It was better than letting you tell her the truth," he answered calmly.

"But…"

"But what? Were you going to trust the fate of all monsters to a fourteen year old girl? And for what? So that she would like you better? So you wouldn't feel so frustrated? You're so naïve! Such a law exists for a reason, to prevent war! They're an interesting and complicated people, and they are amazing in a lot of ways, but what they fear, they always destroy. If they ever learned the truth there would be bloodshed and chaos on a biblical scale, we'd probably become extinct! And you were going to risk it all so that one girl would like you better? Idiot!"

Moka felt that it was _he_ who was the real idiot and she blamed humanity for allowing such a thing to happen; everyday she had to walk on eggshells around them, never being allowed to live the way her kind has always lived, held in shackles by their laws. And, were it not for Takane's simple mind, things might've been different. Lastly, there was the third person: Tsukune, her mate, the one who was supposed to understand her and do what she asked.

"Keep them away from my parents?" Tsukune had asked when this whole thing began.

"That is right, Tsukune, I don't want them to have a human's influence."

"But...why? What's this all of a sudden?"

"Because, I was treated so horribly by humans, I don't want that same thing to happen to our children, Tsukune!"

Tsukune looked at her and then dared laugh, as if such a notion was nothing more than a joke to him.

"Moka," he simply said, "I know you had a hard time growing up, but you don't need to worry, everything will be alright, you'll see."

"No, Tsukune!" She yelled. "They will not have any contact with humans until they are ready for high school; my mind is made up!"

"You...y-you can't be serious?" He asked, hoping that she wasn't, but as he looked at her green eyes, surprised to even hear something like this coming out of her, he knew this was no joke. "You are...you are serious. Moka, how could...and you want to keep them from all humans, period?"

"That's right, Tsukune! We will raise them around my family, they'll learn the ways of vampires and when they start school at Yokai, then they will be strong enough to properly defend themselves amongst the humans, but only then!"

"And, what about me?"

"You're going to be a part of this and help me teach them, you are the father, after all!"

"Who also happens to be human!"

"_Were_ human, now you are one of my kind, a vampire and heir to my father's line, don't forget that! You don't hold any allegiance to your human family anymore!"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this! No, I won't agree to this!"

"Tsukune you have to, I'm you mate and what I say you must agree to!"

"No I won't!"

"You will or...or else!"

"Or else what? Moka."

Her threat, at first came in the form of violence as she switched forms and got physical with him, but still he refused to learn his place and give her what she want. Finally, he forced her hand when she decided to invite Gin over; not at first, merely dangling the threat out there with the belief that it'll at least scare Tsukune into immediate obedience.

"I'm going to work," Tsukune said one day, leaving in a huff, with which Moka called out after him:

"Where are you going? We're not through by a long shot! I just might call Gin over while you're out, would that make you happy?"

She admit that it was harsh, but nowhere near as harsh as when she finally followed up on the threat on that fateful night.

"This is your last chance, Tsukune!" Moka called back to him as she led Gin into their bedroom, demanding a little more forcefully this time. "Agree with me or let this happen!"

"I may not be human, anymore," he responded, his voice soft and gravelly, "but I know that doesn't mean all humans see monsters the way you think, I thought you know that once, but I guess I was wrong. I won't deny them what has made me the man I am today and the person you fell in love with, I'd be lying to myself and them."

"You're not going to get what you want from him, let's go," Gin said.

**He's right, if Tsukune wishes to remain foolish then let him. We will make him regret his decision for not stopping us.**

"Then it is chosen," Moka said with a pained sigh. "Let's go, Gin."

She had finally done it, she carried out her threat by sleeping with Gin in front of him, being forced to show him just how far a proud vampire and hopeful mother will go to grant her father's wish. If only her mate hadn't been so foolish, then this would've been avoided and she would be making love with him.

**Tsukune had chosen this, not me! **She thought. **I have done nothing wrong; I am only fulfilling my obligations and right as a vampire!**

"That is right, sister dear," Ria said, standing behind her along with all of her family present. "Humans are sheep and we are wolves, we do not fraternize with sheep; we go where we want and do as we please!"

Moka should be mad at Ria, and indeed had every right to no listen to her, but then she was only being herself and above blame; the person at fault was once again her wayward husband for foolishly running to her instead of staying to settle their problem.

"Moka," he said, his voice forlorn and pleading. "Please, don't do..."

"SILENCE!" Moka shouted with authority, her voice and appearance taking on a more adult form as she marches toward him. "You think your behavior excuses what you've done! Fool! Every day you make yourself look more and more like a pathetic coward, fleeing into the dead of night rather than being a vampire male and simply removing Gin off of me! This is why I don't want our children to be tainted by your humanity; they'll grow up as weak and indecisive as you!"

"That's right, my daughter!" Akasha shouted in agreement. "You should put him in his place!"

"This weakling of a man," Gyokuro retorted.

"Pansy!" Kokoa yelled, while Kahlua giggled and Akua merely grinned.

Tsukune tried to say more in his feeble defense, but Moka kept growing taller and more threatening, her very shadow washing over Hoshii, Takane, and most of all casting Tsukune in the darkest part of it; he averted his eyes away in shame.

"Forget about him," Gin said, standing almost as tall as Moka and grabbing about her waste in a firm embrace, but Tsukune's submissive actions seemed even more like a show of defiance.

"Look at me!" She yelled down at him, unwilling to let him go without having her say, without finally putting him in his place for his detestable behavior. "I SAID LOOK AT ME! YOU WILL NOT TURN YOUR BACK AT ME, AGAIN!"

Eyes glowing ominously, she reaches down and grabs him, squeezing him so tight his head could've popped and shaking the man so that he may take her seriously.

"You think I regret doing what I did? The only thing I regret is bonding with a sorry excuse for a man like you, who won't even provide what is best for his wife and family! And you're going to walk out on me? After all those times I saved you! All those times I brought you back from the brink of death! After I granted you immortality and elevated you from a simple insect, to one of the supreme monster races in the world, and this is how you repay me? LOOK AT ME!"

"...," he muttered, head still down.

"What was that?" She asked in anger.

"What about...all those times... I...I protected you?"

"_Protect_ me? From who, those pitiful little monsters at school! Ha! I didn't _need_ your protection from the likes of them, there was nothing they could've done to me, but plenty they could do to you! You think you can leave me and humiliate me after everything I've done, you couldn't even begin to live without me; you're hopeless! You wouldn't even be alive without me, you needed me! I, heh, can live quite well and content while you're out being a simpleton, and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it, isn't' that right, Gin?"

"That's right, baby!" Gin replied and kisses her deeply. "Your loss, man!"

"And this time, I'll make you stay and watch as long as I deem necessary! Your choice!"

"...As you wish," he finally muttered and lifts his head to her, his eyes no longer human, but that of a vampire's. "You are right; I should have listened to you. Can you forgive me, beloved?"

Smiling like a cat eyeing a bird in its clutches, Moka casually pushes Gin off and loosens her grip around Tsukune, letting him stand inside of her opened palm.

"Hmm, I might," she replied. "It might take some time."

Just then, Tsukune grows to her level and she immediately clamps around his neck, drinking his yummy blood and thoroughly pleased he had finally become the bloodmate she had bonded with.

"You'll have a lot to make up for making wait so long," she added.

"Tsukie!" A voice cried from down below and she looked to see Kyokou, Koji and Kazumi Aono, Ms. Tsubaki, even Ruby, Yukari, Kurumu and Mizore all standing in their shadow, pleading for Tsukune's attention.

"Look at these vermin," she muttered in opened disgust. "Ugh, it's time to be rid of them!"

"You know what must be done," her father said who looked on with approval.

"Tsukune, my beloved, please dispose of them; show these fools their place so we can finally be together as we've always dreamed."

"With pleasure," he replied with icy steel.

First, he swatted his parents away, his mother crying his name as she flew through the air. Next, was Ms. Tsubaki, who cringed in terror like a frightened animal as Tsukune brought a giant fist down that rendered her a fat, bloody smear. Next, came the obnoxious girls who vied for his affection; Kurumu flew up to his face in a vain attempt to talk some sense into him.

"Tsukune, don't do this, I love..."

But, she was just a gnat that he crushed in a single clap of his hands, and then he grabbed the others and crushed them in his grip, their blood oozing out from between his fingers. Finally, there was Kyokou, who stood rooted on the spot in terror and disbelief. She tried to run, but her legs failed her and crumbled to the floor, looking up at the ogre that once was her cousin and surrogate brother.

"Ts-Tsukie," she stammered.

"Moka told me what you did to our apartment," he said to her menacingly. "Taking my stuff, insulting my wife, even destroying the perfume I saved up to buy for her. Did you think you were doing me a favor?"

"Tsukie, I...I was just...we're family."

"I AM NOT YOUR FAMILY ANYMORE!" He roared, the sound of his voice like a shockwave to her tiny ears, that were deafening and terrifying. "I am far above what you are, and you...heh, you are just insect."

"Tsukie..."

Her words, if any more were to come at all, were insignificant to him as his massive foot came down upon her, stomping his former cousin again and again in the same malicious fashion as Kyokou had done to Moka's precious perfume. Moka thought it was all finished, but before she could embrace him, Tsukune had one last bit of unfinished business with Moka's old, childhood acquaintances who both tried to flee, to no avail.

"Moka," he said, presenting the two for her like some rare specimens he wanted to show her. "Would you like to do the honors or should I?"

"Hmm, what to do?" She seriously contemplated.

"Please, Moka, d-don't kill us!" Hoshii pleaded.

"Yes, you were right, we should have listened!" Takane pleaded. "I promise we won't disappoint you again. Have mercy on us!"

"What mercy?" She asked coldly, reveling in their fear, but taking Takane by her tiny neck and effectively snapping her head clean off. Hoshii screamed hysterically, but Tsukune silenced him by closing up his fist. "Tsukune! He was mine!"

"Don't fret, Moka," he cooed in her ear, giving her tender embrace with his manly arms. "Listen."

He held his closed fist to her ear and she could make out a tiny horse thrashing and sobbing from within, which brought delighted smile to her face.

"Even now, he's trying to fight his way out," he said to her, "but it's useless. Say, let's keep him for a pet, a replacement for the perfume that my retarded, ex-cousin destroyed."

"Oh Tsukune!" She cried with happy tears in her eyes and kissing him deeply.

"You have done well, my daughter," her father said. "You surpassed my expectations by turning your mate into a fully-fledged vampire; he is now truly worthy of being my successor."

"I'm proud of you," Akasha told her. "We're all proud of you."

"You were right, Moka," Tsukune said happily. "You were right about everything; _this_ is the way our children should be raised. I see that now."

"It is our way, the _only_ way for people like us, my beloved," she said, eyeing him seductively with triumph in her heart. "Never forget that."

"I won't," he replied and the two embrace in a loving kiss, effectively ending the dream and awakening Moka from her long, but restful slumber. It felt so real to her, right down to the kiss and for a moment believed Tsukune was in the room with her. Though she realized that it was a dream, it nevertheless served to boost her morale in a way, granting her the courage she needed to carry on. Having slept half the day away completely nude on top of a smelly mattress, she felt spiritually revitalized.

"Father was right," she muttered to herself. "Right about everything; I almost forgot what it meant to be a vampire."

**You finally understand, **her inner persona said. **You understand why this is so important to us?**

"Yes, to remind us of our heritage, that this _is_ what I must do. Father, mother, everyone wouldn't want it any other way. I am a vampire, not a human; I am a creature of darkness, a creature of sensuality and of power, uninhibited by foolish morals or the obligations of a lower being like a human."

**And, we will make sure the next line of our family fully understands such greatness, unlike what that fool tried to do.**

"Tsukune. He should've understood. It isn't we who should feel ashamed for what happened, it's him; he brought all of this to fruition, he is the one who went against our marriage and threatened our family, I did nothing wrong!"

**Exactly, and what are we going to do about it?**

Moka thought on it and deep down she wanted to keep thinking on it, but thoughts about the dream and her reawakened resolve put an end to anymore doubt.

"I'll keep at it with Gin; hold my ground, remain firm! If Tsukune wishes to continue being rebellious, then we'll show him that a vampire woman is above his little antics!"

**First things first, is getting the laundry done and cleaning up this place.**

"Oh, you're right! This place is a pig sty!"

Surveying the devastated room, Moka remembered that she no longer had a washing machine and dryer, and theorized she might have to use the Laundromat next door. It wasn't something she was anxious to do, but her energized pride in herself refused to allow their opinions of her to prevent this almighty creature from doing something as simple as the laundry. She was in the right that she knew, and there wasn't much anyone could do to change her mind.

"There she is," a woman whispered to her friend as they and a few others watched their pink haired neighbor wait for her clothes and sheets to dry.

Moka was dressed in the clothes she bought yesterday, as along with some striped panties for work, she bought a few other articles of clothing at the suggestion of her alternate persona, clothing that were a little bold, if not risqué which included a spaghetti strapped tank top and black mini skirt that did very little to hide the indicators of last night's rough sex. She had now become the talk of the neighborhood and her bold defiance in the face of their hushed gossiping, in which hearing that far surpassed a human's was able to pick up every word uttered, seemed to bring this proud woman back to junior high all of over again.

"That Moka Aono is so slutty," some would say.

"I heard Moka was turning tricks downtown," another whispered.

"Aono this…"

"Aono that…"

"Aono…Aono…Aono…"

"Can I help you?" She asked defensively, sharply turning to a woman next to her who kept staring at her, but who quickly looks away. "If anyone here has something to say to me, they better say it!"

Moka was defiant and bold, she would not suffer humiliation from these people as easily as before, that much she was determined, and yet none answered her challenge.

"I just came here to do my laundry, that's it!" She defiantly stated. "I haven't done anything to any of you and don't deserve this, and if you don't like the way I live my life, then leave, because I'm staying, got it?"

The entire Laundromat fell silent save for the machines, but Moka had made her point and said what had to be; she was above all of these mousy humans and didn't need the likes of them judging her actions. By talking to them the way they deserved, they now recognized that they were in the presence of one of their betters, a woman who was in every way a world apart from their meager lives and should be honored; in short, she had finally earned the respect she so deserved. Feeling pretty vindicated, if not liberated from their scrutiny, she gathers up her finished laundry and walks away with her head held high when, just before stepping out the door she heard the faint sound of snickering coming from behind. Moka was just inches away from walking out, but the sound irked her, its brief existence loud enough to work its way in her ear and down the spine like the scratching of a chalk board.

"Who said that?" She snapped, looking around to find the source of this defiant remark. "Who's laughing at me?"

All eyes looked at her as though she had lost it, but no one came forward and it further enraged this super monster. Unconcerned with how they saw her, and yet unable to ascertain who had stepped out of place, she begrudgingly stormed out and walked non-stop back to her apartment where she haphazardly throws down the laundry and grips her rosary.

"Those idiots!" She hissed as her face turned red with anger.

**You know what to do, then? This isn't school this time, remove the seal and I will go back to deal with these fools.**

Without any hesitation as she knew this needed to be done, she immediately takes off the rosary and soon the entire apartment becomes bathed in her monstrous radiance, her very being developing into a magnificent figure and yet with no one around to marvel at the transformation. It didn't matter too much at the time, because as Moka's hair turned from a hot pink to silvery white, she knew plenty would witness afterward just what this slut could do.

Back at the Laundromat, all of the people there still continued talking about Moka as if she hadn't left the room at all. They were so involved in the discussion, that they failed to notice a tall, white haired woman angrily barge pass a man carrying his already cleaned laundry and very nearly caused him to spill it all.

"Hey, watch it!" He yelled at her, but the woman quickly glares at the man with her red eyes, effectively scaring him silent.

"Do you believe that Aono chick?" A woman asked her friend. "'_Who said that, grrr_!' What a character!"

"I know, I mean who does she think she is, some fancy princess or something?"

"Hm, if you ask me, that lady has a few things loose in her head," a middle aged woman said while folding some sheets, too focused on both the task and conversation to be aware of this strange new woman walking up to her.

"Are you implying she is crazy?" Moka asked her.

"Heh, well isn't it obvious? You should've been here earlier, that Aono chick/hoe bag, whatever was in here not too long ago. She gets into an affair with another man and now I believe she and her husband are going to get a divorce. But, now she's going into prostitution and is showing up real early in the morning with these cuts and bruises, one can only imagine how she got those. Then, she shows up here and has some mental break or something and begins ordering us around and acting all sorts of crazy; it would be sad if it wasn't so pathetic."

"Sounds to me she needs help," another woman intervened.

"What it sounds to me is that you all need to know your places," Moka flat out said.

The woman turns around and looks at her, taking immediate notice of her unnerving eyes and icy demeanor, and growing slightly unnerved by the sight of her.

"I'm sorry," she begins to ask Moka, "but, are you new around here or something?"

Without saying another word, Inner Moka grabs the lady by her throat and lifts her high up in front of every astonished face in the building.

"You..._people,_ have a lot of nerve talking about a higher class individual such as Mrs. Aono like that," she said, menacingly. "She is, in every way your better and you all should be lucky to even have her grace your pathetic, meaningless lives, yet all you can do is behave like obnoxious, jealous children; now _that_ is pathetic."

"Look," one of the other women said, nervously trying to reason with her, "we don't want any trouble, just put Yoko down and leave us a..."

"Well, you've got trouble! Trouble that you brought on yourselves, and don't ever tell me what to do! Now, I'm only going to give you all this one warning, and you better spread the word to everyone else who isn't here right now to listen: if any of you so much as utter one wrong word about Moka Aono or even looks at her funny, I'll pay each and every one of you a visit, and trust me I'm very good at putting fools back in their place; do I make myself clear?"

Everyone silently nodded, as did Yoko despite her precarious predicament, as they were struck mute by this dangerous and clearly superhumanly strong assailant that had them all at her mercy as if she was threatening them with a semi-automatic. Satisfied, nonetheless, Moka tosses Mrs. Yoko to the floor like a rag doll and with a casual flip of her magnificent hair, exits the Laundromat with all the confidence of a regal monarch who had just reasserted authority over her subjects.

**All too easy, **she thought to herself. **These humans are easy to control, all is needed is to show them who's boss, that's all.**

She brooded over the fact that if she had been able to remove her rosary and use her true power all those years ago as a kid, things would've turned out much differently.

_We wouldn't have this problem now, would we? _Her outer persona questioned.

**Yes, things would be a lot different. No matter. We're in control now, and no one is going to stop us; we'll get what we want before we know it, and by tomorrow Tsukune will surely return home and face the consequences.**

_You really think so?_

**As long as he's been out, he has no choice, not even our sister will suffer a man to stay with her this long, she'll kick him out and come crawling home by the time we return.**

_Return? We're still going back to Gin's?_

**Of course. He still owes us some money for the rent, and besides I've only sampled our former club president once, you've had all the fun. I'd like to see how he fairs on his own turf.**

Plus, she didn't want Tsukune to come home with herself still there and think she'd been waiting and worrying over him this whole time; her pride would never allow it, but as Moka smiled, thoughts of testing her mettle with Gin only fueled desire more than any love that might remain. That and pride made all the difference to a creature of darkness, just the way she was taught to embody, the way all vampires and werewolves were trained to embrace; it was just something Tsukune, and eventually Sun if she got in the way, would have to learn.

"Another 'sore' night, Moka?" The bartender asked as Moka's shift drew to a close.

"Yes, the businessmen were especially hands-on tonight, but I put them in their place."

"Good for you. You're especially upbeat this evening; special occasion?"

"Oh nothing, I just got reminded about where my priorities were, that's all. Hey, you got my earnings I left with you, I was going to go up and see Gin before I clock out."

"Sure thing, wouldn't want you to have fun with the boss and forget about something so important, I know a lot of chicks leave here without it."

She thanks her bartender friend and goes over to where her boss and former upper classman was sitting with his usual set of girlfriends under each arm, just having a good time until he sees her coming, which he promptly shoos them away, much to their disgust, but the move flattered the vampire.

**At least he's starting to have some sense about him, **Inner Moka thought.

"Hey, good looking, how was work today?" He asked with a large smile, a smile that wasn't as eager or hungry as before, but a played on one nonetheless.

"Fine, I'm really starting to get the hang of this! Look, can we...you know..."

She nods towards the steps to his pad and for a while the amorous wolf seemed to have difficulty figuring what she meant.

"Can we do again what we had last night?" She reiterates.

**Ugh, you are such a prude.**

"Ohh, oh, that! Um, sure, sure it's just I got to talk with Sun pretty soon and I don't think we can do a threesome, it might take too long to do."

"Oh," she said, feeling a little confused. "Can't you postpone that just for tonight, I'm sure she won't mind."

"I really wish I could, but..."

Moka could tell he was nervous about two-timing Sun, meaning he hadn't told her anything, and thinking on a way to convince him otherwise, she leans over, letting her hair brush tenderly against him and whispers into his ear:

"The other me would like to play this time. It could be just me _and_ her, in my striped panties, tonight. What do you say?"

She didn't have long to wait before Gin made up his mind; seeing Moka transform into her more confident, more physically developed alternate form while in those tight accessories was something he long wanted to see ever since she began working here.

"Welllll, maybe just a quickie," he responded. "After you."

But, before the two love-birds could make their way upstairs, an irate woman burst into the club, making a bee-line towards the ladies' man, himself.

"Gin!" She cried. "Baby, what the hell is going on?"

"Uh, can I help you?" He asked, upon which the woman seemed a little shocked.

"Oh Gin," she laughed, but with a maddened look still in her eyes, "you're such a kidder...It's me, Chizuru, remember?"

"...Oh yes, now I'm…starting to remember, it's been awhile."

"A-awhile, it's only been four weeks."

"Gin, who is this?" Moka asked. "And, why does she call you 'baby'?"

"Uhh, Moka this is an old, old friend, Chizuru Suno," he courteously and quite nervously introduced. "Chizuru, Moka Aono, my _new_ friend."

"Friend?" Chizuru asked. "Gin...baby, you and me have something special."

"I, uh, wouldn't go that far," he chuckled nervously, sweat pouring down his back.

"Gin, it's been three weeks since my husband died, and another one since you sent me one, crummy rose and I haven't heard one call from you!"

"Really?"

"Your husband?" Moka asked, finding it odd that Gin not calling would even matter.

"Honey, I know you stayed away so nobody would know, but you can cut the charade. He's gone now, his family has moved on, no one will know we've been seeing each other on the side, we can both be together like we promised; just you and me!"

Moka looked up at him, her eyes staring holes into his already sweaty head as she struggled to find answers as to what this woman was talking about and why he was involved with her, but Gin knew the truth and he felt like melting into a puddle on that very spot.

"Look, Ayaka," he said, roughly grabbing her arm and leaning forward to keep their conversation private.

"Aya…my name is CHIZURU!" She screamed and struggling to free herself from his grip.

"Fine, whatever, look can we talk about this some other time, I'm in the middle of something."

"No I will not wait another time!" She replied, making an even bigger show for all to bear witness to. "It was going to be the two of us; you and me against the world, just like how you said the whole time we snuck behind my husband's back! I wasted all his hard earned money to buy us that yacht so we can sail away together to his luxury island, baby, where no one could disturb us, and now that he's finally gone you won't even give me the courtesy of calling me back!"

"I don't know what you thought we had, but to be honest it was a booty call, nothing more, and frankly you started to get a little stale for my tastes, okay!" He replied, growing more forceful by the minute. "I'm sorry for your loss, but it's time to move one, now leave, I'm busy!"

"You...you _bastard_! I thought you wanted me, I thought you loved me more than my husband, but I see he was the real man, after all!"

"You're just saying that because you're a bitter, old woman. Besides, you knew what you were getting in bed with! I never said anything to the effect that we would be together when your hubby died!"

"Gin, come on," Moka intervened, "can we just forget about her and go upstairs, now?"

"Who's this, your new girl?" Chizuru demanded. "She doesn't look like much; I'm better looking than her!"

"Excuse me," Moka countered, examining the sorry condition of this thirty something woman standing before her, who looked close to fifty, showing up with messed up hair and dressed in a trench coat over an expensive, yet now ruined black skirt; and yet had the nerve to insult her like this, "who do you think you are? You've got some nerve calling yourself more beautiful than me!"

"Honey, I'm a ten compared to a 0.1 like you!"

"How dare you!"

"Look, get out of here, before I throw you out!" He threatened the woman, while trying to restrain Moka.

"No! I will not leave without you; you promised it would be you and me! You and me!"

She desperately grabbed a hold of his arm, but when he wrenches it away from her grasp, out of anger she slaps him across the face. The very sound and sight of this irritating human woman striking a supreme creature like him triggered an immediate response in Moka, causing her to lash out and grab Chizuru by her arm, squeezing it until she heard a pop.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" The woman screamed and collapsed to the floor, hugging her arm in pain.

"Take her out of here, someone!" Gin yelled at his staff as he led Moka upstairs, desperate to separate the two before anything else were to happen. "You sue, Ayaka or whoever, and I'll press charges that you entered my establishment and started an unprovoked fight!"

As Moka looked back, the mere, sorry sight of this woman was not lost on her: a young woman who must've, at one time been beautiful enough to attract Gin and was probably someone's trophy wife, but now with long dark hair that hadn't been brushed and pitiful blue eyes that needed a touch of mascara, she was now one sorry sight. Nevertheless, her delusion that she, a mere human, and Gin were lovers brought back memories of school and of Takane, so much so that when she attacked Gin, her immediate response was imitative, yet far more rewarding as he seemed more impressed than offended like Hoshii had been. It never dawned on her that there was anything wrong with this picture and that such a thing might happen to her because of the differences between her and Chizuru; she was a vampire, not a momentarily attractive human female, her looks would be eternal.

"Whoo! That was impressive, Moka!" Gin congratulated after he closed the door. "Man, seeing you man-handle another woman always turned me on, way to set the mood."

"Um, thanks," she replied, blushing nervously. "I just didn't like how she treated you and making up those wild claims; I reacted, but it was nothing, really. I'm only interested in getting down to...you know."

"Then, by all means."

With a slight pull of her rosary cross, the seal was broken and her body stretched and slightly tore the tight, revealing apparel she wore, making herself all the more appetizing as this hungry werewolf looked on happily.

True to his word, their debauchery didn't last as long as before, but both came away feeling pleased with each other's performance, which was enough, for now.

"Not bad, but you could use some improvements," Moka lectured as she rested in bed, naked for her amorous partner to see.

"Improvements? What do you mean? So it went by fast, maybe it's you."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, however I'm not insinuating your performance was terrible, just average. It wouldn't hurt to do something a little different to spruce things up a bit."

"How so? We already did three-way, um four-way, last time. What? Are you up for another one with the girls, I can arrange that for next time."

"I'm not eager to compete for you with a bunch of other women, though a threesome isn't completely out of the question."

"Then what do you mean by..." 

Moka gives him a look, a look from her smoldering red eyes that reminded him of a cat and a mouse; something that was appealing for her, but not for him.

"Oh no," he said immediately. "I'm not doing it with another guy, forget it!"

"So, I take it you are not interested in this?" She asked, turning sideways in bed and lifting the sheets to present the rest of her nude, supple body, all smooth, succulent and still wet after sex, thinking it would be more than enough to bring him over to her way of thinking. "I remember how you craved for this body during school, and at my wedding, and even now."

That much was true, and the attractive werewolf still fancied the popular vampire girl from school enough to continue fucking her while it suited him, but wanting her and having her were fast becoming two different things.

"Moka, look, I..."

"Think carefully on the next words that come out of your mouth, my amorous lover," she casually threatened, sensing his waning interest, and growing impatient with his hesitant attitude. "I could easily find another who would be eager to participate, someone more of a man in bed than you are or rather, should I say were."

That was more than enough to goad him, that like her he too has his pride; it bothered him when Chizuru insulted him and having a woman, any woman, let alone one he just recently stole from Tsukune question his performance as a man was something Gin refused to tolerate any further.

"Hey!" He shot back. "No man can come close to comparing to me, not even Tsukune, you proved that!"

"So, I take it then that you're up to the challenge?"

"Fine. I'll do it, but not with just any guy, I'd rather it be with someone I know."

"How about Tsukune?"

"Tsukune? Are you fucking kidding me! Even if shows back up..."

"And, he will."

"...Even so, he'd never go along with it! He probably wants to see me dead, anyway!"

"You let me worry about that, I assure you he'll be on board."

"How? How are you going to do that?"

"Trust me, he'll do it, I can get him to do anything I want, he's madly devoted to me."

"Really? Are we forgetting what we did to him?"

"It's a slight inconvenience. But, even as I speak, he's realizing what a fool he was and will come back desperate to do whatever it takes to make me happy; I know him, he's always like that, he will come."

"Well, I wish I had your optimism, but if he's onboard then fine, we'll do it."

He steps out of bed, feeling less fulfilled, and even her curved and well-defined shape lying sideways in bed seemed to have lost its appeal fast, but he's never been one to pass up a good fuck, even if it was from someone who has worn themselves out fast.

"So, I take it Tsukune is waiting for you at home, then?" He asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised," she replied nonchalantly, getting out of bed and giving him a warm, open mouthed kiss. "He would be a fool to leave me, most men would, but then you proved that, didn't you?"

"I do keep coming back for the tail," he said, but looks at his clock and noticed it was almost time for his web chat with Sun. "If it wasn't for that, you probably wouldn't even have an ace in your hole."

Moka chuckled dryly, confident she could've gotten anyone she wished for and that Gin was someone of convenience.

"You presume too much, Ginei," she says while he was momentarily distracted by the hour and she begins to reattach the rosary back onto its chain. "Me and my outer persona could get any lover we wish, I especially; it's just that you and I have much in common, I'm forced to admit."

With a slight click, the rosary went onto the chain and almost immediately her very stature reverted back to her demure, pink haired self, but the transformation left her drained of energy and she found her legs had given way under her, bringing the shocked woman forward uncontrollably.

"GIIIINNN!" She shrieked as she grasped for him, only to fall, face first to the floor.

"Huh, you say something?" He asked, turning back around to find Moka on the floor. "Why are you down there?"

"Gin," she said weakly, her eyes seeing stars from the fall, "why didn't you...why didn't you try to catch me?"

"Oh, was I supposed to do that? My bad."

"...Tsukune would always catch me."

"I said I was sorry; god, what do you want from me? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied bitterly, rubbing her face and feeling her own blood, leaking from broken nose. "I just need to regain the use of my legs, that's all."

"Really? Is that going to be long, because I got a web chat with Sun in about a minute, and I kinda..."

"Sun?" She asked, looking at him confused. "I thought you decided not to do that tonight?"

"Uhh, yeeeah about that."

"Are…are you going to at least tell her about us?"

"Huh?" He asked as though she had asked something stupid. "Um, yeah I promise to do it later, but right now I kinda need you out of here, like now."

Moka felt a bit jilted by his sudden dismissal of her and how he's been hiding her behind Sun's back like all of his common whores, but she shakily props herself up and slowly begins slipping on her clothes.

"Shit!" He hissed, when a jingle is heard from his computer. "She's early! Hurry, change downstairs; just go, go, go!"

Not wanting to keep her waiting, he turns on the computer and Moka could see her on the other end, blue hair and all, noticing she hadn't changed one bit.

"Hi, baby!" He greeted.

"Hi...uh, Gin," Sun responded. "Why are you naked?"

"Huh?" He wondered aloud and just realized he was still in the buff. "Oh! W-well, you see..."

"Who is that getting dressed in the back?"

Moka realized that she must be able to see her and with her hair standing on end knew the jig was up and Gin had to explain everything.

"Is...is that Moka? Gin, why is she changing back there in your room? What's going on?"

"Well, you see..." he began and Moka felt that the time had finally come; to be able to continue with this for however long she thought it would be necessary, she had to break a dear friend's heart. It would be now or never. "I...invited Tsukune and Moka over for a hot tub party, yeah! Sorry you missed it."

_What? _She wondered.

**What? ** Inner Moka wondered. ** She couldn't be that stupid.**

"Oh, I didn't know you had a hot tub," Sun replied.

"Yeah, I bought it...yesterday, I was going to surprise you...whenever you come down here to visit, and I felt like sharing it with a few friends. Yeah, we just got out and are getting dressed. Tsukune was here, but he's all dry now and waiting downstairs, isn't that right, Moka?"

He looked at her with an insistent glance, hinting for her to play along with the ruse. Moka hated lying, detested it, even now after everything that has happened, it was still something she loathed, but then again she's had to do a lot of things that seemed to go against her code; what was one more?

"That's right! In fact, I can hear Tsukune calling for me right now!"

"You see?" He asked her, upon which Sun appeared to be convinced.

"Okay, I believe you. It's nice seeing you again, Moka! You, Tsukune and Gin should all come down here to spend the weekend with me, we could double date!"

"Yes, we should," Moka lied.

"It'll be just the four of us, spending time on the beach or you could invite some of the others, I haven't seen any of them for a while."

"We'll definitely give it some thought, Sun! Thank you!"

"Moka has to get going or Tsukune might not wait for very long," he reiterated, giving Moka a strong hint.

"Oh Gin, that's awful. Knowing Tsukune, he'll wait for her; he's a perfect gentleman."

"Yeah," he laughed.

"Yes," she replied, feeling a slight pain of guilt, but only for that moment.

Looking at Gin's back as he chatted away with Sun, it reminded her, however of just how into him a part of her still was despite his rude treatment, and hearing Sun offer a double date with the two men she had in her life left Moka with a pang of jealousy; she was less than willing to share even of them with anyone. Slipping away unnoticed, it bothered her that Gin and Sun were so into each other that neither of them seemed to care if she was in the room at all; the way they looked lovingly at each other, it reminded her the way she and Tsukune once were. It was how they used to be, and she believed strongly it can be that way again, she wanted it that way again, but what of Gin?

As Moka walked the lonely way home she was faced with a moral dilemma that most women like herself had to face; on the one hand she had true love from her husband, whom she wanted badly to acquiesce to her demands so that they may begin work on the family she dreamt of having, but on the other was Gin, who satisfied her carnal needs in a way Tsukune couldn't. It never dawned on her that when going into this she would be faced with this problem, she always assumed it would be quick and that she could back out at any time it suited her like a compulsive gambler; now she was in too deep to do that, but then her inner persona offered a solution:

**Why not both?**

"Both?" She asked aloud. "What do you mean?"

**Take Gin as a lover and nothing more. We are vampires, we're not bound by human laws, look at father, he's surrounded by dozens of concubines to choose from and his wife is accepting of it; in fact she has a few lovers herself.**

"But, will Tsukune accept it? We're already asking a lot from him, what if..."

**Tsukune will accept it because it is our way and he will embrace it. Besides, if he doesn't he'll know what lengths we'll go to get what we want****.**

Moka realized that it was the easiest, surest thing to do and if she was adamant about renouncing humanity's ways, then this would be just another, logical step towards accomplishing that.

_Tsukune and Gin, _she thought happily, excitement building up in her lust filled heart. _Why not? I can have it anyway I like! So please, hurry home Tsukune, I can't wait to see what happens..._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_In the Name of Love_

It was within her father's throne room, dark and foreboding as it always was, nestled deep inside the imposing Castle Shuzen that Issa Shuzen commissioned a duel between his two daughters. One was his eldest and ruthless right-hand lieutenant Ria Sekitan, the other was his pride and joy Moka Akashiya, who by this time was only eight years old.

"What are we looking at, Lucy?" Doctor Kohaku asked, standing on the sidelines, but close enough to whisper into her ear.

"...Training," was all she could reply, though she failed to understand why her father would pit her against someone like Ria, as though expecting some sort of victory from the little girl; it was common knowledge to Moka that a vampire's strength is measured by their age and experience, thus Ria would naturally have the edge, and yet Moka's father still arranged this duel.

"Oh me, oh my, I do hope dear sister isn't coming down with a touch of fright, far be it you show such cowardice in front of father and your mother," Ria boasted.

There was fear in her young heart in fighting her bigger sister, but she had even greater fear in losing. It wasn't enough that her mother was present, showing her support as always, but to lose in front of father would be by far the greatest of insults his children had to suffer; their father's approval meant more than anything, even life itself.

"Are you both ready?" He asked, his voice deep and authoritative, snapping the two girls out of their reverie and bringing their focus sharply to the duel. "Begin!"

The fight went as predicted: Ria, of course showing no mercy in her brutal assaults, even enjoying it as she kicked, punched and tossed the little girl around like a rag doll, but Moka would not surrender and tried to use every known fighting style she had been taught. The doctor was shocked, but remained stoic in his attentiveness of the details. Moka, battered, bruised, and winded hoped that her parents, especially father would see the determination she was putting into it, and as impressive it indeed was, her father seemed far from impressed as it appeared she had little heart in the fight; only the desire to not appear weak kept his young daughter going.

"You can end this, my daughter," he said to Moka. "You need only rely on where your strength lies."

"I...I'm not weak, father," she said to him. "I can do this."

"No, you can't, not like this."

"You heard our lord," Ria taunted, "you can't win."

Hearing her father say that only infuriated Moka and with burning determination to risk her own life, attacked Ria with every ounce of strength left. Ria was but a blur to her though, every blow sapping every bit of strength from the girl's body until it felt as though she really would die before the eyes of her parents. Just the thought of never being able to see them again, for some reason, became an even greater fear than the fact of losing before them, and yet she wasn't sure if she should cry out for mercy until a loud clap from their father ended the fight as abruptly as it began.

"I have seen enough," he said. "Ria, tend to your duties elsewhere. M_, meet me in my study."

Moka laid on the floor like a piece of road kill, her clothes in tatters, her perfect skin scratched and bruised, and silver hair nearly died red from the blood, yet she struggled to respond to his request; she still had some shred of pride left. Dr. Kohaku thought this was a scene of abuse, yet he noticed her mother go up to the child and whispered words of encouragement, which seemed to fall on deaf ears for her stiff lipped daughter. Once inside his study, Moka stood rigidly behind her father as he stared out the window, fighting hard to hold back any tears as she was prepared to be chastised; she had failed after all and there wasn't any other way out.

"You did poorly back there, you know that?" He asked without looking.

"...Yes...father," she said quietly.

"Speak up; I raised you better than that!" He spoke loudly.

"Yes, father!"

"You freely admit to your failure, then?"

"Yes, father...but, but I tried..."

"I do not believe you did."

"What was I to do, Ria has years of experience and greater power against me, how could you expect me to defeat her?"

"Because you have an edge on her that she does not possess; you have something where your strength has always laid."

"But, father I tried, I tried using my strength and it wasn't enough." 

"You did not use all of your strength, instead you charged mindlessly at your opponent with all the recklessness of an ape!"

Hearing him say that hurt more than she was prepared for and wished dearly she had died.

"Father...," she said quietly.

"Every vampire, in times of great dire must always, always rely on the source of their true strength in order to overcome difficulties, but so very few, if any ever utilize it before it's too late; I had hoped you would've been the first to figure it out. All you had to do was end it, the solution was right there before you."

She looks up, puzzled and he turns to face her reddened eyes with a look of compassion.

"All you had to do was summon for my or your mother's aid, and I would've ordered Ria to stop."

"Father? But, I...I don't understand. Why would you interfere, I thought..."

"Daughter, has there ever been a time when your mother and I have refused you. We've tried to instill in you the importance of recognizing that you are never alone, my child that we are always, _always_ there for you; it's a lesson we've come to learn from the humans."

"Humans?"

"Yes, and if it could work for them...Look, M_, a vampire must be cunning as well as powerful, he or she must have allies and must be unafraid to rely on those allies in order to win, even if those allies are family, that is why your mother and I have shown you love more than the others."

Moka was still confused, but then her father came over, knelt down and hugged her tenderly, his powerful arms wrapping themselves about the tiny girl with all the warmth and affection a loving father could bestow.

"You're a very intelligent girl, M_, and I entrust our people's future upon you. I know you'll make me very proud, someday."

"Yes, father," she said, smiling happily and returning the hug.

Though his words were pleasant and encouraging, they would become lost in the years to come, lost behind images of her sisters and step mother, of other vampires and of being stranded amongst human world rife with injustice towards the superior, believing that the measure of a vampire's strength lies not in others, but on themselves alone. It wouldn't be until today, during a therapy session with a strange human, would Moka Akashiya recall those strange words from her father in full detail, so many years ago.

"Well, that was another interesting look at your past life," Dr. Kohaku said.

Moka woke up from the peyote induced dream in yet another therapy session with Dr. Kohaku, but the memory of her conversation with her father felt stronger than anything before.

"I-I think I...remembered that, but..." she stammered.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know why my father would suggest that."

"Do you know what he meant?"

"...No. I think...thought he was trying to tell me to be stronger."

"Well yes, but not the way you're thinking."

"What do you mean?" She asked, becoming aggravated that this human would pretend to understand someone who was apparently her father. "What do you know?"

"Your father, Lucy, wanted you to learn to rely on others more than yourself."

"What? That's absurd! He wouldn't suggest anything so..."

"So rational? Then, how exactly would you have won your fight on your own?"

"I couldn't, our strengths were already established, it would've been impossible for me to win."

"Then what was the point of your father having you two fight?"

"I...I don't know! I'm pretty sure it was a valuable lesson."

"A lesson that you've missed."

"I've heard enough from you!"

"Oh really? So, are you going to end another session in a huff? You're not a kid anymore; if you are strong, then you're going to have to learn to sometimes face things you don't want to."

Moka simply ignored him, no longer dignifying him with a response and turned away.

"Is that how it's going to be?" He asked. "Well, since you don't want to talk, I guess we can use the remainder of our time and talk about...the cutest thing my darling little Rin did during summer camp!"

He digs around in his wallet and fishes out a series of photos of his daughter that just so happened to be on hand.

"See, she thinks I don't keep tabs of her while she was at this camp near Kyoto, but I snuck away when she wasn't looking and took all these pictures of her. And, one day, her group was participating in this foot race, you see, and..."

In her dogged determination of feeding into her pride, Moka was unwittingly at the mercy of his insane stories and obsession over his daughter for the next three minutes of their session. When it was finally over and she was free to go, Moka spent well over an hour sulking in the mineral baths, which luckily for her were unoccupied by the time she was ready, dwelling heavily on what her father had said so many years ago.

_Why did he say that? _She thought. _And, why didn't I remember him saying that up until now?_

They were burning questions and more about what she saw, which harkened back to her memory of witnessing 9-11 when she was sure it wasn't a very familiar one. It continued bothering her mind even as she relaxed in the recreation room, cozying up on a corner of the couch while fellow patient, Norman watched his usual Star Trek program on the flat screen TV. Today's episode was named "_And the Children Shall Lead"_, a rather peculiar tale about Capt. Kirk and his crew stumbling upon some orphaned, amnesiac children on some distant world called Triacus, who were being controlled by a cold hearted, silver haired entity. Perhaps it was the lack of things to do or no desire to watch anything else, but for whatever reason she found herself following the story as it progress; the talk of superior beings as something inherently evil, the manipulation of childlike innocence, and the fight for the weak to overcome the strong all seemed to draw her in.

"Evil does seek to maintain power by suppressing the truth," said Spock, one of the characters, said to Dr. McCoy.

"Or by misleading the innocent," replied Dr. McCoy.

…..

"According to legend, Triacus was the seat of a band of marauders who made constant war throughout the system of Epsilon Indi," Spock said to Kirk while discussing about the origins of this alien entity. "After many centuries, the destroyers were themselves destroyed by those they had preyed upon."

"Is that the end of it?" Kirk asked.

"No. Like so many legends, this one, too, has a frightening ending. It warns that the evil is awaiting a catalyst to set it again into motion and send it marauding across the galaxy.

The story went on about the children's immense power, as granted by the entity, who continued on berating weakness or kindness, and by regaling his followers about how "_We _shall prevail," and "they will serve **us**". Finally, by the show's end and after much struggle against the powerful and superior being, Kirk managed to turn the children on their spiritual guide by convincing everyone to "see you for what you really are!" The entity, whose image was once magnificent to behold, quickly deformed into a grotesque, ogre like beast as he faded away espousing hate at all of them.

"Eh, it's not one of their better episodes," Norman said, "but it's watchable."

For some reason Moka didn't share in his viewpoint, though what she did find difficult to understand was why she was so engrossed in this story in the first place, as though it spoke to her for some reason or wanted it to speak to her. Something about the quote: "_Evil seeks to suppress the truth," _seemed vaguely upsetting, though mentally insisted it was nothing, but a TV show, and an episode that even a trek fan like Norman disliked.

_Why should I be bothered by it? _She wondered. _It doesn't refer to me, and why would it!_

Troubling thoughts and questions began to arise in regards to her gaps in memory: was she being manipulated by some unseen force? Was she, herself evil or just some evil being's unwitting pawn?

"Who wants to hear another stirring piece?" An enthusiastic Jay yelled from the piano out to his adoring public, all eager, save Moka.

"Play Two Steps From Hell, Freedom Fighters!" Norman suggested which elicited a look from Jay.

"Play _what?" _Jay asked. "Where'd you hear that?"

"From the recent, 2009 Star Trek movie; played it on the theatrical trailer, thought it was epic!"

"Of course, Star Trek. Well, I'm not doing anything from Star Trek, c'mon anybody else."

While everyone began pitching ideas to their pianist, Moka made a hasty retreat from the area before he began playing, uninterested in listening more music about how happy humans were or being human. She had had enough with trying to figure out these strange people and found it easier to distance herself from them and hold onto age-old prejudices rather than wear herself out with making up explanations. However, it had gotten too cold go outside on the roof and so she had little options on where to go, but fortunately she stumbles upon a computer lab with over dozens of public access computers with head phones attached lined up and next no one inside. Moka had never been on the internet before, though she had heard about it many times, but had been too old fashioned to try it, though with a desire to be somewhere until it was lights out, she couldn't find a better excuse to try it out now than later.

_It'll just be until bedtime, _she reasoned. _Just for tonight._

After some difficulty, she was able to log on, but had no idea where to go or what to look up. Then, Moka remembered 911 and the man she saw on TV years ago, and curious, looks up the names of all those firemen who perished on that fateful day. Conveniently, she found a website that, not only had all their names, but photos of each man and staring at their faces and knowing what befell them brought a funny feeling over her, as though it was a feeling that needed to addressed, yet unfortunately not one came close to resembling the man she saw.

_I don't understand, _she thought. _He should be here. A name! All I need is a name!_

She scrutinized each and every photo time and again, but none fit her description.

_Perhaps he really survived that day, _she theorized and a strange wave of alleviation and joy came over her, knowing he survived it, despite being only human.

She checked the lists of known survivors, but not one resembled him. Moka wanted to check the photos of the deceased one more time, but the growing discomfort she felt of looking each man in the eye and trying to brush the experience away as if it was nothing, began to wear on her and chose to abandon it. Moka began to think that maybe it had all been a dream, perhaps it didn't happen the way she remembered it and Dr. Kohaku was mistaken, she assured herself. However, she found a link that contained video footage of that day in New York, and though finding it rather odd to play a video on a computer, she nonetheless pondered on whether it deserved watching.

And, why should she? She was right, after all; the man in her vision did not exist, thus proving that the moment in question was most likely false, perhaps not happening the she remembered it and that humans were every bit the spineless, weaklings she had been taught. So, what was there to be afraid of? It was as if the doctor had implanted himself inside her head to challenge any defiant thought she had and it appeared to be weighing heavily on her to view the vid.

_Why should I? I don't have to look at it, I know it's fake, all of it! Humans are weak!_

_**Then, what are you afraid of? **_She imagined hearing what she believed was the doctor's voice challenging her.

"I'm not afraid!" She said aloud, and was secretly grateful that the only person nearby was a guy with headphones on. "I'm not afraid."

Wanting to prove her pride to this invisible foe just how right she was, she puts on the head phones and immediately clicks on the link. Almost instantly she was bombarded with clear, high definition footage of all the mayhem, carnage, and look of utter sorrow in such pristine detail as if she had somehow been transported back through time and delivered there, right on the spot. She felt every ounce of agony from the spectators, felt the very ground shake as a plane flies overhead and smash into a building; there was no mistaking just how real this was. And, as she continued watching, what made it feel even more jarring was the fact that everything occurring was just how she remembered it, it literally brought her back to that moment, that unbelievable moment she had somehow forgotten for so long; this _did_ happen, she _was_ there and it _was_ a part of her memory. However, as the footage of the firemen was shown, she saw that unforgettable footage of the firefighters walking toward the North Tower where she'd seen that young man's face, but instead there was a completely different looking man walking in his place, an older, more portly white guy. Moka couldn't understand it, she started to remember everything about this day, and yet couldn't remember seeing him on the TV screen; but, Moka was sure that there was a much younger man; she hadn't imagined him being there. She sat and watched every inch of footage, braving the content just to catch a glimpse, just one glimpse, but from beginning to end he was nowhere. It left her dumbfounded and dejected, she had wanted badly to see him again, and yet not being able to felt like he stood her up or something, and it bothered her greatly. She began searching every link about 911 that had any pictures of the rescue personnel or civilians, and there were many to go over, but she had become an obsessed woman over a man that appeared to have never existed at all.

Moka didn't know what else to do, but ponder on her own sanity.

_I didn't imagine him up! He's real! If 911 was real, if...if I may have been wrong in...some of my assessment of humans, then surely he was a real man! Why, can't I find him?_

It drove her mad, but in the end there was very little that could be done. Desperate to take her mind off of it, she stared aimlessly at the screen, trying to think of something to do, until she recalled the doctor going on about this show he used to watch that frightened him towards immortality. Curious about what he was talking about and wanting to take her mind off of a non-existent man, plus wanting to know just what was so bad about being immortal, she typed up episodes of the Twilight Zone, getting a link that led her to a website that offered free online episodes for viewing. It was a much older show, long before her time and shown only in black and white, yet she didn't know which episode the doctor was talking about, only scrolling down the list until one in particular caught her eye: a season five episode called "Steel", just steel. Interested, she clicked on its linked and watched a thirty minute episode about a former boxer serving as the boxing promoter of some robot, fighting in a robot boxing league in some parallel universe where human boxing is illegal.

_And rightly so, _she thinks to herself, finding the sport to be ridiculous given their strength and low tolerance towards pain.

As the story progresses, his prize robot, which was out dated by the standards of the time, breaks down and, unwilling to back out of the fight, masquerades as his robot and gets into the ring himself with the challenger: a higher, more upgraded model. For Moka, the ending was all too predictable as the man, after going six rounds and suffering near life threatening blows from his robot adversary as everyone booed him and cheered the ring's true champion, earning only a token amount of prize money for such a pitiful performance, far less than was offered, is brought back to the gym beaten and, by all appearances, broken. Then came, what was for her, the twist ending: as the man lay bloodied on the floor, with his friend hovering nearby, and yet he was determined to use the money to buy parts needed for his beat-up, broken down robot and prepared for its next fight. It turned out that it wasn't the fight which mattered to the overall story, but as the narrator put it, it was the man's courage and determination, his _human_ spirit which did. The narrator closed the story by saying:

"_Portrait of a losing side, proof positive that you can't outpunch machinery_. _Proof also of something else: that no matter what the future brings, man's capacity to rise to the occasion will remain unaltered. His potential for tenacity and optimism continues, __as always__, to outfight, outpoint and outlive any and all changes made by his society, for which three cheers and a unanimous decision rendered from _the..."

"No, no no!" Moka said aloud as she rose up from the chair in angry indignation. "You're wrong! That ending made no sense, because there's nothing great about humanity! He lost because he was weak and he should have been ashamed for even getting in the ring with a powerful opponent, how can you..."

She realized she was yelling at a computer and this time it did illicit a stare, which prompted her to quickly sit down and hide behind the monitor. She felt ashamed for letting some human made production get to her, but it did dawn to her that the story was _that_ good if it really affected the way she felt. Compelled to find the established meaning, she watched and re-watched the same episode again and again, yet it still eluded her. It was, by every indication exactly the same kind of drivel the doctor was going on about, and it failed to agree with her thinking then as it does now. Surely, the other episodes weren't like that, but then again she balked at taking such a chance in delving into more ludicrous episodes my by humans that championed their so-called "tenacity". Moka simply could not believe that they were capable of making programming like this, and yet a part of her found herself impressed that they had the capacity to make such creative works, however flawed the message behind them were.

_Sheep, _she kept thinking to herself, _that's all they are, just sheep! There's nothing to be proud of in being a sheep._

Disenchanted by the show, she next looks up something about pride, basically just typing the word in the search engine box, hoping to find something that would encourage her feelings in what it meant to be an S-class monster, to refresh her taste after watching that Twilight Zone episode, and hopefully finding something that was made by a vampire for other vampires, if that was possible. The search engine showed a small box underneath that contained the memory of past users who had also looked for the word, seeing various forms of its usage and one that contained something called: "Pride U2". Convinced that this was what she was looking for, thinking that the U-2 meant it was some eBook to inspire the reader: her, she wasted no time in clicking the search button, only to find out that it referred to a music video.

She had no idea what a music video was, even though knowing what music was, and despite Jay's constant playing, in the fog of her memory Moka could vaguely recall music being played as a child only within the grand hall of her father's house, and typically during receptions. Vampires were not especially attuned to music or singing, and when they were, it was always on some mild whim. As far as she was concerned, music was listened to, but never put on video to be watched; still, if this song was about pride then it would satisfy her desire on being placated after such a dismal story and so clicked on the first link to this "music video".

The song itself was not as loud as she would've thought, starting off soft, but gradually building up in tune in what she could only describe as almost harmonious. The video itself, like the Twilight Zone episode, was in black and white, with a band playing, interlaced with scenes of various people young and old. The lyrics seemed to be telling a story about man long since dead and some message he left behind.

"_In the name of love_

_What more in the name of love_

_In the name of love_

_What more in the name of love"_

Moka quickly realized that this song was not about pride, at least her idea of pride, that of a vampire's, and as much as she wanted to leave this song, its smooth melody and powerful words made it hard to shut it out. Moka had never heard anyone sing like this, could scarcely believe that mere sheep could put to words lyrics that were so uplifting and haunting, and before long she found herself moving to the beat as though some magic spell was cast upon her, that not even the power of her pride could discourage from.

_I should hate humans, _she thought. _I should hate everything about them, I should even hate this song, but I don't. How could such people make something like this? How were these people able to convey a message through song, especially so eloquently? Why am I moving like this? Why do I have this feeling of...joy, happiness, and being content?_

When it ended, Moka learned more about the song, that it was about a man named Martin Luther King Jr., and made it a point to remember the name so as to look him up later, but the music bug had bitten this vampire, and she wanted to listen to more human-made songs that could be found, and being taken to iTunes for a more varied selection. It didn't matter what it was called or about, she listened to every song there was and marveled at their variety. From the world she was from, their music had a generic feel of displaying opulence and regality. The humans, on the other hand, sang about anything, with singing styles that were even more varied: from hip-hop to heavy metal, Blues to Classical; some sang about angst and were hardcore, others about depressing subjects like lost love or death. Some had something important things to say like politics, while others were simply about having a good time with friends; it seemed to her that humans sang about whatever moved them in the moment, with their lyrics speaking to others in such a way that mere talking could not do.

Who were these people?

For so long, Moka was convinced of humanity's inferiority and narrow-minded bigotry based in part on her own experiences at school, and yet since arriving at this half-way house, she met a side of humanity that challenged everything she knew, and now listening to their music it not only shook her extremely small world even more, but it felt alright.

Who or what were humans? Why were they so different from one another? Why were they so talented and brave and so confusing at the same time? Moka could not make any sense of it, and still she continued listening to various songs until she felt her mind could not process anymore; but, the night was still young?

"What else should I look up?" She asked herself, looking at the computer, and then remembered Martin Luther King and decided to find out what was so great about him that he deserved a song.

Greatness to a vampire was all about outward strength, of flaunting it and displaying an intimidating aura of power to cow dissidents and the weak; it was a trait she knew humans could never muster on their own, inferior power. If a song was to be made about anyone, then it would be to show how terrifyingly influential and proud he was.

The Wikipedia entry about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. showed he was a man who lived and died in the United States long before she had been born, which being a human did not terribly surprise her, though it made her curious how any creature with a limited lifespan could leave any kind of an impact on today. As Moka reads on, she learns that he fought for something called civil rights, which was the right for all men and women to be treated equally. It was an absurd notion to her, this "civil rights"; creatures on earth were judged by what order of evolution and the food chain they were placed on, and were treated as such, this was the way of all things in the world. It later showed that he had been killed by an assassin, someone who hated what he preached and that nearly helped to once again reinforce her views on humans trying to bring others down to their level, in spite of everything she experienced.

_The march from Selma to Washington? _She wondered, reading about this highlighted entry covering a speech he had made. Curious, she clicks on the link and observes another black and white vid, this one more of a video documentary showing the man in question walking with a bunch of people, arms linked and marching many miles to what she believed to a city called Washington, D.C. The documentary goes on to explain the civil rights movement that some humans of a different color were being persecuted by humans of another color, and that has lead King and other activists to undergo a campaign of peace to undo the civil strife, culminating in this moment before her. She failed to understand why they would fight class distinction when it had always established order, but more importantly she wondered how they hoped to fight against it using peaceful demonstrations. The vid went on to show snippets of past moments where these people were struggling to abolish this division and all that they suffered for it, like being harassed by dogs, having water sprayed full force on them, which terrified her greatly to see or merely being beaten to death.

They were chanting, a hopeful tune about overcoming their lot in life, someday; a tune that emboldened many despite what she saw and it didn't feel like they would be content with how things were. They marched on foot a grueling number of miles, impressing even her with their fortitude, knowing how quickly tired humans could get; though even she had to admit that such a journey would be difficult for her. Finally, after a long and arduous trek, King and his followers, which by that time had swelled to an amazing number of people from all walks of life, had made it to their destination, and so stood this mere human man at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before this vast sea of humans all eager to hear what he had to say. Moka waited patiently to hear this man speak, as she imagined those people were at the time, curious to know what was so great about him, thinking it was little more to be impressed; it was one thing to sing a good song, she would admit to that, it was another to do great things when your strength levels had severe limitations. However, as right as she insisted on being, she couldn't have been more wrong when the man finally spoke.

"_**I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.**_

_**Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.**_

_**But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.**_

_**In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness**_."

It hurt Moka to hear it, hurt in what it took to fight back some feeling of awe for a human being speaking, a mere mortal, but his voice was strong like her father's, perhaps even stronger, with the weight of his own words reflecting her mother's wisdom as though they learned from him, as he spoke of freedom and equality, hurt to feel some level of respect that seemed rightly due towards him.

But, he was just a human, and humans craved misery in others to make themselves feel superior just like her sister had said, not inspire anyone, let alone a superior being like her, and yet his strong voice went on speaking.

"_**I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.**_

_**Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.**_

_**I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."**_

_**I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.**_

_**I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.**_

_**I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.**_

_**I have a dream today.**_

_**I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.**_

_**I have a dream today.**_

_**I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.**_

_**This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."**_

_**And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!**_

_**Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!**_

_**Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!**_

_**But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!**_

_**Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!**_

_**Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.**_

_**And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"**_

The crowd erupted, the air both filled and felt their joyous cheers, and a certain vampire, watching many years later, several thousand miles away couldn't find the words. She let the video run its course and sat there in both stunned silence and deep reflection. Moka had been so caught up in the entire speech that for a moment it was if she was there, that for a moment she forgot she was in the computer lab virtually alone, but not really. This human, this man was almost speaking to her from the grave, and she could still hear his voice, and never before did she know this is how humans felt. Freedom, unity, equality, all of these were alien to her, but in that speech there was talk of peace and tranquility, that these people, _every_ people would fight to see such things, even walk hundreds of miles for it.

_Let freedom ring, _she heard his voice repeat. _We are free at last!_

Like their music, humans varied sharply from one another, as well as their ideals. Humans had pride that much she could see, but it was clear, painfully clear that some of them also believed in the rights of all, and like the doctor, believed in treating others the same way they would want to be treated. Needless to say, after holding to her views for so long, it left her confused as to how she should feel, and wanting desperately to know more about humans in even greater detail, she looked up other humans similar to Dr. King. She looked up a man named Gandhi and read his words:

"_**We cannot evoke the true spirit of sacrifice and velour, so long as we are not free. I know the British Government will not be able to withhold freedom from us, when we have made enough self-sacrifice. We must, therefore, purge ourselves of hatred. Speaking for myself, I can say that I have never felt any hatred. As a matter of fact, I feel myself to be a greater friend of the British now than ever before. One reason is that they are today in distress. My very friendship, therefore, demands that I should try to save them from their mistakes. As I view the situation, they are on the brink of an abyss. It, therefore, becomes my duty to warn them of their danger even though it may, for the time being, anger them to the point of cutting off the friendly hand that is stretched out to help them. People may laugh, nevertheless that is my claim. At a time when I may have to launch the biggest struggle of my life, I may not harbor hatred against anybody**_."

She listened to Franklin D. Roosevelt and his famous "_**The only thing we have to fear is, fear itself**_," speech. She listened to one of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy's speech, where it was there that she learned something very stunning, not of the man, but of the subject:

"_**We choose to go to the moon**_," the president said. "_**We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."**_

"The moon?" She whispered aloud. "They've been to the moon?"

She actively looked up humans going to the moon and was bombarded with an information that basically said not only have they gone to the moon, but intend to go beyond even that. She saw web videos of the first men, the first people of earth ever to set foot on the moon, that giant white, sometimes blood red orb in the night time sky she took for granted; it floored her to see these so-called "sheep" boldly going up to it in dangerous missions, with only artificial oxygen to breathe and stepping on that orb many years before being born.

"_**One small step for man**_," said the first man to set foot on the moon, "_**one giant leap for mankind**_."

"Impossible," she muttered, her mouth agape like some dumbfounded fool.

How could anyone conceive of walking on the moon, it was always viewed by her kind and others to be a source of power, not an object you could obtain and physically touch, and yet humans, these inferior beings, have set their footprints in its dust long before she even conceived it to be possible. It wasn't until the astronaut showed a shot of earth though, that Moka literally exhaled a deep sigh over just how little she herself knew about the world or herself. No vampire has ever seen the earth from space, let alone knew how it looked save for a few globes, but seeing how it looked for the first time, half visible like a half moon, a large dome of alternating blue, brown, and wispy white streaks made all her problems seem minor and insignificant; truly there were no class distinctions, no vampires or humans, and being S-class was like being nothing as everything was a non-visible speck. Suddenly, Jay's words and songs took on new meaning.

She continued reading more about past deeds in history, major tragedies that had occurred and how they rose from it with an enviable strength, and recognizing how each succeeding generation impacted the world in some way. Their words, music, accomplishments, all that they stood for has done more in their meager lifetimes than any vampire has done in the multitude life span he or she possesses; she realized that is what it means to leave a legacy and why, because life is so short for humans that they want to make their lives worth something.

"Hey, bed time," an orderly called, bringing her back to earth.

Time had indeed flown by while in the computer lab, just as she had wanted, but came with a little more than she bargained for. Upon entering the room she shared, she once again found her roommate in bed reading another letter from her husband.

"Oh hey, listen to this," Blanche said with a smile, "he knows where I am and why, and is currently talking to the board of trustees to have me released. See, I told you my man wouldn't let me down; no way!"

Moka just smiled and climbed into bed, trying to sleep, but was unable to, not with a mind swirling with so much information, information that challenged the very world around itself, as if those pioneering humans were working their magic, and it felt they were succeeding. Being human wasn't as simple as she had thought, indeed they were many complexities about them that she found hard to understand; it was something Hoshii tried to explain all those years ago, but Moka failed to listen. Now, she learned a lot about their unshakeable beliefs and that they did believe in the unity of all people:

_All men are created equal..._

They had aspirations that exceeded their physical grasps, but by no means would it quell their spirit:

_I have a dream..._

And, though they lacked perfection, though they fell short of what made vampires perfect to everyone else, humans were not confined to their lot in life, but saw it as a stepping stone towards something even greater:

_Not because it is easy, but because it is hard..._

Through it all, some of the doctor's words began to make sense and a hint of jealousy crept into her heart, wondering what had she done worthwhile in her life that mere mortals can accomplish in theirs. Moka felt like a stupid child at having not known them at all, while knowing herself even less; still, did it make it alright to simply forget about her past experiences like that? It made her begrudging respect for her enemies that much difficult, and left sleep a stuff of dreams.

The next day went pretty uneventful; no longer did Moka react to the humans around her with open hostility, but while there was little interaction, she instead merely observed them through an impartial lens, trying to learn as much about them as she could, and none disappointed her for indeed they were every bit the eclectic bunch Moka had learned last night. The more she observed, the more she came to learn about each individual in depth; some were short like Norman, whose taste in Star Trek differed greatly with everyone else, others were taller and of an opposite skin hue like Jay, who's blindness didn't seem to make him an outsider nor hindered his progress in any way. Some of the humans were natives, like herself, others were foreigners with differing features and accents; there were older ones, younger ones, sad and happy, all so unique in their own way.

After going outside to get some fresh air, she felt satisfied having learned enough to quell her curiosity, but it in no way helped Moka come to terms with sheer confusion she felt inside. She was, despite it all, still a vampire and as far above all of them as they were to animals, such as a bird. Speaking of which, as she aimlessly looked about the clear, noon sky her attention was alerted to Chairo, the brown raven that had eluded her before. He was too far away this time, hobbling about the trees with the other ravens and crows, his smooth brown feathers as creamy as caramel in the light and stood out like always, but taunting the vampire who's very attention seemed embroiled in its antics.

"Hello, Chairo," she said quietly, as though the raven, which looked directly at her, could not only hear, but understand her. "Why don't you come here and play with me?"

In answer to her question, he defiantly took off and began to fly away. Taken aback by such defiance, Moka tried to dismiss it altogether, thinking it was just a dumb animal and she a supreme being.

_Once, my kind could turn into any animal; bats, birds, anything and could fly like that, _she thought.

As if reading her mind, the raven began to fly higher and higher, causing her to tilt her head until it hurt, as if further defying the girl's notion of superiority, however Moka remained convinced that if vampires wanted, they could fly themselves to such dizzying heights if a mere bird could do so. Again, this flippant animal, so high up that it was a nothing, but a tiny dot, suddenly plummeted down towards earth in a spiral, clocking at 90mph and scaring Moka into thinking that it would die, when it suddenly corrected itself and began to zigzag away through the trees at the same rate of speed with uncanny procession; needless to say this vampire had been schooled by a lesser animal, without ever leaving the ground.

_Strange bird, _she thought, trying to play off the feeling of being humbled. Nevertheless, he was still a magnificent specimen and thoughts of capturing him hadn't escaped her mind.

Idle, she roamed about the grounds with nothing, but troubled thoughts to keep her company; it felt like she was in a tug of war over her wounded pride and had been taught as the way of all things or accepting an alternative outlook.

"AAAAAH, HELP!" She heard a cry that shocked her out of her reverie. Alert, she looked around for the source and found Rin Kohaku sitting against the wall, literally pressed up against as though something frightening had her cornered.

"RIN!" Moka cried out as she rushed to her side. "What is it, what are you..."

But, Moka didn't need for her to finish that sentence, as she herself found the reason for the girl's fear: a venomous snake, coiled and poised to strike if either of them made a sudden move.

"Don't move," Moka whispered.

"Lucy," Rin wept.

"Shhh! Stay right there."

Moka could understand the girl's fear; this particular snake was no joke, even for a vampire its venom may not be enough to kill her, but its toxins would cause severe pain just the same; she slowly began to remember one such moment as a child, of playing in a nearby garden while under Ria's supervision and being bitten. The pain had been excruciating, the poison wreaking havoc within her very bodily fluids, and all the while her sister seemed less than concern.

"You'll heal," Ria merely said. "Don't be such a human; it'll take more than a mere snake bite to destroy us!"

Though she was right, Moka couldn't help, but feel anger at the fact that her own sister would allow such a thing to happen and not share in her feelings of pain and suffering. But now, however she had made up her mind that this serpent need to be removed or it would kill Rin, so she very slowly grabs a nearby stick and prepares to do whatever was necessary to stop it, never once taking her eye off of it.

"What are you doing?" Rin asked.

"Rin, you'll have to..."

Yet, as Moka looked back at her, for a split second the girl had changed before her eyes, and so had their surroundings, but by no means the situation. In her place was an older, dark haired girl in a red jacket, shaking with fear as a giant, snake woman loomed overhead, and that she herself stood in between the threat.

"LUCY!" Rin squealed, and the snake started to budge from the frightened girl's shriek.

"Okay, now listen. This snake is going to strike no matter what we do, so...I'm going to try to get it to strike me."

"What! Are you crazy?"

"When it does, I want to wait until I say now, then grab my hand and we'll run together, okay?"

Rin looked at her, and then back at the snake, which seemed immense in size to her and started to lose confidence in the plan.

"Nooo, I can't, I'm too scared!" She wailed.

"Rin, please, I know you can do it! I know you can be brave for me, I believe in you!"

"Y-You do?"

"Yes," Moka replied and then stretched out her hand for Rin to grab when it was time. "I need you to trust in me. Do you trust me?"

"Y-Yes."

"Good. Now, get ready."

Rin closed her eyes and Moka found herself holding her own breath in baited anticipation. Warily, she jabbed the stick, daring the snake to make its move; finally she poked it hard and in flash came for her. Everything happened in slow-motion, the snake flying in through the air in almost a graceful manner, its four fangs glistening in the light, the color of its tongue in clear detail, all was exquisite to behold had it not been for the fact that this creature intended to kill his admirers. With her superhuman reflexes to rely on, though, Moka was able to knock it to the side with a wild, but well placed blow from her stick, then yelled to Rin:

"Now!"

Without hesitation, Rin grabbed Moka's hand and the two sprinted from the area before either of them fully realized what happened. Once convinced they were safe, vampire and girl stopped to take a breather, and Rin quickly wrapped Moka in a tight hug, the feeling itself strange, but almost endearing.

"Thank you," Rin said.

"Thank...you?" Moka asked.

"You saved my life, I don't know what to say. I thought snakes would be hibernating at this time of year, but because of how warm it's gotten...heh, freaking climate change!"

"Are...are you alright?" Moka found herself asking.

"Yeah, I'm fine now. How about you?"

"What about me, I'm not..."

"Well, you're shaking," Rin pointed out, and it was then Moka noticed that her hands were indeed shaking; not only that, but her very pulse had quickened. "Look, I'm shaking too, see!"

They were both shaking from their ordeal; is this what it meant to feel fear? It was inconceivable for her to give in to any such emotion while in the presence of humans, much less share the same emotions with them. She had to convince herself that it was merely adrenaline that she felt, but did that mean Rin felt the same? It was impossible, and yet Moka rationalized it was fear the human girl felt, but they both shook extremely. So, why had she felt obligated to help this girl who was nothing, but a mere sheep to her? Why had there been a great unwillingness of allowing this girl to feel the excruciating pain of a snake bite become so strong that it would force her to care what happened and take immediate action? Furthermore, what kind of hallucination had momentarily taken over; who was that girl and what why did her safety feel so important?

_It...It had to be nothing, it has to be! _She thought, and yet her hands continued to shake, just like Rin's.

Rin smiled, and Moka couldn't help, but do the same.

Moka's confused thoughts made it difficult to focus, even while in the busy teahouse as Koga showed her the ropes of card playing.

"Earth to Luce," he joked to her.

"Earth," she muttered, lost in her own world.

"Hey!"

"Huh, oh, I'm sorry. Please, continue."

"Sure, I was just telling you how you were leaking bodily fluid all on the floor just now," he joked.

"Huh? Oh, that's good," she replied, but quickly realized what he had said. "Wait, what?"

"I'm kidding," he laughed. "So, what's eating away at the great and powerful Lucy, all of a sudden?"

"...It's nothing, I just...some stuff, that's all. Koga, what do you know about...911?"

"911?" He asked, looking up from his cards.

"Yeah. What...what do you remember about it?"

"Well, it's not something I normally like to think about, I mean it _was_ a terrible moment..."

"So, it really did happen?"

"Yeah; of course a few conspiracy nuts have all kinds of shit to say about what went down, but bottom line is that a lot of people died."

"A lot of brave people," she said quietly.

"Why, you remember something?"

"Yeah."

"It have anything to do with that day? You lose someone then?"

"No...Yes...I don't know. All I know is...there were humans who died...bravely."

"Yeah, I guess."

"What about...Dr. Martin Luther King?"

"What is this a history lesson," he laughed. "If it is then you're out of luck, cuz this guy flunked 8th grade History!"

"Forget I said anything, I'm sorry."

She began to black out for a minute, with the words "I'm sorry", playing over and over again.

"Yoohoo, Luce!" Koga called out, greeting her with a friendly smile as soon as she came to. "Hey, why don't you go get yourself something to wake you up, I know a little cake and pastry shop just around the corner, can't miss it; they sale the best cakes around!"

"Uh, yeah, sure, okay," she responded. "Around the corner?"

"Yep, I'll wait here and let you get what you want; here," he said, handing her some money. "Get whatever you want, it's on me."

"Thank you."

Koga watched as she nervously walks out of the teahouse, a little worried, but not half as apprehensive as the menacing figure he spied staring at him from one of the booths, a figure easily recognizable to him.

_Oh great, _he dreaded.

In the meantime, Moka made her way to the bakery shop, yet couldn't figure out what was going through her mind as all she knew was that feelings of guilt kept plaguing her heart enough that it made a simple walk difficult; it took a few minutes before noticing she'd completely passed the pastry shop twice, which wasn't hard to miss at all. Upon entering the quaint establishment, she was bombarded by decorative cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls and every baked sweet of any type all around this white and pink atmosphere.

"Be right there!" Someone called from the back in response to the little bell chime positioned next to the door.

Tables and chairs dotted the place for people's leisure, but as there was only one, young boy sitting alone, dining on a malt shake and a white cake, while doing homework, it seemed mute at the time to have any accommodations at all. Nevertheless, the selections they had were tempting for repeated visits, in fact the counter was one, big display of confectionery delights, enough to make her forget about any troubles if for only a while, and literally brought her nose right up to the glass.

"Can I help you?" A woman's voice ask from up above.

"Mmm, I'm looking for now."

"Take your time," the woman replied. "Kirei, how's your work coming along?"

"Fine, mom," the little boy replied, never taking his nose out of his book or the treats before him.

_Her son? _Moka thought. _It's just her and her son?_

Not wanting to think anything more of it, Moka kept looking until she saw a nicely made, thick slice of strawberry shortcake that appeared delectable and just had to have it.

"Okay, I've made my choice, I'd like a..."

But, Moka's voice stopped short as she raised her head and saw the woman behind the bar; it wasn't the fact that she was a pretty blonde, about her age with pleasant blue eyes that greeted Moka. Rather, as Moka stared deeply at this person, she could not help but sense some familiarity with her, like she was a person from the past that she never thought to see again.

"...Ummm," Moka mumbled, lowering her head and trying to find the words to speak. "The, uh, strawberry shortcake, please."

"Strawberry shortcake, my favorite," the woman commented. "You made a goooood choice."

"Mom, you sound funny whenever you talk like that," the boy laughed.

"You do your work, _Mr. Kikomura_, I didn't get you into that expensive academy so you could goof off worrying about my business, m'kay?" The woman countered.

"Ki-Kikomura?" Moka asked, breathlessly.

Moka found it impossible to believe, why the very odds were astronomical that this woman standing in front of her would be _that_ Kikomura. Still, she had to know, had to confirm that this was a mere coincidence that her son's last name was Kikomura.

"Don't mind my son, he loves to find _some_ reason to drift away from his work and play around."

"Is...Is your name Kikomura?"

"Yes it is," she responded, "in fact, that's the name on the shop: Kikomura's Pastries; I'm Takane, Takane Kikomura, I started this business only recently."

Moka felt like fainting, and now that she realized it, the choice in cake was exactly the kind she gave to her all those years ago as kids. Takane Kikomura, her sole human companion growing up, one time tormentor, then turned friend after Moka broke the ice, only to have that friendship dissolve when she wanted to reveal the world of monsters to her, believing this human girl was ready for it. She hadn't seen or talked with her since until now, and suddenly all of those bad feelings came flooding back.

"Why'd you ask?" Takane asked.

"...No reason," Moka replied, keeping her head low in the hopes she would not recognize her. "On second though, I think I'll just..."

"Say, now that I think about it, you look kind of familiar to me," Takane responded, freezing Moka in her place.

"Familiar? How so?"

"It's the hair."

"M-My hair? What about it?"

"Well, it's so unique, pink I mean, it stands out with me for some reason. Maybe because it reminds me of this girl I used to know back in middle school."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was friends with this very strange girl."

"Strange?" Moka asked, growing irate that she would think of her as being strange. "What was so strange about her? So, what if she was a little different from you, that doesn't mean..."

"Oh no, no, no, you got it all wrong, I didn't mean it in a bad way, just that she had her quirks, that's all. And, like I said that hair color of yours reminded me of her because it was so unique at the time; pink hair really has a way of standing out, but then again I spent a year in Tokyo and saw a lot of girls with pink, green or even purple hair, so I've gotten used to it."

Takane's rather weak apology did little to quell Moka's pain filled rage from her remark, as feelings from their fight continued to swell so much that she was ready to reach over that bar and finish what she started. But, then she said something that took the proud and angry vampire completely by surprise.

"The things I did to her...oh, I was so immature and stupid."

"W-What?" Moka asked.

"Yes...I feel awful for the way things ended between us, I remember it so clearly because it was right around the time my mom caught my dad cheating with my best friend's older sister."

"Um, I doubt they were cheating," Moka tried to correct her, but a strange look from Takane caused her to reiterate. "Uh, I would...assume."

"No, they were in fact having an affair, my dad eventually confessed to it."

"They...they were; I...," she stammered, stunned at this revelation of both his and her sister's guilt, only so many years later.

"Yeah, but he wasn't solely to blame, I mean mom was cheating on him at the time, too. In any case, they eventually split up, my mom went to god-knows where, hadn't spoken to her since and good riddance."

"Your parents split up and you're glad to not see your mom, again? Why? Don't you love her?"

"I did and for a while I hated my dad for hurting _her_, but I later found out she didn't feel the same way about me or dad, I mean he only did what he did partly because of her, so we had to learn to move on without her; I still keep in touch with my father and my step mom, and the four of us get along really well. Oh, that's my son, Kirei Kikomura."

"Hi," he said with an enthusiastic smile.

"He's the best thing to happen in my life in a long time."

"And...all of this is yours?" Moka asked. "You opened a bakery?"

"Yeah, but it's going under. Business is good, just that it could be better, what with the rising costs it's becoming a hassle to even keep it afloat; may have to go out of business, soon. All my ill fortune the same, I think this and so many other things in the past is karma for how much of a brat I was in middle school; that's why I teach my Kirei to always treat others as you would have them treat you, isn't that right?"

"Yes mom."

Trying to play dumb, Moka asks her about what transpired between her and this friend.

"Well," Takane began while getting Moka's order, "like I said it was around when my parents were experiencing some problems as a result of her sister, but to be honest I never liked her sister to begin with; it never affected my friendship with the girl, though, I just didn't like her sister is all. Still, I thought _she_ of all people would understand what I was going through at the time and, well be there for me. But, instead I catch her with this guy I liked and jumped to the wrong conclusions, and one thing led to another and I walked away with a dislocated shoulder and no friend. I blamed her for what happened a long time, but in reality I was just...angry, angry and stupid, it was no excuse for how I acted. I was mad that she wouldn't help me get through what I was going through, I just...wanted someone to talk to and comfort me, you know?"

"You...did? I didn't...I mean, yeah...I know."

"Yeah. If I had a chance to talk to her again, I'd apologize and hope we could bury the hatchet and be friends again."

"...Yes," Moka replied quietly and thoughtfully, her mind shaken by this outpouring from a girl she had harbored sour feelings toward for so many years, only to learn what could've been made apparent had she bothered to know.

"One strawberry shortcake, that will be 20 yen," said Takane.

Moka pays the fare and starts to leave, but not before asking her one last, vital question.

"You wouldn't happen to...remember your friend's name, would you?"

Takane looked away thoughtfully, trying hard to think back, only to shake her head no.

"...Come to think of it, I can't. I'm bad with names, all I can remember are faces, really. I do know her initials were M-A, but that's about it."

"Oh," she replied, her hopes dashed, but at least coming away with something, however small it might be.

"Come back anytime, though, I really enjoyed talking to you."

"Uh, yeah," Moka replied and walked out.

"She was pretty, mom," said Kirei.

"You really think so?"

"Yeah. Pretty strange!" He joked.

"Kirei, what did I say about being mean to other people."

"Alright, sorry."

But, as Takane cleaned down the counter, she began thinking to herself about the pretty, pink haired stranger, realizing that she was indeed strange, if not startling to look at; all traits that was possessed by the girl she once knew.

_Nah! _She thought to herself. _It couldn't be; you've been working too hard, lady!_

As Moka slowly walked back to the teahouse, she began to feel sick; not from talking with a human from her tortured past, but of the sudden revelations that made such ill-will seem so pointless. It was deeply upsetting to know that her older sister lied about simply talking with Takane's father all those years ago, upsetting that said sister then proceeded to espouse some bullshit theory about human behavior when she had just taken advantage of another family's troubles like a lowly jackal, but took advantage of her own bitterness and anger towards humanity. But, what was most upsetting was the fact that her former best friend had needed a friend after all; Takane wasn't trying to bring her down because she herself was down, she wanted a friend, much like she had wanted, and instead of being there for her, Moka acted as cruel and thoughtless like the kind of humans she had despised. The doctor was right all along, and it took until now for Moka to learn this.

"Oh god," she muttered.

"Oh god?" Asked a strange voice. "God cannot help you, Mr. Abarai; I'm afraid god's left the building."

Moka looks up and sees Koga being held by the neck of his shirt by a large, hulk-like black man in a white T-shirt and dark jeans, his piercing black eyes staring daggers into the beleaguered truck driver. But, as imposing as he was, he wasn't alone nor the one calling the shots; that honor went to a wizened old, Chinese gentleman dressed fancily in a long, flowing red and gold dragon robe that appeared to be several sizes too big for his frail, colorless body. However, as he stroked his flowing white, Fu Manchu beard with frighteningly long fingernails, and the cluster of men, which included the Goblin of Tosa stood cowardly behind him while he sat regally at Koga's table, entertained greatly by his predicament, it was clear this old man called the shots.

"You have really stuck your hand in the cookie jar, my dear friend," the old man taunted, "what a shame you cannot get it out."

"Temujin, c'mon, let's be reasonable," Koga pleaded. "We don't want to start nothing in here over a lousy bet."

"Don't let him talk you out of it, boss," the Goblin warned. "He's crafty, he'll lie and cheat his way, which is how we lost to him in the..."

A quick look from Temujin was enough to silence the mask wearing fool and remind him of his place.

"As I was saying..." Temujin continued.

"You were saying that you are a very reasonable and well respected gentleman, am I right?" Koga asked.

"Do not interrupt me!" He snapped, which caused his thug to tighten his grip on Koga.

"Koga, what's going on?" Moka asked. "Who are you, why are you threatening my friend?"

"Aww, Rosary Boss," the Goblin gushed.

"Bad timing, girl," Koga whispered down to her. "You should've stayed gone."

"Why? Are these people bothering you? If you don't let him down now, I'll..."

Now that she was downwind of the mysterious Temujin, she could understand why Koga was so apprehensive just by his smell; Temujin was a vampire, but not just any vampire, a psychic vampire, a very rare breed that feeds off of other people's life energies rather than blood. Moka had thought they were a myth, but apparently not as one stared and smiled perversely at her.

"Well, well, well," Temujin went, "so this is the girl your boys were so distracted by, Goblin. And, indeed she is quite a delectable piece, why the green eyes alone would make her a most welcomed addition to my ever shrinking harem."

"You keep your hands off of her, you dried up, old, hnnnggg!" Koga grimaced as the thug pressed his mammoth knuckles into Koga's chin.

"You're friends with this bag of fur and regret, Ms.?" He asked her. "Didn't the esteemed Mr. Koga tell you how indebt he is to me and my organization? It's bad enough I lose revenue to that accursed Fairy Tale organization, but I pay this worthless fool a large sum of money to carry out one act of corporate sabotage and he flakes on the deal!"

"It...it wasn't my fault, see I got jumped and..."

"ENOUGH!" Temjuin yelled, waving his hand in the air as if it would command him to be silent. "I don't want excuses! You've dodged me time and again, not even my mentally challenged cronies could handle you!"

"Look, whatever you want, I'm sure he can pay you," Moka tried to reason. "Just let him go."

"Yes, actually he can pay me back; I was content on taking his company truck, but upon seeing you, I think I can make a...reasonable arrangement."

Moka leered at his milky white eyes, disturbed at the way he stared hungrily at her and by his suggestion. She had heard about the feeding methods of these vampires, they'll leech off of anyone, including fellow vampires, draining them dry of all their energy until they were nothing, but a lifeless doll; if he had a harem, then they must be his food supply.

"You can't be serious?" Moka asked, sickly.

"Don't listen to him, Lucy, I'm not worth it, just get out of here!"

"Oh, that would be so unwise, Lucy," Temujin said with a fiendish smile. "If she were to somehow escape and hide, then I'm afraid I'll have to unleash hell upon the city. It is no large feat to raze a town and all its inhabitants to the ground with so little power at my disposal."

Moka balked at the idea, thinking it mad that he would resort to such senseless barbarism for something so trivial.

"You wouldn't!" She asked.

"Would I? I've done it many times in my long life, cities rise, cities fall, the people around us are merely dusts in the wind, ready to be blown by a simply breath; you, of all people should appreciate the simplicity of it all."

"I of all people? But, but these people are innocent, they have nothing to do..."

"These people? These people are sheep! You, however are a prize, a rare jewel in all of this, but to show that my intentions are sincere, I think I'll start with this block here. I know, I saw a insufferable bakery around the corner, a true eyesore, with no one but a woman and her bratty child. Attila!"

"Yes, boss," the giant man responded.

"Put down Koga, go pay that woman and her child a visit."

"Shall I take care of the child, then master?"

"Yes; I have no interest in children, take care of them both and anyone else who might be in there."

"You...y-you can't!" Moka cried. "They're good people, they've done you no harm; you can't!"

Unfortunately, her words go unheeded as Attila does as he is told with Koga and immediately heads towards the Kikomura shop. Moka looked around, wondering how everyone in the teahouse can look on so idle and not call the police.

"Isn't anyone going to do something?" She cried.

"They won't do a thing, my sweet, they are all under my thrall like good little sheep should be, even the police. They know I'll make an example out of them and their families should they stand up against me. I've had to make examples out of many people before they get it through their thick skulls, but then again I don't have to explain that to you; they know their place."

That did seem true by the way people looked away and attempted to be ignorant to what was about to happen, but one soul boldly defied the vampire's statement and stood in the giant's way.

"Hey," said the burly, yet visibly nervous bartender, "I don't want any trouble, okay?"

"You again," Temujin said with a sigh. "I thought you would've learned your place by now."

"Look, I let you guys come in my establishment and do whatever...but, everybody on this block knows Ms. Kikomura and her kid, they're good people and..."

"I thought I made it clear I don't care if everyone else has a problem with it."

"I'm not gonna sit idle while you harm that boy and his mother."

"Now, here we have an example of a stray lamb who was foolish into thinking that he alone could stand up to a predator with nothing, but his guts," Temujin said to her. "I had to learn him his place once before when he tried to refuse my use of his establishment to set up a nice, little prostitute ring for my compatriots. Every so often you get these wayward lambs and you have to show him where he ought to be; tell me kind sir, how is your wife's treatment been going? Any improvements? And, your daughters, how are they; it must be difficult to carry on after that vicious gang rape incident at their school, and of course your son...oh, too soon?"

_You really are a monster, _Moka thought bitterly of the old freak as she watched the quiet anguish wash over the bartender.

"Shall I kill this interloper, master?" Attila asked.

"No Attila, if he continues to stop you, then you'll just have to abandon the Kikomura establishment and go pay a visit to his ailing wife in the hospital."

"No!" The bartender cried, and begrudgingly stepped aside for the hulking brute to go murder a defenseless little boy, all just to prove something for this evil who resided in his teahouse.

"That is how you maintain a flock, my dear girl, I could teach you once you've left this dreary place."

So, this is what it meant to be a vampire, to have the freedom she so longed for ever since arriving in the human world, to be able to flaunt your power around those who are weaker than you. This is what it meant to be immortal. All of it was her dream at one time, to become a heartless, decrepit beast who would kill women and children for nothing at all special, but to set an example. There was no honor in it nor any real sense of a lasting legacy, just a hollow existence; nevertheless, Moka wasn't going to allow Takane and her son to suffer because of her.

"Wait!" Moka cried out. "I have another proposal!"

Temujin ordered Attila to stop with another wave of his hand, his interest peaked, and Moka was at least relieved it worked.

"And, what proposal might you have to offer other than simply giving yourself to me?"

"Luce...," Koga gasped, still reeling from being man-handled so roughly.

Moka tried to think of what to do; she thought about unleashing this power believed to lie dormant behind her rosary, but removing it was impossible and she didn't know if Koga cared enough about her to release it. There was nothing else at her disposal for this, nothing but...

"A card game," she announced. "Poker."

"Poker? You wish to play poker with me, my green eyed dumpling?"

"Yes," she said, her stomach turning after being called a green eyed dumpling by this vampire mutant. "I challenge you to a card game."

"Interesting; and do you happen to know anything about playing poker?"

"Um..."

"Luce, what the hell are you doing?" Koga whispered.

"I...know a little. If I win, you let me and go and never bother my friend or anyone else ever again."

"Fair enough, but if I win, you come with me willingly and I kill Koga for free!"

"Killing him isn't in the deal."

"It is now, dumpling."

"Dumpling, ehhh!" She grimaced, angrily.

It irked her to see him so smug and mocking, having this arrogant, decrepit old vampire calling her dumpling and making up his own rules. So, to stick it to him, she thought about throwing in a stipulation of her own.

"Fine, if that's how you want to play it; if I win, not only do you let me and Koga go, but you will leave this area for good, and pay me a cash prize!"

Temujin raised a curious eyebrow and began stroking his Fu Manchu beard thoughtfully.

"That's an interesting wager, young flower; the money part I can understand, but why care about Koga or this pen of sheep so much, hoping to make your own stake?"

"No, I just want you to leave them all alone."

"But, why?"

"Will you accept the terms or not? I can understand if you're afraid!"

That last statement was the very best she could hope to come up with into goading Temujin, for if he was a proper vampire then his pride will be more precious to him than his ridiculously long beard, and being called a coward would be a guaranteed invitation to his participation.

"Fine," he said after much consideration, "you have a deal. I shall give you the time needed to prepare for our match; we will meet tomorrow around the same time. Oh, and young pork bun, do wear something revealing; I intend to savor you right away while in the midst of my men laying waste to all of your friends, as I think bloodbaths tend to be incredibly stimulating to ladies like you."

The remark and his accompanying grin made Moka sick to her stomach, but as the old, dirty bastard glides away with his cronies in tow, she knew she was in trouble.

As the sun went down, young, school and neighborhood bully Suzaku had his own troubles to think about. After receiving another beat down from his mom's boyfriend, and with mom being less help than she was of any comfort, he carried his battered and beaten down form to a nearby creek bed to be alone to sulk. There seemed to nothing to ease his suffering nor anyone who could help, except:

_Her? _He wondered, remembering how that pink haired, mental patient of Dr. Kohaku's beat up Ryan effortlessly, but quickly wiped that thought out of his mind. _She's just a loon, she can't help me, and why would I want her help. Nobody's helped me before, nobody, and I especially don't need any help from a weird ass bitch like her._

"You idiot!" He heard someone yell. "What the hell are you thinking?"

Panicked, he hid behind some brush as Moka and Koga came into view nearby, arguing over the predicament she now found herself in.

"I had no choice, they were going to kill those people," she responded.

"If you had just stayed out of it, I..."

"What would you have done, he'd have killed you. He was a vampire, and a powerful one at that, what could you have done?"

"I've dealt with him and his kind many of times with just my wits, usually, I could've bluffed my way out of it!"

"I...I had to do something," she reiterated. "I just...I had to do something."

"Well, you did something alright."

"And, what would you have done differently, since you're so smart, I don't even know what kind of monster you are, maybe you were too weak or..."

"Too stupid to protect myself, is that what you were going to say? That, because I'm not some all-powerful, all know-it-all, sparkling vampire that I can't look after myself against a decrepit, peace of shit vamp like Temujin, huh?"

"I...I wasn't about to say it like that."

"Of course you were, because all vampires think the same, right?"

"N-No, that isn't true at all!"

"So, you're not all insufferable, then?"

"No!"

"...What made you decide to stick up for me and everybody else anyway?"

"He just...he made me mad, listening to him act so cold and superior, like nobody else mattered except for him, I...someone had to put him in his place!"

Koga looked at her long and hard, and then broke out laughing for whatever reason she couldn't understand.

"And on top of that, he has to pay you money now, huh? Boy, I can imagine seeing him humiliated by a pretty girl like you _and_ pay! Okay, princess, how are you going to beat him? You don't exactly possess the skills to win at poker, much less go fish."

"What's Go Fish?"

"Exactly my point."

"Well, what do you suggest I do? I can't go back on my word!"

"I'd be inclined to teach everything I know, for one condition."

"What?" She asked warily, while looking into his sneaky grin and wondering if he doesn't have some kind of motive that would squash his gentlemanly demeanor. "What is it that you want?"

"Ask first, duh!"

"You want me to ask you for help?"

"Yep."

"I...I can't."

"Why?"

"I just can't, okay! It'll be a sign of weakness."

"Going into battle without preparing yourself because you think it's a sign of weakness, is more of a sign of stupidity, which in itself is a sign of weakness."

"You...you can't understand; when a vampire asks for help, then it emboldens our enemies to attack us at their leisure."

"Fine, then you'll lose, I and everybody else will die horribly, and you'll become Temujin's latest sex slave/meal. It's been nice knowing ya!"

He prepares to walk back to his truck, indicating that he intends to leave her there and not even bother to teach her about cards. She knew there was only one way out of this mess and the only one to offer her any chance of victory is refusing to impart any useful knowledge because she refuses to plead for it.

"You can't be serious!" She called after him. "What do you want me to do, get on my hands and knees to you?"

"Whoa, I just said ask, not offer to blow me! I know I'm not gay, but I thought I established that I'm not that kind of guy!"

"Then why do you insist I beg?"

"Because, my moma taught me that it's polite to ask; besides, if you really are a vampire that's so above a creep like Temujin you'd gamble our lives to prove it, then prove it to me!"

"But...I...you..." Moka stammered.

"I'm not hearing a 'please'," he responded, stopping in his tracks as if to wait for the inevitable to come. "I'll tell you what, Warrior Princess, what you say hear won't be repeated anywhere else, it'll just be between you and me. Okay?"

Moka literally glances about nervously, as though that concern was foremost in her mind of someone witnessing this rare show of weakness, this rare glimpse into a vampire's pride, as stalwart as an impenetrable wall damning up all tender emotions or logic, breaking.

"Well?" Koga asked, impatiently.

"..."

"What, I didn't hear that."

"Will you train me for the card game?"

"'Will you train me for the card game', what?"

"..."

"Come again?"

"...Please," she said with tears forming in her green eyes, and it was evident to him that in her green eye there was a lot of pain in doing what she did; displaying such vulnerability was like asking her to strip naked before him.

"I'd say I'd feel for ya," he said in as tender a tone he could possibly muster. "That, I can understand how painful that must've been for you to do, so I'm going to tell you what my moma said whenever I go through a painful, and traumatic experience: get over it!"

"How can you be so..."

"So right? Is your pride all you vampires are about? You live forever, and if spending eternity worrying about your precious pride all you have to look forward too, then I'd envy mortals, at least when they die, that's it. Look, I was going to train you anyway."

"Then, why'd you make me go through that?"

"Like I said before, I wanted to see if you were worth it. Back at the bar, when you realize what Temujin was and reacted to the way he cared so little for all of the humans, me or even his own men, I saw the look of disgust in your eyes. You genuinely thought that being a vampire was so great, but when you saw it through our eyes, it didn't seem so great; it gave you character that I have never seen in your kind before, and it impressed me. It was a test for you to prove your mettle, that's all."

"...I...I don't have to prove anything to anyone."

"Normally, no, if it was just you then I or anyone else wouldn't have the right, but you wanted something from me and expected me to count on you to win, so that at least gives me the right to ask you to prove yourself."

His words felt insightful, if not crass and insulting, nevertheless was truth to what he said and it mirrored everything that made humans human; she wondered if Koga hadn't learned these things the same way she had.

"Well, now that I just proved myself, now what?" She asked, feeling a bit humbled.

"Now, we eat. C'mon, I got some fishing lure in the truck, time to teach a vampire to fish."

If Koga's fishing techniques were as easy to learn as they were to implement them on their own, then she wouldn't have much to fear with cards for indeed this vampire learned to fish like a pro in a short amount of time and had plenty each at their disposal by sundown.

"Alright, not bad!" He congratulated as soon as he polished off the last fish. "Caught some big ones on your first try, you're a natural!"

"Thanks. I worried if I'd get any fish or some junk, instead."

"Keep it up and the student may surpass the master."

Moka smiled, but looked away with some worry in her green eyes; doubt in the future and in herself. While looking up into the late afternoon sky she sees the moon's faint glowing form as it slowly comes into view.

"Say Koga."

"Yeah."

"You ever think about walking on the moon?"

"Walking on the moon? No, I have not. Why?"

"Humans have already walked on it, did you know that?"

"No kidding. To me and my family it was always...there, you know. Never gave it some thought about setting foot on it."

"Its incredible when you think about it, that all of us, humans and monsters are so insignificant when there are other planets to walk on. Maybe there are others like us, but different on those worlds."

"You mean aliens?"

"Aliens?"

"Yeah, little green or grey men in space ships abducting people!"

"Hm. And, they call them aliens?"

"Yep. I don't know, I've heard stories from folks about coming across beings from another world or parallel dimension; if they do exist and they come for me, I'll tear them a new hole, assuming they have any holes."

They laugh, but Moka's focus turns back towards tomorrow and her fear of losing.

"You really think you can teach me how to play cards?" She asked.

"Don't see why not, you'll have to see if the doc will let you come meet me early at the teahouse tomorrow morning, but only if you're eager to learn new things. I know vampires are damn stubborn and set in their ways; mama would often say that vampires are just mules with fangs, only difference is you can train a mule."

"...Your mom has a lot to say, huh?" She asked, a little irked by that comment.

"Sometimes too much, but most of the times her words carry weight."

"Like telling someone to just...just get over their problems. What does she mean by that? How can one simply get over what's troubled them for so long?"

"You just do, that's all."

"Explain, how?"

"Explain, what?"

"...Please," she said with an exasperated sigh. "Just tell me how?"

"Well...I remember my mom explaining that it's like falling off a bike; you got two choices, you can just lay there on the ground and not do anything, but refuse to ride a bike again or you can pick yourself back up and try it again until you get it right. Living forever with a giant chip on your shoulder is tiresome; forget about any wrongs that were done to you, own up to your mistakes rather than brood over them and carry on. Words to live by."

"Do you always live by them?"

"Sometimes, sometimes it's pretty damn hard to, especially when I think about my dad, but bad memories can keep you from living so..."

"You make it sound so simple, but some things are hard to forget."

"No they're not. One day, you'll wake up and wonder why it held any kind of hold on you. Forget about it!"

Moka looked into their fire, thoughtfully contemplating his words and the carefree attitude he exuded, especially when talking about simply getting over what's troubling her.

_It's easy for you to say, _she thought. _But then, you probably never had to endure what I had. After everything I've experienced so far, how can they stack up to the side of humanity I experienced as a kid? I just don't know._

However, as troubling her thoughts were, they were immediately interrupted by a familiar sound that seemed to dominate all her senses.

"Chairo," she whispered, more to herself.

"Huh?" Koga asked and looked up to where she was looking. "Oh, it's that guy, again."

Perched high overhead, his large, perfect form silhouette against the setting sun was the chestnut colored raven from before, just looking down at the two monsters with little care in the world.

"Hi!" Moka called out to it as if the creature could understand a word she said, but it tilted its head in response with the utmost curiosity. "Oh, I wish I could catch it."

"Yeah? What for, it's just a wild animal."

"He's beautiful. Every time I see him, I dream about capturing him and keeping him with me."

"What, as some good luck charm?"

"Perhaps," she said with a smile and beginning to think that this unique bird might hold some power. "You called me a good luck charm the last time you played poker, maybe it wouldn't hurt to have one of my own."

"Heh, I don't think it's unheard of relying on a pet bird."

"Yes, but it's so difficult to catch it, the bird is so fast and...I don't know."

"Then let me, I bet I can catch it."

Such an idea was tempting and she secretly wanted him to do it if his boasting held some truth, but was worried that he might hurt him in the attempt.

"I don't know," she responded. "Maybe we shouldn't."

"You want a good luck charm, don't ya?"

"Yes, but..."

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as this guy, whatever he was, began to use his uncanny skills to hop up the tree, branch by branch with incredible speed until he was almost upon the bird who remained rooted to its perch, not even paying attention to Koga, but for some odd reason stared only at Moka. He was just about to pounce on it when the bird suddenly took off with incredible speed and leaves him to fall hard on his back.

"Koga!" Moka cried, rushing to his prostrate form. "Are you okay? Say something!"

When she got to him his eyes were closed and there was no movement.

_Oh no, _she thought. _Is he...?_

"No," Moka whispered, thinking it was her fault for making him undertake such a dangerous act by himself. "Please, don't die!"

She pressed her ear to his chest to hear if his heart was still beating. Unconvinced, she leaned up to his mouth, ready to give mouth to mouth resuscitation like she saw humans do on TV; hoping against hope that it will work.

"Make sure you use your tongue," he whispered just as her lips barely graced his.

Koga's once lifeless lips gradually expanded into an open smile, and then erupted into boisterous laughter while an overly excited Moka starts to pummel him about the shoulders.

"Whoa, whoa, I'm sorry, ouch!" He pleaded, but still laughed.

"You jerk! How could you put me through that, I thought you were..."

"What? Can't a guy play possum whenever a big bad vampire is around? By the way, thanks."

"Thanks for what?"

"For caring enough to want to give me mouth to mouth, you could've saved my life."

"Well...I only needed you to live so you can teach me about cards, that's all," she said with a pout.

"Really? Because, I think you just couldn't part with a gorgeous fella like me."

"Don't get the wrong idea, nobody said you were gorgeous, just...a..."

"A...what?" He asked with an anticipated smile.

"Oh, you're becoming impossible. Maybe, the real reason I saved you was because I wanted to know as much about you as I can!"

"For what?"

"So, I can see if you're worth the effort!"

"Oh, so now you're all about someone proving themselves to you; it's only different when you have to prove yourself to someone!"

"Look, if you really were dying, and I thought you were worth saving, I would've had to inject my blood into your blood stream and turn you, and..."

"I thought something like that was considered taboo, on account of the whole turning into flesh eating zombie or something?"

"Well..."

"Aw, so you would've broken taboo for me; I'm touched."

"Shut up. Anyway, I think it's possible to do it right and not create a ghoul, but that's aside the point now, you're safe and that's what matters. You didn't have to scale up the tree, though, I could've gotten it myself if my true powers weren't sealed away. Whatever you are, whatever you might think of vampires, my kind is still superior enough to overcome an obstacle like a tree or..."

"Uh, Luce."

"...A bird; just some dumb bird that continues to mock me!"

"Uh, Lucy."

"So what if people don't like us, we're supposed to be vampires amongst monsters and humans, even if...those same humans have demonstrated noble qualities as well as bad ones, if the vampire race so wishes it, then we too can make a lasting impact on planet; it's only a matter of effort if some simple humans could do so much."

"Ohh, Lucy."

"What, why do you keep interrupting..."

Koga very gingerly twists Moka's head around, where her jaw drops open at the sight of a young boy standing less than a few feet away, his mouth likewise opened after all that he heard and, quite possibly had seen.

"...Me, oh, my," she stammered.

"Oh boy," Koga muttered.

"I...I knew it!" Suzaku uttered breathlessly, his voice rising with the level of excitement he undoubtedly felt it would, otherwise be a frightening discovery, but for the boy was more of the discovery of a lifetime. "I fucking KNEW IT! YOU'RE MONSTERS, I knew there was something different about you!"

"Seriously, kid?" Koga asked.

"Well, I didn't know you...you were always a bit of a douche."

"Hey!"

"But, you lady, the way you chased after us through the woods that other day with that speed, man, you freaking scared us, and seeing you lug Rin around your waist, and then kicked the crap out of my mom's boyfriend. This is awesome, man I take back everything I said about you, you are some kind of...super monsters or something, I can't wait to..."

Moka rushes up to the ecstatic boy and covers his mouth, hoping to keep him quiet before anyone else nearby might become attracted to the noise and uncover their secret.

"Please, you mustn't tell anyone!" She whispered. "If you do, then it'll spell dire trouble for everyone, do you understand?"

He excitedly nods his head, but he hardly seemed phased one bit, as was evident when Moka removed her hand.

"How much have you heard?" She asked. "Were you hiding this entire time?"

"Oh yeah, I hid behind the reeds when you two came up, talking about some guy named Temujin and a card game; ooh, is-is this a game for your immortal souls or something!"

"What?" Moka asked, while Koga laughed in spite of the situation. "No, we were just...um, you really didn't hear anything else, did you?"

"Like how you're a vampire? Yep, I got all of that!"

"Oh no."

"I almost didn't buy any of it, until I saw Koga jump up that tree like freaking Spiderman; that was awesome, dude!"

"Thanks," Koga replied.

"Man, you guys should've told me, I would've been a lot nicer to ya!"

"Y-You would?" Moka asked, confused.

"Hell yeah, because you guys are way cooler than the ass-wipes around here."

"How so?" Moka inquired, trying to figure out this young, human boy's fascination with them being monsters when he should be terrified.

"Because, you guy are superhuman and if you guys exist then it means other monsters exist and that makes this dull world more interesting!"

"Luce, what do you expect?" Koga asked. "You're dealing with a 14 year old boy!"

"So, you're both vampires?" Suzaku asked.

"She is, I'm not," said Koga.

"Koga! What are you doing we shouldn't tell him anymore!"

"If you're not a vampire, then what are you?"

"Why kid, I'm the most famous of all mythical creatures out there: a trucker with a heart of gold."

Suzaku looked at him funny, and then Koga gestured to his eye patch, in which he added:

"I'm messing with ya kid, I don't have a heart of gold. What? You never heard the legend of the one eyed monster? That's me!"

"Huh?" Suzaku went, making a face at the remark as apparently both he and Koga were the only ones to even get that reference.

"Koga...I can't believe...," Moka stammered, "how can you be so relaxed about this, he knows our secret!"

"Well, cats out of the bag now, ain't nothing left to do, but kill him; sorry kid."

"Wh-What?" The boy stammered.

"You can't be serious?" Moka asked.

"You know the rules."

"Yes, but...he's just a kid!"

"You know, you really confuse me, Luce; I thought you hated humans."

"I...well...look, we just can't kill him."

"I won't tell anyone, I promise!" Suzaku pleaded.

"I won't let you hurt him!" Moka threatened, protectively jumping in front of the boy as his concern suddenly took precedent. For some reason this small, young person who belonged to a race she thought was far removed from her own, triggered an almost motherly need as if it had always been there.

"Relaxe, girl!" Koga laughed. "I'm not so jaded I'd kill a kid, besides that rule that says humans should be killed for finding out about us seems a bit retarded, if you'd ask me; as if some guy running down the street screaming that monsters exist won't be picked up by the loony patrol, no offense!"

"Oh," Moka replied, letting her guard down.

"Sooo, we cool?" Suzaku asked.

"I don't know, I'm still pissed at you about throwing a rock at my truck the other day."

"I'm sorry, really I am! If...if I promise to be a lot nicer from now on, not just to you, but to everybody, then...then could you do something for me?"

"Like what?" Moka asked.

"Turn me."

"Turn you?"

"Turn you?" Koga repeated.

"Yes, make me like you, make me into a monster, please!"

Moka looked back at Koga, unsure of how to respond to such an unusual request from a human, much less a human child.

"Don't you like being a human?" She asked.

"No, I hate it! I hate being a human, it sucks! No pun intended!"

"But...why? I don't understand?"

"You don't understand, huh, then look at this!" He yells and lifts up his shirt and turns around to show them the purplish bruises all along his back, all freshly made. "You get it, now? I don't want be weak and helpless, always being beaten up by Ryan or by my mom!"

"Your mom?" Moka asked, astonished and sickened. "Your mom participates?"

"Sometimes. I hate it, everyday I'm reminded of how I'm not strong enough to protect myself. I bet neither of you ever had to put up with that. I bet none of you were ever picked or bullied like me; that's why, if I'm a monster like you, I can finally stand up for myself and put those, those shitheads in their place!"

"Oh boy," Koga muttered.

"Suzaku," Moka tried to explain, "listen, what you're asking...it's dangerous, and even if it wasn't, I..."

"But, you've got to, I watch all the movies where you guys can turn people into vampires or werewolves; if you think I'm afraid of getting bitten, I don't mind! One time...one time Ryan brought this pit bull home and...whenever I got in trouble he would...would..."

He could not finish the sentence and Moka's mind ran with whatever terrible experience might've rendered him mute on the subject; it upset her to no end.

"Suzaku," she tried to say. 

"Please," he begged, and Moka was able to look down into his eyes, tear soaked, filled with a tragic, heart wrenching desperation that only a creature who can emote his very soul could instill through both his orbs. It was the first time she ever stopped to look a human square in the eye and truly see them, not just look at them; that they were more than just a low level being, but a person, one that had something beautiful she had never before bothered to see. Suddenly, a brief flash, as instant a light flicker shown up and there stood the man from dreams, staring down into her with the deepest brown eyes she had ever seen, and uttering the words: _Mo..a._

"Ah, goddamn it," Koga muttered, scratching his head at the predicament they're in. "Luce, the ball's in your court, you handle it."

"You gotta make me like you, that way...all my problems will be solved and-and I can hang out with you, be like you, I would've have to worry about nothing, no more!"

"...Suzaku," she starts to say, though she had no idea what to say, "...look, what you're asking, I don't think you know...what it is you're asking."

"Yes, I do. I want to be strong like you and-and-and fearless, nobody would pick on me or treat me like I'm weird and different; I want to be everything you are!"

"No, you don't," she responds.

"But, why not? Why can't I be awesome like you, what's wrong in being a monster?"

"A lot. Everything. I don't know, but...being a monster isn't all that it's cracked up to be."

"What are you talking about, life has gotta be easy compared to mine," Suzaku argued, confused at what she's trying to say. "What do you have to complain about?"

"Suzaku, I..."

The words just couldn't come out so easily for Moka; before coming to this place she couldn't remember having any experience with kids that she knew of, least of all human children. Now, she was faced with a boy, a human boy, going through pretty much the same problems she'd faced at his age, with a couple that made her issues pale in comparison, and begging her to make him into a vampire, ignorantly implying that her life has been a bed of roses just because of being a vampire. She had asked her therapist what it meant to be human and got a parade of words that made little sense, while she herself went on about how great vampires were. It had been her desire to show to that arrogant human the greatness of her kind, but now talking with this boy who had no idea what life was like growing up as a vampire in a human world because of the problems he faced as a human, she began to wonder just how much of it about her people was actually true.

"Look," she explained, "turning you into a vampire would be a dangerous procedure to you, which is almost certain to kill you; and even if it didn't...Suzaku, turning you into something else...won't solve all of your problems."

"I don't..."

"You think me and Koga have had it easy? We haven't. I don't know all that has been going on with you, but I assure you, I've been where you are, now."

"No you haven't," he argued.

"Yes, I have."

"You're lying! You've never had to live in fear, every day of your life! Never felt like wanting to cry, but forced to hold in because of you don't everyone will laugh at you and call you weak! Never had to feel the shame of everyone looking at you because of all the bruises your clothes can't hide! Always told to act tough, always trying to be tough, and being so goddamn frustrated with everything about this fucking world! What's the point...you won't do anything, nobody can do anything, even if you tried, it's pointless because the bad guys always get their way...we all just get shafted in the end."

"I know it hurts, but you're gonna have to be strong."

"BEING STRONG DOESN'T HELP!" He shrieks, tears cascading down his reddened, anguished cheeks. "I'm not strong; they're strong, I'm not! People like Ryan and my mom, people who get away with the crap they do to just anybody even a kid, how the hell do you expect good people to be strong when the bad guys can get whatever they want and nobody does anything?"

"Suzaku..."

"...You don't understand," he sobbed. "Nobody understands. I don't want to be alone...I don't want to go back to that alone, you gotta help me!"

Moka felt something warm flow down her cheek and was a little taken aback to find herself tearing up, that she would be moved by a human's plight, and yet her bitter heart could not stem the tide of compassion overflowing for this poor boy, perhaps because she felt an almost camaraderie with him or he was someone who needed to be protected. In any case, Moka was moved enough to kneel down in front of him and to gently wrap her arms about his trembling shoulders, trying to still the slight convulsions in his warm body.

"What are you...?" He asked, stunned by her action.

"You're not alone," she whispers in his ear. "You're not and you don't have to go back there if you don't want, okay? But, trust me, being a vampire won't make your life any easier...it doesn't mean that I, we won't help you get through your troubles. We can help, if you let us?"

Koga rolls his eyes, not one to get involved in other people's affairs, but begrudgingly goes along with it as he was also the kind of person unwilling to turn down a woman and a kid in need.

_Fuck me, _he thought to himself.

Moka looks at Suzaku and smiles warmly at the young boy, who though was disappointed upon not getting what he wanted, had managed to calm down thanks to her soothing, almost healing touch and soul inducing smile he had seen from her for the very first time.

"I...I don't know what to do," Suzaku responds. "Where do I go?"

"Whaaaat?" Rin exclaimed when she saw both Moka and Koga walk into the halfway house with none other than a reluctant Suzaku, himself trying his best to talk with Dr. Kohaku as he wrestled with his own pride. They weren't alone, though; there were patients all around them, some of whom had been the boy's victims, and now they stood there looking on, some in shock just as much as Rin was and making the situation far more uncomfortable for him than anyone knew, but Moka.

"It's okay," she said to him, "you don't have to feel afraid, tell him."

Moka gently grabbed the boy's hand; she could feel them shaking and tell he was terribly nervous, but the moment she closed her grip softly around his small hand, the trembling stopped and a kind of warmth seemed to radiate.

"Um...Mr...Mr. Kohaku," he said, meekly. "I would...I was wondering if, you know, you wouldn't mind if I hung around here every day...w-working and...just helping you out."

"Really?" Dr. Kohaku asked.

"You can't be serious, how do we know this isn't some trick?" Rin asked.

"He's very sorry for what he'd done, he told me so himself," Moka defended. "Besides, his home isn't safe for him anymore, his parents mistreat him and he's scared; please, Dr. Kohaku, I gave him my word you'd help."

"You did, Lucy?" He asked.

"I did."

Dr. Kohaku stared into her green eyes for what seemed like an eternity, stunned to see the earnestness in them of a woman who, not too long ago had berated him over how much she despised all things human, only to now extend a helping hand to one human who had given her the most trouble since coming here; it made him smile.

"Well, I don't see why not," the doctor responded. "We can certainly use the extra hands around here; the more the merrier! Let us show you around and maybe get some food in your belly!"

Dr. Kohaku walks over and takes the boy under his arm as he leads him away from Moka, but not before whispering into Moka's ear:

"I'm very proud of you. Now, Suzaku I have one stipulation you should remember before anything else; hands off of my daughter."

"Dad!" Rin yelled.

"Sir?" Suzaku asked, understandably confused.

"I know you're a growing boy and my daughter is at that age where you're bound to notice a few..."

"_Dad_!"

When they were left alone, Koga flicked Moka on the forehead for no apparent reason and she reacted with mild irritation.

"What did you do that for?" She asked.

"I don't know. I guess I wanted to see if I was dreaming."

"Then, why'd you hit me instead of yourself!"

"Because, usually when I hit someone in my dreams they don't do much; you reacted, so I guess I'm not dreaming."

"...Okay, and why would you think you were dreaming, then?"

"Because, i just saw an S-class, well _you_, show genuine compassion to a human child. That is a first. Maybe you're not all talk, maybe there is something different about you from all the rest, and I have to say it suits you, it really does."

Moka didn't know how to respond, but he was spot on about everything, and yet it felt right to her. Before, everything, even the hatred that permeated her very soul felt unnatural and made very little sense, spurred on by some unseen force hidden underneath, but her recent actions did have a more positive impact.

"I guess, things change; I don't know," she replied.

"If you asked me do people change, I would've said no, and for as long as I've known that kid he's been nothing, but trouble. Now, heh, what can I say...Well, take care, we have card practice tomorrow morning at the teahouse, so be there."

"Um, sure," she responded. "I will remember...I will."

Later that night, after everything was said and done, Moka sat in front of the TV with Norman watching another episode of Star Trek while still reflecting on the day. Tonight's episode was as interesting as the last, so far everything seemed to be speaking to her, but this episode really capped it all. This episode was a season three episode titled "_Requiem for Methuselah_", and featured the main characters: Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy, visiting a planet inhabited only by an immortal human named Flint who came there to escape humanity, and his equally ageless, beautiful girlfriend Rayna. The man was perfect in every way: gifted, talented, incredibly healthy and all around better to humans which he wanted nothing to with, almost mirroring herself, and curiously enough was also fair haired. His companion, however seemed incredibly lonely despite also being perfect and craved the company of these two humans, and one half-human alien, who had visited them; in some ways, perhaps in many ways, this mirrored another aspect of herself.

"What is loneliness?" Rayna asked.

"It is thirst. It is a flower dying in the desert," came Flint's response.

To complicate things further, Kirk falls madly in love with Rayna, and she, ignorant of humans, yet blissfully happy to learn all she could about the all too human man, begins to reciprocate his feelings. However, it is soon discovered that Rayna was nothing more than a robot, designed by Flint to be someone worthy of his perfection, but despite this, Kirk's feelings for her never change, they remain true for she was perfect to him; it's because of this that makes the ending so tragic. Rayna, unable to choose her love between the man she fell for, Kirk, and the man she came to love as a father, Flint, ultimately short circuits and dies in front of them. By episode's end, the distraught Captain Kirk, despite loving someone who was never human like him, falls asleep in his quarters a broken, lost man, while his first officer, Mr. Spock, who is usually so reserved in his feelings, becomes so moved by his friend's predicament that he mentally commands him in his sleep to: "Forget".

"This episode always gets to me, too," said Norman. 

"Huh?"

"You're...crying, and it's normal, you know."

"Oh!"

Moka hadn't noticed, being too caught up in the show, but she was crying again over something human related; she was moved and yet it felt difficult to really admit it.

"Yeah," she replied. "I guess...are these shows always like this?"

"Oh yeah, I think that was the idea, to entertain you, but get you thinking; the whole human experience in space, you know."

"The human experience?"

"Yep."

"Humans; they really are fascinating, huh?"

"Indeed, indeed," he replied, trying to sound as Vulcan as Mr. Spock.

That was what it meant to be human, not in hating what is different, but in hating to be alone; humans feared loneliness. It was why they tried so much to leave a legacy, to make a lasting impact in their limited lives, so that people would know they existed, they mattered. True, humans were as varied as their emotions, but for the most part they, like Takane and Suzaku felt that way, and it was a truth that made sense. A vampire would normally despise such a weakness, but Moka knew that was how she felt growing up, that it was a fear she herself dreads. They weren't about spreading misery so they themselves could feel superior, it was what vampires wanted. Takane told her herself that all she wanted was for her friend to feel what she felt not because of what Ria said, but because she didn't want to be alone. All this time, things could've been different if she had known better instead of listening to Ria, who had been wrong about them, and _she_ had been wrong. Maybe she wanted to believe, that humans really were that different, that terrible because her pride couldn't see any other philosophy but that of the vampire. Moka began to wonder, did she even try to make friends back in school? Did she even try to understand them? Was it fear or simply hatred she held onto, hatred for being sent to live amongst people she had been raised to despise?

"I was wrong," she said to herself, "I was wrong, and I was afraid."

"No!" Yelled a young girl's voice. "Don't believe that; we are supposed to be strong, strong and independent, it's they who are wrong, they who should be afraid of us!"

Moka glances to her right and sees herself as a young girl; she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Is-is this a dream?" She asked. "Am I dreaming all of this?"

"Oh me, oh my, why of course not," said Ria who appeared out of nowhere to her left.

"It's you...What are you doing here?"

With a vicious swipe, Ria eviscerates Norman right before Moka's horrified eyes.

"NORMAN! Why, why'd you do that?"

"To remind you that this is no dream, sister dear. The world you just imagined, of you and humans finding common ground in feelings and in their foolish accomplishments; that is all a dream."

"You're wrong," Moka argued, standing up to confront her. "You're wrong about them, you were wrong about everything; humans may not be perfect, but there is more to them than what we know."

"I was not wrong, I am right, I was right about everything!"

"Like you were right about simply talking to Takane's dad?"

The fiendish smile that appeared on Ria's mouth was all the answer she needed.

"So, what if I had lied, he certainly wanted it badly enough, just to get back at his not so innocent wife. So, you see, I was right about them wanting to knock others down to their level."

"Did you do that for me or for yourself; preying on his insecurities when all he needed was someone to help him."

"Meh," Ria said with a shrug.

"We're not going to listen to you anymore, you've been nothing, but a terrible influence on us; the doctor was right. We don't have to follow your example, isn't that right?"

Moka turns around to her younger self, only to find her looking at Ria and not at all certain about anything.

"I...I can't," she said. "I won't!"

"Listen, you can't..." Moka tried to say.

Suddenly, both of them were transported back to the school cafeteria where before them stood a young Takane and a horde of children, human and monster standing menacingly with bottles of water in their hands in between them and Ria.

"No, I won't do it," the young Moka began to weep, falling onto her knees and cowering. "I hate this place, I don't want to be here. Ria was right, I hate being in the human world!"

"You should listen to your inner child, sister dear."

"Akashiya," one kid said.

"Akashiya," another one chided.

"Hey, Akashiya, do you like water?" Another mocked.

"Akashiay, Akashiya, Akashiya!"

Their chants became mind numbing, their voices coalescing into a menacing chorus that filled the room, revealing to the two that there was nowhere to go.

"We...we can't give in!" She tried to say.

"Aaaaaaaah!" The other girl screamed.

"Listen, we..." Moka said to her, but when she turned around to look at her diminutive doppelganger, she instead found a dark haired, teenaged girl in a red jacket cringing against a wall outside a building. All of a sudden the scene changed, and the children were now fully grown monsters ready to devour them where, in place of Ria was a giant snake woman with what appeared to be a floating mirror behind her being held by a fairy.

"Ohh, Ms. Akashiya," the snake woman said. "You've been a most disruptive student. Now, I shall finally punish you and devour this delicious human girl!"

The monsters roared with delight and the girl behind her shrieked.

"What is going...?" Moka asked herself.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" The girl cried as Moka tried to get near her. "You deceived us the whole time, you were one of them, weren't you? I never should've come here, I never should've let my Tsukie come to this place, to this school! If I get away from here, I'll take him away from here and never let him..."

"Come back," the younger Moka finished, instantaneously reverting back before her astonished eyes. "I'll never let anyone make me come back!"

Again and again the scene kept changing back and forth, the madness as well as the unending sound nearly made Moka herself feel like doing what her young self was doing, to surrender onto it, until:

"Mo...a!"

The voice, that voice, the one that has haunted her mind for so long, its sound bringing a strong sense of comfort and courage sounded off louder than any of the kids' own, and she looked to see a curious sight behind Ria; that of a door floating only a few feet above her head. Whoever it was, had to be on the other side of that door, beckoning for both girls to come after him, but was blocked by so many adversaries it felt like a daunting task.

"Listen," she said.

"Noo!" Wailed the girl, whether it was that of herself or the strange girl that she somewhat connected to.

"List-en-to-me! We've can't stay here, we're going to have to run for it. Do you see that?"

She pointed at the door to her younger self, but when it changed to the other scene, she pointed towards the mirror as though it posed some significance.

"We have to run for it, it's the only way!"

The girls looked at where she was pointing, but it seemed too impossible to even muster an ounce of courage.

"Ehhhhh, no I can't do it!" Her younger self wept.

"I'll get eaten for sure!" The dark haired girl wailed.

"Look, I won't let anything happen to you, trust me!" Moka pleaded as stretched out her hand to them. "The longer we remain here, the greater the danger we'll be in!"

"You know I was right, sister dear!" Ria chided. "Just accept it..."

"Accept your fate!" The snake woman demanded. "Students, take them! Pie-R-SQUARED!"

"Aaaaah!" The girls screamed.

Moka looked on with worry, uncertain if she could convince either one of them to trust her, but the voice on the other end of the door continued to beckon. She had to try, because there was someone waiting for her, who needed for her to do so.

"Look," she began to say, "I'm not human, and it maybe natural to feel this way, but...I know there's someone out there you trust, right?"

Both girls looked up at her, their very eyes telling her that they know of whom she speaks without even saying his name.

"You trust with all your heart, don't you? Well...I trust him also...So, as both women who love and trust in the same man, I am asking you to _trust_ me!"

The girls begin to look up at her with tear soaked eyes, but with a certain level of clarity that seemed to come over them. Moka smiled down at them and, as if by some switch, the girls just shot their hands up and gripped hers as they put their trust into something that they each could get behind on.

"Alright," they both said, and with a grin on her face Moka leads them running through the crowd of marauders, their threatening stances and efforts at demoralizing them daunting to the women, but so long as she led the way, never once looking back as she plowed on, each girl that tagged along seemed confident they could get through.

"Hang on!" She cried as they leapt through the air over their assailants, landing briefly upon the face of an astonished Ria/Snake woman, in which Moka uses as a Launchpad, the door within grasp.

"Mo...a!" The voice cried from behind it, and it was all the incentive she needed, as Moka immediately launches off of Ria's/Snake woman's face, girls in tow with enough force that in a single jump grasps the brass door knob and dives on through its doorway.

Instantly, the scene changed before her eyes; no longer was she running, jumping or hauling anyone behind her, now she was riding on a bike and careening wildly through some dark woods.

_W-Where am I? _She thought. _Why can't I stop, what's going?_

She tried desperately to put on the brakes, but they wouldn't work.

"Hello!" She heard a voice call out up ahead. Someone was up the path ahead of her, in her way and she couldn't stop. She rang the bell on her bike, hoping it would alert the person that she was coming, but it was too late, the boy came into view just as Moka came flying over a bend and everything happened in slow motion.

The ground came slowly, the fall made her feel weightless as her bike disappeared from underneath, and then came a hard impact that knocked Moka out briefly. Moka couldn't hear the crunching of metal or the guy's surprised gasp, nor feel anything afterward; her black out was brief however, and when she did come to all she could feel was a hand on her inner thigh.

_What happened? _She wondered, trying to open her eyes.

"Aaahhhhhh!" She heard a guy cry out and immediately felt his hand leave her thigh.

When Moka finally came to, through vision that was somewhat cloudy, she could tell she was wearing a green, private school uniform with a really short skirt that left her legs incredibly exposed while in an awkward position and a green jacket that had an insignia on the right part.

"Are you alright?" A boy's voice asked.

She could smell blood, the aroma strong, stronger and sweeter than she had ever smelled on anything or anyone in her life, and as her eyes gradually improved, Moka locked eyes on a dark haired boy with worried, almond colored eyes watching over the girl. He had a cut on his forehead and the smell seemed to lift her up towards him like a cartoon caricature.

"Oh...oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you!" She said to him, and when she straightened herself up, the boy became instantly smitten by the very sight of her.

"Uhhh, that's o-kay," he said, staring awkwardly at the beautiful girl before him.

"I'm anemic, you see and I get dizzy spells a lot; I probably shouldn't have ridden my bike today. Oh! You got a bruise!"

"Huh?" He asked and noticed the wound. "Oh, it's nothing, really."

"No, it is, here let me get that," she offered, taking out some Kleenex and using it as an excuse to get up closer to this wonderfully specimen.

The closer she got, the more intoxicating the boy was, both in aroma and in physicality; she just had to make him a friend, so she asked:

"Do...do you like vampires?"

"Vampires?"

"Yeah."

"...Yeah, I guess; there's nothing wrong with them."

"That's great!" She yelled joyously.

"Why'd you asked?" He asked, curious she would even ask him such a question.

"Because, your blood."

"My blood?" He asked.

"It just smells so...delicious and, well, I'm a vampire and I haven't had my breakfast, yet."

"You're a-AAAAAAAAHHHH!" He screamed as Moka clamped down on his neck and took a quick sip of his wonderful blood, it sliding down smoothly and delectably with the ease of a rare wine.

"Mmm, that was delicious!" She said with a huge smile on her face. "Let's be friends!"

"O-okay," he said, shaking from the bite, but he was too smitten by the hot girl to turn down an offer to be her friend, no matter how weird she was.

"Great!" She squealed.

They hear some bells ringing in the distance, signaling the start of school so Moka picks up her bike and felt a need to hurry off before she was late, but not before she talks some more with this strange boy who's now become her official friend.

"I didn't get your name," she said.

"M-My name?" He asked, still a bit shaken. "It's ..., and yours?"

"My name is..."

Moka wakes and sits up in bed with a start, staring straight ahead through the darkness as if illumination had clicked in her brain. The entire experience had been a dream and remembered that after watching Star Trek she went straight to bed, but that wasn't what was foremost in her mind; it was what the dream had awakened, a memory thought lost and yet helped answer so much more. Something recalled, someone remembered; the man was someone she knew, a person who was special and meant so much to her, and ultimately her name.

"Moka," she whispered to herself, a small smile coming over her. "My name is Moka Akashiya."


	13. Chapter 13

**Those who are card players, I ask you to please forgive me if my portrayal of the game isn't quite accurate; for the most part I was trying to wing it with what little information I could find, so please bear with me. In response to some of my reviews for chapters 11 and 12, I found them be very uplifting and greatly appreciated them, where as others seemed to think it was too, well "preachy", but what with so many stories going on about how awesome it is to be anything, but human, whom are bigoted, and inferior, I tried to argue by showing what it is about humanity that evens out the bad, and at least make our heroine want to embrace it rather than doing so on a whim. As for Sun's ignorance to Gin's cheating as being unrealistic; in actuality, there are some women, and even men who are that blind to their cheating partners, either because they have blind faith in them or they're in denial. It shows how underhanded cheating can be as it preys on the trust of others. And, since Gin has been portrayed thus far as God's gift to women all of a sudden, it always vexed me as to how and why these numerous girls he sleeps with are cool about his philandering until they find out the truth. Not to put down the character, but Sun is going to be in a long line of dull-witted women in Gin's harem, for as long as the wool remains over her eyes, which won't be for long. And, those who have been waiting patiently for Tsukune's return all that can be said is by the end of this chapter, the wait is over.**

**Chapter 13**

_"An Ordinary World"_

"So, your name is Moka Akashiya?" Doctor Kohaku asked. "You're sure about this?"

"As sure as I have been about anything," she replied with absolute conviction. "That is who I am."

"Hm."

This sudden revelation about her was so important that when she asked to meet with the doctor for a special, early morning session almost immediately upon getting up, he complied. Doctor Kohaku was gracious enough to see her and after telling the dream she had, he genuinely seemed interested, yet cautious to call it a full break through.

"Do you remember anything else?" He asked. "Anything at all that might help."

"No, just that. However..."

"However?"

"The boy I've been dreaming about, the voice I've heard on and off, they're all connected to this one person; and, I know now that he is someone special to me, after all."

"How so? Is he a friend or a..."

"I don't know, he tried to tell me he is name, but...I woke up; I can't even tell you if he's real or still alive or... Whoever he is, I feel he's vital to unlocking my memories, maybe even revealing why I lost them in the first place; I have to know who he is."

"You're adamant about this, aren't you?" He inquired, noticing the earnest desire in her green eyes.

"I am. It's important that I find out."

"Well, I think that would help, after all you have stated that Akashiya is a pseudonym, so looking up Akashiya in the directory won't help, and you're reluctant to call up this Fairy Tale organization. If this young man you're fixated on can help, then surely it is imperative to find him. In the meantime, since we've already gotten this far, lets continue on and see what we can uncover. I am proud to see your accomplishments, not just in what you've done for young Suzaku, but for yourself, personally."

"How is he, by the way?"

"He's fine, we had him spend the night with us and he slept like a baby; so long as he didn't sleep next to _my_ baby, but it's been real nice having him here. Already, I have him on staff as a volunteer and he'll be coming in to work after school."

"That's good. Um, by the way, I hope I could ask a favor from you."

"Sure, go ahead."

"I made a commitment for something to do later today and now I have to meet with Koga to...um, train."

"A commitment with Koga?"

"It's not what you think!" She replied, blushing. "I...its complicated, but a lot of people are depending on me and I can't let them down."

Dr. Kohaku smiled, pleased to see her thinking about others and not of herself, and thinking that whatever this could be might be another step towards personal success in the long run.

"Okay, I'll grant it, so long as it doesn't extend past curfew."

"It won't, I'm sure; I'll be back before sundown."

"Very well, you can go."

"Thank you, Doctor."

Moka was anxious to get back to her room, get dressed and head on over to the teahouse for her training in card playing, but before she could leave the doctor called out:

"Oh, Moka, I think you're forgetting something."

He hands back to her the sketch drawing of the mysterious stranger, newly framed and presentable.

"I had it framed; it was so nice, I couldn't...well, I thought you might like it back if you should ever want it."

Seeing that boy's face again, the gentleness of his smile that had greeted her in the dream she had, once again greeting her in the real world, brought a smile to her own face as she gratefully takes it back.

"Th-Thankyou," she said.

"No problem. And, don't be afraid to draw more, you never know."

Moka thought thinking about the man would be distracting from Koga's instructions, but the revelation of what had to be done only served to steel her focus. Losing was definitely not an option anymore, especially with so much on the line and now there was a mission to find a certain someone. With everything the expert card player had ingrained within her, Moka felt ready by the time the big game finally came about. Every curious onlooker had come to see this game, placing bets and predicting outcomes as though they were at a Vegas casino.

"You ready?" Koga asked.

"Yeah," she said.

"You remember everything I taught you?"

"Yes."

"Okay, you sure you're ready?"

"Koga!"

"Alright, alright. Just in case, remember to never take your eyes off of your opponents for more than a couple of seconds, okay?"

"And, never let them see you sweat..."

"Or, they'll read your movements and come in for the kill; well, not really, though people have died at this game."

"What?" Moka freaked.

"Nothing! Look, just stay loose, be confident, and you'll come out a winner."

"Okay."

With Koga standing there, giving her his pep talk and speeches, it half reminded her of that Twilight Zone episode about the boxer, and thinking about that did grant some sense of pride; not an egotistical pride, but true pride, that of an underdog challenger determined to give their all. Pretty soon, the combatants started coming in: Temujin, walking in as regal as ever with his entourage of lackeys, which included the Monster Industries gang, and three others, two of whom she hadn't seen before, but were no doubt invited by him to participate, and take a fall for him.

"I hope you don't mind, my pork bun," the old vampire said with a hideous smile, "but I invited some friends to join us; playing cards without a group would not have much fun to it."

"Its no problem for us," Koga responded. "I kinda expected you to try something underhanded just to win."

Temujin glared at the man, showing disdain that he would openly insult him; it was a telling sign that Moka was quick to pick up.

"Please, don't let this colorful rouge damper our mood, my sweet, I'm sure we'll have so much fun if your pet isn't allowed to bark! By the way, I don't believe I got your name, which is funny since we're about to spend a lifetime with each other."

"The name is Moka, Moka Akashiya," she said casually, but hiding a hint of defiance.

"Yep, and Luce, I mean Moka, is pretty damn clear that you don't call her anymore pet names, from now on," Koga explains.

"And, my _friend_, here is free to speak his mind, unlike you," she adds.

"Akashiya, I see," Temujin responded. "Well, is this a surprise; I know your father."

"My father?"

"Yes, and I'm sure he'll be most happy to know you're now one of my adoring concubines."

"Don't let him get to you," Koga whispered in her ear as he noticed a flash of concern on her. "It's psychological warfare."

"…I'm sure my father would be, but don't bet on it," she argued, though keeping a calm demeanor.

With the mood set, cards on the table, and all involved taking their places, it was all now or never for Moka. She glanced about at the new players to their game, one of course was Goblin of Tosa, still wearing his ridiculous mask, but waving happily at her as his mysterious reverence for her remains despite being Temujin's lap dog. The others weren't recognizable, just characters the Chinese vampire dredged up from the darkest depths of his domain: a gigantic freak, as large as his right-hand, Attila, but with golden dreadlocks and tats about his bulky, swarthy skin. Another was a lanky, weasel looking fellow, hairless with pale skin and adorned with gold piercings all on him. Moka knew she had Koga to back her up, with him staying close by in the crowd, but careful to keep his distance so Temujin wouldn't think they were cheating.

"Kick his ass," he cheered from the sidelines.

"Silence your mutt or do you prefer he aid you in your endeavor," threatened Temujin.

"Kick his ass!" He reiterated, quietly.

Moka didn't respond, instead focused on the cards in her hands. The bartender served as dealer and dealt each person a set of cards from the deck, evenly. The whole game was longer than she expected, their focus intense and patient as they drew a card from their deck and returned one, yet everyone remained quiet throughout it all, wondering which way it could go.

"Goblin," Temujin said, "draw."

The Goblin of Tosa drew his hand and revealed two aces.

"Four kings," Temujin said.

"I fold," The Goblin mercifully declares and is removed from the table without much complaint.

"You did good boss," his own lackeys congratulated.

Moka found it odd that they'd be cool with an early loss like that, recalling how much of a commotion they made in losing to Koga; it only help confirm her suspicion that Temujin does expect his underlings to lose on purpose, no doubt to psyche her into thinking he's that good, and one by one they begin to fall.

"Well, I'm out," said the big one without even bothering to draw his cards.

"I'm out, too," said the other one, much later.

"Three down," Temujin gloated as he gathered up their chips. "You can end this now or..."

Moka picks up two chips and places them forward, signaling she was raising the stakes and still very much in the game; Temujin appeared miffed at her show of defiance.

"This is pointless, child, you cannot win! A princess such as yourself, who's very custom is to get what she wants at whatever the cost, would never waste her time on this. Why bother? Why bother for these...these peasants, when I offer you riches and pampering beyond your wildest dreams. Do you have any idea how much my dynasty is worth? You know your father would want me as an heir and ally, all yours if you just give this up."

"I'm ready," she responds.

"Ready to end this waste of either of our time, well I couldn't agree with you more."

"I mean, ready to draw."

Temujin looked at her with great sadness, sadness that one so young, attractive, and utterly naive would choose to prolong the inevitable rather than simply acquiesce to it for own benefit.

"You really insist upon this path of folly, don't you?" He asked with a sigh.

"What are you afraid of?"

Just the very insinuation of him being a coward was enough to make him throw down the gauntlet and put this arrogant, young vampiress in her place.

"Very well, whelp, if this is the path you choose then...I draw, Jack of Spades."

Everyone gasped at his hand as it was a winning one, that much all involved knew and muttered excitedly, but Moka who seemed to slouch and appeared ready to fold. They all looked to her, hoping against hope she wasn't defeated, and yet Temujin saw the forlorn look on his foe, as she did well to hide her face from his leering eyes.

"Well, well, well," he cackled as he gathered up all of her chips, triumphantly. "Can't say I didn't warn you, but don't worry, I am a...forgiving sort; as soon as we arrive at my abode and get you to bed and fuck you as I intend, I'll be gentle with you part way, mass slaughters usually put me in a good mood."

"Now, wait just a second," Koga began to intervene, but before anyone else could react, Moka raised a hand, signaling for their undivided attention; she wasn't done, yet.

"You speak too soon, my lord," she muttered. "Our game isn't over; I haven't drawn my hand, yet."

"Dear, it is over, you've lost, I've gained my prize, why keep this going any longer?" Temujin said, exasperated that this child still did not know when she's been beaten.

"It isn't over until I concede defeat or..."

Moka splays out her hand on the table, in a flashy show of red hearts all around that seemed to dazzle in the eyes who, including Koga, who could not help, but smile.

"Or, a clear winner is declared," she adds with a wry smile. "And, if I'm not mistaken, Queen of Hearts defeats Jack of Spades, right?"

Temujin was speechless; he stared at her deck with utter shock and confusion, the first show of emotion in his whitened eyes she had so far seen in him, for the withered, old vampire had been beaten by none other than a mere novice, girl.

"It...It's invalid," he tried to say. "You cheated! There's no way a rank amateur, let alone a mere girl could ever beat me in any game, I am far superior to you!"

"Being superior doesn't guarantee you a winner, Jack!" Koga boasts. "And, it is valid, her hand did beat you, this game is over!"

"He's right," the bartender announced. "Queen of Hearts trumps Jack of Spades; Moka is the winner!"

"No!"

"Yes," Moka said.

"Let's hear it for our poker champ!" The bartender yelled, throwing up her hand before an ecstatic house that left this once lonesome girl overwhelmed by their enormous support, cheering her win.

"Whoa," Goblin muttered to his men, "the boss just lost to...Rosary Boss!"

Temujin heard his comment and glared certain death at his subordinates, already miffed at his surprising loss.

"You fools! You think this will change anything? I and my men can still lay waste to this place; I don't have to honor such a fixed win!"

"Give it up, you old piece of shit!" Koga yelled. "You lost, now man up and pay up!"

"No," Temujin said, smiling with the knowledge that there was nothing anyone could do to make him honor his side of the bargain. "You all seem to forget that I hold the power, I say what is to be paid and what isn't."

"Maybe so," Moka intervenes, "and you can kill all of us as you want, but your men will know and quite possibly their friends will know, and more importantly you'll know, know that you lost today to someone inferior to you in every way, but poker. You fought and lost, and now you're going to welch on a bet that you owe; now, imagine if everyone in your inner circle heard about that? You'd be laughed at for as long as you live. So, go ahead, do your worst, and keep your disgrace bottled up inside as the loser you are, or pay up and salvage what's left of your pride."

Temujin remained silent, his actions and intent a mystery to all involved, who literally sat on the edge of their seats as they wondered what the actions of this powerful man like him would be after a defiant statement like that.

"Attila!" He cried to the hulking brute, and Koga looked ready to jump into action. "Hand me my checkbook. Make this out to who?"

"Ms. Akashiya is fine," she said.

"Fine."

"And, while we're at it," said Koga, "I'd appreciate it if you loaned me those low rent lackeys, Monster Industries or whatever, you got over there. I may have them make up for always trying to start something with me."

"Us!" The Goblin exclaimed. "We are not pawns to be bartered with! We are the pride of ruffians everywhere, we are..."

"Done!" Temujin said, who hands Moka the check and brusquely walks out with his entourage in tow, not so much as uttering one last word to the girl.

"Well," Moka said, "I guess the rounds are on me!"

"Let's hear it for our girl, MOKA!" Koga cheered and lifts her up on his shoulders as everyone celebrates over their new hero.

The accolades were many as people everywhere wanted to congratulate her, not only for the big win, but for winning any bets they had, one of whom was a tattoo artist who wanted to reward her with a free off to get a tattoo. Well, with her in higher spirits than she had ever felt before, decided after much insistence from Koga and others to take up the on the offer, to cement this occasion that she was no longer one of the so-called vampire elite.

"Before we begin, I should warn you, it'll hurt…a lot, but you can handle it," Koga said as Moka nervously waited in the tattoo studio.

"Oh, um sure! I've never done this before and probably wouldn't have, either. But, I feel different now, like a...totally new person and this seems like the way to prove it."

"Okay, Ms.," said the burly, yet heavily decorated artist. "Before we get started, I should warn you it may hurt a little; these needles are red hot..."

"Red hot?" She asked, nervously.

"Yeah, it has to go underneath the skin to draw the picture, but the pain won't last for very long. So, where would you like your tat?"

"Do I have a choice?" She curiously asked.

"Sure, we can do it anywhere you like: arm, head, back..."

"Back? Does that include...the butt?"

"Yeah, we can do that. It'll probably be better for a first timer like you."

"Nice and small would do," Koga suggested.

"Oh, okay."

"So, it sounds like something you'd like to do?" The guy asked.

Moka had to think about it, a bit squeamish on letting anyone look at her bare ass, let alone allow that person to apply a stinging hot needle to it; nevertheless, she was determined in coming away with this experience with a little more than just an inflated sense of confidence.

"Yes; a butt tattoo would do, nice and small, not too small, but not too big either."

"I think I can do that; come this way," the artist said, directing them into his studio, which was almost as decorated with portraits of his work as he was of his own tats. In the center of the studio, next to his equipment was a leather reclining bed for her to lie on her stomach, and anxiously waits for him to begin.

"You nervous?" Koga asked.

"Um..., well..."

Before, Moka would've thought admitting to one's fear would be a sign of weakness, even if she had shown it a few times, and telling him so still felt kind of wrong to do, but not saying anything made it feel even worse, making everything that she had accomplished so far feel wasted if pride gave in, now.

"Y-Yes; have you ever done this, before?"

"Yeah, a few times, even got one on my upper back that showed the name of my ex-wife; worst mistake, ever. That's why I suggested your first tattoo be small and in an area where only you'd see it."

"Okay," she said, meekly as she felt the man begin to pull her pants partway down.

"Alright, so what would you like?" He asked.

"Umm, what do you suggest, Koga?" She asked.

"It's up to you," he laughed. "You don't want any suggestions from me; I told you I'm bad at ideas for a tat. Just think of something that has meaning to you."

She thought on it and an image just came to her like an illuminated idea.

"The infinity symbol; that's what I want," she said to the artist.

"That's a cool idea. Okay, so you wanted on the same cheek or...?"

"Huh?" She asked.

"Let's not go any lower, man," Koga said to the guy, "how about on the lower back, instead."

"Fine, fine, stamp it, it is."

He lifted her pants a little higher, leaving only her lower back exposed, and then she heard the hum of his machine.

_It's starting! _She thought nervously, squeezing her eyes shut in anticipation of the touch of the needle, yet remaining resolute in this. _I can do this! I can do this!_

When Moka and Koga left the studio her backside still felt like hot iron was pressing against it, but the experience had been rewarding. She now sported her very first tattoo; a perfect outline of an infinity symbol, sized brilliantly for all to see with her pants partially lowered. Now, she walked down the street with a wonderful guy for a friend, and holding more cash than she knew what to do with, and most of all, no longer felt like a prisoner in agony amongst a despised people. There was pep in her step, she felt energetic and alive, and was both talking happily with her companion and greeting anyone who happened to speak to her.

"I've got to say, for a minute there I thought you were finished," said Koga. "How'd you managed to talk him into honoring the deal, like that?"

"Well, like you point out, we vampires value our pride over everything else, so I just knew where to hit him at: his pride."

"You're catching on!" He laughed. "Congratulations, and might I say not bad for a girl with no memory and had trust issues from her past."

"I remember what you said, about learning to let go and live in the moment and move forward; I have too much to live for to simply worry about what happened to me years ago or who wronged me. It feels great, it really does!"

"So, what are you going to do with the money?"

"I don't know."

As they pass by a pet shop, she notices in the window a large, white bird cage that caught her eye, thinking it would be perfect for something else she wanted to accomplish.

"I think I might have an idea," she said.

"What, you want to buy a pet?"

"No! I'm going to catch that brown raven and keep him in a cage!"

"You're really committed to capturing him, aren't you?" He chuckled. "Seriously, why waste your time? You can see if they sell any ravens here, it'll be easier."

"No, I want him; he's so beautiful and I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to see him again. Besides, I want to catch him, not because it's easy, but because it's hard."

It was a noble aspiration on her part, and she figured why not, she had already done the impossible and beat an expert poker player and felt mighty high of herself, now Moka was confident in capturing an elusive creature like the chestnut colored raven known as Chairo.

"I prefer the easy way," Koga comments. "But, it's your money, who am I to question my fair, Queen of Hearts."

"Stop!" Moka laughed, blushing at his gracious comment, and with money hand sets her plan into motion.

The sun was setting by the time her gentleman trucker drove her back to the half-way house in his truck, as a show of gratitude for offering him an interesting day.

"I had a great time," she said as they walked towards the entrance. "Thanks for everything."

"Oh, it wasn't nothing, just…being me. It's me who should be thanking you."

"How so?" She laughed.

"These past few days with you have been really interesting, I'm almost sorry it has to come to an end?"

"End?" She asked, her smile quickly fading as she tried to understand his meaning. "What are you…You're leaving?"

"Yeah, the job; and, the road beckons. Got another delivery to make starting tomorrow and that's going to take me pretty far."

"Oh no! Do you know when you'll be back?"

"Hard to say," he said with a sad smile. "These trips they take days…even months on end, and by the time I come back around who knows if you'll still be here. It is what it is.

"So," she said sadly, her green eyes pleading against this, "you really have to go? This is your last day?"

"Yeah, a trucker's business is never done."

"I'm...I'm real sad to hear it, we had a lot of fun together; you taught me a lot."

"We may see each other again, who knows."

"But, what if I never see you again?"

"That would suck. I haven't met anyone who made spending my spare time without sex this much enjoyable in a long time. _But_, we could still keep in touch while I'm on the road."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"It might...keep this lonesome trucker happy, knowing he's got someone to call up and rendezvous with, maybe even come home to, if you think that's something you'd be up to."

"Well, I..."

Moka thought long and hard on his proposal, to become his girlfriend or something more and spend many more evenings with this handsome and intriguing man, who has been nothing, but polite to her. And, as she stared into his dark eyes, her green ones dazzling into his gaze, feeling herself drift up towards his rugged face the very thought of it began to sound like a great idea to take. But then, as she they were about to kiss, in a flash her eyes partook of another person, of _him_, the mysterious boy smiling down with his warm, chestnut eyes and grin, and the taste of blood that she could still savor despite only being a dream; his voice whispered:

"Moka."

"NO!" Moka cried and pushed Koga away.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to..."

"No, no, it isn't your fault, it's...it's me."

Moka looked up at him with sorrow in her eyes mixed in with confusion, her focus directed elsewhere that he could almost sense, but not towards him.

"Is there something else?" He asked. "Maybe, someone else?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. Look, you're a very nice guy, and I truly, truly have valued your friendship, and being with you would be a nice thing, if I knew I loved you that way, but… there's just...something I have to find out first, and..."

"You needn't say anymore," he said, smiling sadly at the rejection, yet showing he understood what she was going through. "You don't know if there's someone out there, right? That you might have a boyfriend, husband or fiancée, and you think you might still have feelings for him, I get it. It's better to find out for sure sooner than later, we don't want rush into something we'll both regret, because I do not want to be that _other_ guy. Trust me, I've been down that road on the losing side and I don't want to put someone else through that, it's not something you learn to live with easily."

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't be; I knew trying to hitting on an amnesiac lady was a risky business, but I'll be okay. Just hope you get all your memories back and hey, if it looks like your single after all, who knows."

"Yeah."

Koga hops up onto his truck and starts her up, but not before sticking his head out the window to yell:

"Ciou!"

"Ciou!" Moka calls back and waves goodbye to this curious, perfect stranger.

Walking up to the front door, birdcage in hand, Moka's thoughts were of only the mystery man now and of her desire to fill in the missing gaps in her memory, to find any answers that might bring some peace. Peace, however, would be hard won, not only internally, but externally as well as she could hear a commotion going on inside the building.

"What's going on?" Moka asked, running inside to see a crowd gathered around a scene in the living room.

"Trouble," said Jay, "with a capital S and P, as in shitty ass parents!"

Moka didn't have to look hard to see what he meant; Suzaku's mom, and her boyfriend, the abusive, bully marine Ryan, had broken into the building and were attempting to forcefully bring him back, but Dr. Kohaku and his orderlies stood in their way.

"I don't care what you say!" The boy's mother raved. "He ain't stayin here in this nut house another day, I'm bringin his ass home, now! Get your fat, ugly ass over here, you ungrateful little bastard and quit tellin lies about us or I'll _really_ give you something to cry about!"

"What are you people doing here?" Moka asked.

"Stay out of this, sweet cheeks," Ryan intercepted, "before I put you down this time in front of all your freaks!"

"Shut up talking to her!" His girlfriend yelled.

"Who you telling to shut up," he threatened as he verbally puts the woman in her place before everyone. "Just shut up talking to me and get your brat!"

"You're a real piece of work, lady," Moka said.

"What did you say to me, bitch?"

"You head me! You not only let this man walk all over you and your son, but you let him talk to you that way in front of other people!"

"You need to mind your own business like you're supposed to, girlie," Ryan threatened, walking menacingly towards her.

"That's right, you need to mind your own business, you cunt, and quit worrying about mine!"

"I TOLD YOU TO GET THAT BOY!" Ryan bellowed at his woman. "You let me worry about her!"

"At least I'm not his bitch," Moka muttered, loudly enough for her to pick up.

Everyone gasped and began murmuring, not only about Moka's comment, but of her verifying the allegations of trouble at home and embarrassed the woman more than her boyfriend's antics.

"Just shut the fuck up, bitch!" She hissed, and returned her anger towards the boy. "I said _get_ your ass over here and come home!"

"Suzaku, do you still want to stay here with us or go back home?" Dr. Kohaku asked him. "Even if you do go home, you're always welcomed to come here, any time you want."

"The hell he is!" She threatened. "I don't want my boy hanging around this loony bin, anymore!"

"It's...it's not a loony bin," Suzaku finally spoke up, meekly defending his newfound home and friends.

"What did you say to me, boy?"

"I said it ain't a loony bin."

"So what, you think this is a home for you? You think they're going to take care of you?"

"I know I can feel safe here than at home."

"You idiot, what Ryan does isn't as bad as you make it sound."

"Yes it is, mom! Every day he beats us and you accept it; he acts like he owns the place!"

"He brings home the money; he pays the goddamn bills, fool!"

"We live in fear of him, I know I do, and yet you keep him around! You're not afraid of him, you're afraid of losing him!"

"What?"

"Everytime he calls you names or hits you, you put up with it! And whenever he beats me up..."

"He's trying to make a man out of you, cuz god knows you need a good male figure in your life, kid! And, he is a good man, he makes me happy, happier than your worthless father ever made me, I get what I want because of him; don't you want me to be happy? Don't you want your mother to finally get the happiness _she_ deserves?"

"...It's gotta be me or him, mom. That's the only way I'll come home, is if he goes; but, I know you'll never do that, because it's all about you, isn't it? That's why this is a real home, because they care about me!"

"Bitch, dammit, would you just grab the kid and let's go, already!" Ryan yelled at her. "Fuck this doctor and his bullshit!"

"I said, this is a real home," Suzaku said, louder, "they actually give a damn about what happens to me, and these are my friends; I...want to spend more time with them than live with you!"

The woman looked at her son with wide eyes, surprised to see him openly choosing to defy her and remain with these sick, deranged strangers instead of his own mother; to her this was a clear betrayal to a person she gave life to and allowed to have a roof over his head.

"You heard heard him," said Dr. Kohaku.

"Heh; fine, stay here for all I care," she said with indifference. "Caring for you was always a waste of my time anyway. Trying to feed you and getting you shit for school; just an ungrateful little bastard. Hmph, I'm glad. You can stay here all you want, as far as I'm concerned; baby!"

She had hoped showing such disdain for his own existence would make his choice a bittersweet one, wanting him to long and mope over being away from his mother and at the very least make him regret choosing some insane asylum over her.

"Fine," he said, simply.

"You think he's going to take care of you the way I have?" She asked her son. "You think _they_ are going to give a damn about your lazy ass? Hell no, they'll kick you out the moment they tire of you and then you'll be out on your own."

"No...no, I won't! I have friends; they'll look out for me! They'll give me better company than Ryan does for you!"

She laughed so cruelly and maliciously at his defiant rant, that Moka grew angered by it; she knew exactly what the mother was doing and refused to let her get any further with it.

"How can you call yourself a mother?" Moka asks. "You're supposed to protect him, but instead you're trying to bring him down to your level because you're unhappy; no wonder he wants to spend more time with us than with you!"

"Who asked ya, bitch? I don't have to stay here and be judged by you!"

"I told you to quit arguing and get that boy!" Ryan yelled even louder, his voice and imposing physique threatening to all.

"He won't go," she replied. "Just being stupid as always."

"Don't listen to her," Rin said to Suzaku, "Lucy's right, she's just a hater because she's sad."

"Oh, so she's your girlfriend, now, huh? Is that what's really going on? Like she'd want you!"

However, she notices Rin whispering something into Suzaku's ear, making the distressed boy actually laugh and smile for the first time she'd him do, and a fear arose in her that the boy might actually be far better off living away from her than she would be away from him; it was something this very, pissed off "mother" could not let go of.

"Oh, you think this is funny?" She angrily asked. "You think something's funny about me, you little snot? You think you're better than me, is that it; that you've gone and got one over your dumb as shit mother, huh? Well, think again!"

She reaches around Dr. Kohaku before he could even act to stop her and slaps the boy hard across his face; that caused Moka to springs into action, dives around Ryan and grabs the woman by her arm.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM!" Moka angrily shrieks at the woman and began to pull on the woman's arm so hard that she and everyone else heard a sickening pop.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" The abusive mother screamed in agonizing pain as she clutches her wounded, dislocated shoulder and cringed against her boyfriend.

"Are you alright?" Rin asked, looking over Suzaku.

"Y-Yeah," he said, simply.

Even though his face stung from the slap, the boy was, nonetheless shocked at his pink haired defender's power; no one had done that for him before and it made him feel less alone than ever.

"Now, that's enough!" Dr. Kohaku yelled. "I want you people out of this clinic!"

"Did you see what just happened, did you see, you stupid, Jap doctor!" Ryan yelled in anger. "You think we're going to leave without getting what we came here for, you got another thing coming!"

"Suzaku!" The doctor said. "Do you wish to go back with these people?"

Suzaku, still rubbing his face from where he had been hit, looks over at the people he once called family, most especially at the cringing, weeping girl who was once his mother, now no more. He then looks at Dr. Kohaku, Rin, and even Lucy, people he once saw as being inferior, but were now protecting him like a family. Though young and very much uncertain about his future, one thing was certain: tonight was the last time anyone would ever hurt him again.

"I never want to see either of them ever again," he said to the doctor.

"You heard him," Moka said, "now leave."

"You ungrateful little _BRAT_!" His mother shrieks at him. "After everything, _everything_ I have done for you, sacrificed for you, even bringing into this world and you're going to do this to me. _I_ was the one who went through hours of agonizing labor bringing you into this world even when nobody wanted you, and said I should abort you! _I_ was the one decided to raise you on my own when nobody would lift a finger to help me! _I_ was the one who gave us a roof over our head, made sure you were safe, and made sure there was food on the table every, fucking day; YOU OWE ME, YOU UNGRATEFUL, GOOD FOR NOTHING BASTARD! YOU OWE ME FOR EVERYTHING!"

"He doesn't owe you anything," Moka said after a lengthy silence, her voice calm and defiant after such a tirade, a stark contrast from the self serving speech. "He is a kid, a child, and their supposed to live free and happy, while at the same time being trained the right way on how to become responsible adults."

"THAT IS WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL...!"

"You kept your child in a state of fear and neglect; he never would've grown up because of you. Your child gave you the best years of your life anyone could've just by being a part of it, he gave you the chance to be something more than what you see yourself in the mirror, the chance to be a parent; he doesn't owe you, you owe _him_!"

All who heard her words were touched by it, but the ears of those she meant them for were both deaf and dumb as the reluctant mother merely collapsed back into the arms of her brutish "happiness", whining loudly about her shoulder.

"Ryan," she wept, "look what she did to me, look what she did to my _arm_! That bitch just won't leave me alone, she's trying to ruin my life!"

"Yeah, and I've just about had it with her," he said and began stepping forward, his ripped muscles tensing up and flexing in anticipation for a fight.

Moka stood her ground, determined to protect the boy, but this time it was Dr. Kohaku who stepped up to the towering brute and appeared ready to do whatever it took to fight him off.

"Outta my way," Ryan threatened, staring down the shorter doctor.

"No," he calmly, yet firmly said to him, "you won't be hurting anybody here; now, I think it's time for you to

leave."

Ryan laughed as if the doctor had said something funny, and then, without warning, punches Dr. Kohaku so hard he knocked him to his hands and knees. The strike was so sudden, not only for him, but for all who witnessed it as they cried out in shock, and the orderlies were ready to rush forward to render aid, but Dr. Kohaku raised a hand that stops them in their tracks and, to everyone's amazement, rises back up to his feet. Ryan hits him again, this time following it with a sharp blow to his rib cage and stood menacingly over his wounded form.

"You better stay the fuck down, fool," Ryan said.

"Dad," Rin nervously called to him.

"How dare you; you…," Moka growled and moved forward to put a stop to this.

"No!" Dr. Kohaku yelled to her and struggled himself back up onto his wobbly legs.

"Oh, so that's how you want it?" Ryan asked, getting into a fighting stance and ready to use his finely honed, military combat skills on a civilian doctor. "You want to fight?"

"No, I want you to leave," he replied, calmly.

"Yeah?"

Ryan jabs a fist at the doctor's face, breaking his nose in the process, but Dr. Kohaku remained firm in his stance.

"Stop it, please, he's sick!" Rin pleaded. "Can't you see that, he's not well!"

"I say he's sick; sick in the head!" Ryan boasted. "You better listen to your daughter fool, before I _kill_ you!"

"Then, you'll have to kill me."

"Dr. Kohaku," Suzaku said and, upon seeing the distress on Rin's face and all that these people were doing for him, he knew of only one thing to do to stop this. "Wait! You win; I'll come back with you, you don't have to keep hitting him anymore!"

"Suzaku!" Moka cried in shock.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me, just stop hitting him, Ryan!"

"Fine, but you better get your dumbass over here, now or I'll whip all their asses, including you; and you got a lot to answer for, letting your mother get hurt like that!"

Devastated, but without any other option, the young boy very reluctantly did what he was told; at least he started to.

"Dr. Kohaku?" Suzaku asked as the doctor barred his path from going any further with his sacrifice. "What are you...?"

"You don't have to go anywhere you don't want, Suzaku," he said to him, never taking his eyes off of the brutish 'marine' in front of him.

"But, he's going to kill you, look what he's..."

"I appreciate you looking out for me, but how will I look my daughter in the eyes knowing I let a young boy step up for me, even if it put him in danger. I can handle him."

"Handle this!" Ryan yelled and delivers another, bone jarring jab at his face, causing him to double over; still, the doctor stood up. "I'm getting fucking tired of this! Fuck it; I'll just choke the hell out of you if this next punch don't put you down, straig...! Hey, what the...?"

Ryan looks down, trying to find out who'd have the balls to grab a hold of his arm during a fight, and discovers that someone to be a miniature looking man holding on with both arms.

"Violence...is highly...il-logical!" Norman yelled.

"What?" Ryan asked. "Get the fuck off of me, you little..., babe! Come deal with this little shit, so I can whip this doctor's..."

"She ain't gonna be doing anything!" Yelled a woman, in which she and a few others had the irate mother surrounded. "Not, if any of we got anything to say about it!"

Soon, Ryan realized he was alone and surrounded as everybody in the building seemed poised and ready to throw down with doctor.

"Seriously? You're going to get your freak show to come in and _save_ you? Ha! I've been in ambushes before, by people with more fight to them than you and I killed all of them, too; what makes you think I can't fuck everybody in this place?"

"Maybe you can," said Jay.

"Yeah!" Ryan responded.

"I said, maybe you can, but that all depends if you can do that and get out of here before the cops show up, which shouldn't be too long from the time they were called. You'll make headline news, bub; U.S. marine charged for mass murder in a Japanese, civilian medical facility, also charged with spousal abuse, child abuse, heard committing bodily threats to the staff, in which the operator clearly heard with you screaming like the nut job you are. I'm sure your superiors will give you a medal."

"Or," Dr. Kohaku coined, "you can just leave, now and we'll forget this ever happened."

Ryan looked over at the blind man and then back at the doctor, and though his pride meant everything to him in the world, more than this ragged looking creature he fucked in bed whenever the mood suited him, what Jay said began to sink in through his rock, solid head of his. Despite all the boasting, he wasn't on the best of terms with the higher ups and an arrest record of this magnitude would automatically guarantee a dishonorable discharge, among others; his bitch was hardly worth losing his military benefits for.

"C'mon, bitch!" He yelled to his girlfriend, all the while eyeing the obstinate doctor with visible disgust. "Let's get the hell out of here, these people ain't even worth it."

"But..."

"I SAID LETS GO! I ain't getting in trouble for you; now get your sorry ass up and let's get out of here!"

The woman looks at everyone, especially Moka, who stared at her as if she were something pathetic, and finally at her son who looked away, and obediently follows after her man with her broken shoulder, as well as broken pride. With them gone, the entire place seemed to literally let out a breath of fresh air and all sense of normalcy returned. The orderlies went over to see to Dr. Kohaku, but he waved them on as though he had merely tripped over and fell.

"You okay, doc?" Norman asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay. That was real brave of you, grabbing onto him like that."

"Ah, it weren't nothing."

"You really took one for the team, doctor," Jay congratulated.

"I gotta say, I'm impressed," said Mr. Tanaka. "It took some real balls to stand up to a freak like that; I've known guys like him to go ape shit on a person just for the fun of it."

"Well, all in a day's work."

"No, you really went above and beyond the call of duty," he added. "I hope you didn't take that beating because it's your job?"

"Huh? No, I would've done it if I was off work, I just didn't want trouble to spread too far out of hand, which is what almost happened when you all decided to get involve; what would possess you guys to do that on my account?"

"Because, doc," Norman replied, "sometimes the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many."

"Star Trek III?" He asked with a wry smile.

"What else," Jay replied, and the doctor laughed.

"Okay, okay, show's over everyone, back to what you were doing; oh, and Norman I gotta use that quote, that's...that's pretty clever."

"Sure thing, doc."

He turns to Suzaku, who was being nursed over, needlessly by a doting Rin.

"C'mon, stop!" He complained. "I told you, I'm fine!"

"Would you stop being a pain, I just want to make sure she didn't hurt you!"

"A-hem!" The doctor went authoritatively, which snapped the two kids at attention. "Now, that you're going to be living with us, young man, I..."

"You don't have to worry," Suzaku replied, "I won't...do anything to your daughter."

"Which includes?"

"Dad!" Rin yells, her face becoming red.

"Just want to make sure he knows the ground rules."

"You can count on my, sir, I'll be a good boy!"

"That's good; and pumpkin...please, _please_ remember to leave him that way, I know you're getting to be at that age where you're starting to notice boys and I see girls your age on the streets all the time, doing god-knows-what, and..."

"_Dad, please stop_!" Rin wailed, crying into her hands out of sheer embarrassment.

"Alright, fine; I know when my fatherly advice isn't wanted, so you two run along and go play, daddy's got work to do."

"Is he always like this?" Suzaku asked as soon as he and Rin were out of ear shot.

"Don't look back at him and maybe he'll be just a figment our imagination," she whispered.

"Ah, kids, they grow up so fast," the doctor said an aurora of proud, satisfaction.

"That was...that was really amazing, what you did," Moka said to him.

"Aw, handling kids isn't as hard as it seems; all you need is a patient demeanor and..."

"No, no, n-not that, I mean what you did, standing up for Suzaku and all those hits you took! Doesn't it hurt? I mean, he could've killed you!"

"What? The punches? Heh, it wasn't anything serious; I've studied under Kendo and Muay Thai, the hits I took really helped to harden me in a way. He would've tired himself out, eventually."

"You know how to fight? You never told me that!"

"Yeah, I got pictures of me winning tournaments hanging in my office; at least I think they still are, that or I may have moved them during spring cleaning."

"But, if you knew how to fight, then why did you let him hit you without fighting back?"

"I could've fought back, could've even killed him if I wanted."

"Then, why didn't you?"

"Because, I wouldn't be doing it for the boy, I'd be fighting for myself and I had nothing to prove to a violent individual like that. I wanted to show there's more to strength than simply being able to beat someone up; there's also courage, the courage to fight back against pride, to fight for something more: love, hope. Not that I'm saying if someone hits you, then stand there and take it like I did, I can simply take a punch and wasn't worried about myself; all I'm saying is that pride isn't a justification for violence."

"Every day I think I learn something new about the human race," Moka said with a warm smile. "First Suzaku, then you, and everybody else; there are those who represent the bad, like that boy's mother and her boyfriend, but they're not all humans, no you're all very different from each other, aren't you?"

"It seems you're catching on. And so, what new things are you ready to learn about yourself, Moka Akashiya?"

"Come on, Moka," said a rather busty, greenish blue haired girl in a yellow sweater vest that accentuated her bust line, who danced about happily in her academy mini skirt and overgrown socks as though they were late for a party. "If we don't get to the lunchroom first, then you know who is going to catch dibs on the seat next to him; and, just thinking about that frosty bitch getting all cozy with my man makes my blood..."

"You...know me?" Moka asked.

The strange blue haired girl looks at her like she said something out of the ordinary, and for awhile Moka felt that way herself, but didn't know why. She looks down and notices she's wearing the same green, school uniform as before, standing about at a large and almost foreboding academy in the middle of nowhere.

"When, or should I say, where are we?" Dr. Kohaku asked her, standing off to the side and observing every detail as usual, but just as confused as she.

"I don't..."

"Moka, are you alright?" The girl asked.

"Um, yes, but..."

"Look, whatever is bothering could it wait, I really want to...," the girl stops in mid sentence and a wry smile comes over her pink lips. "On second thought, maybe you should go see the nurse and I'll go to lunch. Yea! I won't have to compete with you over him today, after all!"

"Him? Who's him?"

"...You're kidding, right?" The girl asked, a little surprised by her strange behavior. "Moka, are you sure you're okay?"

"Him? It's...it is...that boy I met, right?" Moka asked, more eagerly than before.

"The boy?" Asked the doctor. "Yes, I would like to know who he is."

"Moka, what the hell! I can't believe you...As if you have to ask, I mean you two have been practically inseparable since the first day; what's gotten into you?"

"Listen, you have to tell me, where are we, who are you, and who is 'him'?" Moka asked, grabbing hold of the girl out of an eager desperation to learn this elusive truth, shaking so her so hard that her bulbous chest wiggled uncontrollably. "Tell me!"

"Will you calm down, we're at Yokai Academy, you know that!"

"Yokai..." Moka responded thoughtfully. "I...attended high school here."

"I've never heard of Yokai Academy," the doctor commented.

"Is this a dream," she wondered aloud, "or a memory?"

"Moka, you're scaring me," the girl said.

"Him!" Moka added and began shaking the girl some more. "What about him? The boy we're going to meet, who is he?"

"Okay, this is getting out of hand. Did...did you fully recover from Yukari's spell?"

"Spell?" The doctor asked.

"Spell," she said to herself. "Yes, I...I think I remember this, now. It was...this Yukari wanted to give me a love potion, so...she and I could have...ménage a trios? But, it backfired and I had started acting like a 10 year old girl for about a day and..."

"Moka?" The girl asked, nervously.

"And, the boy?"

"You know who is, goddamn it! It's..."

"Yes!" She said with eager anticipation. "Yes, it's..."

"Its _, you two practically sing each other's names a lot whenever you're together."

"W-What? Say that again!"

"What?"

"His name! Say his name, I didn't get that!"

"Dammit Moka!" The girl said, wrenching herself free from her tightening grasp. "I don't know what's going on with you, but we're late, and I'm not going to miss sitting next to _ because you're acting all flaky! Now, are you coming or not?"

Moka looked away in shame and frustration at being so close to learning his name, only to elude her; the name of someone who was supposed to be important to her, the missing piece to the puzzle, and yet for some reason it remained in accessible. She felt like screaming at the top of her lungs, the anguish starting to overwhelm and consume her.

"Calm down, Moka," the doctor's calming voice spoke out. "You can't rush these things; you must let your memories run their course and return one at a time, if need be. If you continue to push you'll only suffer further brain damage and it'll never come to you. Now, apparently there's a reason your mind is having difficulty remembering this person's name, but is remembering everything else; perhaps you are reluctant to remember it."

"What? Why? I told you, he was special to me not some who hurt me or...whatever; why wouldn't I want to remember?"

"It may not be anything he's done, but that something happened to him that affected you greatly, a tragedy or some injustice, or even something you may have done and your mind is trying to deal with the guilt; perhaps you're not ready to confront that aspect of your past."

"Something...I'd done?" She asked, more to herself than to him and a look of intense worry flashed in her green eyes.

"Hey! Earth to Moka! You're really spacing out today."

"Huh? Oh, oh, right, yeah I'm...I'm coming with you, Yukari."

Moka figured if she didn't know his name, at least if she went along with this girl and met him again, something was bound to get jogged, however an accidental run in with the girl's ballooned bosom somehow presented another roadblock.

"Now what?" Moka asked.

"Yukari?"

"Yeah, that's your name, isn't it?"

"No, it's not my name!" The girl yelled. "How could you even confuse me with her!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I..."

"Let me get it through that messed up head of yours; I'm not that flat under developed, little witch, I'm a voluptuous, young, but extremely mature succubus, and my name _isn't _Yukari, it's..."

Suddenly, everything changes; same place, but different moment in time, to where she's lands hard on the ground after falling from some great height. The pain in her rear was excruciating, her bearings incoherent, but aware that she wasn't alone.

"Are you alright, Moka?" Someone breathlessly asked.

She glances over and is stunned to see that it's him, checking her over in what seemed like almost a recreation of their first encounter.

"...You?" She mouthed.

"C'mon Moka, we've gotta get out of here before...too late!" He said with great foreboding, staring up at the sky as if anticipating an attack from some airborne danger.

Moka looks to where he's focused at and was almost equally stunned to see the blue haired girl from before, this time flying in the air on a pair of giant, bat like wings and her fingernails extended into fearsome claws.

"You're not going anywhere!" She yelled down at them with an evil glee to her declaration. "Kurumu Korono is my name, and you've interfered with my selection for a mate, for the last time, Moka Akashiya! All I wanted was to find my desired mate amongst all the boys here at this school by being the sexiest girl around, but you had to steal attention away from me, so I tried to steal your boy away from you!"

"What's going on now?" Dr. Kohaku asked from behind. "When are we?"

"It's...it's two years earlier," Moka muttered, her memory slowly working to recall this event. "This is when we first met, before we became best friends with...Kurumu."

"She said you stole some boys from her?"

"She was always jealous because I was more popular than she was."

"And, she wanted to harm you because of it?"

"She tried to...to seduce...him, I...can't remember his name!"

"Take it easy, take it easy."

"But, I remember it didn't work, her powers wouldn't make him hate me, so now..."

"NOW, I'LL MAKE YOU BOTH PAY!" Kurumu shrieked and dove towards them.

"LOOK OUT!" Moka cried and instinctively dove for the boy, knocking him to the ground before Kurumu comes flying overhead, slashing her claws about and cutting a column of trees to ribbons.

"I can't believe she's really going to kill us!" The panicked boy cried out. "Wait! Moka, remember last time with Saizou, you changed when I removed your rosary and defeated him, right?"

"I...think so, but..."

"Maybe, if I did it again..."

The boy tries tugging at the object around her neck, as the doctor observes on, but despite all of his efforts it would come loose as before.

"I don't understand!" He said to himself. "It should work."

Moka, looking on worried, could see behind him that Kurumu was getting ready for another pass and knew there was very little time left.

"Look," she said to him, "get out of here, run! She wants me, not you; I'll try to hold her off, now go!"

The boy looks at her, and though escape would be logical for a mere mortal like him, but the look of confusion and shock at such a suggestion said otherwise.

"What?" He asked. "No way!"

"Listen to me, you're no match for her, at least I can survive anything she does to me!"

"I'm not leaving you, Moka! It's my fault this all happened, I shouldn't have made you cry or allowed myself to be controlled by her."

Moka, touched by his words and the sincerity there was in his eyes, wanted to tenderly utter the boy's name on her lips like some instinctual response, however nothing came out.

"Neither of you are going anywhere!" Kurumu yelled, overhearing their argument. "You're both DEAD!"

She dove again, and this time with very little cover, Moka could do nothing but press the boy to her breast like a mother trying to protect a child from a dangerous animal, hoping to at least shield him from the attack.

"No," she could hear the boy mutter. "I won't let it end like this! I...I will protect you...MOKA!"

In a final show of courage and defiance, the boy pulls himself from Moka's grasp and stands over her like some protective shield, determine to do his best to save her life, yet unwittingly, and much to her surprise, removes the rosary with some magical ease, finally revealed only to him. She tries to say his name, the letters on the tip of her lips before everything turned red around her and the image growing murky.

"Moka!" A voice yelled.

"You..." she tried to respond.

"I...I love you!"

As yet another surprise, Moka finds herself having fallen on her back during lunch hour with a certain somebody on top of her, but as she looks up and sees the boy, safe and sound, standing over with a shocked expression on his face, she quickly realizes that someone wasn't him. She felt a pair of small, childlike hands clamped on her breasts like suction cups and began squeezing them, affectionately.

"Who...who are...," she stammered as, upon looking down at her ardent admirer, she comes face to face with a rosy smile, and a pair of playful, purplish colored eyes of some young girl wearing a witch's hat. "Would you stop that!"

"I can't help it!" The girl happily responds. "Your breasts are so perky and firm, I love em, I love em, I love em! I just want to be yours, forever!"

The scene changed again, but the girl remained clamped to her breasts and being dragged along with everyone watching them.

"Um...w-wow, um," the doctor stammered, his nose beginning to bleed from the scene. "And, um, who might this be?"

"I...," Moka tried to explain, slightly amazed that, even now, the feelings of embarrassment and confusion were so strong, that it felt real to her.

"Hold it!" The boy cried, running up to "rescue" Moka from this predicament. "Now, hold it right there, you need to stop harassing Moka! Look at you, I mean you're 10, don't you realize how ridiculous you look?"

"Moka," the girl said, nonchalantly, "this boy is trying to interfere with our love; you deserve better than him, his scores are below average and he's bringing you down by associating with you. But, I'll gladly take care of him, for you."

"But..." Moka tried to say, but the girl would not listen and instead takes out a pink, ornately heart-shaped wand.

"Minions, attack!" The girl cried and with a wave of her wand sends an armada of magically possessed cleaning utensils flew out of a closet to begin assaulting the boy. As though having done something good, the little witch girl happily turns back to Moka and introduces herself. "My name is Yukari Sendo, and I'm a witch; tee-hee!"

"You guys sure look weird together," said a mysterious, soft spoken girl.

The scene had changed, yet again and now it was a few months later, Moka was outside, alongside Kurumu, Yukari and the boy, apparently all friends and all of them, save him, were selling school papers in maid outfits to the students when this strange girl appeared out of nowhere.

"And, who are you?" Kurumu asked, rudely.

The girl, who's skin was unnaturally pale, and long, lavender hair which matched her oddly colored uniform, and whose opaque, blue eyes leered at the boy as she sucked on a lollipop most uncomfortably. Moka felt she knew the girl, and yet the name came slowly.

"I'm a fan," she simply replied. "I'll be seeing you."

"MIZORE!" Moka heard the boy cry out, almost like an echo from somewhere far away, and immediately she was transported to a day later, as she and Yukari were being carried in Kurumu's arms to a nearby cliff face where this same girl dangled over a cliff, over a red sea apparently in some suicide; the boy was there, trying to stop her, but was having little success as he held her with one arm and held on with the other.

"No one understands me," the girl wept.

"That's not true!" He yelled to her. "I understand, I know what it's like to be in this school and feel alone, trust me, I do. And, I was wrong to assume you attacked the P.E. coach, you were only trying to defend yourself!"

"The P.E. coach attacked her?" Dr. Kohaku asked, riding next to her.

"He was a lecherous teacher that much I remembered, and he tried to rape Mizore, but she fought back. The man lied and said she attacked him for no reason so everyone believed him, but _he_ found out the truth in time."

"The boy did?"

"Yes."

"Him, that boy, he's trying to save her life."

"Please, Mizore, you don't have to do this!" The boy cried, straining with all his might to hold her up.

"You care about me, don't you?" Mizore asked.

"Yes!"

"Then...we'll both go together."

"W-What?"

The looks out of the corner of his eye and to Moka's horror sees that the snow woman, Mizore had created ice replicas of herself that began advancing towards the two of them, their hands fashioned into sharp blades of ice. Kurumu yelled out his name, but a violent gust of cold wind that Mizore cooked up the moment she saw them, prevented Moka from hearing it.

"No!" Moka cried out, but her voice was nearly lost.

"NO!"

The yell was loud, louder than she would've thought, but it did not come from her mouth and a sharp kick to the stomach dropped this vampire to the ground and awakened another moment, one in where she stared up with trepidation at another vampire; her sister, but not Ria.

_K-Kokoa? _She thought; but she was no longer the little, redheaded girl coming at her with an axe as before, this time Kokoa was taller, stronger and at the moment standing over her with a battle mace the size of a boulder. Her eyes were red, blood red with a lust for her immediate death as though she was a bug that needed to be squashed.

"Kokoa," Moka tried to say, but her words fell upon deaf ears.

"Actually, I've always kinda hated you, sister!" The irate girl yelled. "And now, my Ko-Hammer is going to squash you from my life!"

"WHAT?" Moka heard the boy cry out from the side.

_It's him again?_

"I was sure that would've worked!" He yelled.

"Goodbye!" Kokoa cried and brought the mace down.

Moka thought that she alone was done for, but in a cry of defiance, the boy leapt on top of her to act as a shield as the giant weapon fell onto them both.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Huh?" Moka responded, but realized he wasn't talking to her. She looks around and finds them in a different setting as before. They were in a motel room, a year earlier from the last moment, yet after the one before; they were wearing spring clothing and gathered around a bed where a strange woman laid. Her dark hair was long and partially braided as it was splayed about her bruised, but porcelain face like a black pool. Her clothes were equally strange, just black cloth for a top, wrapped tightly about her breasts and a beige gypsy styled skirt that every so often revealed a leg in fishnet stockings. She was battered from some violent fight, Moka could see; Yukari knelt by her side like a caring physician and the boy, in a kind gesture, attempted to offer the woman a soda, but if this unusual woman was happy at all for their care, her large, and fiery violet colored eyes would later tell a different story.

"What is this?" She asked in a hostile manner. "Why am I here?"

"You were hurt bad," he said, "we wanted to help. I'm sorry for what happened."

"_, how can you feel sorry for her?" Kurumu asked him. "After what she done, she should be the one sorry!"

"After what she'd done?" Moka asked herself, and then remembered what had led to this; they'd ventured into an enormous sunflower field where this woman, a witch, lived with her master and violently attacked him, only to be answered by a violent retaliation from all of them.

"Kurumu," he tried to assure her.

"No! Hey, why'd you attack him?"

"Leave her alone!" Yukari defended. "Ruby is the one seriously hurt, if it hadn't been for _ wanting to take care of her, she never would've gotten well."

"Besides, Yukari's healing spell worked on me," he said. "I'm fine. So, Ruby we got you a drink, thought you might be thirsty; here."

_Ruby? _Moka wondered. _Is that who she is?_

The woman named Ruby glanced down at the piece offering, taking it in her leather strapped hands with mild curiosity, but found no sense of peaceful co-existence from these people, especially from him.

"Do you live there on Witch's Knoll?" He asked her.

"Witch's Knoll?" The doctor repeated.

"You...you heard of it?" She asked him.

"I have; it's a hill full of sunflowers several towns south from here. Hm."

"Is it just you that lives there?" He asked.

"No...It is me and my master; has been that way ever since I was a child when she took me in."

"Ruby, why were you attacking people?" Yukari asked.

"Why are you doing this?" Ruby suddenly asked the boy. "Why are you being so nice to me when you're nothing, but a human?"

"Ruby! He's my friend, you don't have to..."

"Humans are the enemy!" She replied, this time more forcefully and growing more menacingly. "They ran over my parents like they were common animals! Now, they seek to destroy Witch's Knoll!"

"I...I didn't know," he said, seemingly a little shocked. "Are...are you sure?"

"You come in with your machines, you with your tools, you hack, slash and burn! So, what if a few humans are killed, better to wipe them out then let them destroy our home!"

In a fit of rage, Ruby stood up and chunks the soda can from her hand, narrowly missing the boy and standing over them like a threatening fiend.

"In the end, it doesn't matter, because soon this city will bathe in flames. Yukari, it's not too late to join our cause, but you'll die along with everyone else, if you continue to side with humanity!"

Everyone fell silent by her bold statement, even the doctor, and the boy seemed to have a troubled look on his face, as though saddened by her predicament and that humans were to blame, but Mizore managed to break the ice.

"So, it's okay to kill, as long as it's only humans, right?"

"Y-Yes," Ruby replied. "So what? What difference does it make?"

"Humans, monsters; a life is a life, it doesn't matter whom."

"You really know how to pick em, Yukari," Kurumu egged the little girl on. "What a nut job."

"Who you calling a nut job?"

"Come on, Kurumu," the boy said.

"Witches really are scary," Mizore said.

"We are not scary!" Yukari argued.

"Yeah, yeah, little witches aren't scary!" Kurumu retorted.

"I said, you better keep your mouth shut, I mean it! You succubus are pretty scary, too!"

"Yeah, but we don't go around killing people like some whack job!" Kurumu argued and began playfully messing with Yukari's hat.

"Guys, guys, stop!" Moka said. "Let's not fight in front of Ruby, she's still a little..."

Moka wanted to speak up, to say his name, to talk and ask why he cared so much for all of them, but as she struggled to remember, Ruby's outburst interrupted them.

"SHUT UP! If me and my master don't fight now, we won't have anywhere else to go!"

"If that's all, then all you have to do is come live with us at Yokai Academy," the boy offered. "I'm sure the Headmaster will let you stay."

"Yokai Academy?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah; there are all sorts of monsters that go there," Yukari happily coined.

"What!" Kurumu shrieked. "More witches? Don't we have enough, _? And besides, she seems way too old to not be a threat to us; I mean, this little girl is hardly in the running to be your mate, but to allow _her_? I don't like it."

"Hmph, get used to it, boobzilla!" Yukari joked and started getting in the irate, blue haired girl's face.

Everyone started laughing and joking with one another as if they were the best of friends, all except Ruby who looked on with confusion and mild trepidation. And, there was of course Moka, who struggled to reconnect with every sense of familiarity in regards to this scene.

"So, what do you think, Moka?" He asked her, smiling. "You think this will be a good idea to have one more member to the Newspaper Club?"

"I..."

She wanted to say his name, and looking into his eyes and warm smile, he wasn't someone she wanted to forget either; however.

"Moka," he said again, this time his smile fading and his tone becoming serious. "Moka. Where is Moka?"

"Huh?" She asked, but his voice started to sound faint and the room began to change again all around her. "No, not again."

"You just don't give up, do you?" Moka heard a strange boy say, whose mocking words were quickly followed by the sounds of a violent beating.

Moka now looks around her new surrounding; the boy was gone, replaced instead by a white haired boy with yellowish, goat like eyes holding her captive outside the school grounds. In front of her was a creature she saw, a little, hideous thing that brought great trepidation to her, a creature that greatly resembled a large spider with only a single eye for a body, and this thing was broadcasting an image for the girl to see. Before her, within the image was the boy from before, this time in a brutal fight with a taller, stronger boy in a black duster. For reasons that she couldn't recall, she knew the adversary's name was Hokuto, and the boy was fighting him because of her.

"For me?" She asked herself.

"Give it up!" Hokuto told him, his heavy boot on the boy's head as it was smashed into the linoleum floor of the Headmaster's building.

"No!" The mysterious boy grimaced as he struggled to rise up, his face and entire body drenched in blood and badly broken, but not his determination. "Where is she? What have you done with Moka!"

"Not...not for me," she said.

_Where were the others? _She wondered. _Why weren't they helping him?_

She soon found them, watching helplessly like she was behind a dome shaped force field. Annoyed, Hokuto lifts the boy up by his bruised neck and delivers a powerful punch that sends him flying back.

"I'll say this for your boy toy," the white haired man said, mockingly, "he's good for taking a beating."

Again and again, the boy got up and attacked Hokuto, determined to stop him at the cost of his own life, while Moka remained helpless. He didn't deserve this, she wanted to be there and help him, but found it nearly impossible to do anything.

"Please," she said to herself, her emotions rising to a fevered pitch, "please, stop this! No more!"

"Relax," the guy said, "it'll be all over, soon."

The sound of his cold statement, insinuating guaranteed death, the sounds of this boy's bones cracking, of the screams and pained cries from a guy she knew little about except that he had been so kind and loving to her, brought forth emotions that started to wreak havoc on the girl's heart. Moka grabbed the rosary, trying desperately to remove the seal that bound her powers herself, but there was no response. The jewel in her rosary seemed to pulsate, and she could've sworn she heard some condescending words coming from it, but the sounds of violence, and the familiarity of this memory itself was so powerful, so significant that it began to trigger a violent attack.

"No, NO!" She screamed, squeezing her eyes shut and writhing about in total darkness. "STOP! PLEASE STOP, NO MORE!"

"MOKA!" She heard the doctor's cries come into focus and feel his strong hands shaking her by the shoulders. "WAKE UP, MOKA! It's over, it was all a hallucination!"

"I...I CAN'T! I can't, I can just sit here in this dungeon, I've gotta get out! I gotta get out! Stop! Just stop, stop doing this! Don't do this to him, stop it! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

She feels a hard slap come stinging across her face and wakes up to find herself back in the doctor's office.

"Well," he finally says after a long and exasperated pause, "I'd say that concludes our session for tonight."

"What...what happened?" She asked.

"You don't remember? Apparently, we stumbled onto an event that triggered an episode. What happened, I think is that you witnessed something that was so powerful it must've caused you to forget, and that this boy is at the center of it all. Did something happen to him? Is that why you can't recall anything?"

"I...I don't know."

"You said you can't sit here in this dungeon, and yet throughout all of our sessions, not once have you mentioned being in a dungeon."

"I don't know; I wish could, believe me I want to."

"Whatever the case, the good news is that we have learned a lot more about your past. We learned you had a number of friends, each one more unique than the last; of the names you mentioned, I was only able to get Kurumu Korono and Yukari Sendo to go on, if you'd like I can look up their names and call them."

"That's fine."

"What were the names of the others again, I mean their full names? Don't strain yourself; just tell me what you can remember."

"I...Shirayuki," Moka replied after some difficult contemplation, "Mizore Shirayuki, I think. And, Ruby...Touhou?"

"Ruby, yes. I'd say she is the most curious one of them all, this Ruby character; do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because, what she said, about hating humans, even killing them, it sounded like someone else I once knew."

"...Yes, I know," Moka replied with some shame.

"But, this boy, he tried to befriend her, even after everything she said, even after her view of him."

"Yes, he did; she became our friend after that because of him, I think."

"Really? It would seem all of these girls, at one point or another, seemed to hold this person with great importance; I've never seen someone have such conviction in wanting to help others the way he does, do know why?"

"That's just the way he is, the way he was taught."

"I see that, and in every instance he was there to help _you_. I think I understand why he was so important to you, why this connection. Those moments you shared with him, and I imagine there are others locked away in your head, were all special because you, and all of your friends loved him, am I right?"

"Yes," she said with such conviction. "But, I can't figure out who he is or what our relationship was...or if he's even..."

"Like I said, give it time; eventually everything will come back to you, but you cannot rush it or risk losing your memory forever."

"I understand, doctor. Is there anything else?"

"No, I think we've covered enough for today. Why don't you go take a bath, it'll help calm you down. Maybe, you'll be busy tomorrow with some activity, might even go out to buy a bird and learn how to care for it; I find owning pets can help with the rehabilitation process."

"Huh?" She asked.

"I noticed you bought an empty bird cage, I assumed you were going to buy a bird from the pet shop, and if you need any suggestions, I recommend getting a cockatiel because they're easy and very cute."

"Uh, thanks, but that's not what the cage is for. I plan to capture Chairo and put him in it."

"Oh, seriously?" He asked, somewhat shocked at her plan.

"Is...is that not okay, because ever since seeing him I've really wanted to keep him as a pet; I'll care for him and keep him well, and I think he'll be happier with me."

"Moka, you mustn't do it."

"Why not?"

"Because, that bird isn't someone's pet; he doesn't deserve to be caged up. If he makes you happy, then great, but confining him the way you plan is only going to make him unhappy."

"No it won't, I'll take good care of him; he'll be happy, you'll see. I want to do this; I want him for a pet, is that so wrong?"

"I can't stop you getting what you want," he said after a sigh. "If you have to do it, then do it, I just hope you think about it before it's too late and wind up regretting it."

She spent the next couple of hours soaking in the bath, its warm and therapeutic waters seeping into every bore about her body, contemplating on what Dr. Kohaku said. What harm was there in keeping a bird as a pet, let alone a wild one; it wasn't like she planned to hurt it and how could he think he would be less happy under her care and supervision? Thinking about it did help throw her mind off of everything that she had uncovered recently, but it was only brief, and was back to being plagued by this mystery in her past. The boy, always there like a torturous spirit, never going away for very long, infects her with a deep and personal obsession in uncovering his secret. So far, she had remembered many things from her forgotten past and by all logic it should have been enough, however it felt like a near completed jigsaw puzzle, complete save for one, missing piece; the picture was clear enough to be discernible, but it never felt or seemed perfect without that one piece and it drove Moka crazy trying to find it. Sighing, she slips underneath the water, trying to relax and put it all aside for now.

"So, he's trapped in a different past?" Moka asked Norman while the two watch another episode of Star Trek.

"Yes. See, when Kirk went through the portal, he became trapped in Sarpeidon's medieval past, and Spock and McCoy went through the same portal, only it was set for a completely different past and now their trapped in the Ice Age."

"Ohh, I get it!"

"Yeah, but they gotta hurry and find each other before the planet explodes."

"How are they going to find each other, I wander?"

"He'll find a way, Kirk never gives up."

And indeed, Moka became thrilled to watch the program's heroic character attempting to contact his lost comrades, while in the episode's side plot, she watched as Spock falls in love with a woman stranded alone with them, only to learn that she cannot come back with him, much to her dismay. It was a sad ending, despite the fact that the heroes were able to get out of there in time; the program's digitally remastered effects made their departure from the destroyed planet, and of the girl, all that more poignant. It was scene that almost resonated with her, and Moka found herself tearing up again.

"You crying?" Norman asked.

"Huh?"

"Norman, are you making another girl cry for having watched that show!" Jay accused.

"Oh, oh, no, it isn't anything! I really enjoyed it."

"You heard the lady!" Norman retorted. "She just happens to know damn good storytelling!"

"Hmph! Well, I hope she's got a good ear, because I'm about to play me some tunes."

"Oh no; you better run while you can, Akashiya."

"You know, I've been meaning to ask," she said to Jay. "How are you able to play so good? I'm just curious."

"Curious about my talent, are we?" He asked with a sly smile. "Normally, a magician never reveals his secrets."

"And, you'll be better off not knowing, anyway!" Norman joked.

"_But_, if you want to learn how to play the piano, I can teach you; it's no problem."

"Really?" She asked. "You'll train me?"

"Yeah, sure; I gotta warn you, I can be a tough drill instructor, I know my piano teacher was strict as hell, beat my hands with a yard stick whenever I went off key. But, I got the time, and if you're willing and got the drive to keep on at it..."

Moka had to seriously wonder if it was worth the trouble in actually apprenticing herself to a human just to play a human made instrument, but she was eager to try new things after magically developing such a wellspring of confidence over an entire day and thought learning the piano would be one more thing to chalk up.

"Okay," she said.

"Then come on up," he said and made a little room for her on the piano's bench.

"Don't do it, Moka!" Norman joked. "It's a trap, he'll take advantage of you!"

"Don't listen to him," Jay said to her, "the man's short one tribble."

Norman made a face, thinking Jay, who was blind, couldn't see, but to no avail.

"Didn't your mother warn you about your face sticking like that, some more."

Everyone laughed, even Moka, and it felt good to joke along with everyone when it's all in light-hearted fun and not overly cruel.

"So, tell me how'd you learn to be so good on the piano?" She asked him.

"He faked it!" Norman responded. "He's doing the Millie, Vanillie thing!"

"Don't make me go all Star Trek Generations on your ass," Jay warned, which shut up Norman, indignantly that is.

"You're a Star Trek Generations," he mumbled.

"In answer to your question," Jay began, "I used to play at the jazz clubs back in the day, before I lost my sight; was part of a real popular band: _Ellie and the Sweet Knights._ We had Ms. Ellie Akashi as the front man and she was the most beautiful person you ever laid eyes on, too. She had long, platinum blonde hair, almost white that reached all the way down her back; a tall, curvaceous body, a great pair of legs and eyes that could pierce you in your soul!"

"You two sounded close; she must've been really amazing."

"Oh she was; when she sang, she could make you stop what you're doing even if it was driving a car. She really knew how to fill a house up, and I was a young pianist who did many of numbers. I didn't like to fail her, so I worked hard to impress her and I always, _always_ made her shine; we all did, but I worked with very close, closer than anyone in the band. Unfortunately, all of that fame went to her head."

"How so? What happened between you two?"

"Well, Ellie had a massive ego, she thought people came to pay homage to her and her only, like she was some tired princess and we needed her more than she needed us. It hurt to hear her say all of that, I never once let her down and but apparently it didn't matter. She'd show up late for rehearsals or not bother to show up at all, get drunk or threaten us."

"And then what happened?"

"Then..." Jay went off sentence, as if the memory was too hard for him to say.

"You don't have to say, if you don't..."

"Then one day, I went to go see her her, and…she…heh, to put me in my place or something I find her banging one of my band mates; it wasn't the fact that one of my buddies slept with the only lady I ever had any feelings for, but the fact that she didn't even act surprised that found them; it was like she did it only to prove a point. I got so pissed off drunk that night, that the next thing I knew I was in the hospital for alcohol poisoning; lost my sight after that."

"I'm so sorry; what happened to Ellie and your friends."

"Never heard from her, again; never even came to the hospital to check on me. Had to hear it from my band mates that they finally kicked her out of the band and found a replacement who turned out to be just as good, if not better. It was ironic when you think about it, how Miss Universe thought she couldn't be replaced. But, I couldn't forgive them for what happened, and we lost touch."

"That's so sad."

"Yeah, it's sad, alright."

"Then...why continue playing the piano?"

"That's a very good question," he replied and played a few, eloquent notes on the piano. "Because, I knew...if I gave up on what made me happy, if I let even my blindness rob me of my talent, then she'll win, and music is _my_ one true love. Every note I play that makes me feel proud is a victory for me, and I'll play until the day I die. You never give up on your true love, Moka."

She smiled, finding his story uplifting in her desire to find her true love and to overcome any and all doubt about what she was doing or had become; more human.

"Now, shall we begin?" He asks. "We'll start with baby steps, let you build up from there."

"Yes, master!" She blurts out.

"Master? Please, no master or sensei, you make me sound like some old tyrant. Just call me, Maestro."

"Okay, Maestro!"

As the days go by, so had any inhibitions she had towards humanity; she'd become more cooperative in group therapy and even offered helpful advice on occasions, and even ate her meals with Norman, where the two would regularly discuss all things Star Trek, which had now become her favorite show. And, at nights when it was time for bed, she and her roommate Blanche would talk for hours about various topics from clothes to the latest correspondence she received from her husband.

"You really love each other, don't you?" Moka asked after listening to the romantic, yet casual things he had written.

"Yeah, but don't tell him I said that! I gotta keep a guy in his place, you know!"

"Right," she laughed.

As for her tutorials with Jay, after a strict, yet helpful teaching from him, in no time she has become something he called: a savant. Moka noticed, to her delight, that she wasn't the only one to have made a positive change during this time, and now she and Rin had a new companion during their outdoor activities.

"That looks like a...mushroom cloud," Suzaku said after pointing out a cloud, lazily lying about on the grass in the humid air with Rin and Moka.

"No way," Rin countered. "I think it looks like a cherry blossom tree."

"A cherry blossom tree? You're joking; there's no way! I'm telling you, it's a mushroom cloud!"

"What do you think, Luc...I mean, Moka?" Rin asked. "You think it's a tree, right? Please, say it's a tree."

"It's okay for you call me Lucy, I don't mind. Hm, now let me see; I think it's an upside down volcano."

"An upside down volcano?" Both boy and girl asked in unison.

"Yeah, can't you see it? You'll have to use your imagination, but if you inverted and put the top on the ground, you get...something like that."

"Well, that's some imagination," said Rin.

"I still say it's a mushroom cloud."

Moka was ready to point out more clouds with her new friends, when a familiar sound suddenly jerked her out of their reverie.

"Oh, hey it's Chairo!" Rin proclaimed without even laying eyes on him, but Moka could see him right away, perched on a low hanging branch, low enough for her to jump up and grab.

"Huh?" Suzaku asked. "Oh yeah, it's that bird. Hey Moka, isn't that the bird you and Koga...I mean, um tried to lure out of the tree to catch?"

"To catch? Lucy, you weren't thinking of capturing him, weren't you?"

"Well..." she tried to explain, but the allure of this elusive bird was too great.

After accomplishing so much in the short time she's been here, Moka now felt like setting out to achieve one, last great feat while there, waiting with agonizing patience for that chance to come around. Now, it has finally come, that this rare gem of all birds would finally present himself before them and she without her bird cage in handy; she dare not leave and risk letting him fly away.

"Listen, Rin, Suzaku, I want you to be very still and to not make a sound," she instructed.

"Lucy?"

"Go get him!" Suzaku cheered.

"You can't be serious!" Rin argued.

"C'mon, Rin, don't you want to see him up close? You never know if we might get a chance like this, and he's close enough for us to catch him."

Moka could see Rin was seriously thinking about it, her curiosity getting the better of her as it did herself.

"Well, how are we going to get it?" She asked. "I mean, it's still too high up!"

Moka knew she was right, it was too high up, for someone like her, that is. However, Moka also knew it would be a short jump for a creature like herself, and to be able to grab the bird would require revealing herself as an inhuman being to someone else, which brought forth a dilemma. So enamored in capturing the bird, Moka almost felt like cursing humanity for keeping her restricted, yet again, but quickly shook all thoughts from her mind.

_No! _She thought. _Not again! I'll have to think of something!_

"Lucy?"

"...I got it!" Moka responded. "I'll climb up and grab him from there."

"I don't know," Rin said.

"You can do it, Moka!" Suzaku cheered, and hearing his support, the enthusiasm in his voice bolstered her confidence. While, at the same time, Rin's voice of concern did have a calming effect on her; all of it, though seemed vaguely familiar.

"Try to keep very quiet, you two," she whispered to the two kids as she carefully and quietly begins to scale up the tree towards her prey.

It almost felt disheartening for her to view this creature with all the earnest focus of a predator, harkening back to her vampire heritage, which she has since come to loathe; however, if there was any one thing worth grabbing a hold of and never letting go, this bird, whose brown feathers, as Moka drew closer to see, shimmered with an unnatural sheen to them, presenting a very tantalizing target. She could almost touch him, almost hear his breathing, the sound of which indicating he was a big specimen, and for a split second their eyes met, and she became spellbound by a shimmer of brown in those two black orbs.

Unfortunately, she became too eager and leapt at him, causing the bird to take flight and left her to fall on her ass.

"Damn it!" She cursed.

"Lucy, are you alright?" Rin asked as the two of the rushed around her side.

"I'll be okay," Moka muttered, rubbing her ass, but was more wounded in her pride. "I was so close, too. Damn!"

"It's not too late," Suzaku said. "Look!"

Moka followed his gaze and saw that the bird hadn't flown too far, landing on a nearby, and even lower branch at the edge of some old, dirt forest trail.

"Come on," she said to the kids, trying to maintain caution and learn from her mistakes, but her desire to claim him was growing more and more.

"Want me to throw a rock at it?" Suzaku whispered.

"No, I don't want to hurt it! Just...stay loose and..."

But, as they drew closer, the bird takes flight again, gliding just a little bit further down the trail until he came to rest at another, low hanging branch.

"What's he doing?" Rin asked.

Moka wondered the same thing, but it failed to deter her from following after him any further. It was actually the same result, every time they got near him, he would take off and glide on down the trail, cackling all the while as if mocking them. It was as if the bird was taunting her, daring her to try again and again like a prankster dangling something before her, only to yank it away.

"This is crazy!" Rin complained, brushing overgrown twigs from her face as they followed along. "It's like we're on some wild, raven chase!"

"I bet I can get it!" Suzaku declared and tried to round about the next tree it had landed on, hoping to come up from behind.

"Be careful," Moka cautioned. "And, don't hurt it, either!"

"Don't worry, I won't."

Suzaku takes off his jacket and scales the tree as carefully as he could until he was underneath the bird. Counting to three, he tosses his jacket upwards, hoping it would land on the raven and ensnare him, but it proved too clever for even that trick and quickly flies off before the jacket could even touch him.

"Man!" Suzaku yelled in frustration.

"It was a good try," Moka tells him as she watches her prey fly off down the trail, landing on the ground at the edge of a clearing and walks around the corner.

"Look, he stopped," Rin points out.

"What's the point," Suzaku said, "he'll just fly away again."

Moka was forced to admit that he was right, catching him was a hopeless endeavor; there was simply no way it could be done. Rin, however, having suddenly developed a drive of her own to catch the bird, quickly felt different about the whole situation and raced on ahead.

"Rin!" Moka called. "Wait, hold on!"

The three of them ran ahead to where the bird was last sighted, unsure of the outcome, but having come this far, Moka felt a renewed commitment to this, and when they came up to the clearing, she stopped and as her green eyes beheld was before them, forgot what this had all been for.

"Whoa, would you look at that!" Rin pointed out. "I didn't know this place existed, did you?"

"No," Suzaku replied.

All three stared, spellbound at this sparkling, small spring before them with its clear waters bubbling underneath a tiny, yet tranquil sounding waterfall, all of it nestled within a fertile glade where the sun seemed to aim its rays upon it. There were no intrusive sounds or sense of frustration, just a peace and tranquility never known to her before. Animals of all sorts seemed to congregate around it, oblivious to their presence, but simply enjoying themselves at their leisure; most of all was the elusive raven that nestled far away in the middle of this small lake on a tall stump, his brown feathers giving off a fiery colored radiance from the sun's beams. It all looked like some fairy tale setting to her and half wondered if ths was just a dream.

"Hey, follow me!" Rin called out as she hopped from rock to rock towards a partially submerged tree.

Suzaku followed suit, determined to catch up with her and be the first one up to its branches.

"C'mon Moka!" He called out. "It's easy."

"No, that's fine!" She responded, content on sitting upon a log and soaking in the atmosphere. "I'll wait right here! You two be careful, though!"

"We will!" They both responded as they continued playing like children at a playground.

It felt strange that, as the kids continued to laugh and play as she herself watched, she felt like a young mother watching her children having fun in a tranquil park. The feel of the wind blowing, the soft sound of water running, seeing a rare sight of some animal she had never before laid eyes on minding its own business or the soft touch of a cherry blossom falling gently upon her that Moka found surprising considering the time of year it was; it all felt so surreal, and yet impressionable. She wondered if this is what Dr. Kohaku meant by being human, to stop and enjoy the subtlety of things all around them, things that an immortal being such as herself would've taken for granted.

She felt something rest nearby and, thinking it's some woodland creature turns with nary a thought only to become surprised to see what it was.

"It's you!" She exclaimed, staring down at Chairo, who had landed close to the log she was on without her even knowing it.

"Oh my god, now's your chance!" Rin exclaimed.

Moka motioned, ever so gently for the two to remain quiet, all the while staying trained upon the bird as it hopped along the ground ever closer to where she sat. She held her breath watching it walk forward, her heart began to beat rapidly when he flapped his wings and lifts himself onto the log she was sitting on, where the two now stared at each other after so long. It was the closest she had ever gotten to him and seeing him up close, he was far more handsome than she had previously thought. With the light reflected upon them, she could plainly see what she thought were dark or black eyes were really a beautiful, shimmering chestnut that had an inquisitive, intelligence hidden behind them. His plumage was rich and clean, thickening up about the neck like a type of brown mane as the feathers ran up, but most noticeable of all he was his size. He was a large bird, large and strong in every sense of the word, a magnificent animal that the puny cage she bought for him could hardly do any justice to. Most telling of all was just how healthy this bird seemed to her, that the freedom of being allowed to live his way and not confined to the whims of another could afford so little; a life she had wanted for him. Moka knew he was probably happier as he was: a wild bird and not someone's trained pet. Realizing this, she couldn't bring herself to capture him and thought it was simply better to appreciate him as an equal, enjoying nature together; still, she wanted one, meager thing from him.

"Can...can I touch you?" She asked, thinking he might understand her, but cautiously and extremely slowly extends her hand over him. It felt like an agonizing eternity at the snail like pace she was going, always scared that he might fly away; in fact it was the scariest she'd ever remembered being. She didn't want him to fly away. To her amazement, and relief, though her fingers gingerly touched his round head and then slid down the rest of his back, the very feel of smooth feathers, smooth as stone taking hold of any sensation she felt.

"Oh my god!" She could hear Rin gasp from behind, letting her know that the two kids were also watching with baited breath and reacted the same way she felt.

"You think it can be tamed?" Suzaku asked her.

"I don't know, let's see what Lucy does."

Perhaps feeling bolder in his curiosity or having learned to trust her, Chairo next does the unthinkable and lets Moka pick him up on her finger; this evokes more gasps from both Rin and Suzaku. The weight of this bird was heavy, but Moka held him in place and stared strongly into his eyes as though she had locked him in some trance, or rather he had locked _her_ in a trance.

"Thank you," she said softly to him.

And, with that he lifts off from her finger and, with a mighty beating of his massive wings flies away, leaving her feeling grateful just to have been given this chance; however not without a parting gift that came in the form of a single feather that seemed float directly in between her nimble fingers.

"Aw, you're not going to keep him?" Suzaku asked.

"...Nope," Moka replied with a smile. "No, I think I'll let him stay the way he is; it'll be better that way."

"He sure was big!" Rin remarked.

"Yes, he was and a beautiful creature, too."

"Say, Moka, how about you come up here and join us!"

"Yeah, there's plenty of room up here. All you have to do is hop on those stones if you don't want to get wet."

"No, I better not," she said, not wishing to set foot in the water.

"C'mon, please!" Rin begged.

"We want you to see what it's like up here; I swear you can see more from where we're sitting! Please, Moka!"

Moka knew better, knew full well what one slip up or even the slightest touch of clear water could do to her, and yet as she looks at the causeway of stepping stones that led to the half sunk tree, all looking quite foreboding, she could feel Chairo's gaze upon her, and for some reason granted some unknown feeling of courage. All she knew was that she couldn't appear frightened and scared in front of him, if he was brave enough for her benefit. It was all she could do to return the favor, by doing something that went against her nature and prove to herself that everything would be alright.

Slowly, she removes her shoes and socks for better traction, then cautiously, hesitantly steps a dainty foot on the first stone, it's surface so was smooth, so cool beneath each of her toes and finally boldly puts rest of herself on the rock. She leapt on too fast though, and became wobbly at first; almost coming close to falling off, but quickly maintains her balance and stands firmly with both arms stretched out.

"You did it Lucy!" Rin cheered. "Now, just a few more, you can do it!"

"Yeah, c'mon Moka!" Suzaku shouts.

Hearing them cheer for her, it almost, for a split second summoned forth feelings of nostalgia from a time she could not recall, yet feel so strongly. It was feeling that spurred within her greater courage and determination, basically forcing to the surface thoughts of encouragement like: "You can do this!"

"...I can do this," she said to herself and with her incredible strength and agility at her disposal, leaps from one rock to another, until it became as simple as doing hopscotch. At last, she reaches the tree and scales to where Rin and Suzaku sat.

"See, it wasn't that hard now was it?" Suzaku asked.

"No, actually it wasn't that bad, after all," she replied. "You sure this branch will hold us?"

"Yeah, this tree is still pretty sturdy," Rin responded.

Moka uses some acrobatic move on the branch and hoist herself up in between the two, to their amazement.

"Damn, you are so cool," said Suzaku.

"Thanks," she said and marvels at the view from where they sat. "Whoa!"

"Yeah I know, right!" Rin replied.

The view was a panoramic one, with nearly the entire woodland domain revealed, and in the distance they were able to make out the top portions of the halfway house. Up above Moka could hear the chirping of birds high up, at the base she could make out fish swirling all around them, and to her right she noticed Chairo sitting on his previous perch looking straight up at her, calmly and complacently, as though he had warmly acknowledged her. All of this: the tranquil sounds of the waterfall radiating throughout this picturesque landscape, coupled with the rush of adrenaline after performing such a daring feat, with the proud sense of actually accomplishing something positive, and enjoying it with two kids whom she had become so close to, all felt like a wonderful miracle and secretly hoped it would not end. But, she knew it would, that eventually they would have to climb down, hop across the stones, put their shoes on and head back, leaving behind this beautiful oasis and its inhabitants, and wondering if she would ever see Chairo like this again; it felt depressing. It was another facet about humanity that she took to heart, the realization that some moments don't last forever, and yet it didn't have to mean the end, as she was sure there would be other moments, some more memorable than this. In any case, Moka felt determined to cherish the time spent while it last and made a special, mental note about it: she would always remember this day, this afternoon, this moment, for as long as she lived.

"And, that was my day," she said to the doctor, quite happy to have recounted and relived it all over again for him; he could tell she was happier than he had ever seen her.

"Sounded like you three had fun," he replied.

"Oh yes, it was a wonderful moment, I kind of wished it could last forever; now I know how you humans feel."

"Yes, the moments we share can sometimes pass by before we even know it, that's why they're so special to us. Perhaps, there is more to humanity than you previously thought."

"You're right, doctor, you're absolutely right," she replied, and then looks away in forlorn thought, her smile dimming.

"Are you still thinking about him?"

"It's funny; I'm remembering so much so fast, and my feelings about people have changed for the better, so why can't I remember who this person is? I want to remember, I really do, but I-I can't!"

"The brain is a funny mechanism; sometimes recall can happen just like that, other times the gears turn slowly."

"What about the heart?" She asked.

"Mm, the heart can be exactly the same, sometimes it can hide feelings from us, and those latent feelings can affect the gears of memory. Do you know if you're in love with this person?"

"Love?"

"You know, _love_, love."

Moka had never thought of it like that; she knew this man was special, but was it a romantic love or was he someone she simply cared about.

"I...I don't know. Is that why I can't remember him? Because, I'm in love with him?"

"I can't say for sure, to me it seems like you do. But, the last time you seemed to display feelings of anguish, of torment, like something terrible was happening to this man, something other than what we were experiencing, currently. What's more is there were some feelings of guilt in there, as well."

"I didn't do anything!" She responded quickly.

"Whoa, I didn't say you did! I merely suggested that...maybe there was some argument or misunderstanding between the two of you and that..."

"LET GO OF ME!" A woman screamed outside the closed room, her screams interrupting their session and drawing Moka's attention.

"Doctor Kohaku!" An orderly called.

"Excuse me, for a second," he said to Moka and quickly exits the room, which the opened door brought in the sounds of a struggle in hall.

Curious, Moka gets up and heads after him to investigate the disturbance, worried that it could be Ryan and his girlfriend again, but was shocked to instead find Blanche, struggling against the men.

"Blanche!" She called. "BLANCHE!"

"GET OFF OF ME, YOU PIGS! DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!"

"What's going on?" Dr. Kohaku asked one of the orderlies.

"I don't know; one moment she was checking herself out in the mirror, then next she smashes it and starts throwing a fit! I think she hasn't been taking her meds, doc!"

"Ms. Blanche...I need you to listen to me!" Dr. Kohaku said while struggling to keep her calm. "Have you been taking your medication? You haven't, have you?"

"FUCK YOU! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DRUG ME! THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING, TRYING TO DRUG ME SO YOU CAN DO ALL SORTS OF SHIT TO ME!"

"Take her to her room," the doctor ordered. "Fasten her into bed while I give her an injection."

"Yes, doctor," the both say.

"NO! LET GO OF ME! WHEN...WHEN MY HUSBAND HEARS ABOUT THIS...I'LL PUT YOU ALL IN YOUR PLACE, LET GO OF ME!"

Moka watched them drag her elderly roommate, kicking and screaming down into their room, and the very sight of it was disturbing. She couldn't help, but feel for her friend and wanted so badly to do something about it. However, she didn't know what to do and thought the only person who could be of any help was the one person Blanche kept calling out for.

"What's happening to her, doc?" She asked him after he had finally sedated the woman. "Why was she acting like that?"

"...Ms. Blanche is...Moka, do you know if she's been taking her pills?"

"Her pills?"

"Yeah; I mean, you're her roommate, you'd know, wouldn't you?"

"No."

"...Then, she must've been dodging her medication in secret," he said after a heavy sigh. "I just...don't know what I'm going to do with her. I wish all my patients were like you."

"Doctor, what about her husband?"

"Her husband?"

"Yes; he was supposed to come here and get her out, wasn't he? That's why she's so upset; she wants to see him. So, what's going on with that, why hasn't he come?"

Dr. Kohaku just looks at her, but Moka continues:

"I...I don't want to say anything bad about humans. These past few days have been very eye opening for me, it's just that...I don't know what to think about all of this. I thought he loved her, and if that's so then…why hasn't her husband ever come to visit her? Is he purposely leading her on? Maybe you should try to get in touch with him and see what's going on. She loves him, doctor and all she wants is to see him, that's all; don't you understand what this is doing to her!"

"...Her husband?" He asks again, as if not hearing her and continues to just stare at her.

"Yes!" She replied, aggravated. "Her husband!"

Moka stared at him, expecting an answer, but the doctor simply stares back at her with a lost expression and he began to annoy her as he did when they first met.

"Why are you standing there, looking at me, doctor? Can't you tell me about her husband or at least go look for him and see what's going on with him?"

"Moka...her husband is dead."

"W-What?" She asked, as it felt like the floor underneath had been removed out from under her.

"Yes, he died almost 80 years ago! As her roommate, I thought you knew."

"H-How...n-no! How did he...?"

"The story goes that the two of them had an argument one night and he stormed out. No one knows for sure what happened, but two days later his body was found in a ditch, the apparent victim of a hit and run. She never reported him missing, but I guess she thought he'd cool off. Whatever was the case, they do know he didn't die right away; it was a terrible way to go."

"But...but, he's written to her, she received letters from him; did she get remarried or something?"

"Moka, she wrote those herself; no one has written to her or even visited. I think she has a daughter somewhere, but not even she has made any contact with her as long as she's been here. Blanche hasn't been right since that night, I think she blames herself for what happened and it has caused her to blot out what happened, creating the belief that her husband is still out there and is, even now waiting for him to come back for her. We've done all we can, but it's been so long that recovery may not even happen, sad to say."

"Y-Yeah," she said, dumbfounded by this sudden revelation. "Is it okay to see her?"

"Yes; she's been sedated, but you can see her for a spell."

"Thank you."

Moka walked slowly to the room she shared with her elderly companion; she found it strange that in this time she hasn't gotten to know the elderly woman all that well, but Blanche has always regaled her with stories about her husband with either excitement or a comical frustration like he was some idiotic companion. Now, as she walks in and sees her lying in bed with tears in her frustrated and confused eyes, it hurt Moka knowing what she knew, and that there was very little she could do for a person whose suffering no amount of cheering could ease.

"Are you okay?" She asked after a lengthy silence.

"...Wish you didn't have to see all of that," Blanche finally responded, her voice sounding weary. "Not one of my better days, I'd say."

"...Yeah, but forget about it," Moka replied with a big smile. "It'll be okay, really, just give it a little more..."

"They all think I'm crazy, all of them! What do they know? They don't know me! You don't think I'm crazy, do you?"

"No; just…lonely."

"Lonely and pissed off. I'm glad I have you, glad you're on my side."

"Sure," Moka replied, comforted in knowing there was at least something she could do for her. "What are friends for?"

"Did I ever tell you about this one thing my husband would do that got on my nerves?" Blanche asked, siting up in bed with a face that was so serene and thoughtful, as she gossiped with her friend about said guy. "For months on end, what he would do is he would be out working in a garden we have, because it was some kind of hobby or so I originally thought. He'd be on it no matter what the conditions were, even if it was raining."

"Working in his garden while it rained? Why?"

"I have no idea," Blanche chuckled. "I mean, every day after work, he goes into the yard and does work, trying to make sure it stays presentable and neat. He was a perfectionist when it came to that kind of stuff, but only when it was outside the house, inside was something completely different. This is the annoying habit: see, he'd come in, all dirty and sweaty, stain our carpet and furniture without a second thought. I'd give him hell about it and he promised he wouldn't do it anymore...well, until this one rainy day, when he'd working let into the evening and right around the time I had bought some new carpet and rugs the day before; he was real careful about it too until that day, and like clockwork he comes in tracking mud and water all over everything, and he looks up at me and says: oops."

The two laugh, and Blanche continues:

"Oh, I was so mad at him. But, you know what? That spring when the flowers bloomed, people in our neighborhood would pass by and look at how pretty they were around our house, it had become this fancy yard with decorative stones and all sorts of magnificent things, and my husband worked so hard on the yard that he gave me a virtual palace that I could brag to my friends about, I felt like a princess! He did all of that, because he knew how what I liked. He literally put our home on the map; that's just the kind of man he was."

"He sounds like a really great, and loving man. You're lucky."

"Yeah," Blanche replied, and then her smile slowly dims and the light fades from her blue eyes at the memories that haunted her mind, as well as a very bitter epiphany. "He isn't coming, is he?"

Moka didn't know how to respond or react, but it was clear to her that Blanche has remembered everything, and that she was alone.

"It's okay..." Blanche said without waiting for a response. "No, scratch that, it's not okay, nothing is okay."

The old woman appeared so sad and pathetic to Moka, as she ages even more before her eyes, with tears falling down worn cheeks from a pair of eyes that seemed more confused than depressed.

"Please," Moka says to her, "don't cry. It will be alright, you see."

"Don't, kid! Don't say that, don't ever tell yourself that! I used to say it...I used to say it all the time, all the goddamn time, and I started to believe it, because I wanted to believe it! Oh, I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry. I should've told you not to go, I should have just…"

"Please, stop."

"It's my fault. It is, it's _my _fault!"

Blanche looks around the room like she was lost, as though just now remembering where she was and looks straight into Moka's very own soul with her reddened eyes that now bore a purpose.

"Listen to me," she tells her, "I want you to remember this while you still can. You're young, I know people your age think very little about the future, about your consequences, you live in the moment while dragging the past with for the ride, and before you know it, if you're lucky, you're old and you take time to think about what you've done with yourself and what you've accomplished or what you've gained, or lost, and you realize there was so much more you could've done rather than waste it all away for something that…seems so trivial, so meaningless at your old age. If I could...I'd trade it all, every miserable life I've lived, every random, stubborn decision I've made, I'd trade it all for one chance to have him walk through those doors again. Don't make the same mistake I made; you're smart, I know you'll mind what I say, because...none of the pride, that foolish, selfish pride, not sex or depravity, none of the stupid 'have it my way or else' attitude is worth the lifetime spent with the one you love and if you lose that person don't ever sit on your ass waiting for them to come crawling back; because we're not princesses, we're not goddesses, we're people who only get one chance in our lives, so you go get them even if _you_ have to do the crawling, and hold onto that life as if your own life depends on it, you hear me?"

"I hear you," Moka replied quietly.

"Good," Blanche said with a smile, a big smile that seemed to warm Moka's worried heart and put her at ease. "That's real good to hear; at least I can go knowing I did _something_ positive."

"Go? Where are you going?"

"To go get my man," she replied, and pulls out a large shard of glass from the shattered mirror she had concealed in her gown and proceeds to stab herself in the neck.

"NOOO, NOOO!" Moka shrieked as she leaps out of bed, but could do very little as blood sprays everywhere from her roommate's neck who falls out of bed and slumps to the floor. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"

The entire place comes alive with paramedics and curious onlookers as they wheel the lifeless body of Moka's roommate, Blanche out of the halfway house. There were tears, hushed whispers and the usual hub of activity, and local authorities did their questioning, but in time order was restored as though nothing had happened. Moka knew better, however and it haunted her in ways she'd never imagined.

"Did she say anything to you before she...?" Dr. Kohaku asked.

"Huh? Oh, uh, no, nothing."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I am."

"Okay. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I'm fine."

"If you'd like, I can have you assigned to another room."

"No...I'll stay in my...I mean, _our _room."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I do. Please, I'll be fine, I...I just want to be alone."

"…Very well. We'll send someone to remove her things tomorrow."

"Her letters," she inquired, "what will become of them?"

"Well, I don't know. Guess, we'll throw them away as they won't serve anyone any good."

"I want to keep them; I think she'd want me to."

"…Sure, as you wish."

Moka slowly walks away, walks back into the room, that room where not too long ago she shared with Blanche, and had talked so freely with, having gotten to know everything about her. She didn't tell Dr. Kohaku all that was said between them because, she felt what Blanche had to say to her was meant only for her to hear, and remember. She read over the letters that the woman's husband was supposed to have written and those she had written to him; read every paragraph and funny story, of a normal couple who missed each other very much. Moka read until she couldn't read anymore and exhausted from the events of today, laid in her bed in the darkness, no longer thinking about anything uplifting or conflicting, just looking back and remembering.

_Don't make the same mistake I made__...,_ Blanche had said, those words having more of an impact on her.

_Have I made a mistake? _She wondered. _Did...did I make a similar mistake? I...don't want to be alone. I don't want you to be mad at me, I don't want you to leave me to become some bitter, old woman._

All she could see was him, standing in the dark room at the foot of her bed, beckoning and pleading, making her feel guilty, but for what she struggled to recall.

"Don't leave me," she said aloud to him, "please, stay with me. Please, stay! I want you to stay with me, don't let me grow old without you, please!"

She stretched out her hand, hoping to grasp him, hoping that he would reach out and grab hold of it, but he slowly begins to fade before her distraught green eyes and left her to cry.

"What...what did I do, won't you tell me? Did I hurt you? I don't know what to do, so please tell me what to do!"

Moka Akashiya would not get any rest for that night, her future now in doubt and a new fear eating away. Elsewhere, amongst a seedy element, Moka Aono lies in bed being fucked by Gin, her green eyes also distraught and plagued with guilt, but was thinking solely about the moment and the pride that spurred her on. Both women were in their struggles, neither one finding peace that night, but for one young man, somewhere in that ugly world he wakes up in bed during the night after a fitful sleep. Dark brown hair sweaty, his exhausted, chestnut eyes scans about the room, at first unfamiliar with the setting, but soon realizes that he was sleeping in his friend's chambers on her queen sized bed while she slept on the couch at her own behest. The nights have been even less kind to him so far, and yet for Tsukune Aono, his struggles had only just begun.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_"What Have I Become…my sweetest friend"_

Tsukune Aono had always gotten up at the crack of dawn, alert and ready to do whatever needed to be done on that day, whether it would be school, yard work, or just do anything. He was an active sort, one in which the morning's rays made him feel alive, but mostly, especially after going to Yokai Academy, it was to interact with her, Moka and all their friends, anxious to see what mischief they'd get in, and if they ever needed help with anything, then so much the better. Now, however, it was noon and he had just gotten the strength to get up after lying in bed for who knew how long; the fire that gave fed him life had gone, along with that special someone. It hadn't been from lack of trying, though; these past few days after he returned to Yokai in order to hide from his "beloved" wife and awaiting word from Ria about his impending divorce, he had tried to keep himself busy by helping Ruby out with her duties and acting as a one-time Public Safety Committee officer, hoping work would keep him from thinking about the night that changed everything. But, every day was a struggle, and to everyone around him he resembled a ghost, going through the motions like some automaton, floating around the halls, barely alive, and even Kyou, one of his foremost enemies from back in the day began to look at him like some wretched creature; so it became useless pretty quickly. Haunting Ruby's chambers seemed to be his past time; this once extraordinary school nothing more to him now, than a strange place he hardly belonged to. Nothing seemed to matter, not even Yukari's strange absence, but he could hardly blame her nor, most importantly, could he, this open minded, and considerate young man, could find it in his heart to care. Sitting on the edge of Ruby's bed, shirtless, wearing nothing, but his black slacks for the longest of hours, the only thing Tsukune could think of was when had everything gone wrong and, most importantly if this was now his future. He looked over at the now cold food sitting next to him on a silver tray, food he barely touched despite the opulence of being served in bed, in fact he barely consumed so much as a can of tomato juice, and yet Ruby continued bringing him something to eat and holding conversations with him as though it would make it all better.

His benefactor, the ever cheerful, fiercely loyal Ruby Tohou kept things up like a doting mother and if he was himself, Tsukune might find it endearing. However, she was out doing her rounds and deep down he welcomed it, solitude was all the companionship he needed, as it seemed to be a fitting a sentence for a man who failed at being husband, provider and, ultimately a friend to his dearest of friends. There was one thing Ruby brought him that he found some use for and as he glanced at the tray of food he notices a steak knife, glinting brilliantly in the sunlight and then stares at his wrists where on each were faint, red stripes where he had slashed through previously, especially around the rosary chain, the very symbol of his "ascension" into becoming a vampire; just like she wanted. These weren't failed suicide attempts, as he knew very little could kill him, itself a grim reminder of an immortality living this way, but rather they were attempts to inflict pain to give some indication that there was still some life left within him. He was a skinny, worn down old fool, and the only thing that reminded him that he wasn't some lifeless thing or a mindless, heartless brute with zero intelligence was by hurting himself; Tsukune Aono was the epitome of a glutton for punishment, his entire body laid testament to that. As he finally stands up, his feet felt like they would give out on him, and he had to brace himself against the furniture, struggling to reach the dresser mirror, cluttered with voodoo artifacts and old pictures of them during high school, with holes over where Moka and Gin used to be; a noble, but futile gesture for his benefit, but he rationalized it probably served Ruby more than him; and, why not? Why would this be all about him or for him; no one took a punch, a stab, or even flames for this wretched, foolish vampire that was once an even bigger, human tool.

Finally reaching the mirror, he erects himself, standing as straight as he could and examines the large, X shaped scar that ran across the heart of his chest; a testament of how much punishment a hapless fool like him rightly deserved. It didn't make him feel better to hurt himself, but it served its purpose and this time, he really needed some intense pain inflicted, a real "pick me up", and there was no better place to inflict than on the spot where he thought symbolized his undying devotion.

"NNNNNGGGAAAAHH!" He grimaced as he stabs the cutting knife in the intersection of his scar and began tracing it just a little; it hurt even more when violently pulls it out and blood rained down his chest to the floor. He half wanted it to run forever and drain him of his life, but like always the wound healed itself quickly before his tired eyes.

Looking about for something to do, he couldn't help, but notice how cluttered and messy Ruby's chambers were, filled with an odd assortment of artifacts that would befit only a witch, and made it difficult to guess where anything should go or if anything should be moved at all. He can remember the very first day they'd met almost eight years ago, but felt like yesterday; he, Moka and their friends were on a school field trip into the human world when they ran into a young, vengeful witch who hated humanity with a murderous passion and violently attacked him, which of course resulted in his friends returning the favor. In what should've been a simple case of overcoming a powerful enemy, they instead became friends with this strange woman and even helped liberate her from her abusive caretaker, and ever since then Ruby would become a loyal, if not even stranger, friend. It seemed so simple then, like that and everything he had accomplished felt like a deserving reward; he'd found a beautiful girl who liked him, changed the lives of every person he met and, interesting of all, neither of them were human like him. However, despite their differences, Tsukune would never hesitate, for even a nanosecond, to run to their aid against some bodily threat to them, even at the cost of his own life; it was a devotion that was made especially for her and If there was one thing he didn't have any doubt about then, and even now, it was that Moka Akashiya was worth it all, including life itself, and yet the memory of seeing her with Gin without an ounce of shame created a whirlwind of turmoil within his very soul.

"What have I become?" He asked himself, the sound of his own voice so soft and weak that he barely recognized it.

Tsukune had let her, let them turn him into one of them, thinking that they were his family; he believed that he created a life of his own, an empire of accomplishments and noble, selfless deeds. For all that he had done, for all the sacrifices he made, be they small or monumental, there was never a moment where it was in doubt; because it was all for her. Now, the woman he loved more than life itself had betrayed him and he was alone, alone with his thoughts, his pain, and questions of why all of this had to happen. A nudge on his ankle, however showed that he wasn't completely alone, as Ruby's loyal dog looked up at him, wagging his tail happily in greeting as if wanting to go for a walk. Tsukune, unfortunately was a blank slate of wants and desires at the moment, and carelessly slipping on his dress shirt and vest to go out, he didn't care if the dog came along; as far as he was concerned, the animal could pretty much do whatever it liked, even piss on his leg or bite him.

The halls were deserted as everyone was in class and for the most part it was the two of them, walking the lonely hallways like a happy puppy accompanying a living scarecrow. He hadn't seen how much the school changed; its interior was a little different from when he went there, a white washing of the past which seemed fitting, yet all his time there, his eyes focused on was the past he saw in the faces of every young student who went by, especially those couples in love, which always took more out of him. Nevertheless, that and the emptiness were all put up with, for they were completely out of his control. His eyes slowly came upon the stairs leading up to the roof, their former hang out spot, and whether it was due to familiarity or a small longing, he finds himself heading towards them, but not before his small companion began tugging at his pants leg. The dog looked up at him plaintively, as though he wanted to go elsewhere, but Tsukune morosely tells him:

"Get away from me, you here," and heads up without him into the dark, now more lonely stairway, made quieter by the absence of student voices, and without anyone accompanying him.

The bright light of day and fresh air on the roof's broad surface did little, only provided a superficial change to his atmosphere, even as all around him was a magnificent view of the school's land and found himself leaning against a railing that overlooked it, in what he recognized as Moka's favorite spot. He looked, but didn't really see anything, only more memories, more ghosts. In fact, the spot he was on was full of them both wonderful ones like the time they first got to really know each other and he learned about her secret surrounding the rosary she always wore. Since that day there were countless moments spent up on the roof, some good, others ugly, like when she and the girls tried to protect him from Kyou's wrath when he very nearly found out about him being a human. And, there was another occasion in particular, another terrible moment that actually turned out for the better. It was his first school festival at Yokai's, one that he helped create with some aide from Moka and the girls, and he was enjoying it with her. She reminded him of how lonely she had been growing up and that her family never visited during any school event. Feeling sorry for her, Tsukune told her that his family wasn't in attendance either, as up until then, shortly before his cousin would show up unexpectedly, none have been privy to any event at his school, so it cheered her up to know that they were both in the same boat together, which pleased him, too. Unfortunately, their friends, jealous of all the time he spent with her, had lied to their parents about being romantically involved with him and, not wanting to get them in trouble, tried playing along until the coast was clear, which wound up creating even more trouble. Feeling jilted, Moka left Tsukune's side and retreated to the roof where she could be alone or so she thought, as one guy, who had plans of his own wanted to rape her, and with her powers sealed by the rosary seal, he came close to fulfilling that desire. Luckily for her, Tsukune came looking for her just in time and, using his then newly acquired vampiric powers, rescued Moka. After that, he vowed to make her a top priority for the rest of that night before and would always be there for her; a point he made sure she knew always know. It was only right that it would be here, on this roof and on this very spot that she would finally say yes to his proposal; it was the happiest moment out of all of them.

So, as he rested against the railing, the one question kept echoing hauntingly throughout his mind came screaming back: where had it all gone wrong?

It was something he consistently ran through his mind ever since that night, painstakingly going over, again and again every mistake, slip of the tongue, missed date, late night shift, and forgotten moment that didn't important to him, but may have been for her.

_Was it the gift I got for her 26th birthday? _He wondered. _I know it wasn't perfume like the year before, but I thought she'd like it! Or, maybe it was the time when the new secretary had to call home and tell her I'd be working late on the quarterly data; she did seem awfully young, maybe Moka felt jealous? It must've been something I did!_

He tried to think back, as far back as his tired mind could go, but finding nothing in the past four that might be some clue, he instead focuses on earlier this year when all this mess started. It was mid-summer; Moka and Tsukune were enjoying the fine weather, which had become a bit hot after spending time at a local flea market buying a few things for decoration. The whole time there they had been discussing about having a baby and the conversation was innocent, at first; he only brought it up after she had been dropping hints every once in a while, and he was game. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her, and the idea of raising their own kid sounded exciting, if not for the fact that he or she would have some human in them which, in a small way could serve to bridge the gap, not only of their respective families, but for humans and monsters. So, after a long, hot day of shopping and talking about kids, she wanted something to cool off after spotting an ice cream parlor.

"Oh Tsukune, could you go in and get us some ice cream?" She asked, playfully pressing her hands together like a beggar.

"Sure, what you like?"

"Mm, double-decker strawberry, no make it a triple decker strawberry sundae with three scoops of vanilla on top, with some chocolate syrup over it and sprinkles and chopped nuts...oh, and add a cherry on top, too!"

"Wow," he said, "you sure you're not already pregnant?"

"Tsukune!" She said with her pink, flushed cheeks being adorably miffed.

"I'm kidding, I'm only joking! One double-decker strawberry with two..."

"_Triple_!"

"Triple-decker strawberry, with two…"

"Three!"

"Right, three scoops of vanilla on top, some chocolate syrup over it and sprinkles and chopped nuts on it with a cherry on top; got it! I'll be..."

"Oh, and make sure they serve it in a waffle cone too, please."

"Waffle cone; got it. Anything else?"

"Nope, that's it."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. We can share if you'd like."

"No, no, I think I'll just have a simple cone."

"You...you don't want to eat with me?" Moka asked, putting on a hurt face that tugged at Tsukune's heart strings.

"Well, I...alright, alright I'll eat with you; I'll ask to see if they have any spoons."

"Great!" She said with a smile. "And, don't be in there too long, because I have some good ideas for names for the baby I'd like to run by you."

"I thought we were going to talk about later tonight, at least call our mothers let them think of something, because I got nothing!"

"We will; I'm sure my mom has got some great ideas, I just like to get started, right away!"

"Look, we'll call my mom up first and hear what she thinks, you know she's going to want to get involved anyway, you know how she is; and besides, who knows, she might come in handy being around to help with the kids while I'm at work, since she's a lot closer and you two get alone so well, and all. You know, I bet she's still has those child raising books lying around the house she used with me."

"Fine, but could you go get the ice cream, please? Go!"

"I'm going; I'll be out before the ice cream melts."

He gave her so much reassurance for so simple a task, as it was a simple ice cream run and though the line extending well outside, he didn't think it would take more than an hour; but, it turned into two hours as people were making unusual requests ahead of him and holding everyone up. If that wasn't enough, by the time he finally got to the counter to place his order they were out of vanilla and the chocolate machine was busted so he had to add extra strawberry, double the sprinkles with a cherry on top and no chocolate. However, his order's preparation took an additional five minutes of waiting around a lobby packed to the brim and even hotter than it was outside; the whole time he was in there he worried that Moka would be mad, not so much for getting a completely different order, but for taking so long as patience was not a virtue with her. The sun began to set behind by the time he at last emerged from the store, and upon seeing her waiting patiently his fears were assuaged, believing she would understand once he explained to her what happened, because she wasn't the type of person to hold anything as trivial as this against him, besides there were more important things to talk about like making a baby; they'd look back on this and laugh.

_Fuck! _He suddenly thought. _I forgot the spoons!_

He debated on going back for them, but noticed the ice cream started to melt and saw Moka still waiting for him, so he shrugs it off and hurriedly delivers the sundae to her.

"Sorry it took so long," he explained. "And, I know this isn't what you wanted, but, um, you're really going to laugh, see..."

"I'm not hungry," she says flat out to him.

"What? But, I thought you wanted..."

"I said I'm not hungry anymore, can we just go home?"

"Uh, sure," he says, a little put off by her brusque attitude and concerned by how quietly she walked home with him. "Are...are you mad, Moka?"

"No, I'm not mad."

"You want to talk about it? I mean, if something's bothering you, then you can talk to me about it?"

"I'd rather not talk, right now," she said without even looking at him.

Left with uneaten ice cream by the bucket load and already melting, he tried eating it while keeping up with her, all the while curious as to what might've happened while he was inside the shop that brought about this strange behavior on, but as soon as they neared their apartment it quickly dawned on him.

"Oh, I think I get it," he finally says, the answer becoming increasingly obvious to him, "you're having second thoughts about wanting a baby. Moka, I know it's a big step and it's normal to have anxieties, but you know, we don't have to have a kid now, if you're not up to it. We can wait when you feel up to it."

"Tthat isn't what's bothering me, Tsukune, I want to have kids," she says, stopping in her tracks and turning to face him with a blank, yet icy countenance in her eyes that gave him cause to worry, "it's the thought of them being around your human family that concerns me."

"My family?" He asked, puzzled. "What's wrong with my family, I don't understand. I thought you liked..."

"Tsukune...I don't want our children to be raised anywhere near them or humans, period!"

"W-What? You...you can't be serious, Moka? Where did this come from, all of a sudden?"

"I want you to trust me on this, Tsukune..."

"Trust you?"

"Yes, trust me, trust that I know what I'm doing, that I know what's best for our family; I do not want our children growing up around or near humans, I don't want them to have any contact with them; that's just how I feel about this?"

Tsukune could not figure out this strange behavior, her request struck him dumbfounded and confused. How had such a light hearted conversation, turn into this?

"I thought we were going to raise them around both our families, like an extended family? W-Why are you being so antagonistic towards humans all of a sudden?"

"You know my past, what they did to me, how can you ask me that? How can you assume that _your _family, your former family could ever be the equal of ours? I won't put my children through the same thing I went through, of being held back by human beliefs and be picked on by inferior human children and suffer for it!"

"I-I thought you got past all of that?"

"Well, I haven't, now that's the end of it! I will not allow it, Tsukune, not my kids!"

"Have you forgotten that I'm human, too and they'd be my kids, too!"

"Then how could you, their father expose your children to this world knowing what kind of people you'll be surrounding them with?" She asked with genuine earnest and confusion. "And, don't forget you're not a human anymore! It would be better for all of us if you accept that and move us away from humanity altogether!"

"That includes my family, especially my cousin who knows about you and has accepted you?"

"Yes, especially her; it won't be for long, we'll allow them to get to know our kids the moment they are old enough and start Yokai Academy, at least by then they'll be strong enough to defend themselves, but until then I don't want them exposed to a human lifestyle. We'll teach them to live the life of a proper vampire, strong and feared, the way it was supposed to be and you will help me do it!"

"Moka...I know you've had it rough growing up around human children..."

"Do you, because if you did we wouldn't be having this argument!"

"And, I know when you look around you might see the past; maybe you're still scared...!"

"I am not scared; I'm concerned for our children, Tsukune!"

"But, even if they run into trouble, they'll still have us to count on and I _will_ take care of you and them, you have my word, Moka! Isolating them away from all humans and raising them around only vampires is not the way to ensure their safety."

"This isn't about making sure their safe, Tsukune, but of making them strong! I will not have the next generation of the Shuzen line tainted by your former, human heritage and if you loved me, then you'll grant me this request!"

_Tainted! _He thought as those words imprinted themselves upon his heart; such words, such vile and hate filled words that sounded so like something the other Moka, the one who was generally cold would say, but instead it came out of the mouth of this normally sweet, happy pink haired version who stood before him now with ice in those emerald eyes of hers; the ice cream was beginning to melt over his hand, along with his heart.

Of course, he told her no; the first time he had ever denied her anything, but how could he agree to such an unusual and ridiculous request. She however did not give up, and when simple pleas and stubborn disagreement failed to persuade him to her way of thinking, she used more forceful methods.

"You arrogant fool!" Moka angrily screamed, her eyes glinting a furious, fiery red, silver hair wild and matted against a sweaty face after a lengthy beat down with her wayward husband. She had just gotten through having a violent fight with him, kicking and beating him as he tried to respond to each without seriously hurting his angry wife, and through it all their apartment suffered the brunt of it; however, Tsukune would not budge. "You still seek to defy me!"

"I'm not trying to defy you, Moka!" Tsukune responded, his vampiric form also unleashed for his protection, but hoping to talk some reason with her instead of prolonging this fight. "You're acting like I'm one of your servants; I'm your husband, Moka! Your Bloodmate! And, I just cannot, _will _not agree with what you want!"

"So, you care nothing for our children's well-being, then?"

"No, I just don't think your idea is right for them either! You're asking me to keep them away from humans, including my fam…former family, permanently!"

"No, I said only until they were old enough and spent time in the world of monsters where we will teach them how to defend themselves; only then will they be ready!"

"That's fine you want to teach them how to defend themselves, Moka and I have no problems with that, but I also want them to get to know their human side as well; I want to teach them there is no difference between humans and monsters, especially vampires, that they have the best of both worlds and that one side isn't better than the other."

The look on Moka's face, the very shock and offensive disgust in her red eyes let him know that his words were like an undignified slap to the face and he knew it was the wrong thing to say.

"How dare you," she growled through gritted teeth. "How **dare** you imply vamprires are no better than humans! 'The best of both worlds'? Have you lost your goddamned mind! Vampires are higher than any creature on earth; we are the elite of monsters, nay of all creatures! Humans are no better to us than food and you want to debase our children into thinking they are on the same level as CATTLE!"

"I'm human too, or did you forget..."

"You were human, idiot, but not anymore, you're a vampire like me; did you forget that?"

"No I haven't, but you seem to forget that you fell in love with me when I was human and yet you didn't think the way you do, now!"

"I have always thought you were beneath me before you turned; and my affections for you back then? All you were to me was a rare food source denied to my kind for years, a means for unleashing my true powers, and a play thing for my softer, alternate half, but that all changed when you finally evolved past a human and into a true vampire!"

"W-What?" He stammered, finding it hard to believe what he had heard or saw as the look in her eyes betrayed no ounce of remorse, and he wanted badly for this topic to end. "Is that it? Is that all I meant to you? What about all of the times I risked my life to protect you; you think you had it hard in the human world, I had it even worse when I came into your world and still I…!"

"Don't even try comparing yourself to me, you had me to protect you all the time from sniveling, pathetic, low-grade monsters that were nothing compared to me! And, you _never_ protected me, especially when I didn't need it from the likes of you! Yokai was nothing compared to a human school, at least at Yokai I was able to fight to my leisure and put wayward fools in their proper place! Don't say you had it difficult, don't ever say your life was harder than mine and try to justify sending our kids into the human world like I was!"

"This has got to stop Moka," he said, growing weary with the constant fighting, both verbal and physical, "let's just forget about all of this!"

"I WILL NOT FORGET ABOUT IT!" She screamed and kicked him into the wall. "Not when this concerns our offspring, our future, and my standing as your mate! As my mate, you will acquiesce or else!"

"...Or else, what?" He challenged.

"Or else...I'll seek someone else to father my child."

"I...I didn't just hear that?" He asked, struggling to find his voice after hearing such an incredible ultimatum.

"You did; apparently you're still clinging on to your human background, and if you will not grant me this for me, for our family, and since I cannot force you to see things my way, then I'll cow you into submission by taking in the seed of some other _man_."

Tsukune gets up from where he was thrown and walks over to his wife, trying to search for any truth in her eyes, while also attempting to reach out to the girl he once knew through all the madness that this conversation has taken them.

"Moka...we've been through so much together, overcome so many enemies and challenges; I've bled for you, I've even died for you, and I'd do it all again, all of it..."

"Then why do you refuse me on this?" She asked, almost as though not hearing him at all. "If you're adamant about such noble acts for me, then this would be a simple no brainer."

"I can't believe, that this, this...'thing' here would make our history seem like nothing to you?" He asked.

"I didn't say all of that, but I am implying that is you who treat our relationship so very little."

"Think about what you're saying."

"I am and I have, and the only nothing I see is your stubborn stance; all of this drama would be rendered unnecessary if you'd stop this. You're going to have to choose, your selfish, foolish hold on your humanity or me and our children?"

With that said, in a manner that had no remorse what so ever, she clips on her rosary cross and reverts back to her alternate form and begins to fall forward. Whether it was out of his continuing love for her or by instinct, he immediately rushed to catch her before hitting the floor, hoping that this small gesture alone would make Moka remember how much they meant to each other. However, when Moka awakens and looks up at him, smiling warmly down at her like he always had before, she instead reaches up and slaps him across the face, the act itself far more jarring than the hit itself.

"Don't touch me, Tsukune," she said to him after turning her back to him. "Don't ever touch me again!"

That was the way it was for the next couple of months; what had once been a dream marriage fraught with a few, minor ups and downs, had degenerated into a nightmarish life for the two, filled with unending arguments, cruel retorts, and plenty of threats.

"Where are you going?" Moka had asked.

"Work," he replied in a dismissive manner, a manner he secretly found repulsive that he's been reduced to this. "I can't deal with you right now. At least there, I can get some peace and quiet."

"Fine; if you're going to be like that then by all means stay there, I guess I'll call someone up to keep me company while you're gone, someone like, say, Gin."

That caught Tsukune's attention and he turned around, seeing this woman, this person in their home for the very first time as it was the first time she had put a name to this tool in her revenge scheme and the mere uttering of that man's name, who had not only been a notorious womanizer back at school but always had eyes for Moka, was so shocking to hear come from her mouth that it had to be a completely alien individual.

"You wouldn't?" He asked.

"I would, if you push me."

Tsukune turned away, at a loss for words and too shaken to confront this; he walks out for work, but not before Moka threatens again, this time loudly for all their neighbors, who have listened too much of their exchanges already, could hear:

"Don't be surprised if you find Gin on top of me when you come back!"

"Mr. Aono," said their landlady, Ms. Tsubaki who poked her head out her door as he came by, "is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine, Ms. Tsubaki," he replied brusquely, "just fine."

But, nothing was fine, and as the soul crushing days went on, this tiring, soul defiling scenario playing itself out morning, noon, and night, it got to where he dreaded coming home or receiving any call from her. It became a fear, a gnawing, biting fear in the back of his heart that she, the love of his life, would commit the unthinkable all over a phobia of humans that seemingly cropped up all of a sudden. He tried to rationalize that this was nothing more than a phase, an empty threat, that the two of them have been through far too much for her to go ahead and throw eight years of happiness and hardships away; besides, Tsukune knew how much she hated Gin's perverted ways.

Unfortunately, his hopes came for nothing, and his fears came to fruition, and all those dreams, those happy memories, and very reasons for getting out of bed died on that fateful night now etched in his mind like an invading computer virus co-opting any happy moments that remained. Here he was now, hunched over a railing on the roof of his former high school, waiting for word from one of his enemies, whom he had actually sought help from in dissolving his once happy union, an enemy he once vowed would never destroy his relationship with her, now his only salvation from her.

"Dissolve?" He whispered, his voice coming out in a ragged, hoarse breath of air and sound.

"I thought I might find you up here," said the enigmatic Bus Driver, his sudden appearance from out of nowhere startling for most, and yet Tsukune hardly budged. "It actually wasn't so hard; I saw that dog sitting at the door downstairs whining like I don't know what, and since both of his masters are at the moment M.I.A, I figured it could only be you."

"Is that what I want?" Tsukune asked himself, not having heard a word his old companion had said.

The enigmatic, yet dapper gentleman takes out a cigarette and lights it.

"I heard what happened," he says to Tsukune. "It's hard, I know. …You may not believe it, looking at me, but I've been there where are now; and usually I'd have words of wisdom to say but, I'm not very good at this stuff, and all I can say is that things end, even relationships. It isn't something people like to accept, it's like the death of someone you love: eventually it happens and you have to face it, every man has to, even a freak like me. You're just going to have to move on, kid; ain't nothing you can do about it, what's done is done."

Again, Tsukune neither moved nor uttered one reply to his words. Undaunted, the Bus Driver stood next to him and tried to offer him a cigarette.

"Never too young to start," he told Tsukune. "I know these will kill ya, but...heh, I don't think that's something you need to worry about, right?"

But, with a carton of cigarettes in his face there was no budging him, he just stared out onto the grounds and beyond the distant cliffs looking over the red sea. The sea, ever sparkling under the light, its crimson waters glowing brilliantly for his eyes to see, and their waves, even from where he stood, seemed to almost sing to him, singing and calling harmoniously to him, like the way she used to.

"Well, whenever you feel like taking it up," the Bus Driver suggested and puts back his carton, but quickly notices of the corner of his eye a slight change in Tsukune's face as though there was something that managed to catch this dead man's eye. "What? What is it?"

"I hear..." Tsukune muttered, an eagerness rising in his tone.

"Hear what?"

"I hear you, I hear."

"Hear what; hey, meatbag!" He called after him, but Tsukune was already running down the stairs without him, unmindful of anything or anyone, save for _her_. "Somehow, kid I don't think you hear anything."

Driven by desire, Tsukune journeyed away from the school grounds, making his way through the foreboding woods that surrounded the school that were still filled with shadows and unfamiliar sounds, this atmosphere growing more and more familiar with each passing tree, eventually reminding him of the very first time he crossed paths with Moka. Him being stranded in the middle of nowhere on his way to a strange school, surrounded by eerie sounds and growing more fearful by the moment, only to be side swiped by a gorgeous girl on a bicycle. Tsukune recognized the path; in fact he could make out the same, exact spot and saw everything happening before his eyes as though he were looking at ghosts of days past. The girl, so beautiful and serene lay semi-unconscious before him, as the awkward boy awkwardly tries to come to, only to find his hand placed clumsily on her inner thigh.

"Ahh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" He cried.

"Oh, forgive me, I should've watched where I was going," she said to him. "See, I'm anemic and I know I shouldn't be out riding, it's just I was..."

"Um, it's okay, really."

"Your head, it's bleeding! Oh, let me get that!"

"No, you don't have to," he said, trying to play it cool, but the strange girl already had handkerchief out and was attempting to stop the bleeding, drawing so uncomfortably close to the boy, when she smelled his blood. "Mm, your blood, it smells delicious, and I haven't had breakfast."

"Huh?"

"I hope you don't mind, but...I'm a vampire."

"You're a...AAAAAHHH!" He screamed as she gives him a light bite on his neck.

"Tell me, do you like vampires?"

"Uhh...uh, huh," he replied, holding his wounded neck.

"Great! Let's be friends then, I'm Moka, Moka Akashiya!"

"M-My name is Tsukune."

"Moka," he said to himself, passing by the two phantoms on his way down the path.

He began blaming himself for all that happened, for forgetting what his purpose was, which was to her needs only.

"I'm going to protect you, Moka," he said, harkening back to the time she kidnapped by Fairy Tale years back and being used against her will to summon that terrible beast, Alucard. Tsukune went through bone breaking training to get her back, learned so many combat skills, and defeated a host of powerful foes, even Moka's own step mother and sister, all at the cost to his own life. And, when he heard her crying, lamenting on her fate of being the one who does all of the protecting herself, he made a vow to do the protecting from now on; Tsukune failed to honor that. "I'm going to protect you, Moka, even if it costs me my life."

_I should have found a way, _he brooded. _I should have found a way to make it work for her!_

All Moka asked was for him to sacrifice something so small, when measured against him willing to sacrifice his own life for her, and yet for selfish reasons he could not fathom as to why it didn't stick, he wound up failing her as a husband, and as a mate.

In his haze, he at last reaches the cliff overlooking the sea, and in the sounds of waves crashing against the rocks he heard a voice as clear as a bell, calling to him.

"Tsukune," said a voice, a familiar voice, one whose soft and gentle sound always brought a warm joy to his heart, and did so now that his heart was at its lowest ebb.

He looked up and his heart nearly threatened to stop as his weary eyes beheld a startling sight.

"M-Moka?" He asked, his voice shaky and strained. "Moka, are...are you really here?"

There she stood a few feet from him, looking as heavenly as she had ever been, her long, pink hair wafting elegantly in the soft breeze, her svelte figure clothed in a green, sequined dress he remembered her wearing on their 3rd wedding anniversary, but swore she would never to where it, again. Tsukune blinked his eyes twice, he then slapped himself hard, repeatedly all just to confirm that he wasn't dreaming or at least hallucinating.

"You...you can't be real!"

"I'm here, really I am."

"But, how? Ria was sure you wouldn't know where I was. Did...did she tell you?"

"No, I figured it out. Tsukune, I know you, I know how you think, but it's alright, now."

"Moka...Moka, I'm...I'm so sorry!" He broke down. "I was an idiot, I should have tried harder to make it work, I should have found a way to honor request; I ruined everything! Please, take me back, Moka, I don't care what happened the other night, it doesn't matter anymore, just please, let's go back to how it was before, give me another chance to make it right!"

"Shh, shhh, Tsukune. It's okay, now. Gin's gone and I forgive you."

"You'll...you'll take me back?"

"Yes," she said in a warm smile on her beautiful, blushing face. "All is forgiven, Tsukune. We've missed you."

"We? You mean?"

"Yes, me and the real me, we want you back."

"Moka..." he replied with tears cascading down his wretched face.

"Come, Tsukune, its lunch time."

"Huh?"

"You know; I hadn't eaten all day and I'm hungry," she said with an innocent smile, arms stretched out to welcome him back into her life. "We're waiting, silly!"

"Oh, okay, no problem," he replied, standing up on his feet and walking confidently towards her, a pep back in his step once again. "Anything, Moka, anything you want, I'll give it to you."

She was so close, so real to him that he could smell the perfume he bought for her on her birthday, its smell spurring him on forward. He was happy, the person who completed him now would once again be back in his life and he was determined to put all of this behind them. What happened with Gin didn't happen, as far as he was concerned, and his desire in dissolving their union now was the furthest thing in his mind, right now. He'll contact Ria, tell her it was off, let her know that the two of them have decided to work it out, like married couples normally do in situations like this and come out, okay. Tsukune vowed he would pay more attention to her needs, and who knows, perhaps her idea in raising the kids away from humans, including his own family, would turn to be the best thing to happen for them in the long run; all he did know was that, with Moka they would find a way.

"Moka," he said happily, "you don't know how happy I am too..."

"TSUKUNE!"

Tsukune felt arms grab him from above, lifting him up and away from the love of his life, who kept holding her arms out, wanting desperately for him to come to her.

"No!" He cried. "Nooo!"

"What are you, crazy?" Someone asked him and collapses to the ground with him.

"Who...Ruby? What the hell are you doing?"

Ruby's trio of crow wings disappear from behind her back, which Tsukune knew she only used them for emergencies and found it odd that she would unfurl them now, just to get in between him and Moka.

"What am I doing?" She asked him, incredulously. "What are _you_ doing?"

"I was talking to Moka, couldn't you see?"

"Moka?"

"Yes, Moka," he said, standing up and becoming irate at this interruption. "We decided to work things out; I'll be going back with her."

"You can't be serious?"

"I am, you can ask her yourself, you'll see everything's fine."

"No, Tsukune, everything is not fine; you're not fine!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, because Moka isn't here!"

"What?"

"Why were you trying to kill yourself, just now?" She cried.

Tsukune didn't have a clue of what she was talking about, but as he looks to where Moka was standing only a few seconds ago, all he sees to his dismay was empty space, beyond a sharp drop.

"No," he muttered, looking around for her. "No, s-she was here, I know she was! I...I swear to god, she was standing right there! Moka! MOKA! MOKA, WHERE ARE YOU! I...I know I saw her...she was here, I talked to her..."

"Tsukune," Ruby said sadly as she watched him looking about with a frightened, confused look in his once beautiful brown eyes, and finally collapse to his knees; all the image of some broken man, who used to be so much more.

"I...I don't understand!" He exclaimed, more to himself than to her, his eyes staring at the empty space that had once been his loving wife and companion with a devastated confusion.

"Moka...isn't here; she was never here. I'm glad the bus driver told me where you went off to, if I hadn't gotten here in time..."

Tsukune, however, was in no mood to offer any kind of gratification, for he now knew that this ugly dream was only all too real and that his chance at redemption, at turning back to the way things were had only been a dream all along.

"No," he muttered softly, his gaze dropping away from that ugly reminder, shaking his head. "Nooo!"

He then felt something cold touch his cheek and sees a can of soda being thrust in his face.

"Here," Ruby offered warmly, "I thought you might be thirsty."

"What?" He asked upon looking at it.

"You remember the brand and flavor? You should; it was the kind you offered me that day we met, remember? I was in a mood, kinda like yours and you stuck this can in my face with that big, goofy looking...but kind grin of yours...They stopped selling this brand three years ago, and believe me it wasn't easy trying to find it; finally located a vending machine outside an old gas station near Osaka that still sells this. I thought you might like it."

He took the gleaming cylinder into his hands and cradled it, wondering why she thought to do this when very little could help him at this moment.

"Thank you," was all he could say, though it was a very hollow response.

There followed an uncomfortable silence, and Ruby trying to be as helpful as she could wanted to find the words, any word that might help ease his suffering as effortlessly as the magic she normally performed could, however lingering questions could only find their way to her lips.

"Why...why do you want to go back to her?" She asked him, right out of the blue; when he didn't answer, she pressed on. "Seconds ago, you said it was your fault and that you wanted her to take you back; why would want that? After what she did, why would you want to go back to someone who hurt you, who mistreated you like that?"

"...You...you wouldn't understand," he at last responds.

"Help me," she replied, "help me to understand."

"It's my duty to her, to bear all the pain and suffering for her, like I promised her all those years a...I was so supposed to protect her and I didn't."

"Bullshit," she replied, tears streaming down from her passionate, violet colored eyes as she watches the color drain from his. "That's bullshit, Tsukune. What happened with..._her_ and-and...it wasn't your doing, you have not let anyone down. You have done _so _much more for her and everyone you've met, you have done more than even these so-called S-class monsters could ever do, you've accomplished a lot in the short amount of time I've known you!"

"And, what have I accomplished?" He asked.

"You saved me; remember? That very first time we met, I was a very angry, racist monster who wanted to kill all humans, but you saved me."

"That was Moka who saved you; she saved us all from your master."

"No, she didn't!" She replied, angrily. "She may have won the battle that defeated her, but it was you, you and Yukari who saved me, saved me from myself, saved me from a...hate-filled woman who used me for her own selfish ends and turned me into something I wasn't; what I am today, I owe you!"

He can remember the battle that took place on Witch's Knoll, of how Ruby's old master threatened to destroy the nearby city and in a desperate attempt to reason with her, he threw himself before and begged, in turn of not only calling of the attack, but of releasing Ruby from her control, to offer up his life as atonement for humanity's wrongs. In the end, however it proved to be of little good as they all wound up fighting the old witch and her demonic horde, ultimately all being defeated by mighty Moka; Tsukune failed to see what good he accomplished. He knew she was only saying this just to be a friend at a time of need, but he had to face facts about his own blindness and Moka's own wisdom when it came to setting things right.

"So, please snap out of it! I don't mean to sound insensitive, but...I need you, Yukari needs you, we all need you!"

_They_ need; it seemed all he was good for was satisfying someone else's needs for the moment, and yet the one person who mattered most, didn't need him. In all the times he shared with her, whether it was walking down street or going on some adventure; whether it was studying together for math class or surviving a death-defying battle with some powerful foe, or even being caught in a love struggle with the other girls, throughout it all Tsukune wondered if she ever, truly needed him. She was so happy that time his powers as a vampire had finally taken root and declared that he would protect her from now on; he thought that was what she needed out of him, of finally becoming a man or so he thought.

"Yukari needs me?" He asked.

"...Y-Yes."

He thought back to when she and Moka were about to be attacked by lizard men, and he jumped in-between them, taking the brunt of a violent attack with his, then human body.

"Please, Yukari," he mouthed off as though he was right back there, during that incident, replaying the words spoken, "let me do what I can to help. Oh, Moka..."

Ruby could see he was on the verge of a break down, and realizing she was still there, he felt a sliver of shame at his conduct.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I know need to control myself; if Moka saw me right now, she'd..."

However, Ruby grabs him and presses his head against her chest in a tight embrace.

"Don't you say sorry," she tells him. "You have nothing to be sorry about! You never gave up on me, I'm not giving up on you; Moka, be damned!"

"Don't say that about her," he whispered, trying in vain to still defend her. "I lov...still care for her."

"Sure," she says, hoping that agreeing with him for just this once will alleviate his suffering. "And, forget about me and Yukari, you just take care of getting better, okay?"

"Oh me, oh my," said a familiar voice, a voice that sank Tsukune's dread to even deeper depths of his despair than he thought possible; not because of who it belonged to, but of what her presence signified. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything; far be it I become a third wheel, if this is what I think it is."

Ruby and Tsukune looked up at the tall, dark haired stranger whose form fitting, full bodied dress did little to present a modest appearance her extremely curved figure, and yet conveyed a misleading message about her dark nature, as dark as the clothing she wore, and her intentions.

"Ria," he said with grim foreboding.

"Oh, come now dear brother is that anyway to greet your humble sister and confidant. And, it would seem I came in time to stop whatever this is, I mean I'm not adverse to it or anything, but at least don't discard perfectly good shoes before you do it with your prostitute."

The crude remark aside, Tsukune had been so out of it that he hadn't noticed he'd been walking about without any shoes on.

"What do you want?" Ruby demanded.

"Well, for one I would like to inform my brother that if he doesn't put his pet witch in her place, I'll do it for him. And, secondly, well I think he knows why I'm here; I mean, there's only one reason I'd come all the way out here in person. It's on, brother, and father has requested your presence."

It was the moment he dreaded ever since she left him at the school. For days, Tsukune had gone over it in his mind, debating with himself of whether or not he should attempt this, to separate from the woman who has been both his closest of friends and constant love for the eight years that felt like an eternity for him, now close to ending.

"Tsukune," Ruby whispered to him.

"I...I don't know if...I can't do it!" He replied.

"Ugh, I should have known you'd get cold feet; I knew leaving you here was a mistake!"

"I'm sorry, Ria, b-but I've changed my mind, I decided to try and work it out with Moka."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Ruby asked. "What about...you know, what she did?"

"It was terrible what she did, but we've been together for too long, I can't just let it end like this, I have to try and find a way to make our relationship work. Thank you Ria, but my mind is made up; sorry you had to go through all this..."

"Oh, save the melodrama and Dr. Phil dribble!" She replied impatiently. "It's irrelevant. Father has already requested that I bring you before him now and, heir or not, after going through the trouble of granting an audience with him, he's going to be very unforgiving to find out you changed your mind; if you thought what Moka did to put you in your place was bad, well..."

"Why do you want to go back to her anyway?" Ruby asked.

"Look, everybody I still have feelings for her and...And, I just want to go back!"

"Oh me, oh my, I'm afraid that's where you're mistaken; there is no going back to the way things were, especially for people like us! The cat's pretty much out of the bag; I know about it and I'll have to report it to dear father if you won't so, what's done is done and it's time you and my sister face the inevitable music."

"She's right, Tsukune!" Someone yelled and Tsukune looks behind Ria to see, to his surprise Yukari, seemingly agreeing with Ria of all people. The young witch whom no one has seen for days, locked away within her private chambers, now appeared before them as happy and as fit as she has ever been.

"Hmph, finally someone who has some sense about them," Ria scoffed. "Sad to say it's the little Miss Grabby, here."

"Yukari, you...you said she's right?" Tsukune asked, not only surprised to see her, but hear that from one of Moka's most ardent admirers.

"Yeah, I said it. You have to do this Tsukune, there's no way around it."

"Yukari, are you okay?" Ruby asked, worried that this may have something to do with the incident after reading Tsukune's mind earlier.

"Never better!" She replied with nary a care.

"But, you just said that Tsukune has to end it with Moka, just now."

"I know, and it's true, he has to end it. Tsukune, what Moka did was wrong anyway you look at it, and to go back now wouldn't be helping you or her, it won't even repair what you two once had; it's destroyed and there's no putting it back to the way it was. The best thing you can do, for her, if not for yourself is to end it."

"But, Yukari...how can you be okay with this?" Tsukune asked. "You admire Moka, you were so happy we were being married and you wanted to be with the both of us!"

"Ahh, that was just a silly school crush, I'm over it, now!" She replied with a simple wave of her hand. "Besides, you have to admit it was a pretty odd fixation I had, don't you think?"

"This is all very enlightening," Ria interjected, "but I do have a deadline, so can we please get going?"

"I...no," Tsukune muttered. "I can't, I just...I don't know if I can do..."

"Tsukune," Yukari said to him, coming up to where he knelt and extending a helping hand with a warmth in her purple eyes. "Let me do what I can to help you."

"What?"

"Remember, what you said when you saved me from the School President and his gang; you said those exact words to me when I thought I was done for and you threw yourself into danger to save us. Me, Ruby, Mizore, Kurumu, Kokoa, Sun, Fing-Fang, and even Moka, you sacrificed everything for us to help us with our problems, every time like Ruby said, not Moka; it's our turn to help you. Please do this, Tsukune; I'll be with you the every step of the way."

"And me too," Ruby offered. "Besides, I got nothing better to do."

"It's nice," he said, "but you don't have to trouble yourselves over me, really. If I must, I'll handle this on my own."

"Give it up, we're going and that's final!" Yukari replied.

"We witches can be pretty stubborn," said Ruby.

"You shouldn't be doing this? I _was_ a foolish human who couldn't even control his marriage, so why bother?"

"Because, you're family," Ruby said.

Tsukune could not believe she said that; this girl he once remembered being an ardent opponent to all things human and now calls him, a man who had been human and yet still acts every bit as one, so much so that his vampire wife would seek to disown him, a member of her and Yukari's family with hardly a trace of doubt or half truth in her friendly eyes. It confused him to know end, that _she_ would eradicate any hatred of humans in the short time he's known her, while his strong and perfect wife would still maintain hers after all these years, enough to want to sleep with another man in their own bed, in his very presence just to pressure him into bending to her will; it only helped to make this situation all the more painful to bear.

"You know, I'm touched," Ria remarked, "really, I am and this is all such wonderful TV drama! But, I have to insist we get going before I have to listen to anymore of this! Oh, and perhaps I should have made this clear; only family is allowed, no friends."

"...Let them come with us," Tsukune quietly demanded and gratefully lets Yukari help him up, but feeling no less good about the whole thing.

"Excuse me? Has my sister's tryst addled your brain?"

"You want me to go along with this, don't you? The only way I'll go through with this is if my friends come with me; in case Moka does show up, I'd rather have one of them with me at all times. It's this or no show."

"_Fine_!" Ria replied with a sigh, acting as despoiled as a petulant child. "But, I'm not babysitting this time; if they get in trouble, then they're on their own. Now, if we can get dressed and ready, the limo is waiting. You'll be sitting with me, brother and _me_ only, unless any of you well-witches care to dispute with me on the issue?"

"No," Yukari replied.

"Good."

They walked back to the school, passing by that familiar spot on the trail that Tsukune took notice of, as he could still see the ghosts of wonderful days gone by, passing them by and trying, with all the pain in his heart not to look back, even if it meant focusing solely on that pain just to feel anything else at all. As if sensing such demonic spirits that plagued him and feeling the pain he was going through, Yukari held on to his hand and gently squeezed it, not only for him, but for her, for somehow the two of them would have to find a way.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

_"I Walk in the Rain, in the Rain..."_

Tsukune, Yukari and Ruby stared up the gothic face of this monolithic structure that was Caslte Shuzen, stretching ominously into a cloudy sky. He could feel **his** presence deep inside, as powerful and stomach churning as he remembered, but that was not his most pressing concern. It hadn't been lost on him that four years ago he stood on this very spot, at this imposing place, his nerves almost equally frayed in meeting Moka's father, but back then there was a more positive purpose that needed to be done and the sky itself seemed to sense respond to it. The sun was setting, their his and Moka's shadow stretched before them as pointing toward their future, and when they left it so bright and sunny after he had successfully won over Lord Shuzen's blessing in marrying his daughter, the dawn of a bright, rising sun; Tsukane had never felt more fulfilled than on that day. But now, as his mood was about the same on that first day, his purpose for coming here was far different, far less optimistic as he now stood under a cold and dreary sky where vultures circled overhead, and though he had been determined to walk through those doors four years ago, he found it difficult to find any drive or courage to face her father, now. Even though he had changed into his vampiric form for the meeting, it did little to diminish his disposition as those vultures seemed like grim harbingers, not for fear in explaining to the vampire lord he wanted to leave his daughter, but for the fact that Tsukune still felt half alive in expecting such a future without her.

_I can't believe it! _He thought. _How did it come to this? Back at the same place where it all began, where I asked to marry Moka and now I have to come end it! It shouldn't be like this!_

"Tsukune," he heard Yukari say, and he felt her squeeze his hand harder, helping him brace himself, and needing to brace herself for this grim, inevitability; the near end of a dream they both prayed for for so long.

"I'll be okay," he said to her.

"You don't have to act brave on our account," Ruby said. "So, this is where she grew up, huh? Can't say that I'm surprised."

"Yes, a place where so few fools live to tell any tales," Ria said with a delighted, pleased smile. "Aw, home sweet home, right brother?"

"...Lets get this over with," he said, grimly and leads the way.

They climbed up the steps, each footstep a little heavier than the last, and all the while Tsukune continued to focus into not thinking about anything, but only focusing on what had to be done, regardless of how lead-heavy his heart felt. When, after what felt like an arduous ascent he reaches the final step, the double doors open before them and there to greet him was a vaguely familiar petite, blonde maid that immediately recognized the man coming toward her.

"Master Aono," Ezumi greeted surprisingly warmly and pleased, "it's an honor to see you again, how are things?"

For the last four years since she saw him, things have been truly hellish for her existence, catering the whims of these brutish vampires while trying to provide a living for her daughter. However, she never forgot Tsukune, the one vampire amongst many who showed any form of kindness and consideration, and seeing him brought back a level of comfort she had sorely missed. Yet, as she expected a kind word or gesture from him, she was instead shocked when he walked on by without so much as an acknowledgement. In fact as she watched him enter the castle, his entire demeanor seemed to have changed and for the most part he appeared no less lively than half the staff working there.

"M-Master Aono?" She asked.

"What are you doing standing around gawking?" Ria barked. "Gather his things and send them to the guest quarters!"

"A-At once, Mistress," she obediently responded, but glanced back at the strange man that walked into the shadows and feared the worst at what might've changed him.

Tsukune couldn't remember it being so dark inside last time he visited, and even with his vampiric eyesight it was hard to discern from shadow and object, while a stale odor lingered in the air.

"Cozy interior," Ruby commented.

"Yeah, it hasn't changed a bit," said Yukari.

"Neither have any of you," said a tall, redheaded woman who greeted them from the staircase. "My, you're as dull as ever, aren't you Tsukune?"

Tsukune had no clue who was talking to them or how she knew anything about him, but Yukari seemed to. She was gothic looking, yet elegant in a lengthy, black corset dress, black leather gloves and upside down, diamond studded crosses for earrings, and though her hair was now long and sweeping, adorned on top with a widow's veil that held a bat like ornament in the middle, her menacing green eyes were a dead give away.

"Kokoa?" Yukari asked. "Kokoa, is that you?"

"You're also just as stupid as I remembered, too. Who else would I be, witch?"

Tsukune and Ruby were astonished that this strange, mature woman standing before them was the same runty, obnoxious little sister of Moka; like Yukari, the years had also been kind to her, and though her chest still wasn't as large as any of the other sisters, including Moka, they nonetheless displayed clearly that she was no longer a runt.

"Oh me, oh my, don't be so rude, little sister; you rarely leave the house anymore, you can't expect your friends to recognize you after having changed so much."

"What friends," she replied in a dark manner, her black lips unmoving for neither a smile nor frown.

"Hey, we're still friends, aren't we?" Yukari asked, but Kokoa didn't respond, only continued glaring at the three of them, especially Tsukune.

"Tsukune?" Kahlua cried. "TSUKUNE!"

Before he knew it, out of the corner of his eye came a flash of white as a blonde, dark skinned woman in a white dress immediately clamped herself around him.

"Oh, I've missed you, I've missed you, I've missed you!" She shrieked, shaking him about like a treasured doll. "You never call, you never visit; ooh, did you bring me another doll to play with, please tell me you did!"

"Let him down, sister," Ria ordered. "You know he has important business with father."

"Okay," she said, putting him down. "But, after father's done, can me and him play, please?"

"We'll see."

"Is the entire family going to be here?" He asked with trepidation.

"Why yes, this is a family matter, is it not? It's not all about you. Now come along, he's expecting us."

"Father seemed awfully concerned," said Kahlua, "I hope it's nothing serious, but I'm sure its not, you're his favorite son!"

"That's nice," he said with little fanfare

"And, you're my favorite," she added, sniffing him all over him most uncomfortably. "I hope we can catch up soon."

Between Kokoa staring daggers at him, Kahlua's strange attraction to him and childlike innocence of everything that's gone on, and Ria's flippant attitude, Tsukune's apprehension grew worse as they walked down the dark, lonely hallway. Tsukune kept telling himself to not think about it, just do what he came here to do and be done with it; though what _it_ was he should do only created more inner turmoil.

_Is this right what I'm doing? _He wondered. _Am I in the wrong? I'm here now, and there's no going back for me. How will __**they**__ even respond to this?_

"Any particular reason you brought them along?" Kokoa suddenly asked.

"We're here as his friends," Ruby replied.

"As his friends? And, why exactly would he need the likes of you for; and why isn't my sister here babysitting him, instead?"

The "babysitting" comment irked him, still reeling from Moka's actions of still treating him as less than anything close to her equal.

"Hey yeah!" Kahlua commented. "Come to think of it, where is little sister? I thought she was going to show up!"

What would he say? What could he say? Or, rather was telling them now even necessary, as soon they'd all know; might as well save the surprise for then.

"She couldn't make it," was all he could tell them. "She's…indisposed."

"Indisposed?" Kokoa asked. "The hell is that supposed to mean."

"I don't think its any of your business!" Ruby defended. "Look, she couldn't make it, so lets drop it!"

"It's private," Yukari said.

"Oh, but didn't my sister just say that this is a family matter, so this _is_ my business!" Kokoa argued.

"I wonder what could be wrong with her?" Kahlua asked.

"All that matter is, as a family member and loyal sister I have plenty of right to ask what's wrong with my sister!" Kokoa threatened.

"Well, then since I'm now an unofficial member of this family, I guess I should be asking why two, no account witches are around my Tsukune?"

Tsukune looked up and was surprised to see a shapely, plump, plum haired woman in a tight, pink skirt that accentuated her round, curvy body, barely containing an enormous bosom.

"I...I know you," he remarked.

"You should, honey, you got up close and personal with not only these," she said, pointing to her eyes, "but you got _real_ up close and personal with my two girls, and they've been straining against my blouse to come meet you!"

"Caro Shade," Ria muttered, her face less than thrilled to see the high level, and very unwelcomed succubus.

"Ms. Caro?" He asked. "What are you doing here? I thought I would only have to deal with Moka's family?"

"Caro," he heard Ruby mutter behind him.

"Oh boy," said Yukari.

"I don't understand," he said to them.

"I see they haven't told you shit, which is shocking," Caro responded. "I figured with what happened you'd be appraised of the whole arraignment, but I guess this hag and her partner decided to leave you in the dark; some friends."

Tsukune looked at Ruby and Yukari for some answers, but the two of them simply stared daggers at Caro, especially Ruby for being called a hag.

"Well, whatever," Caro responded, indifferently, "you're here now is all that matters. Me, Shuzie-poo, and his two old battle axes just got back from an expensive, far away trip and..."

"Don't ever call him 'Shuzie-poo', you fat pig!" Ria hissed.

Tsukune saw a quick flash of anger in Caro's eyes directed at Ria, but it was only for a brief moment, which was followed by a pleased smile in knowing how she ruffled up her feathers.

"Any who, I heard you'd be showing up, Tsukune and I just had to stick around to see you."

"You and...Lord Shuzen? Are you and him...?"

"Yep! Pretty nice arrangement, huh?"

"And, it's just you here; Kurumu won't be joining will she?"

"No, fraid not; though, I'd wish my Mumu was here, she'd enjoy seeing you, again," she said sadly. "As it is, the forces that be make it impossible for her to do that."

Tsukune noticed the stares she, Ruby and Yukari were giving each other and wondered if something might've gone on the he wasn't aware of. In any case, he was glad Kurumu would not be here to witness this, feeling embarrassed enough in telling everyone here his troubles with Moka, it'll be unbearable in informing the girl who was her greatest rival and the one he chose just how fucked up things have gotten. To have her here, now would be the ultimate show of shame for a guy who made it clear her and nearly everyone he met, with all the clarity of mind at the time, that he and Moka were right together.

"This is a family matter!" Kokoa reiterated. "This doesn't include whores like any of you; and though I'm ashamed to admit it, this does, however deal with him! Now, before we meet with father, I want to know, where is my sister, fool! Did you do something to upset her?"

Kokoa's third degree was like a series of rough jabs to his mid section; a brutal demonstration of what he should expect from the rest of Moka's family. He knew they would take her side, being family after all, blaming him for everything that has transpired. And, maybe they were right, perhaps he was to blame for this; they were vampires after all, not humans, their ways are different from how he was brought up, and even with Ruby, Yukari, and now Caro at his side it may prove to be futile once Moka joins in this travesty as soon as she catches wind of this.

"I didn't do anything," he tried in vain to defend himself.

"Then, where is she? Why isn't she here with your sorry hide?"

"Sister," Kahlua pleaded, all of a sudden acting much meeker lamb towards her younger sister than Tsukune remembered.

"No, I want to hear it from him!"

"Back off!" Ruby defended. "He's been through a lot, okay!"

"Hanging with you, I can imagine," Caro said. "But, judging from the way he's been carrying himself and I'd say there's trouble in paradise; care to fill us in?"

Shocked that she could reach to that conclusion so quickly, Tsukune was even more reluctant to tell her anything and suddenly felt pinned in, unable to squirm his way out of it, while Ria appeared to be silently enjoying this.

"He doesn't have to say anything," said Yukari. "We're only here to see Lord Shuzen; please, leave him alone!"

"Oh, so he needs you to fight for him, now?" Kokoa argued. "What a bady! I always knew he was a baby; so beneath my sister's time, I say good riddance!"

"Stop it!" Yukari argued. "You don't know what's going on; who are you to judge?"

"Shut up, witch! I know all I need to know about him; he's a weakling and a coward who couldn't satisfy any woman if his life depended on it!"

As they argued and Kokoa berated him, a small, growing part of Tsukune felt victimized, that she didn't have any right to say those things about him, and wanted desperately to at least put up a defense while another part was still content on taking the barrage like a piñata, as punishment for being a terrible husband to Moka.

"Kokoa!" A woman yelled. "Now that's enough; how rude of you to speak that way to him!"

Who Tsukune saw coming towards him nearly made his heart leap to his throat and he blinked his eyes hard and even slapped his face harder, trying to ascertain if this was another hallucination appearing before him.

"What are you doing?" The pink haired woman asked, concern oozing out of her adoring, green eyes. "Don't hit yourself, Tsukune, I don't want to get hurt! Please, calm down!"

Tsukune looked over at Ruby and Yukari to see if they saw her too, and by the looks on their faces it only confirmed his worse fear: that this time it was no hallucination.

"M-Moka?" He stammered. "N-No, you can't be...Y-You can't!"

"Oh, Tsukune, you keep getting us confused with each other," she simply tells him, and then adds while blushing: "I can't blame you though; my daughter does get her good looks from me."

He had completely forgotten how much Moka's mother, Akasha resembled an older, more athletically fit version of her outer form, except for the face that this Hell King and mistress of Lord Shuzen constantly keeps her long, pink hair in a lengthy pony tail and adorns herself in red, corset dresses; a far cry from the woman whose outfit of choice when she invited Gin still haunted him. Nevertheless, the very image of her, the way her voice matched Moka's flawlessly, and the kind hearted attitude that came with it turned a tense situation into an unbearable one, like his wife was haunting him from where ever she may currently be.

"Tsukune, it's so happy to see you!" She squealed and immediately pressed him into her bosom in a tight, bearlike grip; the gesture caught him by surprise. "How are things going? We really must get caught up; I just bought this adorable sweater from New York City that'll go well for you and Moka to wear. By the way, where is she, I want the two of you to come try them on!"

"Ugh, please stop coddling him, Akasha!" Gyokuro whined, showing up behind her. "For god sakes, he's the heir to my husband's household, despite my better judgment; far be it you treat him like a baby!"

"If you'd like, Akasha, I'd be happy to take over for you," Caro casually commented. "It seems to be my forte lately."

"Hmph, if you weren't a disgusting succubus," Gyokuro responded, "I might actually like you."

"Thank you," she replied, but Akasha paid little attention to either of their remarks.

"So, boy, what brings you calling?" Gyokuro asked.

"Forgive me for the pardon, my Lady," Ria said, bowing before the two, high ranking vampires. "A pressing matter has come up that Lord has requested to hear immediately."

"What's wrong?" Akasha asked. "Has something happened? And, where is Moka? Shouldn't she be here? Oh, I bet she's downstairs yelling at the staff again."

"..." Tsukune muttered while his face remained muffled in his mother-in-law's bosom, of which she could feel his body beginning to tense up.

"You say something, son?" Akasha asked with genuine concern in a voice that was oh, so familiar to his sore heart, a combination of which he had missed so much already, and an involuntary plea began to emanate out of him.

"Moka."

Akasha released him, gently holding his face to hers to see him clearly for the first time; only what she saw in him terrified her greatly, as the gentle face of this once kind, and happy young man appeared weathered, worn, and devastated.

"Tsukune, what happened?" She asked, but her inquiries provided little help. "Did something happen? Where is my daughter, is she okay?"

"Uh, Moka's fine, ma'am!" Yukari spoke up. "Hi, I'm Yukari Sendo; we met before."

"Yes, I remember."

"And this is my friend, Ruby Tohou; we're here to escort Tsukune to his meeting. Your daughter...is fine, you don't have anything to worry about."

"That's good to here, but what about Tsukune? What's bothering him?"

"Please...just stop," he muttered.

"Huh?"

"You don't have to care about me, just leave me alone!"

"Tsukune? Not until you tell me what's troubling you?"

He couldn't understand or fathom why she, Moka's own mother, who was the spitting image of her daughter in everyway, would show this much concern for his well-being. It hurt having all of this happening, he had only wanted to get this over with quickly and quietly, not have so many people prying into his shame and loss. He felt close to exploding, to simply blurting out everything that happened for her mother and everyone to hear what she had done to him, for them to either tell him how it was all his fault or dismiss it altogether; in any case, he wanted it to be over, but fortunately Yukari intervened.

"Look, Tsukune is in a big hurry, right now, and he'd appreciate it if could talk to Moka's...I mean, Lord Shuzen, right away!"

"Well," said Gyokuro, "this _is _getting interesting. I thought it would be something stupid like he botched up an account, but now my interest is peeked. Akasha, girls, how about we let the Mighty Aono grace our lord's chambers and see just what it is that's troubling him. Walk this way, young man."

Between Gyokuro's tacked on grace, Akasha's continued look of concern, and Kokoa's ever present glare, it didn't make him any more comfortable than before, yet the dreaded moment had finally arrived, and now he so desperately wanted to get out of this place. Each step made his feet feel like weights being added on, the fluids in his very stomach began to churn like a blender and a cold sweat oozed from every orifice; Tsukune hadn't felt anything before, but now it seemed that every feeling came roaring back with a vengeance.

He didn't want to go through with this; that much had become evident, now.

_You can do it, Tsukune, _he heard Yukari's voice beckon from his own mental recesses like some conscience. _You have to._

_Why? Why are you so adamant that I go through with this? _He asked her. _Do you know what you're asking me to do? This could end our marriage, our relationship, and you're okay with this? Why?_

_Because, you should get what you deserve, and you didn't deserve what she did to you...I don't want to see you suffer anymore._

"What?" He whispered.

"We're here," Ria said and opening the double doors into the study's vast, candle-lit space where, at his desk in the center, with the backdrop of towering maroon shaded curtains that partially revealed a bleak landscape, _**he**_ sat waiting.

Tsukune and he locked eyes in that moment, their red eyes transfixed, with the elder vampire studying him through some mental control of his own. A pale face, contrasted against dark brown hair and a lightly grown beard appeared unmoved or shaken, and there was very little Tsukune could do to break away from this person, now; the vampire lord held him in his mental grip, and Tsukune knew there truly was no going back. He hadn't realized at that moment that everyone, even his friends had bowed except him, but a part of him wondered if he even should.

_Perhaps he'll do me and Moka a favor,_ he wondered, and quickly shook that thought out of his head. _Why did I say that?_

"You may enter," Lord Issa Shuzen commanded without waiting for Tsukune to make up his mind.

All the women of his household took their places behind him, while Tsukune, Ruby, Yukari, and Caro stood before his desk in the center of the room.

"This is a family matter," Ria said, "no guests allowed."

"Now, wait a minute!" Ruby cried.

"The two witches may stay," Issa commanded. "I find their presence with him intriguing; Caro, wait in my quarters."

"Ugh! You really know how to spoil a girl's fun, honey," she whined, but a look from him suggested that he would not repeat his order; nevertheless, she knew how to get the dirt she wanted anyway and relented. "Fine, just let me know how it turns out. Nice seeing you, Tsukune. ...Ruby."

The two women glared at each other like two aggressive animals daring one another to make a move as the robust chested mistress walked on by and casually exited the quarters with so much swag; now with her gone, Tsukune felt there was nothing left to hold this off any further, for good or ill.

"Now, Tsukune Aono, what brings you before me that you felt important enough to have Ria, here request a meeting with me and postpone an important business?" Issa demanded.

"My lord," Ria told him, "my brother has brought grave news concerning your daugh..."

"I'd like to hear it from him," he interrupted, which she graciously concedes. "What has happened between you and my daughter, your mate?"

All eyes were on him, both wondering what the secret could be that it would warrant an audience with Issa, and whether he'll even go through with it; all the while Yukari's comments nagged at him. What did he deserve? He wanted it to be with Moka, but Gin had her, now. What was left for him, now?

"I don't have all day, Aono; if you refuse to talk then I'll pry it out of you. Speak!"

Was this right or was he wrong; he didn't know, but after reliving that horrible night for the last several nights and seeing it play in his mind even now, of Moka's defiant stance against everything they had meant to each other, he reached a point where didn't care, anymore. It was like he was at that moment right before the plunge, where he made peace with himself and what may happen upon hitting the ground will simply happen.

"Fathe...My lord," he began to say, "...I have come to…to renounce your daughter, Moka as my mate."

"What?" Akasha asked aloud. "Tsukune, b-but why?"

"Mm, this _is_ interesting," Gyokuro quipped. "Trouble in paradise, indeed."

"Hmph, it's about time!" Kokoa said. "She was too good for you, anyway! Maybe, now she can find a better man for her."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that?" Ria remarked in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.

"What?" Akasha asked, but a wave of Issa's hand silenced everyone, dead set on hearing the rest.

"May I ask, why?"

"Tsukune," Ruby whispered.

"Everyone is to be silent!" Issa snapped. "My heir wishes to renounce my daughter, I would like to know why?"

At first, Tsukune couldn't find the words to describe in detail what had happened nor did he have any wish to make things look worse for her, despite all that she had done; in the end, she was still his Moka and he wanted to protect her as best as possible, so all he had to say was:

"We have decided to seek other partners."

"Seek other partners?" Akasha asked.

Ruby and Yukari stared at him like he was crazy, and he could feel their astonished eyes looking at him, but in some way it was the truth, though it hurt to say just as much as the actual, less than sanitized events; Issa, however was not satisfied with it.

"Irreconcilable differences; you'll have to do better than that, Tsukune Aono," he said to him. "Such an excuse is not enough for us, and I will not grant your request based on that alone. So, I'll ask again, why do you seek to renounce my daughter; as her father I demand the full story from you!"

"But, that is the truth; we wish to seek other partners."

"Tsukune, look at us," Gyokuro said to him. "My husband is married to me, and yet he has two mistresses; wanting to see other people isn't as distasteful as it is with your former human heritage."

"Does that include wanting to bear someone else's children," Ria intentionally blurts out, which caught everyone's intention, immediately. "Forgive me, dear brother, but you were going to take all day with it; my brother was, in spite of everything, still trying to protect her virtue."

"Is this true?" Issa demanded.

"...Yes," he replied, despite his better judgment and loathing in admitting it. "She has."

"W-What?" Akasha stammered. "You're wrong! She wouldn't do something like that, there must be some mistake!"

"Begging your pardon, Ms. Akasha," said Ruby. "But, what she said is true. My friend, Yukari can read minds; she saw everything that Tsukune witnessed and confirms his story."

"You must've been mistaken," Akasha reiterated.

"I'm forced to agree with my husband's esteemed mistress," said Gyokuro. "In spite of my misgivings about the girl, even she is not that stupid!"

"Tell me more about what happened, Tsukune," Issa demanded.

Tsukune wanted to close his eyes and blot out everything as he worked up his stomach to recount the whole incident that brought him here as best he could without losing it, but it felt so surreal standing there, telling Moka's parents on her, and like trapped in a whirlwind, merely gave up trying to brace himself and went with the motions.

"Tell me everything," Issa demanded again, seeing the distress in the boy's eyes and growing more eager to hear the truth.

"It is true, my lord. It all began about a year ago; we argued over whether our unborn children should be raised around humans or vampires rather than both."

"Well, it should be a no brainer," said Gyokuro. "The idea of raising the future of this family amongst both humans and vampires; the poor things will grow up confused."

"Quiet!" Issa ordered. "Carry on."

Tsukune knew the topic of how their children should be raised would be no different amongst her kind, so it was little surprise to hear Gyokuro's comment, but he carried on with the story.

"When...when I wouldn't cave in to her demands, she said she would sleep with another man and have his kids instead and then raise them as she saw fit."

"And, did she carry out this threat?"

"I was home when she invited him in...and took him into our bedroom; I heard the whole thing, she made sure I knew it was genuine."

Issa and Akasha were both aghast, even Gyokuro, Kahlua, and Kokoa seemed floored by it; all, but Ria, who seemed to quietly relish the whole thing. Tsukune felt a soft hand gently touch his arm and knew Ruby was trying to comfort him without even looking; he didn't know Yukari's reaction, but could only imagine it was the same as he currently felt.

"I…I don't believe it; I can't!" Akasha finally spoke. "Our daughter would not do something like this! Are you sure that's what happened, Tsukune?"

"Am I sure?" He asked, as though not hearing her correctly. "I was right there when it happened!"

"I know, but...perhaps you misinterpreted it; perhaps she merely made it appear she was...doing this with another man."

"What?" Ruby asked.

"That's a rather weak excuse for your daughter if ever I heard one," said Gyokuro.

"L-Look, I know it's not much, but I think I know my own child and no matter what the situation, she would _not_ sleep with another vampire, let alone attempt to have his children."

"Oh, he wasn't another vampire," Ria added. "That's what Tsukune told me when he called me up out of the blue, demanding I take him away from there."

This latest revelation proved to be even more damning than before, and a pit in Tsukune's stomach, the single ounce of him that still carried a torch for Moka, felt her number was now up.

"_Not_ another vampire?" Issa asked. "Then what is he that my daughter would choose to shame herself with?"

"Some...a..werewolf...He's a werewolf," he said.

"A w-werewolf?" Kokoa asked with her green eyes as wide as saucers. "It can't be."

"Oh no," Kahlua muttered, overcome by all of this and on the verge of tears.

"Could you be lying," Kokoa said, menacingly stepping forward. "You two had been arguing, things were said, actions taken, no doubt to put you in your place, and now you come here trying to slander her name, make her to be the bad guy without her here to defend herself!"

"It's not a lie!" Yukari countered. "I saw it myself!"

"It would seem our golden daughter didn't care whose semen she took into herself," Gyokuro crudely joked. "Or, for that matter, whose young she bore so long as she got what she wanted, _whatever_ that may be; but, just assuming this asinine plan of hers ever worked and she's, god forbid pregnant with pups, how did she plan on fooling us into believing they weren't half-bred mutts?"

"This is a serious charge you've labeled against my daughter, your mate _and_ sister, Tsukune," said Issa. "Unfortunately, I cannot go anywhere with just this alone, though your testimony is admissible."

"But, your lord," Ruby spoke up, "begging your pardon, but what Tsukune said is true."

"Yeah, I've even looked in on her through my crystal ball," Yukari said.

"Lies!" Kokoa yelled. "Why should we take your word for it, we all know witches can't be trusted, their prophecies and what not are always flimsy at best, and besides these two are his closest friends, they'd say anything to help him out!"

"Did you forget, Kokoa!" Yukari argued. "I was your sister's biggest, closest friend; I admired her, even worshipped the ground she walked on and wanted nothing more, but for the two of them to be happy when you and everybody else did not! What I saw...it'll live with me for the rest of my life; I know it'll be with Tsukune, but I wouldn't be here, telling you all of this if it weren't true!"

"You lie," Kokoa reiterated, ignoring Yukari's passionate response.

"Kokoa, Kahlua!" Issa ordered, bringing a hush to the room. "I'm sending you two on an errand. I want the two of you to go retrieve your sister; bring her here at once so that I may hear her side of the story. And, no matter what happens or what she says, you bring her before me, immediately, do you understand?"

Kokoa heard him loud and clear, but poor Kahlua was still too saddened by everything that he had to repeat his question to her.

"Do-you-understand me?"

"Uh, yes father."

"It will be my pleasure," Kokoa agreed, eyeing Tsukune with such hate. "I can't wait to slam your accusations right in your face!"

"We will convene the moment she arrives; Ria, see that accommodations are made for Tsukune and his guests, until then."

With all that could be said and done, Ria graciously and quite content leads Tsukune and his friends out of the study, neither of them making any protest, and the mood around them had invariably changed for the bitter, something in which Caro could sense from her hiding place.

"Tsukune, wait!" Gyokuro called, running up to him. "Before you go, I just wanted to say...thank you _so_ much! Before today, I prayed for a moment like this, where the ever precious Moka would finally be brought down; however, I never thought it would come from you, of all people! There may be hope for you, yet!"

Tsukune and the others didn't say anything to such praise, when at normal times they would've defended Moka at the risk to their own lives, but Ria merely smiled and bowed humbly before her mistress though she, too shared such sentiments.

"That went better than I imagined, brother dear," she said to him, leading them to their rooms. "I'm sure things will go our way even when my dear sister arrives to face judgment."

He couldn't have disagreed with her more; the whole experience was actually far worse than he imagined, and the expectation of meeting with Moka for the first time since that night made this dark, unsettling castle feel all the more like the hell place he silently wished to escape from.

"Is there any way you can leave us alone for a spell?" Ruby asked, growing tired of hearing all of this.

"You're ordering me? Oh me, oh my, I don't know what to say, and after I had been so generous."

"I'm not trying to be rude; I just want to talk to Tsukune, please!"

"...Leave us, Ria," Tsukune orders.

Ria eyed Ruby with mild annoyance, like she was a pesky mosquito buzzing in her ear and face, but nevertheless she was in high spirits after the meeting with father, and rings for service from the help in which Ezumi arrives to her beckon call.

"Ezumi, be a dear and see to their needs," she tells her before departing.

"As you wish, my lady."

"Are our rooms ready?" He asked Ezumi, walking slowly down the dark hallway.

"Y-Yes. As ordered everything was set up, and you'll be happy to know that I made sure you each had plenty of dry towels for your convenience; I even made sure not to carry too many like the last time!"

Ezumi smiled cheerfully, thinking it would remind him of their first meeting and that he would get the hint, but Tsukune didn't notice it just as he failed to notice Ria's presence fading more and more away from them, nor of the young maid's longing gaze or Yukari's and Ruby's increasing concern over him.

"Uhh, I thought you might...," Ezumi tried to say. "You'd be pleased to know that Kimiko is coming along rather nicely; before I take you to your room, I thought...it would be nice, that as a member of this house, you would like to come meet her and maybe put her at ease about me working here. I know she'd...like...it."

It disturbed her watching him walking silently like some ghost of his former self, his figure hunched over, beaten down and brooding; where had that kind and optimistic man she talked to years ago gone?

"My Lord?"

"Uh, Ezumi?" Yukari asked. "Why don't you take me on ahead to our rooms and I'll get my friends when they're ready; maybe I'll even come meet your daughter, if you'd like?"

"A-As you wish," she said and leads Yukari away, leaving Ruby at last alone with Tsukune who it seemed he wasn't going anywhere.

"Tsukune? Tsukune!"

He stopped without turning, but she pressed on.

"I know this isn't the best time to be getting into this, and it's not about this...divorce procedure, you have every right to want this, but I have to ask about you and...Ria. Why are you letting her help you? What is this relationship you have with her? And, when Moka and Gin did this sick thing to you, why did you call her and not me?"

It took him a while to really respond, and for a moment she wondered if he had heard a word, but she then notices him begin to fish around for his wallet and hands her Ria's business card.

"I don't understand?"

"You don't know everything, do you?" He asked, his voice sounding miles away. "That's right, I kept it from you, from you and everybody else...except her."

He goes on to relay all of the events that involved Ria in their horrid detail, from Moka's deal with her sister to keep Tsukune's family "safe", to Ria manipulating him further by sleeping with his father. After all of that, and Moka's attempts to isolate him from his friends, his going to Ria at the time seemed like the right thing to do, and as the madness of everything began to swell up around him, it started to make even more sense.

"Oh my god," he heard Ruby gasp. "Tsukune, why the hell didn't you ever tell us?"

"...It was for her. In the end, it was all for her, all of it. I didn't want her to feel guilty or ashamed, and I figured I could take it. If hearing all this makes you change your mind about me, and you can't stand to look at me, I don't care. You're welcomed to leave and never look at me, again; it doesn't matter. I have nothing left: not my pride, my sense of purpose, my family, or even the love of my life, so what's one friend?"

Ruby stands in front of him and slaps him across his face.

"How the hell can you say that?" She asked him, the hurt in her voice evident. "After everything you've done for me, everything we've been through, you think that's going to change everything? Yes, you did some questionable things with that..._woman_, and you made a lot of mistakes too, but you're still human, despite being a vampire, and you're still that same guy with the big, brave heart. What you did, you didn't do because you were being a dick about it, it was to help Moka, like you've always done! That's why I'm staying with you; I'm going to stick by you for you, Tsukune Aono, even if it kills me."

_It was to help Moka, _her words rang in his head; despite her compassionate speech, those were the only words his mind gathered from it, as it took him on a sinister journey that coincided with his deep longing for home.

No matter how kind and uplifting her words were, it did so very little; the life he was determined to build with the girl he loved was coming down all around him, and the only thing that made sense to him was in thinking that the blame fell squarely upon his shoulders. In his mind, rather than expecting a confrontation of Moka and her family, he imagined a confrontation with his, standing in his parents' living room and feeling the sting of their accusations at the blunder that was his marriage.

"Oh Tsukune," his mother said, sitting on the couch, teary eyed and shaking her head in shame. "How could you let this happen?"

"Mom?"

"You couldn't given her what she wanted," he heard his father say, standing in the far corner and purposefully looking away from him like he was something to be despised and reviled. "You're so very weak, son."

"I...I thought I was…"

"Tsukie; really?" Kyokou asked him, standing to his left. "You're so pathetic!"

"How-could-you-let this happen?" His mother asked again.

"But, s-she wanted to keep our kids from getting to know you, I thought..."

"Tsukune, you're a grown man now, not a little boy!" She scolded. "You honestly don't need your mother hanging around you 24/7, holding your hands for you. These would've been _your_ kids, not ours! And, as her mother, she has a right to raise them as she sees fit, not you; understand?"

"I-I'm sorry."

"I thought I told you to do everything you can to make your relationship work?" His father asked.

"I'm sorry, father."

"She would have let us see them, eventually!" He added. "And even if she didn't, knowing you had a strong family would have been good enough for us! You should've listened to her, son! Now, look at where you are!"

"I'm sorry."

"Tsukie, Moka was my friend! I trusted her; so why couldn't you?"

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry! God, cousin, you're so hopeless; no wonder you couldn't get any girlfriends before you met her, and now you can't even keep _her_! If this is how you turned out, then maybe Moka was trying to dodge a bullet by keeping your kids away from here."

"I didn't say they would be raised here," he argued, futilely. "Just that they'd…"

"I'm afraid your cousin is right, Tsukune," he heard his mother say. "Ashamed, as I am to admit."

"I'm sorry, I...I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, Moka!"

"Tsukune!" Ruby called to him.

He grabbed the sides of his head, eyes shut, bracing himself against everything, against all the blame, doubt, and gnawing guilt that refused to show him any kind of mercy; he wanted to blot out the whole world and be alone, but upon reopening the world to him in all its bleakness and hopelessness, there was still very little refuge to be found.

"This is where I belong," he muttered. "I made all of this; I did."

"No, no it isn't," Ruby tried to argue, but not even her words could pull him out of this hell.

"Yes, it is. I think this is home."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_"I See the Angels..."_

There was a part of Moka that no longer remembered why she was even doing this anymore, staring at Gin's back, scratched up from another round of sex, sitting on his side of the bed trying to stretch as her infatuation with him was beginning to wane. However, the part of Moka that took precedence over everything else, her inner, most powerful side remained firm that it was all about their pride as a vampire. Even so, her once beautiful, magnificent silvery white hair, though still much so in her mind, was splayed about in a mess, left partially sticky by sweat and Gin's semen strewn within it, and just the thought of constantly letting this tawdry creature, who's only redeeming quality was sex, do the things he does with her body creates only questions as to why any of this was even necessary. She kept telling herself it was all about principals, her unborn children, and most importantly to put Tsukune in his place for abandoning her instead of manning up to take responsibility for their situation, a situation she wanted desperately for him to acquiesce to rather than run from. Nevertheless, she could easily find someone else; it didn't make sense for her to visit the same loser, again and again.

"Well, that was great," Gin said with little fanfare. "But, it's about time for you to go; same time, tonight?"

"...You did not, seriously tell me I need to go?" She asked, almost daring him to insult her a second time.

"Sorry; I meant, I need to get some rest and talk with Sun..._tooo_ tell her ."

"Fine," she said, slipping out of bed and putting on her clothes. "But, next time you should try showing a little more enthusiasm in your performance."

He looked at her as though she had basically called his manhood into question.

"Excuse me! Don't blame me; I was in fine form, like always! You definitely weren't complaining before, baby!"

"That was then, " she said, brushing her hair back elegantly after slipping on her small white tank top that, along with a really short, tight black skirt that left little to the imagination, "this is now, and you seem to be losing your stamina, as well as aim; my hair is sticky because of you!"

"Ohh, hell no, the only one with any problems in bed is..."

"What?"

"Forget it!"

"What were you going to say? I demand you answer me!"

"Forget it, it's late! Can we pick this up when you come in tonight?"

Annoyed by his insolence, she brusquely dismisses him as being the unimportant loser that he always was and clips on her rosary.

"Remember, Ginei," she said in mid transformation, "you've always wanted this body, and the only reason you get it is because I allow you to, like I did with Tsukune; don't forget that."

After her magnificent form reverts back to her petite, pink haired form, she crashes to her knees again, shocked that the transformation still hasn't gotten any easier.

"...Ehh, ahh, what's...where...?" She asked, almost disoriented and confused, until it returns to her where 'here' is, and struggles back to her feet.

"Hey, Moka you think you can hurry it along, Sun is almost about to call!"

"Oh! Of course."

It took some considerable doing, but Moka was able to stagger on out of his room and haphazardly back down stairs without much assistance from her consummate lover.

"Looks like you had a busy night," the bartender joked.

"Um, yeah. I was about to head home; do you have my money for tonight?"

"Sure, here ya go, all there. Don't spend it all on one thing, now."

"I won't."

"Good night or should I say good morning," the bartender joked and Moka laughed, though she was still somewhat out of it.

Walking home bare foot, carrying her strap on stilettos in one hand and tiny, clutch purse, the bright rays of a morning sun did very little to help her condition, only hurting the eyes and inadvertently creating a minor migraine; to all appearances she looked as though she was a drunken prostitute coming back from a party with a hangover. She didn't notice the peculiar stares her neighbors gave as they prepared to go to work, but by then it had become a routine occurrence, nor did she notice the two strange men and Tsubaki milling about inside her doorway until one of them spoke.

"Mrs. Aono?" Asked a tall, slender white man in a black trench coat and sunglasses; his companion was an equally tall gentleman, dark skinned and similarly wearing dressed in a grey trench coat.

"Who are you?" She asked. "And, who said you could go into my apartment?"

"_My_ apartment!" Ms. Tsubaki contested. "And, I let these gentlemen in!"

"We're with the police, ma'am," the black officer said. "I'm officer Kota; this is my partner, officer Naba."

"The p-police! I don't understand, why are you even..?"

"We were called to investigate the whereabouts of your husband, Tsukune Aono; you wouldn't happen to know where he might be?"

"Tsukune? W-What? He's not missing! Who called you; no one reported him missing, because he's not missing!"

"On the contrary, Mrs.," said officer Naba. "Your mother and father-in-law they suspected foul play after the mother had a nasty phone conversation with you almost a week ago, said you were having an affair right around the time he went missing. You wouldn't know anything about that?"

Moka started to sweat; she couldn't believe Kazumi actually freaked out like this because of one, lousy conversation over the phone.

"It was a misunderstanding," was all she could reply. "She asked where Tsukune was and..."

"So, you're not having an affair, then?"

"Uhh..."

"Tell me, who's Gin?" Kota asked.

"...Who?"

The two men exchanged a look and it worried her, greatly that they might go and harass Gin; though it bothered her that she'd worry about that, now.

_I should be worried that they'll talk to him and he'll tell them that we __**are**__ having an affair! _She worried.

**Just stay loose, they can't do anything to you, anyway; they're just meddlesome humans.**

"Mrs. Aono," officer Naba said, impatiently. "Are we holding you up from doing something?"

"N-No."

"Then, tell us who this 'Gin' person is."

"Uhh, I have no idea who you're talking about."

"Really? Because Mrs. Aono, your mother-in-law said that a Gin answered the phone on the day in question!"

_Damn you, Gin!_

"_And_, we've compiled several reports from your Landlady here and neighbors, all saying they witnessed a tall, dark haired man coming out of your apartment and harassing underage girls," officer Kota added. "Are you telling us he doesn't exist?"

The cat was out of the bag, and without any other alternative she figured she could at least spin the story in a way that wasn't as ugly as it actually was.

"Uhh, oh yes, him! He's just a friend of mine from high school. See, what happened is that my husband and I had a nasty fight and he went to blow off some steam; that was the last I saw of him. Gin came over to help me cope with the whole thing, that's all."

"Is that so?" He asked, sounding unconvinced, taking out a pad of notes and began flipping the pages before stopping on one. "Care to explain, then why on the night your husband disappeared you and your friend were seen naked by your Landlady, yelling something at your husband along the lines of: 'It didn't have to be this way, all you had to do was agree with me and none of this...' ."

"Look, am I under arrest?" She snapped, becoming aggravated that her dirty laundry was being aired out for these strangers, prying into business that was none of theirs, but was more annoyed by her meddlesome Landlady. "Because, you're wasting your time!"

"Why are we wasting our time, ma'am?"

"Because, I haven't done anything wrong, okay! We had a fight, yes that is true, and I was with Gin on that night, but it's not what you think, my husband and I had a hiccup in our marriage, that's all; it'll all be resolved when he gets back!"

"You believe this will be resolved?" The white officer asked, whom she began to recognize was becoming more and more antagonistic. "Explain what you mean by 'hiccup' and how is this 'hiccup' being resolved? How, in what way is all of this about to be resolved? You said that was the last you saw your husband that night; it's been almost a week with no one, not your in-laws, not your neighbors, not even the people at his job, who said he took a vacation and hasn't been in contact with anyone since, ever seeing hide nor hair of him and yet, you didn't think it necessary to report him missing?"

"He isn't missing! I'm telling you..."

"Telling us, what Mrs.?"

**This human is growing on my nerves! **Inner Moka growled.

"I'm trying to tell you that nothing is going on that you need to worry about; where ever he is, he's..."

"Which you 'don't know', right?"

"Where ever he is, I'm sure he's fine! If you must know, I think he's with my sister!"

"Your sister?"

"Yes! He's with my sister."

"So, you _think_ he's been with your sister for the past week, made no contact with anyone, not even his own mother who was concerned enough for his well-being to call us and come all the way down here to talk with you about a 'hiccup' in your marriage! Okay, fair enough, tell us her name and where she lives and we'll go to verify that he's there, safe."

"Uhhh," Moka stammered, reluctant to tell him about Ria, lest they found out that her and her family are vampires and blow the lid off of monsters being real. "I...you see...Look, it isn't necessary, I mean I'll call her and...Well, I mean I can have her tell him to come home and..."

"Why won't you give us what we want to know, ma'am?" Mr. Kota asked.

"Because..."

"We've just been inside your apartment; so far we haven't found any evidence of foul play."

"Who said you could go into my apartment without my permission?"

"Your Landlady did," said the white officer.

"I own the apartment and they have my blessing," Tsubaki reiterated, which angered Moka even further.

"However," Mr. Kota added, "we still have questions about his disappearance. You say he's with your sister; would you mind calling him up, now."

"I...uh, sure, hold on."

She dialed Ria's number and nervously waits for her to pick up, but it went straight to voice mail. Frazzled, she tried dialing Tsukune's number one last time, but as with many times before, he didn't pick up.

_Of course, why would he? _She wondered, gloomily. _Why would he talk to me?_

"Is there a problem, Mrs.?"

"No! No problem, their just...not there. Maybe, later. Now, if you don't mind, I've had a very busy day and I'd like to get some rest, please."

"Where is it that you're working?"

"I..I'd rather not say; it's my business and no one else's."

"Who are your friends?" Mr. Naba asked.

"Friends, what friends?"

"Don't play dumb, you're wasting our time!" He snapped. "Hell, dealing with you has been a giant waste of our time! We have your male companion, this Gin person, and then there's this white haired woman that's been hanging around the neighborhood, people are calling her your lesbian partner or something, and she threatened some folks down at the local Laundromat; you're telling me you don't know either of them?"

"Look," she said, finally at her wits end with them and their intrusive questioning, "I've told you before, all of this is my business, my and..."

"Ma'am, we're conducting a Missing Person investigation, that makes it our business," the black officer argued, "even if his whereabouts don't seem to trouble you, none."

"He's not missing! I keep telling you..."

"So far, you haven't told us anything that is of help, and going by what we've heard from all the witnesses in this neighborhood, your odd behavior gives reason to suspect foul play may have gone on."

It was her greatest fear, of being thrust back into Junior High all over again; these inferior people just would not leave her alone, let her be who she is and accept it, and instead they needed to harass her at every turn only to make themselves feel superior. This is what she tried to show Tsukune, whom had always been there for her and hoped he would stand by her on this; now she wished he were here.

"Why won't you leave me alone," she muttered.

"Come again?"

"You...humans and your meddling, why can't you leave us be? You want to know what happened to my husband, it was because of you! All of you! Your ways confused him, made him forget who he is, ruined our happy marriage!"

"And, what would he be, ma'am?"

"A superior being; someone people like you should respect, instead he thought we were just like you and wanted to expose our children to your ways! Then he left, and all because of what you did to turn him against me!"

The three of them, the detectives and Ms. Tsubaki all stared at her like she was insane, but Moka felt a weight had finally been lifted from her perky chest and was actually proud to at last tell these intruders in their lives what she felt.

"If its solitude you want, then you just might get that; until then, we'll be in touch," was all the black officer said as he and his partner walked back down the steps.

**You did good, **inner Moka congratulated.

_Did you see them, they were writing something down in their notepads; what if they think I'm some lunatic?_

**Forget about them! What's done is done, at least you stood your ground. What matters now is carrying on with our business, now get on with it!**

"One moment, Ms. Aono," Ms. Tsubaki ordered before Moka disappeared into her apartment.

"What?"

"Your rent is still due, hope you have the cash to pay."

"I do! You'll get it then! And, where do you come off sticking your nose into other people's business? You let those men come into our home while I'm out and snoop around my things; how dare you!"

"How dare I?" She asked, laughing. "I dare, because these are my apartments, I do what needs to be done to keep it a safe environment, which more than I can say for you!"

"You're a hateful, old woman who's been jealous of me ever since we moved in!"

"What?"

"You heard me! You want to make me into the bad guy, you can't wait to get rid of me, don't you? Well, I'm not going anywhere until my husband gets back, and when he does we'll both get out of this dump and way from you!"

With that said, Moka slams the door on her face and slumps against its wooden surface, feeling even more worn out by the recent drama than last night's work. 

"I wish you would just come home, Tsukune," she said aloud, her tiny voice echoing in the empty apartment.

**The fool continues to prolong this, I'll break every bone in his goddamned body!**

"I don't know how much longer I can handle all of this. It was only supposed to be for a short while and then we'd get started working on our family."

**It is only for a short while; we both knew Tsukune would resist this at first, and that it'll take him a while to finally give in. He can't hold out forever, he loves us, even if he's mad, right now.**

"But, I never imagined any of this: having sex with Gin, working at that sleazy cafe of his, the rent, this apartment, and now being investigated by the cops! This is insane!"

**Insane, perhaps, but necessary. We only need to remain resolute in our convictions; if anything, keep telling yourself we're doing it for our children, for our family, and ultimately for father.**

"Okay," she replied.

Too exhausted to argue with herself any further, she wearily staggers into her and Tsukune's bedroom, a room she still believed belonged to the both of them, and prepares to sleep the day's troubles away. Before she does, however, something hints to her that she should count all of her week's tips to see if there was enough for the rent, tomorrow. She was confident that there would be more than enough; as agonizing and degrading it was having those lecherous men all over her, it had been worth it because their tips were good.

_Let's see, the rent was 2300 yen, total, _she thought. _So..._

However, when she finished counting the total amount came up extremely short than what it should have been.

"I...I don't understand! There should be more!"

She counts and recounts, hoping against hope there had been some mistake and that maybe she counted it wrong, but unfortunately, no matter how many times it took, one horrible fact became apparent; that roughly 600 yen needed had disappeared.

**You sure you counted it right? **

_Yes, I counted it right! I should have plenty, I know I brought home more than this!_

**You sure the pay was accurate and nobody stiffed you? You're easy like that, sometimes!**

_NO! I know those perverts paid me good, it doesn't make any sense! _

**Then it means someone is a thief; you need to find out who!**

_Impossible, I was careful with the money, I know I was. No one laid a hand on it, except..._

The revelation stunned her terribly, leaving a bitter taste of betrayal in her mouth and the terrible feeling of having been played for a fool.

"The bartender," she said aloud, growing angrier by the minute.

**Idiot! I knew we shouldn't have trusted her! Get back there and force her to return the money, now!**

She didn't need to be told again what had to be done, Moka was out of there like a bad out of hell, running past curious onlookers whom she ignored and raced on her bare feet back to Gin's seedy dive where, as her wretched luck would have it, the bartender still remained.

"Well, you're early," she greeted the irate vampire from across the room with nary a care.

"Give it back!" Moka responded.

"Give what back?"

"You know what...the money! I know you took some of it, I want it back!"

Their exchange drew heads in the dimly lit establishment, but Moka could hardly care; what mattered was justice for herself.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Look, you seem rattled, how about I treat you a drink; on me."

Moka darted across the room, up to the woman's face with scarcely a moment to breathe and had her by the neck.

"Have you lost your fucking mind?"

"Did you steal my money? Tell me! I counted it and 600 yen was missing from it when I know there should be more!"

"Do you believe this girl," Moka heard one of the other girls gossip.

"Yeah, what an ego."

"Look, just give it back to me," Moka pleaded. "I know you stole from me! I have a rent on my apartment due and I need the money, so pay me back what I owe, I know it was you!"

Suddenly, as if by a switch in her brain, the genuine shock and confusion in the bartender's usually charming face morphed into one of indifference and cynical satisfaction that left Moka without any doubt at all.

"Okay, so I took it, so what?" She flat out asked.

"But, why? Why would you do this to me?"

"Hey, I have needs too, honey! Do you know how long I've been itching to get out of this dump, but I have to keep working here to pay my bills. Well, every now and then I rip off some easy, desperate housewife like you, who comes in here and works to pay off her 'lavish' lifestyle with Mr. Boy Toy upstairs. You were stupid enough to have left it with me, which I still can't believe you horny idiots do; what was I supposed to do?"

"But...but..."

"But, but," the bartender cruelly mocked.

"I thought we were friends! You and I, we shared the same beliefs, the same view on humans, I thought I could trust you!"

"Trust me, ha! Don't make me laugh, honey, this ain't all about you, you know!" She replied, and then leaned forward into Moka's face and whispered. "The only thing we share is a hatred of humans in general, _but_ I despise your kind even more. You're so full of yourselves that it makes me sick! I mean it really doesn't surprise me at all that your kind would grace the doors to this cesspool of a dive; you're always humping anything that moves like it supposed to mean you're entitled to do so! However, what makes you even lower is that you're part of that sorry parade of married women who go up thos stairs every night. I know what you do up there, and to me women like you are no more evolved than the stuff my neighbor's kids put in bags and light on fire."

Flabbergasted beyond belief at this display of betrayal and flagrant disregard to her, Moka nearly lost all speech and motivation to respond, but one part of her knew exactly what to say.

**That arrogant, little...** Inner Moka seethed with uncontrollable anger. **Take off the rosary; let me put this bitch in her place for how she disrespect us!**

"I never did anything to you," she finally replied. "How could you do this to me?"

"Look, I'm busy so, if you don't mind moving along sweetie, before I take this water hose behind this bar to ya."

She heard the girls laughing behind her back, talking all kinds of shit, while this woman before her continues to mock, torment, and now threatens her with water; it was junior high, yet again. Once again, she was trapped, all alone in a world that delighted in making her miserable for no other reason, but because she was different and special compared to any of them, and their only response to that was through mental anguish. It was like junior high, that much Moka was convinced, all but in one, important detail; she could now remove the rosary at will, and personally put these fools in their proper places.

"I've got a better idea," Moka responded, gripping the rosary cross firmly in her hands. "How about I take everything you have as repayment, myself!"

Moka stood ready, staring down the malicious, cold hearted bartender who had once gained her trust, and with a slight jerk of her wrist the gloves would come off; she was set to lay a most brutal beating for committing such a heinous and unforgiveable act against herself with all the vengeance of a demon. However, like in an old west movie, the bartender was a little faster on the draw and sprayed Moka a short burst of high pressured water from a water hose, knocking her off her feet.

"Aaaaaarrrggghhh! AAAAAAHHHH!" She shrieked, the water's purifying effects shorting her body out like an electrical current.

"What's going on here?" Gin asked, finally coming down to investigate the disturbance. "Hey, hey, cut it out!"

"You tell her to back off before I give her some more!" The bartender protested, finally relinquishing her assault.

Moka was severely weakened and disoriented from the attack, but the worse hit was to her pride of being soundly defeated so easily in front of so many witnesses, including Gin.

"Ahh man!" He exclaimed, looking down at her on the floor. "Look at you; and it's not even wet T-shirt day!"

"Gin, she-she stole all my earnings!" Moka wept.

"Prove it, honey!"

"Alright, alright, let's get you dried up," he tells Moka, slowly helping her up and in the process groping all of her now soaked extremities, becoming quickly turned on, again.

"But, but..." Moka tried to protest.

"Forget about it; I'll figure something out, now let's get you out of those clothes," he argued.

Reluctant to give up so easily, Moka nonetheless allows Gin to lead her up the stairs to his office, soaking wet, severely weak, and sore all over. As for the remedy to all her ailments, his solution was another round of sex that he somehow got her to do if only to momentarily satiate his renewed appetite in her, but she hardly paid much mind to the inconsistency of the situation, as she was no longer in any mood of finding reason in it. All that mattered was the feeling of betrayal, of being so stupid and naïve when she was supposed to be a high born vampire, a creature of darkness that was supreme to all else. Shortly afterward, she dried herself off and droned on and on about her predicament to Gin, who half heartedly listened to his lover. Moka was in no mood for more sex with him and would have told him so, if not for a reminder from inner Moka to do whatever it took to regain their tarnished honor after what happened; what it had to do with pride she no longer knew, all she wanted was both her money and man back.

"So, I bet that made you feel better, didn't it?" Gin asked, lying in bed sweaty yet satisfied and smug all over.

Moka just laid there and looked at him with the dawning realization that he hadn't heard nor cared one bit about what she went through. Tsukune would've given a damn, that much she knew, and rather than have meaningless sex to feed his own lust, he would have instead held her in his arms, which that alone would bring instant relief to whatever ailed her; she sorely missed that, now.

"Tsukune," she said, quietly.

"What was that?"

"...Nothing," she replied and turned over in bed. "I don't know what I'm doing here, anymore."

"Sure you do. You're trying to make a baby or something, right?"

"...Right," she said gloomily, being reminded why any of this was necessary with all the fanfare of a condemned man. "I almost forgot."

"Don't worry; that Tsukune can't stay gone for long. I bet he's back home, right now waiting for you."

"No he's not. He hasn't been home in a week and I haven't talk to him since he left! I don't know where he is, and I need him, now!"

"Hey, you still got me. Now, go on home and forget about everything, we'll meet again tonight. Hey, you wouldn't mind...getting yourself wet again, eh?"

Moka turned around and looked at him like he was stupid or something to have asked that.

"Right, forget I asked. Okay, see ya later, I got stuff to do."

"Like?"

"Like check up on Sun. We didn't get to talk this morning because she was busy, so we got a chat coming up; what we just did was to pass the time, and I'm sure glad you stopped by when you did."

"Still? You still haven't told Sun about us?"

"No, now could you please get dressed and be on your way home by the time I get out of the shower; I promise I'll make you a baby, but we gotta do it on my dime, alright?"

As Moka watched him get up and disappear into the bathroom, heard him turn on the shower and begin singing to himself without any problem, it made her livid to the point of almost screaming her head off.

**How dare he! **Inner Moka growled. **To think he has the nerve to treat us like his play things, when it's we who lord over him! He should be grateful we even let him touch this body!**

Taking her time getting dressed, all Moka could think at the moment was how degrading she felt in letting Gin ravage her body just to humiliate Tsukune. She thought he was some tool to be used for a greater good, but more and more it began to feel like he was using her as a tool. Was it worth it, getting her way for the good of Tsukune and their children together by staying with Gin or any other, strange man for that matter and allow them to treat her like their own personal plaything?

A chime on his computer told her that someone was trying to reach him, which could only be Sun, and with Gin still in the bathroom Moka came up with a plan. Sitting at the computer and calmly activating the easy to use web chat, she made sure to greet Sun in the nude and let her know just what exactly was really going on.

"Hi Gin," Sun greeted. "Sorry if I'm a bit earl...Moka? What...What are you doing...?"

"Sun, I hate to do this to you," she said as sympathetically as she could, "but, I think there's something you need to know about me and Gin."

"I don't understand; why are you naked and where is Gin?"

"That's what I'm trying to explain to you; you see, me and Gin have been..."

But, before Moka could say anything further to damage her lover and cement what dignity she had left in this relationship, she's roughly knocked to the floor by Gin, still soaking wet from the shower, who immediately takes over to work damage control.

"Ahhh, hi baby!" He greeted with a nervous smile. "You're early."

"Moka was just about to tell me something," Sun explained to him. "Gin, what's going on? I want you to be straight with me."

"Nothing is going on, everything is just fine; Moka was about to leave, is all."

"Leave? Gin, she was naked and so are you; you're not...?"

"No! God no! I would never do anything like that to you, and besides she's married to Tsukune and you know how in love those two are, always looking into each other's eyes and...L-Look, whatever you're thinking, it's not happening; Moka and I are just friends and nothing more, there's no one I'd rather be with than you."

Moka glared up at him, infuriated that he would further treat her like this, as well having the gall to shove her out of the way like some cheap whore he was hiding from Sun.

"Then, why am I talking to her naked for the second time?" Sun asked as Gin tried to figure a way out of this mess, all the while Moka reaches for her rosary and removes the seal, bathing Gin's apartment in a violent torrent of energy that Sun could clearly see. "Gin! Gin, what's going on? Are you alright?"

"Uh, this is a bad time!" He nervously says. "Can I get back to you later?"

"Gin!"

He abruptly ends their little web chat and stood ready to face his new threat: a fully unleashed, pissed off Moka.

"YOU STUPID, LITTLE MAN!" She bellowed, eyes glowing like fiery embers and silver hair almost coming alive with from the undulating wave of dark energy that permeated off her shoulders.

Gin ducks out of the way with his own super speed as Moka moves in for an attack, but she seemed hardly deterred.

"Have you lost your mind?" Gin yelled, facing her defensively with his lupine ears and tail emerged in a partial transformation of his own abilities. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"How dare you, _how dare you toss me about like your little whore_! Did you think I'd sit still for that?"

"You were going to tell Sun everything, what the hell was I supposed to do!"

"I will not be the other woman, Gin! You should've told her about us, like I told you to!"

"'_Us_', there goes that word again; get it through your head, Moka, there is no '_us_'! You used me to make Tsukune pissed off and make you a baby, and I use you for sex; that was our agreement, you never said anything about being in a relationship!"

"I know that! But..."

"But, nothing, I don't owe you anything else, but that, and frankly it's starting to become work for me, now!"

"And, what is that supposed to mean?" She asked, her ire growing by the second.

"It means, for a girl I used to have wet dreams about in high school, you sure have gotten old!"

"What did you say to me?"

"I'm saying, you've worn out. I mean, the first time was something magical, I'll give you that, the second time was nice, third and fourth okay, but lately...you're all tapped out, sweetie! If not for getting wet, well…"

"You arrogant...," she growled, making more menacing advances toward him. "You think it's been fun letting a worm like you fuck me again and again? You think you're all that? That you're the only man I could let have me? There were tons in high school who wanted all of this that I could've summoned to my doorstep, but none were more desperate than you; I figured you'd do anything to have me, even act as my pawn!"

"Whatever!"

"Heh, I could find someone else to easily satisfy my desires of having the kind of life I want for my children, anyone even better than you! I hope Sun really appreciates how low she's fallen by being with you?"

"Well, it's no wonder Tsukune got tired of you; I think I understand him better, now!"

"What did you say?"

"I thought he was a fool to let a 'hot' thing like you go, but after spending almost a week with you I'd say he's the lucky one to duck out after spending eight years with you and leave your crazy ass when he did!"

"How dare you speak his name and imply he wants nothing to do with me! He loves me! He'll never leave me and he's twice the man, no three times the man you will _ever_ hope to be!"

"Fine, then why hasn't your man come back to you, yet? Because, he's smart; he knows a bad deal when he sees it, and baby you're the worst!"

"Gin...know your place!"

She rushes in for the, but successfully dodges her attacks with his lightening reflexes, and cleverly manages to catch one of her legs, momentarily admiring its shapely appearance just long enough for her to do a somersault, spin kick that finally connects to his face and sends him flying into the bathroom.

"...You're happy?" He asked after slightly recovering. "Now, get out and don't ever come back!"

"Fine," Moka tells him, flinging her long hair with proud dignity. "But, just remember this; no _real _man would ever tire of me, the fact Tsukune proves that time and again should tell you something, fool. Stay in that squalor of a bathroom and remain with your underdeveloped and decrepit whores as company, I got what I need from you, anyway."

Feeling mighty high of herself she walks out of his room, down the steps and pass the curious onlookers, who remembered a pink haired woman going up into their boss's room, not this tall, white haired woman with a chip on her shoulder.

"You there!" She calls to a young, nearby waitress whose very figure Moka thought, despite her youth could hardly measure up to her own. "Where's the bartender?"

"She clocked out and left."

"Mm, I see. Then, give her a message for me."

Moka picks up the young girl and tosses her over the bar into the cash register. The other girls and patrons rushed to her aid, while Moka, who was more annoyed that it wasn't the woman she wanted to do that to, yet wanted to take her frustrations out upon this establishment, merely said before leaving: "Tell her I said, know your place."

It was close to evening by the time she finally slinked back home; while inner Moka had walked about town doing whatever she pleased and acting fully vindicated, when she reverted back to her outer, pink haired form, all her troubles of before came back. In the end, she had not accomplished anything significant, yet still she continued to flaunt her superiority and deny to herself there was an emptiness to it all.

Who was she trying to prove to?

It always made sense when everyone who mattered saw and it was special when _he_ knew. However, as she walked home, even before coming within sight of it as there was a strong breeze coming in from that direction, she could not smell him, whose scent, now almost a week old had pretty much dissipated to near nothing. She checked her voice mail messages, the umpteenth time thus far to see and hope against hope that he at least left behind a message or two, but there was nothing in her voice mail box, only messages that were five weeks old, and none that had been pleasant.

Inner Moka kept blaming his stubbornness for all of this, assured that he will come home when he realized how wrong he was, and if it wasn't tonight, then it'll be tomorrow or the day after that; they were vampires, time was limitless for them and they had plenty in the world to wait if it came to it.

Then again, however, perhaps Gin was right and Tsukune decided to leave her, after all.

**Don't believe that moron, **inner Moka chides. **He knows nothing about vampires and are mating. Our bonds are far stronger than his feeble mind can comprehend. What happened with Tsukune was a mild hiccup in our relationship, nothing more. This won't change anything. **

_But, it's been almost a week and he still hasn't returned. What if...he really doesn't want to come back?_

**We're not going to look for him, you hear me! If that fool wishes to be obstinate then let him. He knows we will not cave in so easily and come crawling for him to come back to us! **

_But..._

**I don't care if it takes years, he will not have his way over us; this is for our children, remember? How it's important not to expose them to human corruption! Do you really want that to happen again just so you can keep from feeling lonely? Act like a vampire and be strong!**

Moka found it exhausting in arguing with herself, and simply caves in as usual, now no longer caring if she was right or wrong.

_You're right. You're __**always**__ right._

Walking up the familiar steps to her apartment, which had by now become imbued with happy memories of yesterday's gone passed, of the time when Tsukune carried her up to their new home, of jogging up and down them every morning with him, or that night she rushed up those steps to reach him, thinking he was being held hostage by Yakuza gang members, only to find a surprise birthday party in her honor. Those _were_ good moments, she realized, and yet it didn't seem to be enough at the time, for now she was alone and miserable.

_How did it come to this? _She wondered.

When she reaches the door to their apartment, the home that was meant to be for the two of them, husband and wife, and was theirs for four years of wedded bliss, she instead finds an eviction notice nailed on its wooden, hollowed surface; as blunt a message for cruel change as her changing behavior had been for Tsukune. Yet, however it failed to illicit any feelings of guilt or epiphany for the girl, who felt victimized all day and this was by far the cruelest thing to happen, of being kicking out of the apartment she and her husband still shared.

"Ms. Tsubaki!" She yelled, banging on her door.

"What is it?" The old lady rudely asked after calmly opening her door to the irate girl.

"What is meaning of this?" Moka asked, shoving the notice in her face. "I thought I had until the end of the week?"

"I changed my mind!"

"What?"

"You heard me, I want you out by tonight!"

"You cannot do this!"

"Oh, yes I can! See, you may have issues with me and pretty much everybody here, but I've had it up to here with you and your antics and I want you gone, _**out**_ by the time I get up tomorrow morning; I'm tired of seeing you hanging around here, and frankly so is everyone else!"

"But...W-What about my husband, what if he shows up?"

"**If **he ever comes back, I'll give him your new address; but, if that boy has any ounce of brains in him, he'd stay the hell away from you!"

"How dare you," Moka hissed, but it did little to deter the small woman. "You're just doing all of this on purpose, you've had it out for me since...!"

"I've had it out for you? Is that why you're acting so crazy? Mrs. Aono, and I use that term loosely, you really don't get it do you? I liked you and your husband; you both weren't much to look at, I admit, but you were good people, and you used to be a kind and caring person, everybody thought highly of you, some were even jealous, because you were the prettiest person they had ever seen, hell even my own grandchildren used to call you that pretty, pink haired lady. But now, you've turned into someone I'm ashamed to have anywhere near the people here, and yeah it's your business what you choose to do with yourself, but it's starting to affect _my_ business; lewd behavior, bringing seedy characters around, and now bringing the police around here, that had never happened before, NEVER! You are an un-wanted element around here, and I've had it!"

"How dare you talk to me like that! You don't know what it's been like for me, you don't know what I've had to go through with you people always talking about me behind my back, you never leave me alone and are aIways..."

"You want to know something, lady, you're a coward!"

"A what?" Moka asked, flabbergasted that this human, any human would call her that.

"That's right, you're a coward! Whatever problems you have you're being a real teenaged brat about it instead of dealing with it, head on like a fucking adult; you're using it as an excuse, a crutch to do whatever retarded thing that comes to mind, instead of being completely honest with yourself that you have a problem. Wherever Mr. Aono is, I hope he stays there and finds himself a real woman, one that's more qualified to be his wife than you!"

"You..."

Moka wanted to say more, to protest her accusations as well as the eviction notice, but Ms. Tsubaki slammed the door on her face and that ended that. Now, not only was Tsukune, her mate missing and unlikely to return, but she was being kicked out of her own home. She couldn't go crawling to her family and wind up explaining about Tsukune, nor would any of her old friends be of help; there was only one other option that seemed to be the lesser evil.

"You want me to let you stay here?" Gin asked over the phone. "After how you acted?"

"Look, Gin I know I screwed up, but..."

"You're damn right you fucked up, you almost ruined my relationship with Sun because of that little act; you got some balls to come for me for another favor!"

**Why are you crawling to him? **Inner Moka asked. **We don't owe that pervert an apology, he got what was coming to him!**

"Gin, please, I'm sorry," she tells him, anyway. "I...I shouldn't have attacked you, just...please, give me a place to stay for a while, at least until Tsukune comes back."

"Oh yes, until Tsukune comes pick you up at _my_ place after the way he left us; that'll go over well!"

**If he will not allow us to stay with him, then forget him, we don't need to beg for shelter, anyway!**

"If it's that bad, then why not go stay with your parents?" He asked her.

"And explain to them what happened, are you nuts? After what I did I'll be punished severely; just please let me stay with you!"

"Gin, baby, hurry up!" Moka heard a woman call in the background; she wasn't sure if she should feel shocked or indifferent, given the circumstances of her situation. "I'm getting restless."

"Just a moment, Ako."

**If those idiots try to evict us, we'll show them what happens when they trifle with an elite monster such as us. This is our home, we'll live the way we want and no one can tell us otherwise!**

"Gin, hang up, already!" The girl whined some more.

Between this and her inner persona bickering away, the confused feelings she had of Gin being with another woman while talking to her directly and being blown off, Moka felt trapped.

"Look, I'm sorry Moka. But, my hands are tied, even if I wanted to help. I'd like to say I can make you feel better, and maybe after a while when we've had some time to cool off we could give it another go, but I think we better call it quits for now. Hey, look on the bright side, I'm pretty sure I gave you a bun in the oven, so it wasn't a total loss."

"Gin," Moka wept. "I'm going to be put out on the streets; don't you care?"

"Of course I do."

"Gin!" The girl yelled impatiently. "If you're not going to hang up...Who is she, your mother? I'm going!"

"No wait!" Moka heard him call to her, desperately. "Hey, Moka I'll catch up with you later."

The call ends and so had Moka's restraint; in a fit of rage she flings her cellphone against the wall with an infuriated cry, smashing it to pieces.

**I said forget about him, we don't need him, we don't need anyone! **Inner Moka continued ranting. **Unseal me and I'll stand in this apartment by morning and personally put any fools they send to evict in their...**

"SHUT UP!" She screamed. "Just shut up talking, okay?"

For a while there was a brief silence, her inner self left shocked that she would dare mouth off to her like that.

"For him! I destroyed my marriage, chased away the only man who ever loved me, and ruined my life for _him_! What have I done?"

**We didn't do it for him, idiot! We did it for the children we would one day have with our mate, for the future of our...**

"Shut up, I don't want to hear anymore!"

**Do not tell me to shut up! I'm the only one of us who has ever made any sense, I'm trying to help our family!**

"What family? Do you see a family? Tsukune is gone...he's not coming back, and the only family we'll have is with Gin, that perverted son of a bitch! I didn't want this!"

**Tsukune isn't going to leave us, it's all a bluff, he wouldn't dare leave us after everything we've done for him over the years, after all the times we've save his life; he owes us! And, don't even think that Gin will ever father children with us, it's physically impossible for our two species! This is just a minor setback, nothing more.**

But, her words fell on deaf ears, as Moka collapses to the floor crying fitfully and wondering where the life she'd known, the life she took for granted suddenly gone.

"I don't want any of this!" She wept. "I just want everything back the way it was! I want my Tsukune back!"

**Stop crying and be strong!**

"No, I'm not strong without him I want him back, I want what I had before, I don't want to keep living like this anymore!"

**Listen...**

"THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANTED, OKAY? Bring it back...make it all go back to the way it was! Can you do that, you're so smart, so bring it all back!"

There was even more silence, her inner self choosing to retreat within the crimson prison rather than deal with the dilemma, however little it did for either of them. Suddenly, a rapid knock on her door jolted the poor woman out of her depression.

_Who could it be? _She wondered.

A thought entered her mind, one that ignited hope within her heart and erased any feelings of gloom: could it be, him?

"Ts-Tsukune? Tsukune, is that you?"

**You see; while you were whining pitifully, our mate returned to us just as I said he would. Now...**

But, Moka was already up and to the door before anymore could be said.

**Remember, you release me and let me do all of the talking; that idiot has got a lot of explaining to do for what he's done!**

"I don't care, I'm just glad he's home!" She cried, flinging open the door with reckless abandon and little heed to anything else. "Tsukune!"

However, who greeted her was not Tsukune, but a tall, dark skinned blonde in a white dress and a disturbingly, pleasant smile.

"Kahlu...?" Was all Moka could say, before the woman pulls back a white gloved fist and knocks her out with a single punch.

XXX

It was dark and incoherent; pain steadily rising from her face until it became nearly impossible to feel anything else. The only thing she could make out were sounds, the sounds of voices talking over her, faint and echoed at first, but gradually growing louder, and hauntingly familiar to her groggy senses.

"Why'd you have to hit her so hard?" One voice asked.

"Oh, I hope I didn't hurt her," replied the other. "I was only doing what father ordered."

"He retrieve her, not hit her, idiot!"

"He said bring her back, no matter what, and that's what I did."

"You still didn't have to punch her you...look, she's coming to."

Groggily, Moka's eyes opened and, what at first appeared to be red and a blonde blurs, soon morphed before her very eyes into her two sisters:

"Kokoa...Ka-Kahlua? What...?"

"Oh, sister!" Kokoa cried, embracing Moka in a tight hug and burying her face in her bosom. "I've missed you so much!"

"Hi sister!" Kahlua yelled happily, waving her hand and smiling like an idiot as if nothing happened at all.

Confused, Moka glances about and finds herself riding in the back of a limo with the two of them.

"What's...what's going?" She asked, roughly pulling Kokoa out of her cleavage. "Where are we?"

"Sis..," Kokoa started to say.

"Father ordered you to come home, immediately!" Kahlua answered. "He said for us to bring you home, no matter what, and we did!"

"After Kahlua hit you," Kokoa added, glaring at Kahlua. "You were out for a good chunk of the trip, we're already on our way home."

"But why? Why was I taken from my apartment?"

She looked at Kokoa and Kahlua, who both seemed to be hiding something important from her, and for all her superhuman senses she possessed, it was the base sense of foreboding that reared its ugly head in the limo.

"Does this have anything to do with...Tsukune?"

"Oh, big sis!" Kokoa cried. "You should have heard the things he said about you! Untrue things, terrible things, awful and..."

"Tsukune? My Tsukune, he's back at father's castle, is that where he's been; but, why?"

Moka felt panic flood her very heart, wondering with intense woe and despair what he might've said to her father that would warrant a retrieval like this.

"Tell me!" Moka demanded from her sisters. "Is Tsukune there? What has he told father?"

"M-Moka," Kahlua meekly responded, "...Tsukune said he doesn't want to be our brother anymore; isn't that sad?"

"...W-What?"

Though, Kahlua's response was childlike in her own level of comprehension, Moka knew clearly what it meant: Tsukune _was_ trying to leave her, just as he said he would. Suddenly, it felt like the floor of the cab had given way, letting her slip out and tumble roughly against the speeding pavement, as the very notion the love of her life would ever seek to leave behind everything that the two were to each other, blotted out everything else Kokoa was trying to say.

"S-Sis?"

**WHAT? **Inner Moka screamed.

"He's...He's trying to dissolve our bond?"

"Yes!" Kokoa replied. "That's what I've been trying to say! He showed up out of the blue with his friends, the two witches, and talked to father saying you were cheating on him and trying to have some werewolf's pups… It's not true, is it? Heh, but of course it's not; that fool is trying to be a jerk, is all, it has to be!"

_He's leaving me? He is leaving me, he is leaving me, he is, HE IS!_

**Let me out!**

_But, but you said he wouldn't try to leave us! You told me he'd come back!_

**Shut up and let me out!**

_But, you told me he wanted to be with us, that we'd have all of eternity to make him love us again!_

**I said, shut up and let me out!**

_I don't want to live without him!_

**LET-ME-OUT!**

Beset with emotions and thoroughly confused on what else to do about any of this, having been confronted by the thing she dreaded the most ever since this whole ordeal started, she figured the one person to best deal with it, was the one engineered everything, and did what her inner persona loudly demanded. Without waiting for the car to stop, she removes her seal and literally rocks the vehicle with a burst of energy that was more violent than before; it was due to sheer luck, ill or not, that their limo didn't topple over.

"Whoa, big sis!" Kokoa yelled in awe. "Real, big sis!"

She makes a move to hug her, but one glare from her less than pleased sister said otherwise.

"Take me to him," she ordered. "I want to see him, NOW!"

"S-Sure, sure thing, big sis. Driver, put a move on it!"

"Oh, I'm so glad you've returned," Kahlua said with much glee. "Now, it'll be a real reunion, minus Akuah of course, but I'm sure you can convince Tsukune to stay our little brother, again!"

"Oh, I intend to," Moka growled. "How dare that idiot; to run off to father with Ria after all this time and make a fool out of me like this! He'll pay for this."

"I have your back, sister," Kokoa cheered. "We'll put your idiot husband in his place, for sure!"

Moka was less than interested in what her cheerleader for a sister had to say, all that mattered was Tsukune and what seemed to be for her, in every way an act of betrayal by someone she came to trust, even greater than what he went through.

As the limo snaked its way up the winding road towards, headed towards Castle Shuzen, her wayward husband and former best friend, Ruby could not help sense some approaching dread in their very hearts, still they made the best of the bad situation they were in, allowing their aimless wandering take them into the castle's courtyard, where there they find a garden full of blood red roses, decorated beautifully amongst stone statues along a small, make shift stream of running water. Nearby was a small bridge that overlooked a pool filled with large, unusual fish that Tsukune thought resembled Koi and strangely enough, the atmosphere itself felt too calming and strangely out of place, leaving little doubt this must've been Akasha's doing.

Akasha Bloodriver, Moka's mother; Tsukune saw her as too kind hearted, and yet after the lengths her own daughter went to show him that such kindness has no place in their relationship, it left him feeling confused and a bit bitter.

"Wow," he heard Ruby say. "Who knew they would have a place like this, it's very exquisite. Say, you remember that garden I started just before graduation? You never did get to see how it came along."

"...Ruby?" He asked after a lengthy silence.

"Yes, Tsukune."

"...What do you think of me, now? I want you to be honest."

"What do I think of you?" She repeats, confused by this sudden question. "You're good person, why...?"

"I'm a good person, but not much of a man. Hmph, that's fine, I can own up to that."

"Tsukune, what are you talking about?"

"You never bothered to ask me why, why I just stood outside the door, listening to the whole thing instead of doing something about it or simply gotten out of there! I mean, who in their right mind put themselves through that? I know I wanted to see, to make sure if she would really go through with it, to erase any doubt in my mind from then on in that it is what is now, but…Why did I just stand outside the door and listen to all of that, why?"

"Tsukune…I don't know, why do people stop to watch a gruesome car wreck; its normal I guess, but it doesn't make you any less of a man."

"Yes, yes it does. Ask any person, any sane person and they'd tell you there was something wrong with me on that day, that I wasn't in my right mind or acting like a responsible adult, like how a _real_ man would have or should have acted; even me bitching about it right now would be called into question, and they'd be right to do so! I mean, after what I did, failing to stand up for myself and acting like some whipped child, you think a man, a real man would have just stood by while his wife and some guy have sex on their bed and do nothing?"

Ruby walks in front of him, and looks him in the eye as if he'd lost all sense of reasoning.

"Tsukune, I think the bigger question is: what kind of wife would let another man do that to her while her husband, a _real_ man, is left listening to it in the next room? You're more of a man than Gin; any _real_ woman could see that!"

"You're just saying that...I asked you to be honest, but..I know what you really feel about me, I know what everyone else must think, because it's what I think; I'm a failure of a man, and if you tell me that's not what's _remotely_ on your mind out of respect for my feelings, then maybe you don't understand what this is doing to me."

"Alright, shut up and listen to me; you've had your say, now its my turn. Now, I don't know where all of this is coming from, and maybe I'll never understand what you're going through, but you need to snap out of it and regain some of your confidence! What everyone else thinks about you? _Fuck them_! I guarantee you, they don't know you like I do! I know, deep down inside, where..those two.._animals_ hadn't defiled, is the same man I knew over four years ago. Where is that kind hearted boy with the warm, charming smile that made girls happy, who was always optimistic about any dire situation, who had pride in himself, but never let it control him to the point that he wouldn't show fear, even while trying to be brave for everybody else? He's still in there; perhaps beaten down by the opinions and actions of a cowardly few, but I've seen him come back from worse. Because, he's that same hero who's done a hell of a lot more in his lifetime than what Gin has done on the best of his days. And, as far as anyone else is concerned, I promise it was anyone other than you that night, I highly doubt they would've done anything differently; and if they disagree, then they're as shallow as..you know who. Tsukune Aono _is_ a real man, that much I have no doubt of."

As uplifting as her words of wisdom sounded he remained unconvinced, but deciding not to argue anymore on the issue he instead tries to shift his focus on all the flowers that bloomed, in spite of it being autumn. Tsukune saw a white rose sticking out of the bunch, so beautiful and radiant; it reminded him of Moka, but then everything did. Nevertheless, it he thought it was very striking and compelled him to touch it, out of some strange longing to touch her, remembering the way her silky hair felt in between his fingers.

"Ow!"

"What is it?" Ruby asked.

"It's nothing," he said, holding his hand, "I think pricked myself on one of the thorns. I'll be fine."

He watched as his own blood drip off the thorn, taking its time as though the flower relished it. It was pretty to look at, but a pretty painful reminder.

"Let me look at it," Ruby suggested. "You're right, it doesn't look that bad."

"...Flowers," he said thoughtfully.

"Hm?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, nothing. Just thinking."

Being in this garden had, for whatever reason triggered a memory in Tsukune's damaged psyche, a memory he had long since forgotten until now, and for reasons he had difficulty explaining, failed to figure out what exactly led him to this place that he'd never been to before.

"Since we're here, let's walk around some more," he suggested. "Pass the time away, here."

"It is rather therapeutic; if it helps you be more at ease, then we can stay here for as long as you like, if that's what you want?"

"As long as I like?" He asked with a dry chuckle. "Only until I get the call that Moka gets here, then...well."

"Then…?"

"Then nothing; until then, lets pass the time, okay?"

"That's fine; we can do that, by all means. Hey, I'm sure you know my magic centers around plants, I can probably tell you a few things about some of the horticulture that went into this if, you know, you ever have any questions."

"Sure."

They continue milling about and enjoying the solitude of this garden for as long as they could, unfortunately Tsukune didn't have long to wait as a limo pulled its way up to the castle like a hearse, silently carrying its dark inhabitants for their intended victim. Its morbid passenger, Moka Aono didn't pause in awe and sense of forebode at the sight of it as Tsukune had earlier, though a better part of her wanted to, instead she haughtily stomps her way up the massive steps one at a time, eager to get to the bottom of her husband's traitorous actions.

"Big sis, wait up!" Kokoa yelled, anxiously trying to keep up.

"Kokoa!" Kahlua called after.

"Take me to where he is!" Moka angrily demanded. "Take me, NOW! I'm gonna set this fool straight and put an end to his foolish ways!"

"I know, and I'm going to watch, but first things first, father..."

"MOKA!" Squealed a young woman's voice and as the angry princess looked up, she saw a strange, young woman greeting her at the foot of the steps. Baffled at first, it wasn't until she propelled herself in-between her bosom however, that it quickly dawned on her who she was.

_Yukari? _She wondered.

"Oh, Moka I've missed, I've missed you, I've _missed_ you!" The young witch screamed joyously and started rubbing her face against her breasts.

"Yukari; get off," Moka growled, trying as patiently and as gently as possible to push back her young friend, "before I kick you through the door, I'm not in the mood."

"Oh, sorry!" She replied and grants her wish. "It's just that, you don't call, you don't write; it's been so long and I've missed seeing you, and touching your breasts!"

"Yukari!" Moka growled when it looked like she was about to grab both her breasts.

"Sorry."

To Moka, Yukari hadn't changed a bit despite her new appearance; she was still the over eager, obnoxious and borderline perverted fan girl she remembered from high school, but Moka was hardly in the mood to discuss old times.

"Hey, what do you think?" Yukari asked, posing her new body for her former idol. "You like? My breasts have gotten even bigger than..."

"I don't have time to hear your drivel, I want you to tell me the truth: has Tsukune been with you this whole time?" Moka asked.

"Uhh..."

"Kokoa told me all about it; so is it true?"

"Don't trust her, big sis," Kokoa warned. "She'll say anything to hide her true nature; the liar."

"Do not lie to me, Yukari or regret it, dearly."

"Of course I wouldn't lie to you, Moka! Yeah, Tsukune has been staying with us at the school."

"Us?" She asked.

"Yeah, me and Ruby. We've been working together for last few years."

"And, he's been with the two of you, this whole time? Did he sleep alone or with either one of you?"

"Umm, he roomed with Ruby."

It made sense to her jealous mind, now; it wasn't Ria Tsukune has been shacking up with, but the witch Ruby and Ria merely allowed her to think otherwise. Moka was livid to think her bitter husband, in some silly act of retribution concocts this scheme to have Ria lie for him while he ran off to Yokai for some wild sexcapade with all the girls he rejected, starting with Ruby, thinking that it would get back at her.

As Moka visibly began to seethe with anger, her usually pale face almost becoming as red as her glinting eyes, Yukari watched on with an innocent face; however, there was a method to the witch's madness. Yukari wasn't actually pleased to see her old friend and idol as she lets on, instead was buying Tsukune and Ruby some time alone, as well as trying to read her thoughts and ascertain details about everything she's been into. It was an act out of a small, tiny bit of hope to find some reason behind Moka's aberrant behavior, trying to rationalize what had happened, and yet Moka's mind now was so erratic with thoughts of anger, inter spliced with images of bigotry towards humans, that it was hard to figure anything out.

"That arrogant, ungrateful, little fool!" Moka growled. "How _dare_ he do this to me! He runs off in the middle of the night, leaving me behind, letting me worry about where the hell he is, only to find out he shacked up with that whore witch, getting my own sister to lie for him about where he is so I wouldn't _find_ him, and now he comes before my father to do this to me? He's wants to dissolve our marriage and disown me as his mate, after everything I meant to him, after everything I've done for him? Where is he? Is he here, right now, tell me!"

"Um, y-yes," Yukari answered.

"But, big sis," said Kokoa, "father said..."

"I can take you to him, right now if you'd like," Yukari interrupted, eager to keep Moka distracted long enough to get the information she needed.

"Fine!" Moka said, making it final. "Take me to him, now! I'm going to set that fucking idiot, that imbecile, that sorry excuse for a man, _straight_!"

"As you wish, right this way."

"But...Fine!" Kokoa relented.

"Ooh, sister looks mad," Kahlua whispered to her baby sister. "I hope she and brother Tsukune don't fight."

"I'd like to fight _that_ witch bitch," Kokoa responded bitterly, eyeing Yukari as they follow Moka into the castle and up the stairs, trying hard to keep up with her angry stride.

"It really is great to see you again, Moka," said Yukari, but Moka didn't respond.

Moka could feel Tsukune's energy, even picked up the sweet smell of his blood, so fresh and close compared to its dwindling scent from back home that it nearly made her excited beyond repose, and by its very strength indicated that he was very close by, yet found it odd that as the further they walked, the fainter it got.

"You sure we're going the right way?" She asked Yukari.

"Yes; it won't be long, now. He'll be happy to see you."

She didn't respond, yet had little reason to suspect Yukari was up to something.

"What has Tsukune told you?" Moka asked.

"Told?" Yukari responded. "Mm, he hasn't..told me anything; why, had something happened?"

"Nothing," she replied, brusquely. "If he hasn't said anything to you, then why did you come here with him?"

"Well, he's a friend and...well, I thought maybe we can talk to him together, you and I. Are you sure nothing happened that would make him want to do this?"

"No," she replied, rudely ignoring the witch's inquiries as being none of her concern.

Moka was somewhat relieved he didn't tell them what happened between the two of them, but regardless of it, he still had tried to make a fool out of her by coming to speak with her father, and that was unacceptable. However, as Moka's pride centered mind was focused on her and her alone, she failed to ponder on why Yukari, who was the most enthusiastic about their union, seemed less devastated by the condition their relationship was in, and appeared overly happy over it. She of course had been lying through her teeth, leading wife away from husband, while still reading mind. Unfortunately, when she was finally able to piece together everything that Moka was thinking and had done up until now, it didn't help the young witch find what she wanted to find.

"Oh no," Yukari muttered, in a tiny voice so low that not even the so-called superior beings that accompanied her picked up on it.

"How much longer?" Moka asked, impatiently. "It feels like I've been walking forever, and his scent is growing weaker! Are you sure you're taking me the right way?"

"You shouldn't trust her, big sis," Kokoa said. "You should have heard the things she said about you to father, backing up that fool, Tsukune!"

"Kokoa, you mustn't be so hard on him," Kahlua argued. "Brother Tsukune is just upset."

"He hadn't seen upset," Moka warned. "What exactly did you two say about me, Yukari?"

"Huh? Oh-oh, nothing too serious. Tsukune said that...you two were experiencing difficulties in your marriage, is all, and I was there as a character witness."

"You had better not be lying to me," Moka warned.

"Of course not, why would I?"

"You've always been a trickster, Yukari. In fact, all witches tend to be crafty and deceptive."

Even more put off by her intolerant comment, Yukari nonetheless tries to take it in stride, remembering what was at stake, which was Tsukune's state of mind.

"Well, we 'witches' can't all be like you vampires; you know being proud, _extremely_ elegant, beautiful, perfect all around and…_evil_," Yukari replied, with cold eyes staring daggers at the back of Moka's silvery head, but when Moka glances back at her, she quickly puts on another cheerful smile.

"Hmph, whatever," Moka replied, dismissively. "How much further do we have to go; I wanted to speak with him two minutes ago!"

"W-We're almost there."

"Moka!" She heard her mother's cry, and catches her running up the hall to give a warm embrace.

"Mother, stop; it's good to see you again, but don't hug me, it's embarr..."

"Oh darling, my little girl, say it isn't so?" Was all Akasha could say.

"Say what isn't so?" Moka asked, pushing her mother away.

"What Tsukune said about you and this..._other_ man. It isn't true, is it? There's been a huge misunderstanding, am I correct?"

"What has Tsukune told you?" Moka demanded.

"Oh, what hasn't he told us," said a mocking, condescending voice that Moka was only all too familiar with, seeing her bitch of a stepmother, Gyokuro standing behind her mother. "Moka, darling; the Great Protector of the Shuzen line or the Whore's Daughter, I don't know what to call you."

"Do not call her that, Gyokuro!" Akasha threatened. "I will not stand for it."

"Standing seems to be the one thing the Bloodriver women have a problem doing."

"Who are you to judge me?" Moka asked, her temper flaring at her stepmother's stinging accusation. "You've done far worse than I have."

"And, what exactly have you done? Is what your mate said true?"

"Uh..I..." Moka stammered.

"So, it's not true, then?" Akasha asked, a hint of urgency in her voice.

"Well...J-Just..."

"Tell me, Moka, when you got knocked up by your pet mutt, how exactly were you going to pass them off as your father's new, 'legitimate' grandchildren?"

Moka felt like fainting on the spot, in spite of the aura of superiority that, even at a moment like this, she tried to put on. She never imagined Tsukune would tell them all of that, as she had never really intended to go through with such a far-fetched plan like this; it all hinged on Tsukune finally accepting her view point and ending it there.

"He..he told you..." Moka stammered.

"Moka, dear, you can talk to me," Akasha said to her. "Look at me, daughter, look at me; before you go see your father, I need you to talk to me and tell me what happened. Tell me everything that happened, starting from the beginning, I have to know the truth."

Moka didn't know what to say, looking into those pleading, desperate eyes of her mother, desperate to know that the girl she gave birth to, nurtured, and had nearly gave her very life for, would do something so heinous that it made everything she did seem in vain.

"I...I have to go see Tsukune, first," was all she could say. "Please, mother let me go."

"Oh me, oh my, now won't brother dear be happy to see you after so long," Ria gloated, coming up silently from out of nowhere like the serpent that she was. "It looks like you finally found him; how good for you."

Moka lunged at her, uncontrolled anger finally surging to the forefront, but Akasha and Kokoa restrained her.

"Moka, calm down!" Akasha yelled.

"Big sis!"

"YOU DID THIS!" Moka screamed. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT, THIS WAS ALL YOUR DOING, WASN'T IT?"

"You better restrain your slut daughter, Mistress Akasha," Ria warned, "lest my brother won't be the only thing she loses tonight!"

"No, by all means let them fight," said Gyokuro. "I've always wanted to see those two go at it; don't you, little one?"

"Um, n-no," Yukari replied.

"And, how exactly is it my fault, sister dear?"

"You did this to him! You turned him against me, made him come down here and do this!"

"What?" Ria asked.

"You've always been jealous of me, always! You've had it out for the two of us ever since Tsukune turned you down and humiliated you! No wonder he's been so obstinate, it's because of you!"

"You really are delusional," she remarked. "I haven't done anything to the both of you since your pitiful, little graduation."

"Moka, you have got to calm down!" Akasha says again, still trying to restrain her angry daughter.

"Let me go, mother," she warned. "She's interfered in our lives for the last time!"

"Do you know what you're saying, do you?" Akasha asked. "She'll kill you without a second hesitation."

"I don't care! I tell she's behind this, somehow! She had no business butting in our affair!"

"Oh really? Honestly, it isn't like I waste my time spying on the two of you like someone with no time on their hands. I didn't happen to show up out of the blue just to make off with hubby! You didn't know, did you?"

"Know what?"

"Know that it was Tsukune who called me to come get him while you were rutting with your mutt like an animal in heat?"

"W-What?" Moka asked, this sudden revelation stunning her calm, enough for Akasha and Kokoa to slightly relinquish their hold. "Y-You're lying. Why would he?"

"Well, I would tell you, but evidently your mind has been so fried as of late that I doubt anything I'd say would get through. How about you go ask him yourself, which would be the smart thing to do if you weren't wondering around like the brain dead idiot you are."

"I **AM** GOING TO MEET UP WITH HIM, YOU WHORE!"

"Then one, you need to watch how you address me, and two, you better grab GPS because you're definitely are not heading in the right direction."

"What are you going on a about?"

"Moka?" Akasha asked, confusion evident in her green eyes. "She's right, if you are going to meet with him first, you're going in the wrong direction; couldn't you tell?"

"I..I don't under..."

"Well, Akasha," Gyokuro chuckled, "not only is your daughter a whore, much like yourself, but she's either as absent minded as you or a born liar."

"I don't lie!" Moka growled, but Gyokuro knew such a threat would be a disaster for the girl.

"I take it back, she _is_ as stupid as you. I'd put a muzzle on that daughter of yours, and how aptly appropriate for her, but is she wants to attack me, she should know I'm not as indirect in attacking my enemies as Ria."

"Mother," Kahlua whined, "you mustn't be so mean to sister; she only wants to talk to brother and make everything good again."

"Oh dear, why of course she does, to clear the air with her mate before things get out of hand, which is why she's walking in the other direction rather than simply going to where he is in the courtyard, like the lying, stupid, cowardly 'woman' that she is."

The comments: lying, stupid, and cowardly, all stung Moka where it hurt most, and had it been any other person, she would've put said person in their place. However, with her pride clogging up any flow of good judgment and common sense, it took her awhile to realize what Gyokuro was getting at.

"Excuse me; you said the courtyard?" She asked.

"Dimwitted and deaf, too."

"Well obviously," Ria interjected. "You could smell him from here; that sweet smelling blood of his is so hard to miss."

"She is right sister," Kahlua innocently said. "I thought you could smell it? We passed it on the way upstairs."

"Honey, Moka, if you're going to meet with Tsukune, then I'm afraid you're in the wrong place," Akasha corrected her. "He is in the courtyard, he and that Ruby person; I imagine they're still there."

"The **court-yard**!?" Moka yelled.

"I told you shouldn't have trusted that witch!" Kokoa complained.

Moka glares over at Yukari, who smiled nervously at her, but held off on delivering any kind of punishment on her, as there was a more pressing matter that badly needed attending.

"Moka!" Akasha tried to call after, but she was already tearing through the hallways like bat out of hell, her superhuman reflexes pouring into her adrenaline with a reckless, unchecked abandon. She had waited too long, far longer than was acceptable for her to confront Tsukune again, thinking of all of the things she would say to him, and now with her mate so close, with the long awaited meeting to be delayed further by some hapless witch, all of that pent up frustration exploded to the surface.

Trapped in a darkened tunnel, Tsukune looks up a narrow, man-sized shaft, the only avenue of escape for him as a cascade of blinding, white light poured down into the darkness, where up above he could clearly make out the shadowy silhouette of someone at the top, looking down at where he stood.

"Rise!" The person called down. "...Tsukune..rise!"

"Tsukune?" Ruby asked, her voice snapping him out of the strange reverie that had just come over him.

"Mm, sorry, I was..heh, I don't know just now."

"Really? What were you thinking?"

Tsukune walked some more along the flowers and artificial stream thoughtfully, trying to best explain to her the strange memory that unexpectedly popped up, uncertain why this particular memory had surfaced, but on some strange impulse asks her:

"Do you remember that fortune teller you sent me to go work for one summer, so I could afford to buy an…an engagement ring?"

"Yeah," she said, worried that anything concerning Moka would lead to something bad. "Yeah, I do. Why?"

"Mm, nothing much, just...I mean, you would think a witch that could read people's fortunes for a living, the entire time I worked for her, she would have at least said something about all of this. Instead, when she wasn't barking orders at me, all she told me were these strange stories that…made absolutely no sense, and I couldn't tell you any of them."

"Yeah. I'm sorry, Tsukune."

"No, it's not your fault. Actually...that wasn't what I was thinking about."

"What is it, Tsukune?"

"She...sent me on a lot of strange, and pretty dangerous errands, and I've all, but forgotten them by now...However, and I guess it's because of the garden here, but...there was this one mission in Mongolia where she had me hunt underground for Mongolian Death Worms; don't ask, and…then, after that was all done she yelled down this big hole these two thing had dug and said _'Rise'."_

"Rise?"

"Yeah; I think she said something else, but because I had a lot of dirt in my ears and was exhausted, all I could make out was 'rise'. I hadn't thought about it until now, funny isn't it?"

"How does being in a garden remind you of that?"

"Well, it doesn't, it shouldn't really, in fact from little I remembered about that day she didn't say anything to me for the rest of the day; it wasn't until later that night, however when we were sitting around a campfire and eating dinner that she told me this story or fable, whatever, about...gardening."

"Gardening?"

"That's right. It was pretty weird.""

"Well, how did it go?"

She could see the look in his brown eyes from where she stood, like they were searching for something archaic in the recesses of his mind, and thought it would have been impossible for him to remember that far back as some arduous summer job four years ago. But, a small light of recollection went on in those eyes, the first spark she'd seen since this whole mess began, albeit for a mere instant, and a dry chuckle, strange to hear after so long, escaped his lips.

"Here's how it goes," he said with a tiny hint of humor in his voice. "She tells me about this guy, like me, who owns this garden filled with these plants of so many sizes and different species, a veritable menagerie, and that the crowning jewels of this menagerie were two, beautifully prized tulips, one bright pink, the other snow white. But, one day he discovers that the white flower carries has aphids that have already contaminated the pink one, and now both flowers risk infesting the whole garden, so he decides to go buy some pesticides and home remedies to cure his two precious flowers. It is at the market that he discovers a new pair of flowers, both more beautiful and far healthier than the last pair and would have gone perfectly his garden; not only that, but it would've cost him less to up keep, and replacing them seemed better than it did to work on the infected flowers. So, the question she asked me is, what should he do? Should he go ahead and expensive remedies to repair his damaged flowers or replace them with the healthier ones at the market?"

"I see," Ruby says thoughtfully. "So, what did you choose?"

"Nothing, she meant it as a rhetorical question. Honestly, it was like all the other things she told me while I worked there, I...could never understand half the things she said to me."

"You said you couldn't remember any of them in detail, and yet you recalled that story pretty good."

"I know, that's what really doesn't make any sense to me; garden, flowers, having to make a choice, it didn't make any sense!"

Ruby found it strange that he would put it like that, and though said tale hadn't made much sense to him, for a witch like herself, who specialized in plant based potions, the analogy was all too clear to her and how he could've missed it. Regardless of that, his brain seemed programmed to remember it well, no doubt filled with the wisdom of her friend, and having suddenly picked now to come up. It was some kind of memory recall spell placed on him that much she could tell, knowing full well what would happen, though what she needed him to do was left entirely up to him to figure out.

"That must've been some adventure you had?" Ruby asked him.

"You don't know the half of it," he remarked. "Now that I'm talking about it, I am able to recall a few of them."

"Like?"

"Mm, let's see…Oh, there was this one job where I had to get some treasure from a talking dragon."

"A talking dragon?"

"Yeah; curiously enough he sounded just like John Hurt."

"Who?"

"You know, the British actor who was in last Indiana Jones movie."

"Ohh. And, he talked to you."

"Yeah; apparently, in order to get his treasure, I had to balance these two dragon's eggs and judge which ones were of greater value and…"

"And…?"

"Well, it's pretty stupid, at least it was to me."

"The stupid adventures tend to be the most fun."

"You're right," he laughed, "and when you look back on them, you can't help but ask yourself: 'Did we really just do that'?"

"I know, right!"

The two laughed and laughed; it was the first time in weeks Ruby heard him make such a sound or saw a smile on his face, giving some hope that there was a way out of this nightmare.

"You know, there are times when I think about the adventures we had on the Newspaper Club when…"

But, the moment he went there, back to that time, his voice trailed off and the smile, and the fun seemed to die, almost instantly.

"So," he tried to say, wanting to change the subject, "Akasha has a nice Koi pond, don't you think?"

"Yeah it is," Ruby replied, wanting to keep things placated. "I-I really should…ask her about it, you know? It might look good in my garden."

"Yeah, yeah it would, it…um, it would."

"You should start a garden, yourself, Tsukune," she suggested. "I bet you'd be great at it, plant a few petunias here, some cherry blossoms over there; I'd be happy to help."

"You really think so?" He asked, a smile on his face; a frank smile, but a pleasant one nonetheless.

"Why not?"

"Me, a gardener?"

"Yes, it could be a private garden or-or a large field of flowers, and we could even erect a sign over the entrance that proudly says…"

"TSUKUNE!" Someone screamed, causing the two to turn around and both literally freeze, their stomachs churn, and their blood turn icy cold at the very sight of the woman that brought them here.

"Moka," he said, grimly.

"Tsukune, you idiot!" Moka roared, red eyes glaring at him with a fire that could've melted her face off.

Tsukune stood his ground, hands clenched into shaking fists as he faced down Moka, his eyes, Ruby could see out of the corner of hers, trained unflinchingly. Ruby, however also glittered with hostility as she partook her former friend and ally like some kind of demon ready to devour his tainted soul, but Moka could have cared less, for it was Tsukune's unwelcoming gaze that mattered.

As mad as Moka was, she had never seen him this upset, not even when fighting for his life.

"What are you doing here?" He asked her, his voice just as cold as she remembered from that night.

"What am I doing here? What are you? I've been waiting and waiting for you to return home only to find out you've been with this…this witch, and now you're seeking an audience with my father?"

"No, I meant, why are you **here**, talking with us? I have nothing further to say to you!"

Moka was flabbergasted at this strange behavior he was exhibiting; never has he tried or dared to rebuke her before, in fact there wasn't even a hint of regret for what he'd done and surmised that it must've been Ruby's doing.

"You have some nerve, Moka," said Ruby, holding her wand firmly at her side. "Get lost, he doesn't want to see you, right now."

"How dare you," Moka growled. "This is a matter between vampire mates, so get lost, witch before I forget you owe your life to me."

"Owe my life to you?" She asked, stunned and offended by the remark. "You must be crazy, I don't owe you anything!"

"Get lost witch! I don't have time to argue with you; Tsukune, get rid of this whore so we can settle this matter before I lose my patience!"

"Who are you calling a...!" Ruby tried to argue, but Tsukune stopped her and very calmly replied while looking Moka dead straight in her eyes:

"She stays, Akashiya. She has as much right to hear what you have to say and frankly I don't want to be alone with you, right now so deal with it."

How could he talk to her like this, and why was he acting so distant, as if he didn't even know her?

Sure, she'd seen him angry before, but had never imagined he would ever turn those eyes on her. In her mind, they'd had their tiffs and every single time she had been able to bend him to her will in one way or another, always getting her way. Usually a few regal words, some carefully crafted demand, or a few tears got him to see things in her favor, but this was different, everything seemed different now.

Moka had never had to push him this hard before, had never needed to resort to such extreme measures to prove herself right and him wrong, and it was hard for her to admit, but she was starting to wonder if maybe she should have just compromised a little. Even now, as she kept her hands loose at her sides she couldn't help, but feel that they, two mates, were fighting some horrible battle with each other. Still, Issa's most beloved daughter could feel the intensity of his passions writhing underneath and it stirred her blood in some strange way. If only things had been under better circumstances, it would be a most desired way for the two lovers to become reacquainted with each other; she would never admit it, but she had missed him, so.

Mrs. Aono couldn't help, but ask heatedly: "Well, where was all of this when Gin entered our house, Tsukune?"

"Where were you when you invited that mutt into your bed?" Ruby asked, in which Moka seethed that this intruder would be present in their matters at all.

"Tsukune, we are vampires," she said. "I know you can sense it, even feel it within you. Will you shame yourself further by having this stranger interfering with our situation?"

"Why?" He asked, his voice deeper, more manly, and yet full of emotion. "You did, when you invited Gin into ours."

His accusation and defiance surprised and offended her. She knew her mate as not being vindictive, nor was he a hard man to figure out and it was the simple, yet firm reason why she loved him. Everything he stood for: compassion, love, harmony, and, to a lesser degree, even some level of meekness mattered to her as well, but she also loved the part of him that cared about convictions. But, those conviction were always, always for her wellbeing, even if it meant bearing so much of the brunt; this man was not her beloved.

"How...how could you talk to me like that?" She asked. "None of this would have happened if you'd have just done what I asked."

"So, you admit it?" Ruby asked, growing more and more furious with her, just as Moka grew even more irate with Ruby. "You did sleep with Gin. Why? Why would you do something like this?"

"This has nothing to do with you! Tsukune, I did what I thought…no, I did what I knew I had to do, for us!"

"No you didn't, how was any of that for us?"

"You should have stopped me from being defiled by Gin, but you just stood there on the other side of the door like a hapless moron! Why, didn't you stop it! Couldn't you tell I wanted you to stop it?"

"What?"

"The entire time I was in that room with that perverted fool, I hoped, even prayed that you would come in and tell him to get off of me; I thought you would put an end to it!"

"W-Wha…?"

"Why, Tsukune, why did you allow this to happen, what husband would allow his wife to be with another man without putting up any kind of a fight?"

"You invited him over; you wanted it to happen!"

"I wanted you to be a man and stop it, I kept thinking that you would never, in your right mind allow this happen, but you did! You did nothing to stop it, even as I looked to you to act, you just stood there! How could you humiliate me, Tsukune?"

He was beside himself with both anger and shock; the very notion that he was to blamed for something like this.

"How could you accuse me of that?" He asked. "How the hell was I even supposed to know?"

"How could you not? We're bloodmates, my intentions should have been clear to you; and even if they weren't, you had a duty as a husband to prevent this from happening."

"I did try to stop it! I begged you, time and again to not do this, even while you were kissing you, I tried to…"

"That is not what I wanted!"

"Then how was I supposed to stop it from happening, how was I supposed to keep you two apart and prevent our marriage from falling apart?"

"You know what needed to be done on your part," she said, firmly. "How many times did I need to spell it out for you?"

"Look… I'm willing to accept blame that I should have found a better, more reasonable solution to our dispute, but I will not stand here and be blamed for you cheating on me!"

"Reasonable solution? There was only one solution and that was you agreeing with me!"

"And sleeping with Gin was the best way you could come up with?"

"Because of you being stubborn and uncompromising that I resorted to it! Once again, this is all your fault, you and your arrogance!"

For a moment, there was a brief sign of confusion in his crimson eyes, but Ruby wouldn't let Moka's accusations slide into his damaged psyche any further.

"You cannot be serious!" Ruby finally spoke. "You must be mad? He _allowed_ you to cheat on him? How in the hell are you going to blame all of this on him? You were the one who..."

"STAY OUT OF OUR AFFAIR!" Moka roared.

"NO I WILL NOT! You're the one who should be ashamed, not him! He isn't the bad guy here, Moka!"

"If you continue to trifle with us, I swear..." Moka seethed.

"Let me make something abundantly clear to your warped mind, Moka, he didn't allow anything to happen! As long as you and I have known Tsukune, he's never been the kind of man do to that; Gin on the otherhand…"

"You try my patience, you pathetic…"

"Do you want to know why he didn't do anything?" Ruby snapped. "Do you really want to know why he didn't break down the door, go all Chuck Norris on Gin and say: 'Duh, you were right and me wrong'? It was because the entire time you were being a bitch, he trusted you to eventually come to your sense and say: no. That even as you led Gin into your bedroom by dangling that boney, deflated ass of yours like a piece of meat, that even as you started kissing and all that sick stuff, your husband, the man you swore your life to, the same guy you used to look doe-eyed into his eyes and repeat his name again and again, held out hope that somewhere inside of you was that same girl he trusted. What a waste; however, I guess this was too long winded for your mind to comprehend so settle for this: neither of you were worth it!"

Moka began to move forward, murder in her eyes, and Ruby appeared ready to receive it, but Tsukune luckily stepped in between them.

"So, I suppose all of what she said is true?" Moka asked him. "Is it? You think I wasn't worth it?"

"You want me to be honest; fine!" He replied. "The truth is I wanted to do something that night, but that would've ended so badly for everyone, everyone that is, but you, and I couldn't _allow_ that!"

"You think I'm not worth it?" Moka asked. "You saying I'm something beneath you, is that it? How DARE you address me like that, after everything I've done for you, even accepting you as being worthy of me, and you dare to talk down to me like this? You think I'm shameful, unworthy of even taking your rage out on the man who's fucking me just because of that? Look at you, you fucked my sister so many times behind my back, and yet I took you back and forgave you! Who are you to ever, _ever_ judge me?"

"Don't," he muttered, turning his gaze away in bitter disgust, disgust at what she was trying to do. "Just don't, okay."

"Look at me," she said. "I said look at me! I should not have to ask you to defend my chastity, Tsukune! You should just know to keep me at your side and away from others! I know I am worth fighting for so it is _I_ who should be disappointed in_ you _for not doing anything that night."

"Is that what this was about, Moka? Me not defending your honor enough; I thought this had something to do with our children or was that just an excuse?"

"It does have everything to do with our children, you fool, them and us! We're supposed to be a family, but vampires first and foremost and you have yet to fully act like one!"

"What!"

"You heard me!"

"Even after being turned into one and being accepted by your father, you still think I'm unworthy of you!"

"You are worthy, but you're not worthy enough to be a father to our children while you still act the way you do! How are they going to learn properly with their father's current behavior?"

"I don't believe this, so now I have to prove myself them?"

"Tsukune; this has become tiresome, just agree with me and forget about all of this and come home!"

"How do you expect me to forget this? You slept with another man and you expect me to come back home with you like it never even happened?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I expect! It's no small gesture on your part, I had to tolerate with the fact that you sullied yourself with my sister many times before!"

Tsukune was grew so worked up that he nearly found it difficult express how utterly retarded this conversation was.

"That was different," he told her.

"Different? Oh, and me with Gin is because I'm your wife? The only difference in the two is that you permitted Gin to have me like a lost prize!"

"I wouldn't have to keep Gin or any other man off of you if you didn't want their attention! And, how dare you bring up Ria like it was all my fault to begin with!"

"How _dare_ I?" Moka repeated.

"You invited him, Moka! I didn't invite Ria! Stop acting like we're in a bar and I just stood there watching you get molested. Gin didn't force himself on you! You got dressed up, put on the perfume, that very same, expensive perfume you made a big deal about and I bought for your birthday, and invited him into our bed. How exactly was any of that my fault?"

"It's your fault because you set all of this into motion by being so stubborn! All you had to do was agree with me, not run off in the middle of the night to god knows where and leave me waiting for you! Do you know what I've had to go through while you were away? All the stares I got from everyone at the apartment, and now we're being evicted because you neglected to pay the rent. Now, stop all of this and be a man and come home!"

"No."

"Yes..you..will! Our lease is on the line, and I will not be thrown to the streets because you refuse to admit to being wrong!"

"Is that why you're here, talking to me? Paying the rent? Then let the lease run out, I'm not going back to that place!"

"Stop this now! I don't want to fight with you, anymore! We're going to tell father that this was all a misunderstanding and you are going home with me, now! I will not tell you again!"

"I said no. I'm not one of your servants to boss around, Moka. If Gin was the man you really then why don't you go stay with him, from now on. If you wanted him so badly, all you had to was say so and I would have given you a divorce earlier and asked your parents to release me from being your mate sooner."

She stared at him, shocked beyond belief at what she was hearing, that he would freely and easily seek a release of their bond as mates.

"You…you really are _renouncing_ me?" She asked, proud, infuriated words coming out of her mouth as a hiss. "You would disgrace me like this? You have actually come to my father's castle for the soul purpose of renouncing me over this? You would choose this for us?"

"No," he said with a sliver of pain in his voice that he tried to subdue. "But, we have no choice now, do we? You went ahead with your threat, and now I'm going ahead with mine. Why couldn't we just be what we were to each other? I was your husband and you were my wife. We were in love, weren't we? Wasn't that enough for you?"

"It was until you decided that our children should be raised by your family!" She spoke passionately and pointedly as if that was the way to silence him.

"I didn't say that, I said I wanted my family to be a part of their upbringing. They're good people, even if they're not perfect, and yet you treat them like something to be hated!"

"I never said they were horrible people, Tsukune," she said, as her voice and features became more and more serene, trying to reach out to him. "Your mother and father raised a very responsible, handsome, and respectable man, Tsukune. They are excellent parents and it _would_ do our children good to know them."

He saw her coming closer and yet he did not react, taking in the smell of her scent and the feel of her hot breath as she spoke. It was a clear indication that she was indeed a real, flesh and blood person, not imaginary, and it made him ache badly to have her this close again, but Gin intruded in this picture again and it made his stomach churn when he thought this is what she had offered him that night; this and more.

"Then why?" He asked her.

"Because you and I have both agreed to keep our true selves hidden from them, am I correct?" She asked, looking at him and seeing the aching conflict in his eyes.

"...Yes."

"Then how would you explain it to them that they couldn't bathe our children in water without any special herbs or that they couldn't drink certain beverages? How would you warn them to be extremely careful when they take them outside and not be exposed to rain? Or, what if they ever got sick and needed a regular diet of blood? Would you like to be the one to give them that conversation or would it be better for our child to scream from having a little bit of water splashed on him? Maybe when they unknowingly go weeks without blood and start to become ravenous; how about when they attack your mother or father in the throes of 'hunger' and have the whole neighborhood up in arms to hunt our child down! Is that what you want, Tsukune?"

"No," he responded, backing slightly away. "But...but, they are my family and if it meant exposing what I am to them, to prevent you from doing what you did Moka, I would have."

His response, he could tell, annoyed her greatly and followed him with narrowed, scarlet eyes.

"You can't expose what I am, Tsukune. My family and our presence are too important to be revealed to regular humans."

She obviously struck a nerve in him and he spoke with a growl that was clearly upsetting to her.

"They are my parents, not vermin! From the day we talked about having children to now you haven't been willing to listen to my side of things. All you've done is try to force me to agree with what you want. Moka I know it will be difficult! That doesn't mean I'm ready to give up on having my family know my children!"

"Tsukune, you do not understand!" Moka growled in frustration. "You don't know what it's like to be in a place where you are surrounded by people who don't understand what you are!"

"I don't, really? Human, Youkai Academy; need I say more?"

She blushed slightly at his very accurate example, but sighed in utter aggravation that he would keep going back to it. Why couldn't he be reasonable, she wanted to avoid fighting with him over this. Couldn't he understand that, understand her feelings on all of this?

"That was different! You were already a young adult when you came here and you had me! I said let's wait till our children were ready for high school and they'd be able to take care of themselves! You were barely able to stay alive and that was only with the help of me and our friends! Do you want our children to go through what we did if they can avoid it?"

"That's right, Moka, not alone! THAT is what I want them to know as they grow up! I had you from the very start and the others before long. I don't doubt that I wouldn't have managed without all of you, and no matter where our children would have gone, they would have had some friends to lean on eventually."

"Then, you see my point? You and I were lucky! It was an accident to run into you and for you to be so willing to accept me. It was a fluke, one I am very glad to have had happen, but a fluke never the less! I won't have our child facing that all alone like I did in Jr. High!"

"But our child wouldn't be alone, he or she would have us." Tsukune told her. "Our children will have parents who can help them through whatever problems they face and a loving family that will support them. I don't doubt…"

"NO!" Moka screamed furiously, glowering at him as old, bitter memories haunted her eyes and shattered whatever happy ones there were left. "I will not have my babies going through that! I won't allow it Tsukune! Do you hear me? I… will… not!"

"That's enough!" Ruby shouted, breaking the intensity as the fiery witch took center stage of what was, to her a rather ridiculous argument between her friend, and an almighty vampire behaving like a child.

"How dare you try to silence me, witch!" Moka barked. "You are only lucky I've decided to tolerate your presence when you have no business here, in the first place!"

"Moka, I've always known you could be a bitch at times," Ruby responded. "But, I never thought you could be a whiny, little bitch!"

"...What the hell did you say to me?"

"You heard me!" Ruby barked back, upon which Moka looked at Tsukune, wondering if he was going to allow this meddlesome interloper to speak that way to her.

"Are you're just going to stand there and do nothing, again?" Moka angrily asked. "This is just like before; once again you're being indecisive and allowing something to happen that you can easily stop by speaking up and taking responsibility!"

"You talk about responsibility," Ruby replied, "but I doubt you know what it means."

"Make sure you watch how you allow your pet to address me, Tsukune!" Moka warned.

"And, what will you do to me this time, Akashiya?" He asked.

"Akashiya, Akashi...my name is Moka Aono, remember? Your fucking wife! Address me as such or..."

"You know what, Moka," Ruby intervened. "So far, all I've been able to understand from all of this is how your 'original' intent was somehow for the welfare of your unborn children; now, you say you did it simply to test Tsukune's manhood and how much of a big bad vampire he oughta be, just like you."

"You're point?" An annoyed Moka asked.

"My point is that I think you're making petty and weak excuses to justify the fact that you're really just a pervert slut like Gin, no like your sister. Tell us Moka, when Gin first peeked under skirt back in high school, did you secretly liked it? You must have, right?"

"TSUKUNE!" Moka yelled. "Are you just going to stand there and let her insult me? For god sake, defend your mate or I will be forced to, myself!"

"Ruby," he whispered, more concerned that Moka will hurt her, than his wayward wife's hurt feelings, but Ruby carried on.

"Being the princess that you are, Moka you needed to come up with something noble and self-righteous to hide your slutty nature so no one questions your morals."

"Ruby, that's enough!" He tells her. "Please, don't make it worse."

"It's already worse, Tsukune!" She tells him. "And, letting her have her say won't make it any better!"

"This is all your fault!" Moka yells. "You could have ended this right now by admitting how wrong you were and maybe, you still might and maybe I'll forgive you and bring you back!"

"...F-Forgive me?" Tsukune asked, astonished by her words.

"Yes, forgive you for your short comings in being my mate! There's nothing wrong with you, physically, but your behavior needs improvement and by allowing this...woman here to insult me is making you look worse! Now apologize so that we may go home!"

There were times when he doubted himself and thought it would be better to knuckle under, but to have her stand there and constantly blame him for letting Gin have his way with her after she let him in their home, as well as literally call his bravery as a man into question, was the last straw.

"No," he replied. "I won't."

"Tsukune, stop this or..."

"Or what, you'll invite Gin down here? That seems to be your usual solution isn't it?"

"Have a care how you talk to me Tsukune! This wouldn't be the first time I've had to put you in your proper place!"

"You've already put me in my place, and now I have to make the most of it," Tsukune argued, staring her down and readying himself into a fighting stance. "I swear if you try to force me to return home with you, or if you even somehow suggest bringing Gin into this again, this time I _will_ do something."

A sharp breath caught her as she saw him not only openly defying her, but getting ready to fight her.

"Is this some sort of challenge, Tsukune? Ar-Are you challenging..._me_?"

"I don't want to, believe me I don't, but you're leaving me with no choice. I won't back down from this and I will not go back with you! You've hurt me in the back for the last time."

"I hurt you?" She asked as if deeply offended by his words. "You have some nerve to insinuate that I betrayed you in any way!"

"You slept with Gin in our own bed! How is that not...?" 

"You slept with my sister, and still I accepted you as my mate; how is that different from what I did?"

"I never asked to sleep with your sister, I didn't invite her to our place to have sex!"

"And, yet you continued seeing her behind my back!"

"I admit what Tsukune did with your sister was wrong," Ruby intervened.

"So, you know the whole story, huh?" Moka asked.

"Yes, he told me everything; and I know how you practically threw him to her like some bone to keep her from barking to your father! You talk about Tsukune not being a man in 'stopping' you from having sex with Gin, well what kind of fiancée would let that happen to the man she's about to marry? Answer me that, Moka!"

"Do not bark to me like some junkyard dog!" Moka threatened. "I will not defend my actions, especially to you! You don't know what happened, of how he kept seeing her without even telling me!"

"He did it for his father, you fucking moron! And, he did it for you, but in the end everything he's done in the past eight years has all been for you and the people he cares about! You question his manhood, of how after one night, **one night **he failed to act when you flagrantly threw yourself at Gin and all of a sudden it's as if those past eight years never mattered!"

"Do not call me an moron! I swear, keep insulting me and I may forget how I saved you and you owe your very existence right here to me, which you do, all of you do!"

"...Seriously?" Ruby asked. "That's all you care about? Moka, I swear you are the most egotistical, self-indulgent **moron** I have ever met in my life! You think this world revolves around you, that because you're rich and a vampire and so powerful that you can walk over anyone you like! So, you were picked on in school, big fucking deal, get over it! That's no reason to hide your kids from humans!"

"I'm not hiding them from humans!"

"Then for what?"

"It's to protect them from being victimized by humans early on in their development, and only after being properly trained and grown to be full-fledged vampires will they be allowed to interact!"

"So, it's to protect them? Okay, so you want to expose them, instead to the world of vampires where young vampire children are put through a brutal, rigid and thoroughly loveless training regimen from the time they are born, training that, am I aware of few barely, including yourself survive to adulthood, rather than send them to a human school where they will probably be teased and picked on, but _live_. I guess, only a mind like yours can find the logic in that."

"I wouldn't expect a person like you to understand."

"...A person like me?" Ruby asked.

"You're a witch; every monster knows your half way human, an in-between creature, no closer to me or Tsukune!"

Tsukune and Ruby stood rooted on the spot, staring in utter shock that Moka, the person they've known as a friend for so many years, who in some small way they did owe some debt of gratitude for all that she did for them, would openly and without any ounce of shame say such a thing to Ruby's face. To a witch, being called an in-between creature or something half-way human and monster was tantamount to calling a black person a nigger; it was a derogatory slang used by monsters and some humans to put them down. Witches were dispised by both groups, finding now love or racial acceptance by either, and where ever they went, there were constant reminders of that status. And, for one in their group it had once been an everyday occurrence until she met them, but now as Tsukune and Ruby stared it quickly dawned on Moka that they weren't looking at the proud vampiress, and turned to find Yukari Sendo standing close by, having heard the whole thing.

If Moka thought that Ruby didn't understand what she went through in Jr. High, then at least Yukari did, more so than anyone. Having only been ten years old when she entered Yokai Academy, Yukari was the youngest student in her class and if that wasn't enough, just the fact that she belonged to a despised group of monsters, made her an easy target for all manner of bullying. It wasn't until she met her former idol Moka and befriended Tsukune had all that changed, and she never felt victimized or alone ever again. Now, to hear that same idol use such a word was one wound inflicted so far that she could not hide or wash over.

_Oh, Yukari, _Outer Moka thought sadly. _We..We shouldn't have said that! How could we?_

As Moka stared into the anguished, purple eyes of her young friend however, eyes that radiated agonizing pain that even Tsukune could feel where he stood, she merely smirked and showed no empathy at all. Why should she, a proud S-class monster feel anything when none of this was her fault to begin with, it was made needlessly difficult by people she believed were her friends and who should understand what was important.

"So what?" Moka asked, indifferently. "So, she heard. Good, at least now you two can realize that this has nothing to do with any of you!"

"Stop it!" Tsukune snapped, anger rising from within him for the first time since arriving at the castle. "That's enough, Moka!"

"Well," she snorted, "there goes the reaction I wanted to see. I ask again, where was this the night before, huh? I get violated and you..."

"You slept with him!" He interrupted.

"I get violated and you do nothing! I call these half-humans what they are and you become offended; what is this?"

"If you want to hurt me, then fine! But, leave them out of this!"

"I told you, and _them _to stay out of this, but neither of you would listen, you **never** listen! And, now instead of making this easier for all of us by accepting my proposal to raise our kids away from humans, you want to dissolve our union and make me the villain? I am not the one who should feel shame, but you! Now, we are going to have a talk with father, explain how there was a miscommunication on your part and maybe, just maybe I'll take you back."

"No, Moka!"

She looked around and found that it was Yukari who spoke out against her demand, this time.

"Apologize," the young witch said, teary eyed, but resolute. "Say you're sorry, ask for his forgiveness, and maybe, just maybe he'll take _you_ back!"

"Yukari," Tsukune said, moved by how strong she's being.

"What? Apologize; me? Never!"

Moka begins advancing towards Tsukune, her very aura becoming menacing and unwelcoming, causing him to move back and go into a fighting stance.

"You..still will challenge me?" Moka asked, taken aback by her husband's sudden act.

"God help me, I don't want to, but I won't back down! Like what you did before was too important to you, so this is for me."

"I will not back down either, then," she warned, she too taking a fighting stance and focused all her energy to attack. "My pride is on the line and I will not have you taint it."

_There goes that word again, _he thought bitterly.

"You shouldn't worry about anything or anyone being tainted, I'm sure Gin gave you what you want!"

"The only thing I want is for you to stop being a fool, but if beating you senseless is the only way, then so be it! Come on!"

They both stood their ground facing each other, waiting for the other to either make a move or walk away, but Ruby stood in their way, determined to have her say.

"Now I see you for what you really are," she said, her face down, hidden underneath black hair and hiding the bitterness that her shaken voice betrayed. "All these years, when we thought you were this...noble, kind-hearted, sweet, and compassionate girl, you were really this...monster we're seeing right now for the first time. What fools we were to have ever trusted you."

"I never asked for you to trust me," Moka simply stated. "I admit you were nothing more than something to placate my other side, who was desperate for friendship while I wasn't."

"And Tsukune?" Yukari asked. "If that's all we were to you, then what of him? What was he to you? He was a tool, wasn't he? A means to an end, so you could become heiress ahead of your sisters, that's it wasn't it? And, when he refused to play along..."

"Yukari!" He yelled, trying to stop her from saying anymore for the sake of her very sanity, but for his own as well.

"No!" Yukari cried in defiance. "I want to know the truth, Akashiya! Which is it; did you ever love him? Did you ever love anyone, at all? Or..."

"Enough of this!" Moka yelled.

"You're selfish, Moka!" Ruby yelled. "You go on about how Tsukune didn't consider what you went through at home, but did you even consider what he was going through? You never even bothered to notice how thin he looks; I'm the one who's been trying to keep him sane all this time!"

"Tsukune!" Moka yells to him, ignoring Ruby. "If you wish to fight with me, Tsukune, then very well, tell your witch to stand aside and we can get this underway!"

"No," he whispered, standing tall and grasping Ruby's hand. "She stays, you go. You're no longer welcome."

"So that's how it is then, huh?" Moka asked. "That's why these two have been so defensive of you as of late; they're your witch lovers, admit it?"

"Lovers?" He asked.

"That's right; you think I don't know! The whole time I waited for you to slink on back home, you were back at the academy, fucking Ruby!"

"What? Where'd you get that idea?"

"You think me a fool? You think I don't know? The whole time you left me to deal with your absence alone and be assailed by all those humans, you were sleeping with Ruby weren't you? Trying to get back at me in some feeble attempt. You're pathetic!"

"What are you talking about?" He asked. "Me and her never..."

"You're right," Ruby interrupted. "You're totally right; might as well as give it up, Tsukune, she found us out."

"Ruby, what are you...?"

"That's right Moka," she said, lovingly embracing Tsukune and smiling, "we were having fun together the whole time, sharing a room and meals and, well whatever your warped and tired mind can conjure up, we did it all! Didn't we, Tsukune?"

"The hell are you saying?" He whispered to her.

"Had I known you were the jealous type, I would've confessed long ago," she went on. "And, you know what else? He said I did things to him that you _never_ could. In fact, out of you, me and even your sister, he said that your sister and I were the only ones who could really satisfy him in bed."

Without saying another word, Moka rushed forward and delivers a bone shattering kick to Ruby's face, sending her flying backward to the ground.

"RUBY!" Yukari cried out.

Tsukune, horrified looks at Moka, whose leg remained stretched up after said kick, and slowly, but elegantly brings it down as though she had done something impressive.

"Moka," he gasped, "you didn't have to..."

"I warned you, didn't I?" She asked him. "All of this could have been avoided if you had done what I asked, now more will be put on your head!"

The look of anger and determination etched on his face to protect his friends infuriated Moka more as she realized that he still didn't get it.

"You continue to challenge me, Tsukune, very well; know your _place_!" She cried, running towards him and preparing to deliver another, harder kick, but Tsukune was ready this time, grabbing her leg in mid-stride and tackling her to the ground with both legs wrapped around him.

"I'm coming!" Yukari yelled, brandishing her wand and running to assist her friends, only to be suddenly blind sided and sent flying to the ground by a red blur.

"Oh no, you don't witch!" Kokoa growled, standing menacingly over her prostrate form. "This is a family matter between my sister and Tsukune; if its a fight you want, then your fight will be with me!"

She removes her upside down, cross-shaped earrings and in a torrent of demonic energy, far darker than even Moka's, both of her arms painfully mutate into five, razor sharped bat wings.

"Oh yes," she hissed, tears running down her cheeks, where drool also cascaded down from a maniacal smile. "You and I are gonna have some fun!"

Meanwhile, Tsukune continued to pin Moka to the ground with all his strength, while her thighs wrapped tightly about him. He could feel her warmth, and for a split second there was a sort of sexual excitement building up, and as their eyes locked, he wished things would go back to the way they were.

"Well, Tsukune is this how you want it?" She asked him, her face calm, yet still dangerous. "Because, this is how I want it; it's what I wanted from you all along. If only..."

"Moka, you've gotta stop this, I won't let you hurt anyone else; please stop!" He begged, which seemed to anger her, so much so that he could feel the muscles in her legs begin to harden and actually constrict around him. "Nnnnnggrrhh, Moka please stop!"

"You're begging? Pathetic!"

"You're the one who's pathe..."

It was then, being so close to her since leaving their apartment, that he could plainly see bruises and scars all along delicate areas of her body that seemed recent, along with the pungent scent of _him_.

_Oh my god, _he thought.

"MOKA!" Ruby cried, flying up into the air with murder in her eyes, her scepter glowing a hellish red.

Moka kicked Tsukune off and stood, ready to take her on.

"So, even after a sound beating, you still insist on challenging me, huh? It seems I must teach you another lesson, you weak magician; come then!"

With a wave of her wand, Ruby commands the plants in the garden to come alive and they begin assaulting Moka.

"More tricks?" Moka asked. "You insult me!"

With little effort, Moka roundhouse kicked all the monsters away from her, and stands victorious.

"Anything else?" She asks.

"Plenty," Ruby responds, and before Moka knew it, the broken bits of her defeated foes began to leech themselves on her. "They'll drain the slut right out of you!"

"Ruby!" Tsukune cried. "Stand down! It doesn't have to be this way!"

"Yes it does, Tsukune!" Ruby responded with fire in her eyes. "I like you, but this isn't just about you, anymore. When she hurt you, she hurt all of us, and now bitch has got to pay!"

"Keep waiting for the check!" Moka cried and leaps up and viciously kicks Ruby in the mid-section. "Disgusting little...!"

After Ruby tumbles to the ground, Moka literally strips the slimy, leech-like plant matter one at a time, and continues her fight. Tsukune tries to stop her, but the altercation between Yukari and Kokoa soon grabs his attention when he lays eyes on Kokoa's new form.

"What the...?" He wondered aloud, noticing how similar her form now was to her older sister's, Kahlua, but behaved sadistically as she battered Yukari around like a rag doll and carved the witch up.

In desperation, Yukari conjures up a fire ball and hurls it at Kokoa, who slices it in two with unnatural skill.

"You're going to have to do better than that!" Kokoa said, her voice twisted and depraved. "C'mon Yukari, you were impressive with your little tricks before; show me what you got!"

With a wave of her wand, she drops a large wash basin upon Kokoa's head, but instead of knocking her out, the red headed, disjointed vampire merely shrugs it off. Astonished, but not discouraged, she tries again, several more times, but Kokoa continued to advance without any hesitation; Yukari thought it was all over until Tsukune grabs the vampiress by her bladed limbs and restrains her with all his might despite Kokoa's struggling wings beginning to shred into his arms.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU IDIOT, LET ME GO!" She shrieked, bucking and kicking, the movements of her wings slicing away at him, causing his blood to spray about.

"Tsukune!" Yukari called.

"I'll hold her!" He replied. "Just grab Ruby and get out of here, I'll deal with her and Moka!"

Though Tsukune's efforts in quelling the battle was noble, the smell of his blood being unleashed only served to incite the two vampire women, making it all, but impossible for him to maintain the peace and he feared for his friends that it would attract the others.

"You don't know how I've missed the smell of your blood, Tsukune!" Moka called out to him while she started strangling Ruby. "Relying on low quality blood, and cold tomato juice made these last few days unbearable; if not for that, I wouldn't have seem quite so desperate to bring your ass back home with me!"

"Don't you ever shut up?" A bruised and bloodied Ruby asked, who reached up and raked her nails across Moka's right cheek.

"BITCH!" She hissed and began to pummel the witch most brutally.

Tsukune could only watch the uncertain love of his life start to kill his friend, as he continued holding on to the biting, snarling Kokoa with all of his might. Her strength was unimaginable, a force he hadn't felt since fighting with Kahlua eight years ago, only it was a tad stronger.

"Tsukune," Yukari whispered.

"Nnngghh, GO!" He yelled at her. "I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG I CAN HOLD HER!"

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Kokoa shrieked. "I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU IF YOU MESS WITH MY SISTER! AAAARRRRGGGGGHHH! DIE!"

"Damn it, Kokoa!" He grimaced.

Finally realizing how dire the situation was for him, Yukari complied and ran to aid Ruby, determined to fly her out of here and back to Youkai Academy.

"RUBY!" She called out to her. "Let go of her!"

Moka felt a small hand grab her arm and, whether by instinct or blind fury, she wheels around and violently kicks Yukari in the neck, propelling her limp form through the far, brick wall.

"YUKARI!" Ruby cried.

As if on cue, everyone stopped and stood in stunned silence at what just happened, and at Yukari's seemingly lifeless body, they only stared, dumbstruck. Scrambling to her feet, Ruby was the first to reach and check on her, but could find no movement, nor anything positive.

"Yukari," she said to her. "Can you hear me?"

She stroked her hair, cradled her bloodied head, waiting in vain for the young witch to wake up like she always did. Yukari was a strong woman; she was strong as girl, having survived so many incidents alongside much older, and stronger companions, and there was every reason she could recover quickly from this. However, as Tsukune came upon the two, neither he nor Ruby could see any movement, and feared the worst.

"No," he said aloud.

"She isn't moving," Ruby said to him, looking to him with teary eyes and panic. "She isn't moving, Tsukune! You've got to do something!"

"She came up from behind," Moka argued, with no ounce of emotion. "I had no idea it was her, I thought it was another one of Ruby's tricks!"

"You could have killed her!"

"Don't blame this on me! I told you before, you brought all of this on yourself!"

"Stand back!" Tsukune yelled, leaping quickly into action as he knelt down beside her still form and held her in his arms.

She felt so small to him, reminding him of when she still so young, and he became terrified for the worst, yet tried to maintain his composure.

"What are you...?" Ruby asked.

"I'm going to give her a little of my blood, just enough so she'll survive."

"Are you crazy!" Moka scolds. "You can't do that; you've never done it before and wouldn't know how much to give without turning her into a ghoul. Let me do it!"

"You've done enough!" He snapped. "You claim I'm not man enough to act, well shut up and watch!"

**What? **She thought, repelled by his response.

They all watch as Tsukune clamps down on Yukari's neck and begins injecting some of his blood into her. Slowly, but faintly, he could feel her vitals beginning to respond and a slight pulse was felt.

"...She's alive," he said to Ruby, exasperated, but elated and hands her over.

_What have we done? _Outer Moka said with remorse.

**We?**

_We almost killed her? How could you loose control like that?_

"I am not to blame here," she said aloud, and then points heatedly at Tsukune. "You're to blame!"

"Me?"

"Yes! If you had done your duty as a proper vampire mate, instead of running off like a weakling, none of this, not one thing that has occurred since then would've happened! If anything, this _is_ your fault!"

"...Maybe, she's right," he heard Ruby mutter. "It _is_ your fault. Your fault in marrying _her_."

Moka didn't argue, finding it pointless to argue with the woman further as she had made her point clear that she was not to be trifled with, and even though Yukari had paid the price for that lesson in pride, she remained in her conviction that she was right and that any form of guilt or shame fell with Tsukune and Tsukune alone.

As for Tsukune, as he looked down upon Yukari's bloodied form, some of his own mixed in with hers and with the night's events coalescing in his mind, he began to feel that perhaps Moka was right; in some twisted way he had brought all of this, and by involving his friends, they were now just as much victims of Moka's determination as he was.

"Moka," Ruby said to her, glaring up at her now, new enemy with furious, tear soaked eyes. "You may think you're right in everything you do, you may think less of Tsukune's manhood, you may think highly of Gin, you may think we owe you eternally for saving our lives in the past, and you may even think you're doing this for your children and that humans are the enemy, but I swear to you, no matter how long it will take, you **will** get what you deserve; that I _pro_mise you."


	17. Chapter 165

**I just wanted to acknowledge usernames: **_**Horace Pinker **_**and **_**Willow**_** (whether this is **_**Mistress Willow **_**of "**_**Get What You Want**_**" or someone else, I dunno), who out of all my readers, fan or not, have been my most persistent, and insufferable of all. Granted, criticizm can be a good thing and I have received a few, but one could hardly call these two critics, and given the responses I've had about them, and its fair to say that many of you out there have had to deal with these losers. All I know is, however is that from Chapter 1, on to 16, they have done little but let me know time and again **_**and**_** again with the same old complaints about being unoriginal; even chapters with characters and scenes that were original have shown an inbox filled with their disdain, and all things negative regarding my story. The parts about the halfway house, which by the way is not a hospital so your General Hospital crack wouldn't be appropriate, and the characters there in have become quite unpopular with these two, not to mention groaning on about Moka meeting her clone so soon in the story. In fact, one chapter **_**so**_** offended one, that he or she closed their email by kindly, "kindly" suggesting I slam a certain body part in a car door; I knew trolls could be nasty, but never polite and nasty, let alone capable of writing (what a triple threat)! **

**Horace, Willow or mistress, or all of the above (I'm assuming you're all one person, but anyway)all I have to say to is, as offensive as my story is to you, rife with the same, unoriginal content that angered you so much that you politely ask me to maim myself, one has to ponder the wisdom of wasting whatever valuable time you have by reviewing it, much less keeping up with 16 chapters by now. But, I get it, you guys need originality, and that makes three of us, I mean I wish you would be more original, too; I'm not trying to be hard on you, original haters are hard to find these days. And, though I haven't been maimed yet by a car door, please do know it doesn't mean I disrespect you as haters in anyway, not to honor your request.**

**Now, I know the rule in dealing with haters on the net is to ignore them, it's all you **_**can**_** do; they're like a computer virus, you let them in and they ruin everything, and believe me they have. After the first two chapters these crusaders of originality did kind of get to me, and then after awhile I started to ignore them, but with their recent "review" of chapter 16 it quickly went from bad, to obnoxious, just plain funny. I don't know what it is, they remind me of those two old farts from the Muppet Show, sitting through each show just to make the same sorry puns about it you've heard a million times over, all while having someone's hand up their butts. However, after sixteen chapters, going on seventeen, something had to be said and like some or all of you, I've dealt with trolls in the past and their aggravating tactics, one case resulting in me getting me banned from a sight because I dared cursed one of them out; that's usually how they worked. I'll try to keep this as cordial as possible, but if this winds up being my last post then I at least will have said my peace.**

**So, I just have to ask: if you're this worked up because I'm not being original with this story, then at what point did you expect this to be original? Are you really going to blame me because it's not original, even though it features characters unique to the story that you don't like, yet still fits the moniker of being unoriginal when I, in no way said it would, nor did I make any kind of allusions that it was original.**__**Yeah, I stole some of it from "**_**Get What You Want**_**", just like I did with my last two, and look at the **_**esteemed**_** "**_**Get What You Want**_**" story, that was gleaned from "**_**The Bet**_**", which some of it was in turn taken from "**_**The Mighty Vampire Aono"**_**, which was inspired from a chapter in "**_**Rosario + Vampire"**_**, a manga in which all of our stories and more are based off of, and most anime and manga were based off of other works; you may be too young to remember there was an anime version of Swan Lake, that's assuming you've even heard of Swan Lake (who am I kidding, you're literary critics, so of course you have), so where's the originality? As I've already said once before NOTHING on this site is original, it's fan fiction, I guarantee you a writer stole his or her idea from somewhere or someone else, so if any of you want something original, then go buy a book. This story isn't original and I seriously doubt that it will be by you bothering me about it; yeah there are elements to my story that are unique compared to others, for one thing its underlying message. While Mistress's stories seem to have an undefined message to them, its very emotion seems to be one of individualism. The message I'm trying to convey is one of Love and Hope; love, as our heroine tries to remember what is most important to her, and hope as Tsukune struggles holding on to, but most of all the emotion of this story centers around Unity as all of their friends, both old and new come together to offer their aid. Being such vigilant critics that you are, you must've noticed that, as well as the important plot points in the story; but, then again I don't think calling you critics would be fair to actual critics. I say that because you don't want this story to succeed, nothing you've said so far suggests that. **

**Maybe I'm being overly judgemental, perhaps the problem is I'm just a bad writer and should quit, but I know that's not the case as I have received more positive, as well as neutral feedback than negative, encouraging me not to. Maybe, the real reason is that you're butt-hurt and by hounding me for every chapter so far, you want someone to feel for you; well, that's going to be hard for me to care if I hurt myself with a car door, not wouldn't it? Whatever the reason, please consider bugging someone else, it really doesn't make much sense for you to stick around for this long, now does it, and I'm just giving you a heads up: you may want to stop reading before you get even angrier as the content isn't going to change, and in fact I intend to bring Koga back pretty soon as a side character, this time to stay and I know how you hated him, so it be best you leave now, unless you're like BPDIDANOCSMOM (really, MOM?) who got very emotional when someone tried telling him to do the same thing (calm down, ma'am, no one is forcing you to read this), then by all means continue reading and get angry anyway, because my story stays as is.**

**Oh, and FYI the Landlady can evict Moka the way she did under the Unlawful Detainer law, but since this is Japan and not the U.S., the laws maybe different enough to where she wouldn't need any kind of legal precedent.**


	18. Chapter 17

From: Horace Pinker (Guest)

Horace Pinker:Oh look another egotistical ** of an author who gets butthurt

because some people doesn't like his writing (well most of it isn't his to

begin with) so he needs to create an update especially (which is against the

rules btw and I will report your whiny ** on as soon as I hit post review)

just to call those people hater trolls. The bold text was a little excessive,

but I guess you needed that special touch to make yourself feel important or

something.

Oh no you're putting your self-insert back into the story for good? What will

I ever do and do I even care anymore and more so since you're doing out of

spite? Immature much?

To your I know everything law. They still have to file that to the courts and

depending in what state it is the minimum time is 3 to 5 business days.

**Hope you don't mind, wouldn't want you to assume I was plagiarizing your work or anything, just thought everyone should know what an outstanding job you're doing for them; making fan fiction safe from egotistical ** like me, one egotistical ** at a time, though assuming that the reintroduction of a character you hate just to spite you isn't egotistical, (but then again you are the hero, so who am I to judge); but good luck in tattling on me. And again, since the story is set in Japan, U.S. state laws probably wouldn't really apply, Perry Mason.**

**I apologize to everyone for delaying Chapter 17 to write that response as I felt a quick update needed to be done, and while some of you showed your support, I think my intentions were missed or lost as a few of you questioned it, and even felt I had undergone some kind of nervous breakdown. Yeah, I've been "butthurt" before by online haters to the point of actually losing sleep over it, and even been bullied off of a few websites, and though ignoring them seems to be the way to go, apparently deciding not to let four months of harassment go without saying at least something was the wrong thing to do. Whatever the case maybe, whether you think it was warranted or you feel I do deserve it, I'm not about to be put in my place by a pair of losers who go by the online names: Willow and Horace Pinker; seriously, I'm dealing with an Kenny G fan and a talking pig here(well, a pig or a really, really, fat British kid who lives with his even fatter parents in a posh, London manor, spends his every waking hour torturing small animals or picking on poor kids, and if any one of them dares upset him, he runs squealing to the authorities to have the ****"bra****ggart removed from thine sight****"****), but in any case I think I'll live! Really, what I wrote was nothing more than a disclaimer to pretty much set the record straight for anyone else who might feel confused, I would say, so they won't haunt me for the next four months. **

**Yes, I freely admit to borrowing certain ideas and elements from Mistress Winowyll's writing (which was so good of the honorable **_**Mister**_** Pinker to point out), but I also borrowed elements, as did she and about a dozen other writers on this website from Akihisa Ikeda (the**_** original**_** creator). Nonetheless, this story's premise, plot direction and certain characters and events are of my creation, thus making it **_**my story**_**! Nevertheless, a disclaimer should be put up and so for your benefit, Mister Pinker, sir, there will be no hard feelings****.**

**WARNING****! Story with unoriginal material in progress, plot direction may be unsuitable for your sophisticated tastes; any feelings of anger, derision, hate, nausea, depression, blood clots, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, poor dieting, mental anguish or any tendencies to be a douche over it are not the sole responsibility of the author; proceed at your own risk! **

**Also, if Mistress Winowyll is reading this, I would again like to apologize for my earlier accusation. It's just that after 4 months these two have been adamant that I refrain from using any of your material and to cease all publication of my work, and since one of them was using a name similar to your own, I didn't know if it was you or someone you knew personally, like your attorneys or something, as strange as that sounds of having attorneys patrol a fan fiction website to check for plagiarism, though not as strange as having two attorneys named Willow & Pinker (actually not half as strange as knowing two people named Willow and Pinker). But again, I'm sorry.**

**That said, Chapter 17 has finally rolled around and it is another long one I'm sorry to say, but one well worth the read as by the end, Moka [spoiler alert] finally regains her full memory and will after a long time. However****,**** just because she has her memory back doesn't necessarily mean things will be resolved quickly; far from it. Our heroine now has to reenter the main stage in the wake of her twin's damage, which in itself will be fraught with greater hardships than she had ever faced before, not to mention Tsukune's ordeal needs addressing, as well as reintroducing the rest of their old entourage. I'll explain more in detail in the next chapters, but basically Chapter 18 will is a prelude to the second act, and know that it, and some of what you'll read in this chapter, most importantly the parable of King Solomon as it will have heavy bearing later on, will all lead towards the denouement, so you'll just have to wait and see; that's assuming the venerable Mr. Pinker doesn't have me removed from his site : )**

**Chapter 17**

_"When you Come Undone..."_

Earlier that same, fateful day, in a town many miles from where Tsukune and Yukari suffered at the hands of Moka, a group of children played the closing hours of a small, kick ball tournament, in whose trust and coaching they came to rely on from one, pink haired woman who was filling in for their coach.

"Alright, everybody move in!" A boy cried from outfield as all eyes were on a little girl coming up to plate.

They knew, just by looking at her that she couldn't kick the ball very hard and that in a single moment victory would be theirs. Her coach, Moka Akashiya could clearly see she was nervous and knew she needed some words of encouragement before sending her up to the plate.

"You're going to do great, Kagome," Moka said to the girl. "Don't listen to them."

"But, coach they're right," she said. "I'm no good, I suck at this sport, I don't even know why I'm here!"

"Let me kick the ball, coach," Kirei volunteered.

"Yeah, let Kirei do it," the other kids on their team agreed.

"You know he's our best kicker!" Said another kid.

"They're right, coach, he can take my place!" Kagome eagerly agreed.

"No," Moka responded. "Kirei already kicked, and made a home run for us. Its Kagome's turn."

"But, coach..."

"Listen, I know you're scared, and you have every right to be, but if you let your fear keep you from at least trying something new or exciting, would that be alright to live by?"

"Yes!" She and half the team agreed.

"Especially, if it helps us win the game," said Kirei, in which Moka gave him a look. "What; I'm just being a team player. And, besides she agrees with me!"

Moka Akashiya realized she had her work cut out for her and it would not be as easy as previously thought to motivate the reluctant slugger. When Takane asked her to fill in as coach for her son's kickball team, she was at first hesitant; sports was not a familiar field. But, after some persuasion and still plenty eager to experience something new to her, she accepted and wound up having fun. Kirei was a good sportsman, having scored a number of home runs and earning the respect of his team mates, and with her simple, yet affective coaching skills they were already ahead of their rivals by one. One kid had made it to second base, so far, and now Kagome was up next; if she makes a good kick, she and the other team mate could make two home runs and win the game, but if it was a bad one then she'd be out. Still, the whole point was to have fun, but Moka wasn't content on letting Kagome remain petrified from at least trying to kick the ball.

"Kagome," she said to her. "I want you to look over there for me. You see, one of your team mates is already on second base; one kick from you could give him the opportunity to run for home."

"But, what if they catch the ball and I'm out?"

"I suppose it wouldn't matter, by our score we'll probably win regardless of the outcome of your kick, so if you're worried that you'll let everyone down, then don't be."

"Then what's the point of me going, anyway?" Kagome responded, looking away in shame and having trouble to find the right words, but Moka knew all too well what was really at stake here.

"Kagome, I want you to listen to me. Pride is nothing, having a good time is; if someone laughs at you then forget it! You'd have my respect and that of your family, and you'll feel better after; trust me."

She gives the girl an encouraging wink that puts a relieved, but nervous smile on her face.

"Are we good?" Moka asked.

"Yeah, I guess," she replied.

"Okay; team, Kagome is going to kick the ball!"

The group groaned and made their faces and were about ready to voice their distrust in their team mate's prowess, but Moka was quick to shoot down any dissent.

"Now come on, team! We didn't come all this way today as one, only to start turning on each other like a bunch of babies! You're not babies, you're a team, a unit operating as one, and if one of you is hurt then we all feel that pain, and we don't want that! So, give Kagome your support, help her do her best!"

"She's right!" Kirei shouted. "Ka-go-me! Ka-go-me!"

"Ka-go-me, Ka-go-me, Ka-go-me!" The rest of the team began chanting and clapping, following their team mate's lead and bolstering Kagome, who could scarcely hear the taunts from the opposing team.

The pitcher stood on his plate, eyed Kagome from his perch who stared right back at him, the two combatants locked on one another, separated by dirt and only a few feet between them. It felt like an eternity before he let go of the ball, a large, white orb bouncing ever methodically toward Kagome, its shadowy underbelly connecting to the ground again and again, making a putt-putt-putt sound along its straight trajectory; the only sound she now heard. It was hypnotic, it was tempting, and Kagome lost all fear or apprehension as she lifted her leg, waited with baited breath for the right moment and, through blind luck brings her leg smashing against the ball's soft surface with all the might in her entire body. It wasn't an impressive kick, at least far from what she had hoped for, as it skidded along the ground almost in the same direction from whence it came, and Kagome watched in despair as it skidded past all the other players that moved in as requested, all the way towards a distant catcher hovering around second base and poised to catch it. However, whether it was due to divine providence, an over eagerness on her opponent's part, dumb luck or, in defiance of conventional wisdom an actually impressive kick, the catcher makes for the ball and missed, skidding on past him as he stumbles flat on his side. The crowd went wild, her team mates went wild, and yet all Kagome could hear from her coach was:

"GO! GO! RUN! RUN!"

Snapping to, Kagome realized the way was clear, but only briefly for her to run for the bases and off she went, while her team mate had already crossed third base and made it back to home, scoring another point. She had hit second and was on her way to third by the time the rival team caught the ball, forcing her to remain put, but nonetheless alleviated by what she had done.

"KA-GO-ME! KA-GO-ME! KA-GO-ME!" Her team continued to chant, inflating her once deflated ego and giving it a new lease on life.

"Whoooooo!" Moka cheered. "Alright team, who's next?"

"I am, coach!" A boy called out.

"Okay, Kenta show them what we got! You can do it!"

"Kenta, Kenta, Kenta!"

Greatly annoyed by Kagome's run, but undaunted in striking both players out, the pitcher was out for blood and determined to make an example out of this next kicker. With an evil smile, he leans back, puts all his muscles into the pitch and almost hurls the all toward Kent, who mistimed the kick and sprains his ankle when it connects.

"Time!" Moka cried and she and the rest of the team crowd around Kenta. "Are you all right? Does it hurt, bad?"

"Ohhhhh, my foot!" He cried, cradling his ankle. "My foot's broken!"

She tried touching it, but the sheer sensation caused a stab of pain to shoot up, making Kent cringe even more in agony. However, as she tried examining it further, it wasn't as bad as it was though and could recover in time.

"It's going to be okay, Kenta," she said with a strong sense of encouragement. "Your bones will heal, you just need to rest and it'll be fine in no time."

"You sure?" He wept.

"I'm sure. Here, let me carry you to the bench."

"I've got him," a boy volunteered.

"I'll help," offered another as they gingerly helped Kenta to his feet and hobbled him off the field.

"What are we going to do now, coach?" Kirei asked. "We're down a player."

"Don't you guys have some kind of replacement?" She asked.

"No," they all said, and even though they were ahead, it was still disheartening to end the game like this. However, a look came over each of them, and every little eye looked to her.

"What?" She asked.

"Coach, you could fill in Kenta!" Kirei suggested.

"Me? No, no I wouldn't be qualified for it."

"Yes, you can! It doesn't say that an alternate couldn't be the coach if there's an emergency."

"C'mon coach, please!" One girl pleaded. "All we need is for you to kick and Kagome can come into home and win the game!"

"What do you say, coach?" Kirei asked.

"I don't..."

"Coach, coach, coach, coach!" The kids all began to chant, actually amusing her with their passion and insistence, but nevertheless their chanting was infectious as she could never remember a time when young kids would literally cheer her on. It was uplifting, if not highly unusual for a grown woman to be competing in a kid's game, but her team needed her now more than ever.

"Move in!" One of the rival team's first baseman cried when they saw her step up to plate.

Moka could see the looks on their faces, that some grown up, a woman no less, whose disrespect no doubt came from the mockery of their teachers, would have the audacity to step up as replacement kicker. They were confident in their ability to end her and her team's chances at victory and glory, especially the pitcher who was pretty high after crippling Kenta.

"This is going to be easy," the pitcher muttered, who Moka could clearly hear from where she stood poised, anxious, and above all in control of the moment.

With overconfidence and a show of disgusting arrogance that would have irked a lesser Moka Akashiya, the pitcher rolls the ball slowly and underhanded, allowing it to smoothly make its way towards her waiting foot. They all expected one of two things: that she'd choke on her kick or actually connect with it, but in a manner so pitiful that even the pitcher would be able to catch it and out her. But, when she kicks the ball, all eyes tilt upward as her 'delicate' strike very nearly sent it so far up that it disappeared over the horizon.

_Ooops! _She thought. _That may have been too much!_

"…Go, go, GO, COACH, GO!" Kirei cried, snapping her and almost everyone else to. "The bases are all yours, take them!"

"Huh?"

"RUN COACH!" Another of her players yelled.

"OH!"

There was very little reason to, as the ball was pretty much gone and all of the opposing team remained glued in the direction it flew, but the crowd of spectators went wild as she rounded every base, cheering her name or waving her onward; it all felt like some movie. Even before landing on home base, everyone raced out to greet her like some legendary MVP running the bases, barely barring her from finishing the run. Needless to say, they won, but it was a little league game afterall, one that was just shy of being some sandlot game, and yet people went ecstatic because of what she did; she had never seen humans react so wildly over a win or for her.

"HEY COACH!" Kirei called out, and as she turned her team poured a pitcher full of red Gatorade over her that, while not water, was still pretty shocking to say the least.

"Oh my god!" She laughed. "You are all so crazy!"

"Hey, that's no fair, we want her on our team!" The rival team's pitcher whined, soon joined by his teammates. "Mrs. Akashiya, would you come coach for us?"

"Yeah!" They all said in unison. "Teach us how to kick like that!"

"Um, well..."

"No, she's our coach!" Kirei shot down. "Go find your own!"

"Sorry," she said to them.

"Ms., Ms.," said a portly gentleman. "My brother works for the leading Women's Soccer team out of Tokyo and are currently looking for a new team captain, would you be interested?"

"Oh my!" She replied, surprised at such an offer. "Um, I don't know, I'd have to think about it!"

It was like that all day as people simply wanted to get to know her, and rather than feel rebuffed by so much attention, she instead relished it. She had not only provided an exciting and fun filled time for the kids and sports enthusiasts alike, but had also earned even more respect from them than before. It was an uplifting feeling to have, one she never would have experienced only a few days prior. Still, however it only felt half exhilarating, feeling as if something or someone was missing, one who's support or respect would have been valued above all else.

"Let's hear it for our coach!" Kirei cheered as they all sat together at his mom's bakery, enjoying their little victory celebration. "COACH LUCY!"

"YEEAAAA!" All the kids cheered, giving her a warm feeling from their jubilation.

"They've really taken to you, Lucy," Takane said to her.

"Yes, I know," she replied; still content on letting folks refer to her as Lucy for the time being as she was still grappling with the name of Moka Akashiya. "I had a blast with them. I admit I was a little hesitant about doing this, coaching a little league team was something I'd never done, but I'm glad you talked me into it."

"And, I'm glad everybody had a good time out of it, especially my son; he's rarely impressionable, but after working with you today, that's beginning to change. You must have that way with kids."

"Oh, no, I don't think I..."

"Come now, don't be modest; even if you don't, you've got a good soul and that would make you a great person to be around children."

"..You really think so?"

"Yeah; I've dealt with my share of bad people in my life, but I can tell you're a good person."

"Thanks," Moka replied, though a part of her felt uneasy after having such an analysis done about her. Takane didn't know her any more than she knew herself, which bothered the victorious, pink haired coach that there might be something dark and unseen hidden underneath.

"Who's ready for a new cake I just prepared?" Takane asked the eager crowd.

"MEEE!" They all pleaded.

"Lucy, could you help me bring it out for these hungry warriors?"

"I'd love to," she said, and together the two women carefully carry out an immense, rectangular shaped vanilla cake with white icing and a cluster of strawberries in its center, which the children immediately proceed to destroy it once it's set before them.

However dark and foreboding the missing thoughts were that continued to keep her mind from seeing the light, her young friends were enjoying themselves today and she wasn't going to let that spoil it. As they celebrated and enjoyed themselves, across the street inside the tea house sat two teenaged boys in a far, secluded corner whose lustful eyes leaned in close to the screen of their laptop to make sure everyone was ignorant to their activities. That activity was being discussed in as much intellectual detail as their underdeveloped minds could muster.

"You're fucking lying!" One boy cried.

"Ssssh, keep it down!" His friend griped. "Look, you won't believe it, but this guy is for real! He bangs all sorts of hotties and then posts them on the web."

"So what? That stuffs all made up anyway, it's scripted, all for show."

"No way, I'm telling you this guy just picks up random girls all the time, has sex with them and posts it on his blog. I'm telling you, this guy is a legend! I've seen him one time prowling all over town and the girls just couldn't help themselves! This guy-"

"Why don't you just admit you want to be his next girlfriend?"

"Fuck off! You just don't understand the Wolfman."

"The Wolfman, seriously?"

"That's what he calls himself. Here, let me show you."

Navigating his way through a few search engines and waiting for the site to pop up, an ear splitting howl came through their speakers that nearly made both boys jump out of their seats.

"Shit!" His reluctant friend whispered. "Turn it down!"

Though it was loud and startling, luckily no one seemed to pay much attention to them so they continued with their little search.

"Dumb ass. You've been to this site so you should have known better."

"Hey, I wear ear phones."

"So you can whack off in secret?"

"So you prefer whacking off with people listening?"

"Fuck off!"

"Hah, you're gay."

"Shut up and show me what you're talking about."

An image popped up of a very confident long dark haired, brown eyed man leaning against a wall with his shirt open to expose a sculpted chest, hands in his pockets, and a cocky smile on his very handsome face, and overhead in big letters across the top was the title: THE WOLFMAN'S DEN.

The background was littered with pictures of Gin at a few of his bouts in a seedy fighting ring standing over a severely beaten opponents, and a large collection of amazingly gorgeous women in all sorts of poses, states of extreme undress to plain out nude dominated the screen. Most of them were looking about adoringly or in assorted erotic poses for his pleasure. Some had names on them where large thumbnail pictures were lined up with certain titles like 'Yuki in the VIP room', 'Kamura in the backroom', 'Sakura and her friend at my place'…The list went on and on with several links to more pages at the bottom, well over fifteen in all with twenty pictures of his gaudy world for curious onlookers to browse.

"You're shitting me," the other teen said as he glanced at each girl with unrealized awe.

"I'm telling you, this guy is for real! He doesn't even try that hard to get these bitches."

"No fucking way."

"Oh, look! He's got another victim," Moving the mouse around and clicking on a link that titled 'Newest Updates', a video media popped up with Gin's face centering the camera.

"Hey everyone, the Wolfman here. I've got to tell you, every now and then I come across a girl who surprises me, and then I come across one who very nearly got away. Well, until recently. Let me tell you a little bit about her."

"Oh, this sounds good."

"Shut up! I'm trying to listen!" His friend whispered, eager to hear this Wolfman for the very first time.

"Now, when I went to high school, there was this girl who was just perfect for the Wolfman. I mean, she had it all, she was smart, sexy, polite, shy, high class, rich, and just over all; she the one I just had to have! Now, I will admit that the Wolfman failed, everyone. He was not able to land her the first time. In fact, she married a really wimpy guy who was in touch with his feminine side, you know, one of those guys, a real little bitch of a boy."

The boys snickered, but continued listening.

"Long story short, so she calls me up not so long ago and we have a nice chat. She's still married and she's looking forward to having kids, becoming a mommy, all that stuff that women of a respectable standing think they want or at least claim to. So I wished her well and left me thinking, wishing what life would have been if her and the Wolfman had tried even once to have a relationship instead of going to that little needle dick she married."

Gin sighed and looked away wistfully as he lowered his head with a heavy heart. Then Gin chuckled from behind his long locks of hair and came back up with a contemptuous grin.

"If you believe that, then you don't know the Wolfman," he said slyly.

The two teens inched closer to the screen.

"Oh yeah, I talked to her, alright, we saw each other again…only her husband was there."

They held their breath in anticipation.

"She was wearing this tight, little black dress that was so tight I could see her nipples and hugged her tits so close they were just dying to come out and play! Oh, she looked perfect with heels, perfume, and her hair…her long pink hair…"

"Pink?" They glanced at each other, but continued to listen with rapt attention.

"Oh, she presented herself like a goddess! Moka, this is her name by the way, opened the door and kissed me! Her fucking little child of a husband was right there in the same room, I'm not joking, and she kissed me, right in front of him with tongue! This girl needed me in every way and I was more than happy to give it to her. Did I care that the son of a bitch who got her back at school was in the same room, pouting and crying like a little girl with her dolly taken? Hell no, because you know why?"

"Why?" The two teens asked at the same time.

"Because the Wolfman gave it to her good. That's right, I had her screaming and loving it as I hit her pussy in places she didn't know existed. Who could blame her? Look with what she was working with from the beginning? She came around eventually. The Wolfman delivered again and again the whole night. Anyways, yeah, she asked for the Wolfman's baby. My swimmers! She wanted my load in her to give her my litter. Get this! She doesn't even want to hold me up for being the actual daddy. She just wants the honor of having my kids and lets the Wolfman loose to play without any attachments. Oh, that was so sweet being with her."

Gin sighed as he looked up into the air, reliving the memory.

"And, man she tasted as I always thought she would. Her smell, her feel, her heat, her wetness…Damn, I'm telling you, she was as sweet as a virgin for me!"

Two short barks of laughter escaped the teens lips as they soon shushed each other and continued watching, all the while Gin was ranting on like a victorious stooge.

"Oh, and he cried and whined after we were done," he raved, shaking his head. "I mean, he was listening to the whole thing, the whole time! Pathetic, just pathetic. Seriously, what kind of man lets his wife get fucked while he just stands there? Poor guy, not! He probably wanted some pointers, since we're old friends. If he needs to, he can watch my technique, see his woman take it like a champ and show him how insignificant his little pee wee dick is compared to yours truly. Yeah, we kept after it even when he left to go weep in his little pillow down the street somewhere. That girly fag, Tsukune, that's the pussy's name, Tsukune Aono, probably went to go see his mommy or something. Who knows?"

He received more high fives and snickers from his adoring public.

"Anyways, I'm going to do you all a favor and get her on here for you. Don't tell anyone." Gin winked at the screen. "I want it to be a surprise. Oh, and if you happen to see a couple of little yours truly's out there, don't get in the way of their women, because Daddy's little guys can't help but be like their poppa."

"Ah, this guy is awesome!"

"Really can't wait to see this girl. I bet she's incredible if he's giving this kind of preview."

Gin started to exit the screen and then came back.

"Okay, the link is all set up, a snick peek of one of our more wild and crazy nights; enjoy."

Curious, the two boys clicked on the link and were immediate witness to what looked to be a preview of some amateur porn vid. The players, an suspecting, yet shapely pink haired woman was having a foursome of sorts with three other women fucking her, while she fucked the lucky, dark haired star of this show who stroked her apple shaped head as she continued to blowing him; the two boys enjoyed every 3 minutes of it.

"Admittedly, she got old real fast, they all do, but still it was worth it, man! Still, would it be in bad taste to send a free link to the husband? And, if you're watching this, Tsukune, you wouldn't mind, right? I mean, we are friends, aren't we? It's all good, between you and me, man. Anyway, he might want to relive his shame over and over again and, who knows, maybe he'll get something out of it. He can go pleasure some thirteen year old teen who might find him 'accommodating' till she meets with me whenever she wants to become a real woman. Heh, give me your thoughts. The Wolfman _is_ out!"

The camera clicks off and the two teens look at the other.

"I'm so going to get onto this."

"Don't you have to be eighteen to view it?"

"Are you eighteen?"

"No."

"Then shut the fuck up and send me the link, asshole."

"Man! Hey, you know something, I swear I saw that woman before; the pink haired woman he stole from her husband."

"No you haven't, you're full of it!"

"I am not; I'm telling you I've seen her around here!"

"Where?"

"Around here!"

His friend looks at him with disbelief, but quickly dismisses it entirely.

"Dude, I'm not making this up!"

"That's just sad, man; you're trying to act like you know the bitch just because you've never gone on to this site before!"

"Dude, I'm not the only one; one of my friends at school said they saw a pink haired woman win a card game in this teahouse, and then went and got a tramp stamp."

"A tramp stamp? Why would she or anyone for that matter go and get a tramp stamp of all things; that's just tacky."

"I know, real slutty and desperate, if you ask me, but I know she was in this town."

"Well, it must've been someone else, because a guy like the Wolfman wouldn't bang some desperate skank with a tramp stamp!"

"Look, whatever, just pay for the online membership so we can watch the rest of it."

"No way, you pay for your own!"

"But it costs four thousand yen a month!"

"Yeah, so?"

"You don't have that."

"I do if I use my dad's credit card."

"You're such a loser."

"Yeah, but at least I wasn't whacking it to free three minute samples."

"Why don't we just share the username and password?"

"Uhm…I'm not having you in the same room with me while you choke your chicken."

"We can be at my house and take turns!"

"No way. I don't trust you giving it away because-"

They argued incessantly, annoying nearby patrons, some of whom heard some of the Wolfman's rants and thought very little of it.

"Man, sure sounds like someone _compensating_ for something," one guy mused to his girlfriend, who laughed.

XXX

Tsukune Aono has been many things in the eyes of so many: some good, some bad. In fact, it took years of perilous trials for him to rise from a scrawny, frightened human teen to a high vampire lord and heir of a vast kingdom, to be recognized as a powerful force to be reckoned with. Then, ultimately he earned the right to become husband and mate to one of the most beautiful women that ever lived. Now, in a few short days, after one night, one unforgettable night, the very name of Tsukune Aono has been reduced to something worth laughing at or spat on by no less than his own, beloved wife, her boy toy and former friend, and now low-life teenagers. It wasn't humiliating enough he'd been made less of a man in the eyes of his wife and the man she fucked, but now it seemed the whole world would embody her desire to see him as someone worth derision, all because of his failure to act or perceive to act fast enough to the situation as a husband is expected to, a charge he still felt was undeserving; nevertheless, she had made sure of that it was. In spite of all that, in spite of how low his image has gotten, and in spite of the absence of his friends, he nonetheless stood erect and stoic before her father-in-law the best he could.

After the fight Ruby was forced to take Yukari back to Yokai Academy and tend to her injuries, and now without any friends to back him, left to deal with his wife who currently had the edge, he felt truly on his own in the world; she had made sure of that. So, as he stood before her family in the study, his once cherished bride standing stoically far to his side, Tsukune wondered what would become of him, now. The odds never looked so out of his favor than now, yet still he tried to remain as firm and composed as best he could. Calm, however proved difficult as he barely glances over at the love of his life and couldn't find any trace of remorse in that steely, cold face. In spite of everything that has happened, from the moment she took Gin on top of her to very nearly killing Yukari, all it in some fit of proud anger, Moka Aono had always maintained the belief that she was above blame for this, resolute in the notion that it was for a good far above anyone else. And yet, Tsukune knew a part of her, however small, was sorry for what happened, though it was of small comfort.

"I understand some events occurred that were not supposed to," Lord Issa Shuzen began. "Did I not make it explicit that I wanted to have you brought before my chambers, daughter and not trolling for a fight?"

"Forgive us, father," Kokoa humbly apologized, "it won't happen again."

"I trust young Yukari is okay?" Akasha asked with genuine concern.

"She got in my way," was all Moka could say. "What happened was of her own doing, she shouldn't have allowed herself to interfere."

"…She is doing well," Tsukune answered, angered by Moka's response. "She is in stable condition, from what I've heard."

"You supplied her with some of your blood, did you not?" Issa asked him.

"I did, my lord; just enough for her to heal herself."

"I see. And you, Moka my daughter, we've heard your say; have you anything further?"

"I only ask for your forgiveness," she said to him, humbly bowing before him and surprising Tsukune as thinks that maybe she'll come clean about everything. "I have brought this unnecessary trouble to your doorstep, by care of my wayward mate, who stepped out of line by coming here without my permission and seeking this audience."

"Unnecessary trouble, you say? That will be determined on what you have to say to these charges brought against you. From what your mate has told us, you have plenty to account for, _if _there is any truth to them."

"Yes, something about making puppies with a mangy dog," Gyokuro said.

"Moka," Akasha spoke, "you're not on trial here; we only want the truth."

"Speak for yourself," Gyokuro retorted. "I want the truth and a good ole' fashioned trial."

Moka glared over at Tsukune, growling her disapproval of humiliating her like this, but he didn't look back.

"If anyone is to be on trial here, it is Ria!" She replied.

"Ria?" Her father asked, looking in the direction of his lieutenant.

"Yes, for interfering in our private matters, matters pertaining to me and mate, only after we made it clear to her that she not having anything to do with us, and making off with him without so much as informing me of his whereabouts! Because of this, he has shirked his responsibilities as a husband to me."

"Shirked my responsibilities?" Tsukune blurts out. "I hadn't shirked anything; it's you who..."

"Silence!" Issa called out to him, calmly yet threateningly. "Let her finish, I want to hear what she has to say."

Hearing her father rebuke Tsukune did bring some modicum of satisfaction, but she wanted to end this quickly and drag her husband home without any further incident.

"Ria made off with him and delivered him to Yokai Academy, where he pleasured himself with the two witches who reside there, while I was left dealing with the rent on our apartment, and the insufferable humiliation of being an abandoned wife!"

Tsukune looked at Moka, shocked at these outlandish accusations and her portrayal of a jilted spouse; she was pleased he finally did look in her direction however, rather than simply disavow her very existence.

"My lord," he cried, "may I speak?"

"You may."

"…I admit I failed to provide to live up to her expectations, I admit I failed to…find a more reasonable way to honor her wishes, but that is not how it happened!"

"A more _reasonable__ way_?" Moka asked, incredulously. "As if you haven't insulted me enough, now you think you could have bargained your way out of our disagreement, a disagreement you could've ended by simply doing as I had asked!"

"Is that why you blame me for not stopping you from sleeping with Gin?"

"G-GIN!" Kokoa blurted out.

"Gin; is that this wolf's name?" Issa asked.

"Yes, father; Ginei Morioka, a friend of ours from high school."

"A werewolf named Gin, huh?" Gyokuro asked. "How quaint."

"A werewolf, my mistress, that my dear sister sought out to breed with, apparently," Ria spoke out.

"Well, now we have a name; we can certainly hunt down this wolf and hang his pelt, dick and all, above our mantle," Gyokuro suggested.

"A wise decision, my mistress, might I be the one who delivers his hide to you?" Ria asked.

"No!" Moka cried out with an earnestness that was painfully evident to Tsukune, as well as her father.

"No?" Ria asked her as every eye turned to her sister.

"No."

"So, you have feelings for him, then?"

"I do not! I simply do not wish to bring this man into any of this!"

"Why?"

"Why?" Moka repeated.

"Yes; why should you care?"

Moka saw both her father and mother look at her with an especially intent gaze, a gaze that quickly made even her feel uncomfortable, especially from him.

"I…I don't have to explain myself to you; my decisions are mine alone, not yours," she replied, defiantly.

"Moka, my daughter, you are as invaluable as a pearl," he tells her, in which Ria bitterly clenched and unclenched her fists, yet remained as dignified as possible where she stood. "But, Tsukune Aono has proven to be a valuable asset, as well. I'm sure you know how I've wanted a male heir to succeed me, and out of the many potential suitors for you and your sisters, and believe me there were many, none have been ideal to fill my position than the man you, yourself have selected, right here; which troubles me greatly when he comes all this way just to renounce his bond to you."

"I understand father," she replies. "I would never do anything to hurt or humiliate you, but you must let me explain..."

"I will, in due time, but first I want him to say to me, to your mother, and to everyone else again what his intentions are and explain them so that you may hear them."

Tsukune took a deep breath, perfectly ready to do what needed to be done, but still horribly adverse to this, especially with Moka now present.

"...My Lord and, _Ms._ Akashiya," he said, eyeing Moka when he addressed her. "I seek to renounce the one named Moka Akashiya as my wife, for reasons that..."

"Stop it!" Moka snapped at him. "Father, this is ridiculous! Don't let him..." 

"You will allow him to say his peace until finished, just as he had!" Lord Shuzen told her.

"But, father..."

"Moka!" He rebuked, and she remained quiet.

"You may continue, Tsukune."

"..On the grounds she had sought another man and...and wanted to bear his child."

"I…I still find this hard to believe," said Akasha.

"It is true," he said morosely.

"You two love each other very much, I refuse to believe it."

"That may have been true, once, but Ms. Akashiya has proven…she doesn't love me anymore," he said, causing Moka to flinch angrily. "I see that now; that, all I was to her was a food source, a tool to remove her rosary when she couldn't, and whenever I was close to death, she systematically gave me her blood so as to turn me into a vampire like her only. It made me feel like I was more to her, and when we finally became one as a couple, it was the happiest of either of our lives, but because I would not agree with how our children should be raised, she has since decided that...I was unfit for her future plans, from here on."

"Lies!" Moka hissed underneath teeth.

"Well, of course you were nothing more than a pliable food source," Gyokuro remarked. "Just about the only good thing about you is your blood, as for her flip-flopping attitude, well you can blame mommy dearest over yonder."

"None of that is true, is it?" Akasha asked Moka, who was only too happy to speak.

"No! None of it! That rant of his is _completely_ unfounded and has no basis in reality! I never treated him as just a food source or a tool, he knows that! And, I haven't fallen in love for another man! He knows why I did all of this, he's lying to discredit me!"

"So, you do love him then?" Lord Shuzen asked. "You still wish to remain his mate?"

"Yes; to suggest otherwise is preposterous!"

"Might I interject, my lord?" Ria asked, which further frustrated Moka. "Perhaps we should rephrase the question a little."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, sister dear, perhaps we should have asked, do you favor him more than the sex this 'Mr. Right-at the moment' gave you?"

Tsukune and Moka looked at each other as the defiant vampiress had her self-righteous declaration of commitment, and her very honor, openly challenged.

"I do not!" She responded. "I don't care for that fool, what kind of question is that? I think the bigger question is why my husband, my bloodmate would refer to me as a common stranger rather than as his one, true mate; I am not Ms. Akashiya, I am Mrs. Aono! Get that through your thick skull!"

"You disagree, Tsukune?" Ria asked.

"..Yes."

"Damn it, Tsukune! This is not what you were supposed to do, you were..."

"What was I supposed to do, _Ms_. Akashiya?"

"...I swear, if you call me that one more...You were supposed to cede to my demands, come back home, apologize and admit being in the wrong! Instead, you come all the way over here and do this! How could you do this to me? You were supposed to love me, how can you insinuate I don't when you're over here trying to annul our union rather than simply admit you were wrong and get over it!"

"Get over it? Get over it! I can't believe you, Moka! Even now, you're still clinging on to your pride like it's the only thing that matters; well you're losing everything, I hope it was worth it?"

"I will never surrender my pride to anyone; not to you, not anyone!"

"Even our children? That is what all of this is about."

"Yes, especially our children, because it'll be the only thing that'll teach them to be strong!"

"And you talk about humans being a dangerous influence to them!"

"They are! And, if you think my pride will suffer you trying to renounce me before my father, then you have another thing coming, fool!"

"Moka," Lord Shuzen started to say after painfully taking in their squabble. "This discussion is quite tiresome, to say the least, and as loathsome as it is to have my children bicker amongst themselves over such intangible things as pride and imaginary grandchildren, that is not why you are here, my daughter. Now, I've never known you to lie to me, not once. I've trained you all to abhor lying, and you have yet to fail me in that regard, Moka. That's why, after hearing these horrid things about you, I summoned you here before me to have you look me in the eye and tell me with your own words what really happened on the night in question; I've already heard from Ria, I've already heard from your mate over there, and now I want to hear it from you. Did you have sex with this Ginei Morioka, this alien to the family you helped complete by bringing Tsukune into, for the express purpose of having his children?"

She had imagined this moment for some time now, mentally prepping herself again and again of how righteous the cause was and that father would be most proud. Moka Akashiya Aono, from the day she chose Tsukune to be her mate, to the very last night she spent with Gin, had been too focused with her calculations, with all of the intent of a woman who knew what she wanted, who had been motivated every step of the way by a rock solid pride that suffered no fool. This was the moment, that very moment, where it would all pay off and proudly declare to the sniveling, frightened part of herself that wanted to back out at every turn that she stood before father, mother, and every member of her family, told them all the details and her reasoning behind it, and duly rewarded for acting in the interests of her species, as well as her family.

"Yes, I did it!" She proudly proclaimed. "I slept with Gin, and you know what?"

She paused and looked at Tsukune, smiling smugly with a defiant look at her traitorous, disappointment of a mate, before adding.

"I enjoyed every minute of it! And, you wish to know why? You wish to know why I did it all of it and for whom? It was because of his former kind, because you sent me to a human school alone, powerless, and ultimately helpless! I did all that I could to survive, and when I did, I vowed that if I bore any children, that they would not experience what I went through. If I had a means to show you my memories, the indignities I endured...Father, I remembered what you said, how I should draw upon what makes me strong, and I have. By taking Gin into my bed, rather than acquiesce to my mate's foolish demands that our children, your future bloodline, be raised around humans and risk being tainted by their ignorance, I made a stand not just for my honor, but for yours as well. I did this for you, father, I did it for the future of the Shuzen line and the vampire race, and I would do it again, too!"

They didn't respond, and yet showed little sign of approval, glaring instead over at Tsukune; however, Moka continued.

"Did he tell you what he did on the night in question? Nothing! He just stood there, outside our room while we made love, huddling against the door like a depraved child. And, when we finished and he had to face what he allowed happen, he simply walked out of our apartment and to my sister, Ria, who ferried him away to Yokai Academy where he fornicated with one of the witches there, while I, **I** remained behind without my husband to deal with the shame of being abandoned! Now, he stands before you, wishing to renounce me, your own daughter because of his own inadequacies, as if he hadn't humiliated me enough!"

"It's not like that," he meekly responds. "I wasn't trying to humiliate you!"

"Oh?" Moka barked, walking angrily up to his face. "You call letting another man fuck me, the entire time I looked to you to act, not humiliating me? You call abandoning your wife, your bloodmate, alone where she had to deal with not only the intrusions of your former, human family, but that of the entire neighborhood, not humiliating me? You call being forced to perform lewd, degrading jobs just to raise enough money for the rent you forgot to have the sense in paying before you left, all the while you're out to god know where, fucking other women and then coming here to have me renounced, NOT HUMILIATING ME? You have some nerve. This is a blatant affront to me, no, a stab in the back, and after everything I've done for you! Saving your life time and again, turning you from a pathetic weakling into one of the most supreme monsters to walk the planet, and then naming you my mate! If the act wouldn't be embarrassing for me, as well as you, I'd renounce you, but your punishment won't be so easy."

After finishing her tirade, Lord Shuzen, having heard her side gets up and walks toward her. His face blank, but she could see some shimmer of inner shame, as though he had done some terrible injustice, and immediately embraced her in a hug.

"I…I had no idea you went through," he whispered, low enough so that only the two of them would hear. "I thought I was toughening you up, but now I see..."

"Oh, Moka dear," her mother said. "How could you put her through that, Issa!"

"Mother," she said.

"I don't think I need to explain my decisions to you!" He replied.

"I would certainly think you should, in this case," Gyokuro intervened, surprisingly coming to both Akasha and Moka's defense. "You sent her, your own daughter, out into that world with hardly any use of her powers to call upon."

"No wonder she did what she did," said Kokoa. "If I were in her shoes, I think I'd do the same thing."

"I can't believe you're seriously buying this?" Ria asked, aghast at this show of affection, and though she didn't need it, Moka felt like gloating to her sister's face. "What she did is still a heinous offense!"

"A heinous offense brought about by her time living in the human world," Akasha defended. "None of which should have happened had you not ordered she be forced to go at so early an age!"

"Be quiet!" He snapped back. "I will not be heckled at because of a decision I made years ago."

"Mother, father, please stop fighting," Moka said, her voice composed and refined in the face of her parents' argument. "Father believed what he was doing was just and now there's very little that can be done; what's done is done. What we can do is make sure this is not repeated again, and that certain someone's be made to remember what folly there is in thinking that humans and vampires can get along."

Suddenly, all eyes were directed at Tsukune, who began to feel incredibly tiny than before and secretly wished he was gone.

"Well, you are a disappointment," Gyokuro said, "but then, I always thought you were."

"What about Ria?" Moka asked. "Her interference only made it worse."

"My lord," Ria started to defend, "I have only ever done right by you; I-I thought that..."

"I will deal with you later," Lord Shuzen said, unnervingly.

"B-But..."

"Later, lieutenant! As for Aono. What he has done was a grave injustice to you, my daughter. As your mate, he should have acted properly and forcefully removed Gin from off of you; not only that, but he dare suggest siring my grandchildren amongst humans and acting not like a proper vampire, but as a decrepit human! Perhaps, I failed in adequately naming my heir by choosing you."

All of the women glared at Tsukune; to fail before father was a great insult to bear, but to insinuate or have the very man himself insinuate that he, himself had failed was considered an affront, one that would not be suffered lightly by those who respected him, highly.

"F-Forgive me, my lord," a sullen, defeated Tsukune responded, seeing how hopeless it was to continue, and bowing humbly before father and daughter. "And, forgive me, Moka..my bloodmate. I should have acted more like your husband, and not such an embarrassment. I promise, we'll raise our children around vampires only until they are old enough to protect themselves, as you wished. Moka..."

"...Moka?"

"Moka!" Her father called, snapping the silvery haired vampiress from her daydream and right back to the proceedings. "I am waiting for your answer."

"M-My answer?" She asked, briefly confused as to what he was talking about and incurring a few, stifled giggles from Ria and Gyokuro.

"Did you sleep with this Gin person?" He asked, growing more and more impatient. "I will not ask again!"

Moka looks at her father, mother, stepmother, and sisters, all focusing on her and waiting as patiently as possible for the answer that could make or break their very, indomitable family.

_What are you waiting for? _Outer Moka's consciousness asked. _This is the moment we've been waiting for, right?_

But, as the fearless Moka stared at her waiting family, especially her father, who valued the truth above all else and knew full well she shared his views, there came a sliver of fear that took firm grip, squeezing out tear of sweat that poured down the back of her neck; a most alien sensation that was soon followed by a pang of hesitation. Her father's eyes, large and red pierced into her very soul, almost searching for the truth and trying to find out that not everything she did was as noble as she dreamt. To reveal such facts would be humiliating to him and his reputation, and her enemies like Ria or Gyokuro would relish to see not only her, but her mother's reputation tarnished, as well. Her mother, she saw, looked on with pleading eyes, believing in the virtues of her daughter, and yet battled a fear that threatened to destroy her before Moka's eyes. Kokoa, as well, who had always looked up to her growing up, almost shared those same, forlorn green eyes, if only with an even fiercer battle waging from within. In their eyes, her image still remained untarnished; what will they think of her after she admits to everything? Furthermore, what will become of her when father learns of this and doesn't accept what she's done? The punishment will be most severe, her marriage to Tsukune nullified, and everything she worked and dreamed for would be rendered moot. Moka at last had to face reality that this might not work the way she hoped and it was a reality she must avoid facing at all cost!

"Moka," her father slowly began to say in the most irritable, threatening tone he could muster, "if you don't..."

"Excuse me father," she replied, "but…no; nothing happened, it isn't true."

"What?" Tsukune asked.

"M-Moka," Ria stammered.

"Damn!" Gyokuro commented. "For a moment, just for _one_ moment, I thought...eh."

Though Moka couldn't see it, she heard Kokoa let a loud sigh of relief at the news, as her sister's word being good enough, however she could see the look on her mother's face hadn't grown better. While mother Akasha was relieved to hear her daughter deny the accusations, she could clearly see the look of astonishment on Tsukune's face, reminding her that there was still more to this that had yet to be resolved, and left some room of soul numbing doubt.

"You disagree, Tsukune?" Lord Shuzen asked.

"Y-Yes! She is lying, my lord, she's lying!"

All the vampires very nearly made a collective gasp at the accusation; never has anyone so boldly accused a vampire of high standing as themselves of deceit without declaring a challenge, especially if those accusations were of the infallible Moka, who was surprised he would try to challenge her.

"So," she said to him with icy breath, "you really do wish to challenge me. I never thought I'd see this in you."

"Moka, you know it isn't true, you're lying to your father right now.."

"Tsukune," Lord Shuzen ordered.

"Tell them the truth, Moka, you had sex with..."

"MR. AONO!" He yelled, and his word spoken was law in his home. "I will not have you label my daughter a liar to her face, much less in this home, is that understood?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Good."

"But, I maintain story," he said, a statement that to everyone in the room seemed almost in direct defiance of the lord of vampires, still insinuating that Moka Akashiya Aono had lied.

"Did you say something, Mr. Aono?"

"I had; I said your daughter is wrong, she did sleep with that guy."

"Are you insane?" Kokoa yelled, looking fearfully at her father, who saw Tsukune's argument as a direct challenge to him. "Just shut up and stop calling my sister a li..."

"No!" Tsukune yelled, at his wits end by all of this. "Begging your pardon, my lord, but your daughter is-lying!"

"...Few men, very few, have insulted me or my daughter quite boldly as you and lived! Be careful the path you're treading, young one."

"I will not budge on this. I may be guilty of not acting when I was supposed to, but I'm acting on this, now. You're so blinded by your love for Moka you can't even see what's she's doing!"

The red eyes of these two men stared down one another, neither one backing down, and all the women in there, including both Ria and Moka, feared that they would battle, possibly to the death; a possibility Moka dearly did not want happen as a result of her.

"Father," she said, finally calm. "My mate is…distressed, perhaps I should remove him from your sights keep him restrained."

She moves to grab his hand, but Tsukune rips it away from his grasp.

"Tsukune!" She hissed through her teeth. "Stop this foolishness, I do not want you fighting my father!"

"I'm not going anywhere! Moka, why aren't you telling everybody the truth? You never lie, so why are you doing so, now?"

"I'm not...!" She yelled, feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable at this new situation being developed. "Look, you're upset; now isn't the time to be lashing out like a child!"

Moka saw Issa Shuzen begin to stand up, and she was half ready to stand in between them, determined to do whatever else it took to protect her husband, short of coming clean about lying and facing the consequences.

"It would appear this matter has become more alarming than one would be led to believe," Issa remarked, his gaze becoming icy cold, while his demonic energy began to radiate. "May choose your words wisely, boy, lest you die as a result of your argument over unnamed children."

"I will not," he reiterated his stance.

"Tsukune," Akasha intervened, "you disagree with our daughter's answer; why?"

"Because I was there," he replied, standing further out of Moka's repeated grasps. "I saw it happen, all of it!"

"Tsukune!" Moka whispered, but he continued on.

"She made sure I was home and not at work that day, she wanted me to find out about! She was determined that I know she had accomplished the deed, one way or another. And…And when she invited him into our home, dressed in the cocktail dress she bought, wearing the perfume that I bought for her on her birthday..."

"The perfume," said Akasha, eyeing her daughter quickly with a blank look, "I remember, go on."

_What is she doing? _Moka wondered. _Why is she trying to hear all of this? Mom!_

"...I saw her lead Gin into our room and..."

Having been forced to openly recount that nightmare again and again, detail after vomit inducing detail, was starting to take its toll on him, but after very nearly challenging Lord Shuzen, he began to feel that all too common fear amongst vampires of having their vulnerability taking over their pride, and he powered on through.

"I heard them through the door! When it was over..."

"Alright, that's enough!" Moka yelled. "You don't know what you're saying, you don't know anything, so shut up!"

"I will not shut up; why'd you do it! Why'd you sleep with Gin?"

"Why did you let it happen?"

"I..I didn't let anything happen, you chose to..."

"The entire time it was going on, I wanted you to come in and do something, to tell me that you would agree to raise our children away from humans, but you didn't! Who does that? What husband would just stand on the other side of the door without acting to preserve his marriage?"

"I will not have any more of this bickering from either of you," Lord Shuzen intervened. "I've heard quite enough of this he said, she said drivel, and if hear anymore then the consequences will be dire for both of you, lying or not!"

"But, father he did nothing, I tell you! He should be ashamed of his inactions as a mate!"

"I am not concerned over what he did or did not do, but rather what did or did not happen in your bedroom. Now, you said nothing happen?"

"That is right. It was all for show. I took Gin into our bedroom, that I do admit, but all we did was make out; it never went beyond that, I made sure of it. Tsukune, my mate over here, was meant to become incensed at the knowledge of another man on top of his mate and enter the room to stop by acquiescing to my demands, not stand idly by on the other side of the door and then run away! The coward!"

"So, it was psychological torture, you're saying?" Gyokuro asked.

"Yes, but that's not the point!"

"Bravo, Akasha, you've raised yourself a true vampire."

Gyokuro's words of encouragement, welcoming or not, was disheartening for Tsukune to hear and made his prospects all the more dismal.

"So, you used another man to torture your husband into accepting your side of an argument," Akasha began to ask, "over how to raise your children?"

"But, but, it wasn't my intention to go that far; regardless, nothing happened with Gin, I didn't betray my bond with Tsukune, and more importantly you should've seen the way he handled the situation!"

"I don't really care how he handled it," Lord Shuzen replied. "In the future, Moka I'd appreciate it if you didn't play mind games with your husband; psychological torture is not your fortei, but your sister's."

"My lord," Ria interjected, ironically enough becoming Tsukune's only champion in this. "Might I say something on Tsukune's behalf?"

"That is?"

"That…maybe he's right," she boldly says to her father, dismayed that her own sister would, herself be so bold in lying for the very first time.

"You doubt your sister's sincerity in these matters?" He calmly challenged her. "You believe she actually sullied herself with another man, a werewolf no less, and is now lying to my face?"

"Well...y-yes!"

He sat back down in his chair and calmly looks up at his eldest daughter and trusted Right-hand officer, trying his best to indulge her, as well as Tsukune.

"And, you have proof to back up his claims?" He asked.

"Proof?"

"Yes; any physical evidence. I am about to make a decision that will affect this family's standing for generations to come, based on something that I have or any of my partners here have ever bore witness to from one of our most trusted daughters. Now, she has claimed that it didn't happen, and I'm going to need more than just hearsay."

"What kind of proof do you need?" Tsukune loudly asked, not just to him, but to everyone. "Isn't my testimony enough?"

"When stacked against my daughter's, it is of equal worth," Lord Shuzen tells him. "You've told me one thing, and I've heard another from my daughter. Maybe, if you hadn't stood outside of a closed door and listened to the proceedings without so much as entering the chambers, maybe you'd have had more."

"What?" He asked, quickly becoming angered. "I didn't need to open the fucking door to see!"

"Do not bark at me!"

"_I know what they were doing_! I heard everything; they weren't making out! None of it was an act, she took that man, that animal into our room and had sex with him!"

"Tsukune, stop!" Moka cried, who noticed what this was doing to her mother and father.

"And..." he continued, "and when she had him open the door to see if I was still outside...the smell...no one should...I didn't need to go in and see, and I'm not LYING NOW!"

"That is enough!" Lord Shuzen bellowed. "I will not have you slander your mate's reputation and like an unruly child in my prescence, have I not made myself clear?"

"Father," Moka spoke up, "let me apologize for him; my mate..."

"Your mate, Moka," her father interrupts, this time casting a disapproving glare towards her, "is your responsibility!"

"I know that, father..."

"Do you? Because, I don't think you've fully grasped the concept!"

"I do father, I grasp ever bit of the Blood Bond between vampires, of a wife and husband. I thought my husband knew that too, but when he allowed that man..."

"Yes, his inactions as a husband should be taken into account, but so should your inactions as a wife!"

"F-Father?"

"You knew your husband had wondered off because he failed to comprehend your actions, am I right?"

"Yes, but..."

"And, yet you did nothing to find out what had become of him? You didn't ascertain if he had gotten in trouble, you made no attempt to retrieve him and make him understand your motives; from what I understand, you did nothing? May I ask why?"

"I...," Moka was at a loss for words; she had never expected to be faced with these questions, assuming her inactions were to be expected of a vampire. "I thought that, if I went to look for him, it would be a sign of weakness on my part."

"So, you decided not to look for him, but instead sat on your ass and waited for an undetermined amount of time on the assumption that he may, one day come back?"

"Um, well..."

"Never taking in account that he could have gotten into trouble, trouble that would come back to us!"

"I...I..look, I called Ria, and..."

"Yes, I know. She told me the whole correspondence between you, and yet you never came after him, never requested Ria return him or called me to arrange a meet between the two of you so that this entire mess could be resolved. Why?"

"I...I don't know," she said, looking nearly defeated and humiliated. "I guess I never stopped to think; there's no excuse to offer."

"As bloodmates, you two have proven disappointing," he said, his words like a dagger being plunged into Moka's heart. "However, such is to be expected from young newlyweds, only four years into their union; had you both been older, there would be no excuse."

"My lord...," Tsukune spoke up, stammering his words, trying to keep his thoughts composed and maintain as much decorum as he could to justify his case, which seemed on the verge of collapse before his demoralized eyes; he would not allow her to do that to him, again.

"There is nothing else to be said, son," an annoyed Lord Shuzen said to him

"Oh yes there is, there's plenty. I have no pride, no dignity left; I've been made a fool of by the woman I swore my life to, been betrayed by a close friend and made peace with my enemies to come here," he says, eyeing Ria who smirks his way. "What would I have to gain by deceiving you, here, now?"

"Tsukune," Akasha tries to say, but he continues:

"I have nothing, I would have gained nothing; I'm asking to be separated from your daughter, the woman I've loved since high school, the woman I changed species for! I would lose so much, I would even lose my position as your heir! What would I gain by traveling all this way and requesting an audience with you, Akahsa and your wife, and possibly risk my own life and those of my friends just to tell you that your daughter has cheated, no hurt me and now I no longer wish to be married to her? What would I gain from lying to you, Lord Shuzen?"

"No one is calling you a liar!" Issa calmly, but angrily responded. "I did not say to your face that you have deceived us in any way, only that you were mistaken in your judgment."

"But..."

"Moka, daughter."

"I look to you to do your duties as a wife and set your mate straight! This intolerable situation should have been handled behind the closed doors of you home."

"Yes, father."

"And, as far as grandchildren are concerned, the decision on where they shall be raised should be left to your mother and I; if you two are not better able to find a more suitable solution, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, father."

"No!" Tsukune yells. "I don't accept this! I'm not going back to that place! I won't let this go like it was nothing!"

"TSUKUNE!" Moka snapped. "Father's word is final, it's…over! Now, come back with me so that we may work to save our apartment! We'll discuss all of this when it's settled."

"NO!" He yells, loudly. "What kind of ruling is this, this is bullshit!"

"Look," Kokoa intentionally mocked, "I think he's about to lose control and transform back into a ghoul."

"Moka," her father growled, worried that Tsukune's erratic behavior is a sign of his reverting back into a ghoul and that he would have to kill him, right away.

"Tsukune, listen to me," Moka tries to tell him, grabbing for his arm and trying to keep him cooled.

"How could you do this?" He asked her, ripping his arm from her grasp.

"Do you want to be killed? Because you will!"

"Tell them the truth, tell them you lied, you _did_ sleep with Gin!"

"Tsukune!"

"Knock, knock," came a voice from the door, and to everyone's surprise saw Caro Shade, boldly poking her head from behind the door and interfering in this discussion. "Sorry, my ears were burning and I couldn't..."

"YOU UNGRATEFUL SUCCUBUS WHORE!" Gyokuro barked. "HOW DARE YOU STICK YOUR NOSE IN OUR AFFAIRS!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Lord Issa demanded, raising a hand to keep his enraged wife restrained.

"Caro?" Moka asked, confused by her sudden appearance; confused, and deeply troubled. "What..what is she doing here? Father, mother?"

"It's..a long story, Moka," her mother replied, sadly.

"As I was about to say, before I was so rudely interrupted," Caro says, casually strolling into the private chambers, and their even more private, family meeting, "I couldn't help, but hear your dilemma, Issy baby, and I thought I could offer my assistance."

"Do not call him Issy!" Ria said through gritted teeth.

"Get out of here!" Kokoa threatened, but Lord Issa refused to have any altercation in his room, especially after the mysterious offer that his current concubine would dare enter a family discussion to make.

"Quiet, all of you!" He says to them. "I will decide her fate if it warrants it!"

"If it warrants it?" Moka boldly questioned his choice words. "Do you have any idea what...?"

"What is it that you want, Caro?" Lord Issa demanded without hearing what his daughter had to say. "Make it quick, make it good, I am in no mood for your banter!"

"Fine," Caro replied, sending a teasing look to both Tsukune, who was just as surprised to see her in the room as everyone else, and Moka who looked ready to murder her; such a look only made the sultry succubus smile even more. "You have a problem between your two newlyweds, and the only way to really resolve this, once and for all, is to somehow witness everything that happened for yourselves. I can fix that."

"How?"

"You know one of my species' greatest talents is the dreamscape, right? Basically, we can dig around our victim's inner most thoughts: their hopes, their fears, their...secrets."

Caro's smile started to chill even Moka's "indomitable" vampire juices, fearing what this succubus might uncover, but she quickly dismisses it as being unlikely for a creature like that to penetrate a vampire's memory.

"Surely you jest?" Kokoa asked. "A big breasted freak like you could never read our minds, hell you can't even control us, our minds are far too superior for you!"

Caro glances Moka's way, giving a tell-tale smile that served to infuriate her to no end.

"Stay in your place, you whore!" Moka growled. "What Kokoa says is true, you _can't_ control me, not while I'm at my peak strength!"

"What my daughters speak the truth," Issa says to her. "Or else, I would not think twice to sleep with you and not be inclined to kill you."

Though hearing him allude to their sexual encounters greatly disturbed Akasha, as it did Ria, they nonetheless were curious to know why Caro remained cocky in the face of her limitations.

"Yes, they do speak the truth, and _you_ do have nothing to worry...but, that's only because I'm usually conserving my strength after such rough-housing."

"What is your point?"

"My point is that I am an arch succubus, the strongest of our kind, and a vampire's mind wouldn't be as hard as you might think. I can crack your daughter's nut."

"Watch what you say," Akasha threatened.

"I meant her head," Caro corrected. "Gosh, she's the only reason I'm even here, remember?"

Akasha looked ready to wipe the smug look off of the woman who was sleeping with the man she loved, but Issa raised his hand to silence their fight, growing weary by all of this and anxious to see where Caro was going with this.

"So, you intend to peer into my daughter's mind?" He asked. "And then, what? Tell us what you found? What good would that serve, it will be your word against hers."

"Not if all of you were to witness it for yourselves," she suggests.

"How?" Gyokuro asked, this time her interest peeked.

"My sister; her powers are nearly my own, and with are powers linked, we can not only dig around your daughter's…mind, but sort of broadcast it for you to see. I promise, I won't bring up anything personal, only that what matters to you, right now."

"Ageha?" Tsukune asked.

"Why yes, honey," she said with a flirtatious wink that aggravated Moka, some.

"And, where is she?"

"With your old master, and her friend," she replied, casting another smug glance Akasha's way.

"Tohofuhai?"

"Details, hun, details. Anywho, all I ask is that you allow me to bring her here, oh and to have a mirror ready."

"A mirror?" Issa asked. "Why a mirror?"

"To use as a medium of course; what'd you expect, we'd broadcast it through her eyes like a projection booth? So, what do you say?"

"Father," Moka asked, "you can't be seriously considering this? This is ludicrous, all it is more tricks; I know her, I know her family, they will love to do anything, _anything_ to discredit me."

"Father," Ria speaks up, her voice almost cracking under the strain of what she is about to say, but her own desires demand it to be said, "as much as this pains me to say, but...Caro has a point."

Her father looks up at her, as Ria's disdain for Caro ever since running into the woman at Moka's faked, human wedding had been know, even to him and surprised that she would be compelled to say anything at all in support of her.

"You know what you're saying?" He asked.

"Yes, I do father. She may, actually give you the answers you need. What do you have to lose, but take her up on her suggestion?"

"I can't say I've felt anything for your busty concubine one way or the other, husband," Gyokuro comments. "But, her idea wouldn't hurt to give it a look at; it may even prove to be amusing."

"Big sis is right," Kokoa argued. "This is insane trusting her! Isn't Moka's word good enough?"

"Know your place, dear," her mother calmly argues. "Your mother needs to be entertained."

"This is not for your amusement," Moka complains. "This is _my_ marriage, _my_ life at stake here! Father, I've spoken the truth, I looked you in the eye and told you, without any deception, what went on! Don't let her probe my inner most thoughts; don't you trust me?"

"Well, I say try it," Tsukune says, his bold response catching Moka by surprise.

_How..how could he agree with that? _Outer Moka's consciousness thought with such pain and anguish.

"Tsukune!" Moka growled. "You would dare...You'd dare betray me like this?"

"I betrayed?" He argued. "When were you going to explain...?"

"Enough!" Lord Issa Shuzen snapped; he then felt a gentle hand upon his shoulder, and without looking, knew it was Akasha sending some mental suggestion only for his beleaguered mind to receive. "...Unfortunately, this is not a democracy; the decision is mine and mine alone."

Lord Issa Shuzen, tower of strength and fearsome power in all its forms, looked at his favorite daughter who stood proud, solemn, and resolute, just the way he had raised her from a tiny child. He next glances over at his accepted son and heir, Tsukune who, while he stood just as proud as his daughter, had an anger wrestling within him never seen before in the time he knew the boy, and yet at the same time was intertwined with an eagerness to take Caro up on her strange offer, wanting desperately to use this invasive procedure into his mate's thoughts; a tell-tale sign that something did went on with his daughter. Still, he was her daughter, whom he loved very much and were his emotions greater than his doubts, then this decision would be a no-brainer; as a father he had to side with his baby girl and Tsukune would have to live with it. But, he knew just by looking at the boy he wouldn't let this slide; for all Issa knew, such a decision would only cause him to wig out more, perhaps even losing control and turning into some violent ghoul that would prompt the dark lord to put down his son and heir, much to the dismay of his beloved, little girl. Would such a decision be the right one, to sweep the matter under the rug and suffer the consequences or brace himself for a truth that could be too ugly for even this hardened vampire lord.

"Caro," he at last says after brief silence, "how soon can you bring your sister out here?"

"If I call her now, she can be here by tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

"Father?" He heard his daughter mutter under her breath.

"...Do it."

"W-What?" Moka stammered, uncertain of what she heard. "Father..how could...?"

"Are you questioning my decision?" He challenged, for which she remained, quite reluctantly, quiet; favorite daughter or not, he was still the lord of his castle.

"Thank you, my lord," Tsukune said to him.

"I did not do this for you!" He snapped in response. "I merely want to quell this childish quarrel, once and for all! Tsukune, Moka, I hope for the sake of both of you that this does not turn out to be a complete waste of our time; and...if there is something to any of this, then I should hope for the child's sake, because I will not suffer any half-breeds in family. Call me bigoted or small minded, if you will, but that is my position on the matter! Dismissed."

Her father's final words drove a slight chill, but well concealed chill down the indomitable Moka's spine; she knew there was very little to worry about in that regard, for there was no way Gin could've impregnated her, however Caro's abilities did. She couldn't have her and Kurumu's mother pry into her mind, and reveal that she had lied.

_What are we going to do, now? _Outer Moka frets. _If father finds out we lied, he'll..._

"This is a waste of time," Kokoa said to Moka. "How could father agree to this? We all know you're telling the truth and having that succubus even go near you is inconceivable!"

"Tsukune!" She called, rushing to catch up with and completely ignoring her younger sister.

"I have nothing to say to you!" He said, but she angrily grabs his arm and spends him around to face her.

"How could you do this?" She hissed. "I could you do this to me?"

"How could I? Moka, you lied to them about your involvement with Gin, when we both know what really happened, and on top of that you crippled Yukari and almost killed her, and for what?"

"You let that werewolf have me! You could have stopped it, but didn't, now you're willing to let me get in trouble without so much as fight for me; again!"

"I have fought for you! My whole life, I've fought for you, how could you not..."

"I'm not talking about that!" She snapped, finally at her wits end. "That's all in the past, I'm talking about right now and what is clearly your fault!"

"Moka, I..."

"Um, excuse me," said Akasha, attempting to break up their debate, "but Tsukune, could you leave us; I'd really like to speak with my daughter."

"Not now, mother!" She tells her. "I need to set my mate straight before we go any further with this debacle he's caused!"

"I'm not going to stand here and let you..." he tries to argue, but Akasha puts a hand in between them as if trying to silence two, squabbling children.

"Moka, I want to speak with you, now!" She insists, making it clear to her angry daughter that her word on the matter was final. "Tsukune, I have a room already arranged for you that Ezumi will show you; you can go now, if you'd like."

"Thank you," he said and, after one last, unaccommodating glance at the love of his life, he graciously bows out.

"This isn't over," Moka warned, just before he leaves. "Do you have any idea what you've done, mother? I was trying to fix my marriage like father ordered when you interfered. How am I supposed to mend things now, when I'm wasting it talking to you?"

"Moka, dear," she says calmly, "we're friends, right? You and I? We can talk to each other about anything, never hold any secrets?"

"If you want to ask me if it was true, then no; I told you all that it wasn't…Why couldn't I convince father."

"Oh, he does believe you, Moka, we're on your side!"

"It doesn't feel like it! I did all of this for you, so that you and father would be proud of me, but instead I'm being grilled and now I'm about to have my mind probed just to satisfy your curiosity; it isn't like you've rendered me useless before."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"...Never mind. Just that, you should all be on my side; if you understood what I've gone through, then you'd know that all I want is to make sure my children receive more than what I got!"

"Your children; you mean, yours and Tsukune's?"

"Yes, mother, that's what I said!"

"You know, Moka, you went through an awful lot of...things to force your husband to see through your point of view; do you feel it was worth it?"

"It was the only way. He wouldn't see it my way, you should've seen him, mother. He left me with no choice; there isn't a day that I wish for things to have turned out differently, but he made his choice and so did I."

"But, to basically torture him like that; how would you look your children in the eye after what you

had done to their father? How do you think they will look at you?"

"They will accept it, for I will be their mother and they will be vampires, _true_ vampires; they'll know that my way is the only way for our kind, and embrace it for their own, not the human way. Humanity is bigoted and small minded, they ostracize anyone who is their better and that fool Tsukune wanted to expose them to that! They will thank me for what I did, and so will father, one day!"

Mother and daughter stood about in silence, one at loss for words at the rhetoric that spilled from her daughter's mouth, the other resolute in her position.

"...Moka; Moka dear, have you heard of the legend of old King Solomon?"

"Who?"

"King Solomon of Jerusalem; I figured you wouldn't, he was an ancient, human king."

"A human," Moka scoffed. "Why are you telling me this, then? For what reason would I care to hear about some human monarch who died a long time ago."

"Oh, he wasn't just some human monarch; King Solomon was renowned far and wide by both humans, and monsters alike for his great wisdom and mental strength. According to one legend, there were these two women who fought over custody of a small, baby boy. Each claimed to be the boy's mother, but no one could tell for sure. So, one day, Solomon intervened and after hearing both women's arguments and their reasons for being the rightful mother, he decides that the best way to resolve the matter was to cut the baby in half and give each to the two women."

"Really?" Moka asked, her curiosity peeked.

"Mm, hm."

"So, they just accepted such a foolish decision?"

"Well, the first woman was satisfied, but the second one was so horrified by it that she freely admitted to lying and gives up her claim to the child. However, it was because of that, that King Solomon ruled in favor of the second woman as being the boy's _real_ mother, for what mother would want to see harm come to her child. The question no one bothered to ask was: had King Solomon chosen the real mother or was she simply a Good Samaritan who wanted to rescue an abused child its mother; no one really knows the answer to it, but in the end I don't think it really matters, because the right woman was chosen."

"Your point?" Moka asks impatiently.

"My point?" She repeats, exasperated. "The point I'm trying to make is that, in some ways a wife is no different than a mother; you're a woman who must set aside what you want for the needs of others who depend on you. In the parable, one woman was so unwilling to let go of being proven right that she would rather see a baby be sliced in half! Moka, I know it's not an attractive prospect, few women clamor to it, but if you want to be a mother, then first you have to be a wife and let go."

"So, what are you saying to me?" Moka impatiently asks. "Are you saying I should just roll over and relinquish my marriage, just swallow my pride and let that fool walk all over me and not show my face around my own family?"

"That's not what I'm saying at all; Moka, listen to me!"

"No! No, I refuse to surrender! That idiot husband of mine will not make a fool out of me! I'll make him see things my way even if it kills him, this will not end with me being punished by father!"

"Punished for what?" She angrily asked. "Moka? Moka, I'm your friend, remember? You can talk to me about anything. Is there more you're not telling?""

Moka clammed up, but she wasn't about to let this slide.

"This is all your fault, mother!"

"What?"

"You sent me to that world so helpless that..." Moka wanted to say more, but feeling tears about to come and reluctant to have her own mother see them, she quickly stalks away, ending their less than productive, mother/daughter conversation.

XXX

Moka Akashiya sat quietly in her favorite spot in the crevice of the tree that overlooked the secret pond that had since become her private little hideaway. The kids weren't with her this time; Suzaku was busy helping Dr. Kohaku work around the halfway house and Rin had homework she needed caught up, but she understood. It was lonely without them though, but at the same time she wasn't completely alone, with the sounds of crickets chirping and cicadas' whining in some harmonious melody, it left her with a tranquil impression. And, after spending a whole day with the kids, enjoying their noisy antics, playing their games, and trying miserably to answer difficult questions that could best be answered with a simple distraction, a little quiet was welcomed, and yet she would do it all over again. The day had been a pleasant one, one to remember for all the time to come, and as she watches the sun set over the horizon, she felt it to be the perfect end; at least it would be. There was still that something, gnawing away deep inside her soul that someone important was missing from all of this, someone who seemed to be right in front of her, and yet continuously danced just out of reach.

"Lucy?" She heard Rin call. "Lucy, are you there?"

"Over here!"

Rustling out of the trees, Rin almost leapt out and in doing so, managed to rip part of her school jacket.

"Oh no!" She groaned.

"Whoa, slow down!" Moka laughed and hops on down to greet her young friend, who clearly was worked up about something. "Where's the fire, you look to be in a hurry."

"Sorry, I was looking all over for you. Figured you couldn't resist this place!"

"Yes, the sun is going down and I thought it would be nice to watch it. Did you want to join me?"

"Actually no, I wanted to tell you some good new; Lucy, you won't belie...oh, I'm sorry, I meant, uh, Mo-ka, is it?"

"You can keep calling me Lucy, I don't mind."

"Oh, good. You won't believe this, Lucy...My mom is coming by tomorrow!"

"Your mother? That's great, Rin!"

"I know, right? I've waited so long to see her again, you have no idea!"

"How long has it been since you last saw her?"

"Believe it or not, but I hadn't seen my mom since I was real small."

"That long?" Moka asked, finding it odd that her own mother has been out of contact with her daughter. "Was she in trouble? W-Why hadn't she talked to you in all that time?"

"Because of dad, what else?"

"What does your father have to do with your mother not seeing you?"

"It was because of him that she left a long time ago. She was so mad that she wouldn't speak to him ever again, and who can blame her? He even admitted it was his fault!"

"What did he do that was so terrible?"

"I don't know, he wouldn't give all the details, but you know how he is? He's so pushy, always getting in your business, and when you ask him do to something he acts all stubborn about it. Well, hopefully that all changes and he doesn't screw things up, this time! We may finally be a family, again isn't that wonderful?"

"Yeah, I'm real happy for you, Rin. It'd be nice to meet her."

"I even told her all about you over the phone; made it sound like you're my big sis!"

"Big sis," Moka replied thoughtfully, the very words bringing back memories of her younger sister, Kokoa, each one feeling new to her and at the same time carried with it a deep longing to see that little sister again. "I'm…glad you think of me that way."

"You should see her, you look sort of like her. Anyway, I want to look my best for when she gets here, would it be too forward if you came and helped me pick out an outfit?"

"Not at all," she laughed. "I'd be honored to help out."

"Great; oh, this is going to be so exciting!" Rin squealed, literally dragging Moka quickly back to the building.

In the meantime, Dr. Kohaku and Suzaku were cleaning up Moka's room, which was still being remodeled after her roommate's untimely departure. Ever since that incident, the orderlies and help have been doing damage control and working around various areas of the place to make sure all returns to normal, thus leaving volunteers like Suzaku shorthanded. Ever the one willing to pull his own weight around, Dr. Kohaku has helped out with many of them, most especially Suzaku, but helping him, however has given the two time to bond.

"Hey doc!" Suzaku said, holding up a basket of clean socks. "Which draw do these go?"

"Oh, um, the bottom one," he replied while spreading fresh sheets out on her bed. "I hope all this work hasn't turned you away from working here."

"Nah, I can handle it!" He replied. "But, I really appreciate the help."

"No problem, it's the least I can do, after all you've been most cordial with my daughter, young man."

"Uh, yeah," he said, nervously.

_God, _he wondered, _I can't believe he's still on that?_

Pulling out the bottom drawer to deposit the socks, Suzaku notices the drawer above that one partially opened with the corner of a piece of paper sticking out. Curious, he draws it open and sees a pile of freshly drawn sketches cluttered within it, each one showing a strange man.

"Yo, doc!"

"Yes, Suzaku."

"You said if I found anything suspicious about a patient's...um, health, then I should report it to you, right?"

"You didn't find something, did you?"

"I don't know," he replied and held up two of the pictures. "I didn't know Lucy had all of this; you ever see these before, doc?"

Coming over for a better look, he was surprised to see she had made even more sketches of the same young man, each one displaying a certain facial expression. Holding each one up and examining them, he theorized they were of different periods of Lucy's memories pertaining to this man; some were normal and tranquil, others had him beaten up or badly injured, yet smiling comfortingly as if to reassure her all was alright. However, the latest ones appeared to be gradually declining in pleasantness towards a more bitter looking, anguished face, his gentile nature evaporated, his eyes appearing as though his very soul had been ripped clean out of him; it was this picture that was deeply troubling and Dr. Kohaku couldn't help, but wish Lucy had confided about this.

"I think we should put these back where you found them," the doctor suggested.

"You sure? It doesn't look okay, to me."

"It's nothing to worry about; Lucy has been drawing pictures of people from her past to help her memory recover. Everything is alright. Come, we've done enough in here, how about you go take a well-deserved rest."

"Okay," Suzaku said simply, ready to leave it at that and the doctor was pleased about it, however before heading out Suzaku made one last, observational comment: "I wonder what she did to that guy to make him so mad?"

"Huh?"

"The guy in the picture; I wonder if she did anything to him or not?"

"Suzaku, what would make you think that?"

"...You saw that last picture, right? I saw you looking at it real hard; that guy looked all fucked up."

"Well, it could've been any number of reasons for his mood, it wouldn't have had anything to do with Lucy having done anything wrong to him. How do you know that was the case?"

"Because, I've seen that look before."

"From who?"

"From me, every time I saw myself in the mirror after taking a beating from mom's boyfriend; I know the look. I sure hope Lucy didn't have anything to do with it, I like her, she is really cool lady."

"...Look, Suzaku...I'm sure Lucy is a good person, and probably has a good reason for hiding those pictures. However you about her, keep holding on to that, okay? Just keep quiet about what we uncovered in her room, can you do that for me?"

"Sure thing."

Leaving her room and watching Suzaku walk on down the hall ahead of him, Dr. Kohaku pauses to take another look into Moka's room and at the drawer with all those pictures, thinking especially of that one, particular drawing. He knew Suzaku's observation was astute, having impressed him a great deal and gave the impression that there might be a future in psychology for the young lad, but for all his prodigious skills, they could not have known that the good doctor also recognized the look of abject darkness or despair in a face that once been so beautiful, so optimistic in connection to a patient he's come to admire, deeply; and it scared him deeply.

XXX

"What are you doing in here?" Tsukune asked after finding Moka in his room. "I don't want to talk to you, please leave me alone."

"I will not," she said, defiantly. "Not until you talk to me!"

"There's nothing to discuss; you've made your choice, now I've made mine."

"Why are you being so difficult?" She asked.

"Difficult?"

"Yeah, difficult! All you had to do was a..."

"I know, I know, agree with you. But, what made you think I'd have agreed with your demands under those kind of conditions?"

"Do not interrupt me, again!" She warned. "And, I expected you to cave in, knowing you would have never allowed any other man to be on top of me, but I was wrong. Tsukune, none of this should have happened, couldn't you see that? I was trying to give our children a better future, better than mine."

"So, you're saying being with me was a mistake?" He asked, with a desperation in his heart.

"I'm saying it could be better without the past burdening me; is that what you want for our kids when they grow up? Is that something beyond your comprehension?"

_What are you doing? _Outer Moka's consciousness asked.

**Trying to talk some into him, get him to realize his mistake before father learns we lied.**

_What if he doesn't take us back?_

**He will! He has to, our lives depend on it.**

_Then let me talk to him._

"What do you want from me?" He asked.

"I want you to be a man and call this off, that's what I want from you!"

"No; I mean what are you trying to get from me out of all of this? It wasn't enough I did all those things for you in the past, so you went and called Gin to humiliate me; why? I just want to know, why?"

_Let me talk to him, please, maybe I can reach him._

Exasperated, as she simply hadn't the fortitude to deal with this touchy-feely banter she was having, and having little luck talking any sense to him, Moka acquiesces to her outer persona's pleas and puts back on her rosary seal. White hair morphing into pink, her body changing before his eyes, her elegant form, becoming limp and fell forward, only this time she didn't hit the floor. Whether it was by instinct or some long dormant desire reawakened, Tsukune had caught her just in time, just like he always had and for that moment an even stronger desire burned inside of her, a longing to go to the way things were between them before all this mess and perhaps hope that it wasn't too late. Tsukune's reaction, however, was one of shock, shock in himself for what he'd done and a quick disgust, yet nevertheless he continued holding on to her with strong hands Moka dearly missed as he ever so gently set her down on a nearby couch.

"Here," he said, averting his gaze from her.

"Tsukune," he heard her say softly, the very sound torturing his soul. "Look at me, Tsukune."

"Stop," hissed, the pain evident in his voice.

"Tsukune."

"You're...you're not my Moka, anymore."

"What?"

"You're Gin's, now. You should have married him, instead."

"You don't mean that," she said, reaching up and gently caressing his cheeks with her cool, soft hands. "I don't want him, I want you, I always had."

"Then why? Just tell me why?"

"I...I don't know, I don't even know the answer to that, myself. All I know is that I want you back. Please, say you'll come back to me, to both of us."

Tsukune pulls away and walks towards his bed, torn and conflicted, but terribly unwilling to relinquish everything that happened, so easily.

"Leave," he tells her, his back to her the whole time.

"No; I will not leave. I want to stay here with you, we're husband and wife, remember? Tsukune, I still love you; don't you love me?"

"Then I'll go find another room!"

"I'll just follow you; Tsukune, this is silly."

"Silly?" He asked, angrily.

"I don't mean it like that, I mean, us fighting now, when we could be trying to resolve this." 

"Now, you want to talk? Now! Before, that's all I wanted, but it wasn't good enough for you, was it?"

"I...I can't seem to answer that. A lots changed and…oh please, Tsukune, I just want to be together, again!"

Tsukune looked back at her, though she could see a painful reluctance in his eyes, when not too long ago they would lock onto hers with wonderment and doe eyed; after all of her pleading he would still look on her like she was some morbid threat. Eager to reach out to him, she staggers over to him and begins sorting out his belongings on the bed. Remembering her mother's words, she thought if by being the wife he needs, it might make him love her again.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm going to…arrange all of your outfits for you. Mm, I might ask the maids to get you some more suits, these look old."

"Stop."

"After that," she adds, taking note at how emaciated he looked, "I am going to cook you a full course meal; finally put some food in you, how would that sound?"

"Just stop, okay!" He snapped. "I don't need anything from you!"

"But, Tsukune I..."

"If you want to stay here, fine! If you something bad enough, nothing I do is going to stop you, anyway! Just don't talk to me or look at me or do anything for me, okay?"

Had he snapped at inner Moka, she would have had him suffer his choice of words; outer Moka, on the other hand was at a loss for words. Tsukune had never snapped at her, not for any reason, and all the while the look of pain on his face made it hard for her warm gaze to penetrate into the gentle soul she longed to find. She was a stranger to him now; to her own husband.

_Is this what we're reduced to now? _She wondered sadly. _Do I even have a chance anymore?_

A knock on the door surprised her out of her melancholy, followed by a dreadfully familiar voice that took her aback when she asked who it was.

"Room service!"

Moka blinked at the door suspiciously, surprised beyond words that she would come visit at a time like this, especially after everything that happened, for Kurumu's aunt Caro to pay her visit. Knowing that woman was probably pulling a whirlwind's worth of trouble with her, Moka reluctantly opened the door.

Leaning against the door with a naughty smile and a clever chuckle, Caro traveled her hand down Moka's cheek and purred: "Hi, Mistress. Are you ready for me to service you and your very handsome husband?"

"What do you want, Caro," Moka kept her hand on the door, ready to slam it on the succubus's face. "What are you doing here? Haven't you done enough?"

She didn't know why anyone of her former friend's family would be here at all and in the middle of their situation, wondering if this was perhaps one of those succubae tricks to look out for, for which she was not in the mood for.

"Now, now, is that anyway to talk to the woman who has been keeping your father company this last four years? I have been awfully nice to your family; at least show me some gratitude."

News that Caro was visiting her father did not sit well at all, if anything it made Moka all the more ready to put her shoulder to the door and slam it with full force.

"What are you talking about?" She asked. "Since when have you and father been seeing each other, and what about my mom?"

"Oh, your mother is okay with it, hun, I can assure you there's no harm being done."

She found that hard to swallow, though it has never been a surprise that Lord Shuzen sought after concubines, but for him to do it now in the midst of everything and while her mother was so close by made it confusing.

"You seem confused," Caro said, casually. "Oh, but didn't they tell you? About my little mumu."

"Kurumu?" Tsukune asked. "What about her? What's this got to do with her?"

"Oh, nothing that needs to be discussed right now, honey; just that, your blushing bride should know how much her mother paid to ensure everything ended cordially."

Caro glared at Moka, hinting at a secret that she, herself should be well aware of. Though, she had heard that after the honeymoon incident with Kurumu some deal was made her parents and Kurumu's to guarantee that she wouldn't be a problem anymore, Moka had not been aware of what that deal entailed. Nevertheless, having one of those women try to service her father brazenly and tell her to her face made every instinct in Moka just wish the door be closed without another word.

"You would think after everything I had to control my niece, literally chaining her up to keep her from interfering with your perfect lives, I could at least be welcomed in your room for company. Young people these days are so unappreciative."

She gave Moka's cheek a playful pat, but it did little to appease the vampire princess.

"Very well, but make it quick. How can I help you?"

"Something to drink would be nice," Caro suggested after slinking past Moka as she glanced around their extravagant room. "How about you ring up room service and have them bring some chardonnay?"

"No thank you," Moka said with slight frustration, "Tsukune and I are in the middle of something, so please..."

"Actually, I wouldn't mind if you stayed for a while," Tsukune said. "No offense, but it seems inviting unwanted guests is the only way we resolve our fights. Right now, I don't want to spend one minute alone with her."

Moka stared at her beloved with a mixture of shock and pain; to hear him say that so freely and vindictively was destructive to say the least.

"My, my," Caro said, who was quick to catch onto the frosty atmosphere between these two, "things were so much more fun just a decade or so ago. Now, good times are so far and few between. Tsukune, where'd you come off talking to your Moka, like that?"

"...She's not mine anymore," he whispered softly, but Moka could hear it plainly.

_How can you say that, Tsukune? _She wondered, a look of despair that added to the dismal atmosphere that the mature succubus has been perceptively keen to.

"Now, Tsukune, I know you know better than to say that to her," Caro scolded with a meaningful glare at him.

"Please, Caro, stay out of this," Moka says to her. "This is for me to handle, alone."

"No, I don't think it's fair for you to be put on the hot seat like this without at least giving you the benefit of the doubt; besides, I think you both need to hear this, especially him! I know you don't mean to say all those things to her; not the Tsukune I knew from your wedding all those years ago. And, for what its worth to you, I believe she didn't mean to do what she did to you, not any more than throwing a rock in the wrong direction and creating an avalanche."

"Ah what?" Tsukune responded, confused and a little bothered.

"An avalanche, dear, that's what I'm seeing here; that's what the two of you currently trying to do deal with."

"Okay," he replies, with a shaky understanding, looking over at Moka as he tries to wrap his head around this crude analogy of their predicament. "So, this is an avalanche we're in, so what? A lot of people were caught in this landslide, does that make any of them less hurt or dead?"

"No, but an avalanche doesn't happen without a reason, Tsukune," she says, walking slowly towards him, and also glancing Moka's way. "It doesn't happen because of one, carelessly tossed stone. There was a lot of unstable rocks and snow built up for that disaster to happen. Ask yourself, what was going on in her head for just that one misguided direction to cause her to do what she did? I only know so little myself, but there is no doubt in my mind she still loves you."

"Well...I'm beginning to think that maybe there's more than what she's told me, but at this point in time, I..."

"Tsukune," Moka pleaded, but he continued

"I honestly don't care anymore!"

"Do you feel nothing at all that she's hurting for you and wants you back?" Caro asked. "Look at her! She's here, now, trying to mend the damage."

"I...Look I just don't want to feel anything at all, right now," he said, through the fog of confusion clouding up. "I just don't. Is that wrong of me?"

Frowning, Caro flicked her hands dry of whatever moisture she had on there, looked deep into his torture, brown eyes and said: "Look at me, Tsukune."

"Hmm?"

Placing her hands on his cheeks, he was surprised to see her spade headed tail whip out from under her very short skirt and slap its devilish point up against his head.

"What are you doing?" Moka asked.

"Hush, I'm trying to concentrate."

She closed her eyes, breathed heavily and slowly pulled his head lower and lower till it was practically pressed uncomfortably against her bosom.

"What do you see?" Moka asked.

"Nothing. I don't see anything. Tsukune, tell me, what do you feel?"

Sighing, he focused a little more, despite his cheek being pressed against the tender softness of her chest.

"Nothing," he replied. "I don't feel anything, but being uncomfortable."

With a startled gasp, she pushes his head away from her as if it was on fire, and he was surprised to see her staring at him as though he said something horrible.

"You're cursed!"

"What?" Tsukune asked. "Why do you say that?"

"Young man, I sensed no feelings in you what so ever. The only thing I could even remotely detect were emotions of apathy and disinterest. You have to be cursed."

Confused, he puts his hand on his head to see if there was anything physically wrong with him; all the while, he seemed unsurprised to see Moka stare at him with a mixture of hope and anger.

"Who would have cursed you?" Moka asked with genuine concern.

"No one! I don't know what she's talking about!"

"You were with Ruby the whole time; and, don't you remember what she said the last time."

"I only know that Ruby said something about making you pay, Moka, but that was after what you did to Yukari."

The last comment didn't bother her in the slightest, however knowing a bit of the arcane thanks to her association with the two witches, Moka was already hoping this was the key to her husband emotional separation.

"It's possible," she said to Caro and inquired, "How did you know?"

She huffed and combed her fingers through her hair with all the calm of a pro.

"Are you kidding? After sensing no desire or interest in him what so ever I tested him."

"Tested him? How?"

"You tell me," she said, snatching Moka by the back of her neck and pushed her face into Caro's own incredible breasts.

In no time at all Moka was squealed in fright and shock. However, even if she didn't desire women, there was every bit of her that said she enjoyed the feel of a succubus flesh of Aghea's caliber.

"As I said, he's cursed," Caro preened triumphantly. "No man or woman can withstand my power."

Moka Aono and Tsukune glanced at Kurumu's aunt and then at each other, one more certain than the other everything that was now in front of them. A timid knock at the door, however brought a slight, welcomed interruption for the bewildered young man and he was too eager to answer it.

"Um, Tsukune," said the timid maid Ezumi, "a bath has been drawn for you; it's waiting."

"A bath?" He asked. "I don't remember asking for a..."

"Lady Bloodriver had one arranged, she thought you might like one."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Moka said, breaking herself away from Caro's grasp. "Giving you a bath will be just what you need to overcome your curse; let's get undressed and we'll..."

"Begging your pardon, Mrs. Aono," Ezumi shakily interrupts, "but, your mother was specific that the lord bathe alone."

"What? Why? He's my husband, we're supposed to bathe together."

"Moka, let him go get cleaned off, besides you and I have a lot to discuss."

"About what?" He asked, concerned.

Putting her well-manicured hands on her ample hips, Caro gave a smoldering, sexy stare at the boy and said: "We're not all here for you, Tsukune. Sometimes, us girls need to talk amongst ourselves, now run along, have your little fun. Uh, Ms. Ezumi, is it? While you're out, how about you deliver some Chardonnay to the room."

"I'll see what I can do, Ms. Caro," the maid responds.

With the cloud of confusion and doubt already hovering over his eyes and face, Tsukune nonetheless accepts the bath, simply grateful to be away from either woman, if only for a time.

After the drink arrived, Moka ungraciously drops a few blocks of ice noisily in a glass and poured the long fluid over it, but as she went to hand Caro her beverage she noticed she was no longer looking at her like a post-adolescent teen in a mature woman's body, but as a woman of many years that had just had a ghost walk over her grave.

"Why are you doing this to Tsukune?" Caro asked.

The question couldn't have surprised her more if she had pulled out a knife and stabbed her in the chest.

"Pardon?" Moka asked as she shrunk back away from Kurumu's aunt's all too astute eyes.

"You cheated on him, didn't you?"

Still not fully understanding the full scope of this succubus's powers, Moka wondered how this woman could deduce such a thing from just the first few minutes of being in their room. Had Tsukune told her after arriving here? If Ruby and Yukari were aware of it, and now this woman was too, pretty soon followed by her very annoying sister, she wondered how many more people would be involved.

However, if she knew already, then why was she asking?

"I'm very busy, Caro," Moka said, and was already moving towards the door, politely pointing out that Caro's welcome was running very thin.

"You have hickies all over your neck and down your blouse, did you know?" Caro asked, her finger pointed accusingly at Moka's widening green eyes while taking her cup of tea and gulping its contents down till the ice collided against her full lips.

Moka tried to think of some way to get this intrusive woman out of the very private and embarrassing predicament that had brought her family and her husband into the dire straits they were in now, but she might as well been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

Not only that, but there was the unending embarrassment of knowing that she had been prancing and prostrating herself to Tsukune and her family with enough spots on her person to look like a leopard, all the while being completely ignorant to the fact.

How long had she looked like this? It was no wonder people stared at her so much, and it was little wonder that Tsukune hardly looked at her at all.

Instinctively, she wrapped herself about, trying to hide her shame.

"They go down that far, hmm?" Caro asked with a dry chuckle and an amused smile.

"W-What makes you think that's what happened?" Moka asked, trying in vain to play it all off.

"Sweetheart, do you honestly think you're talking to an amateur? You're not the only women here who's strayed outside the boundaries of holy matrimony to seek other areas of…_interest_, especially the carnal kind."

"But…" Moka tried to defend, shamefully lowering her head and watching the succubus eye everything with remarkable scrutiny.

"I'm going to assume it started in the bedroom," she began, making herself out to replay everything with methodical detail like crime scene detective.

"You...you don't understand."

Caro combed her fingers through her hair, keeping it cool and watching Moka's emotions play out.

"You can kick me out anytime you want, Moka."

There was something about the way Kurumu's mother stared at her, the way she knew without knowing and pushed while pulling that did something to one sinful woman to another. Moka and all her friends, knew what sexual predators Kurumu's family, perhaps even herself, were and she was sure the appetite this one was insatiable.

However, as Moka began to breakdown, she felt Caro take her into a hug, gently allowing her to weep on her expensive blouse. Guiding the petite, pink haired woman to the side of the couch, she was surprised and even a bit bewildered when Caro grabbed a pillow and placed it over her lap for Moka to use.

Moka said nothing as she bawled, even watching as Caro combed Moka's hair with soft fingers and diligently played with the curve of her cheek.

"Why are you doing this?" Moka asked, sniffing unhappily.

"Why not?"

"Shouldn't you hate me?"

"Oh, I will fight tooth and nail to take advantage of this, young lady, but that doesn't mean there isn't a certain amount of respect one rival has for another."

"What do you mean?"

"Moka, my sister's daughter lost to you, fair and square," she responded, casually brushing a strand of her hair from her face. "Trust me, I was very upset at her for that. And, her mother and I told her over and over again that she needed to get Tsukune to become intimately familiar with her, but she kept trying to win him over with her mind and her good heart; basically, an area most succubae are not prepared to confront men on. You beat her and I absolutely detest you for it."

"Then why are you being so nice to me?"

"Oh, I'm not really being nice to you, so much as doing my duty as an adult and act as a sort of surrogate mother; a sexier and extremely gorgeous surrogate mother."

Moka groaned uncomfortably.

"Besides, you're not the only woman to have ever cheated on the man they loved, Moka."

"Really?" Moka asked, looking up at her with disbelief.

"Why do young people always assume everything they go through is somehow unique?" She sighed unhappily, shaking her head and starting to comb out a long length of pink fuchsia hair from the side of Moka's head. "Moka, what I'm about to tell you will not leave this room, okay?"

Moka nodded.

"Years ago I met my Destined One. He was just another man among my throng that I enjoyed on a whim. I expected his affections and desires, and eventually dismissed him when he bored me. I even went as far as cheat on him with a much handsomer, richer, taller man. The sex was okay with my Destined One, but with this other man it was just mind blowing. I didn't even think twice about betraying him."

The unhappy vampire wasn't sure she wanted to know this much about her, but Caro continued on relentlessly.

"Anyways, it turned out that the man I enjoyed over my future Destined One with had a rough side that I was not prepared for and hid rather well from me. I was taken advantage of in the worse way by him and his friends. I really hope you never have to experience some of the _cruelties_ someone will do to another they're supposed to respect and care for."

A haunted pain crossed Caro's beautiful hazel eyes like some kind of nightmarish flashback and Moka could not keep a slight quiver out of her own body. She was a person who had acted cruelly, even if it wasn't meant to be nothing more than a threat.

"A few days later, my Destined One found me, broken and in the worst state of my life. I was so ashamed of myself I had alienated all of my other boy toys to just sit at home and cry. He came to check on me when he heard I was in the hospital. When I saw him again, I didn't expect him to do anything more then tell me I got what I deserved."

Intrigued, Moka listened with rapt attention.

"Anyways, he helped build myself back to my somewhat normal and enjoyable self, at least the real me and not the person you all know and love."

Brows pinched, Moka couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"So, you mean this isn't you?"

"Moka, I am as much 'me' as this part of you is the real 'you'. Everyone has different faces they don't normally expose to other people. Just know that the real me was the person my Destined One saw on a day to day basis as opposed to what everyone wanted to see of me as a succubus and sexually charged picture of feminine perfection."

Even though she preened, there was a softness in her hands and motherly affection that didn't belong to the porn star persona she exemplified.

"So after he helped you, he accepted you back after hurting him?" Moka asked with hopeful expectation, but Caro shook her head.

"No, he was a good man and I had hurt him horribly. He didn't trust me and I had to make myself worthy of him again and earn back his trust. Needless to say, it took a couple of months for him to accept me enough to go out on a simple date with nothing more than a handshake for a show of faith."

"But you got him back, right?"

"Not at first, no," Caro sighed in frustration, but her fingers curled around Moka's out of a sister/motherly connection of bonding. "He was dating someone else. A really ugly woman, too. I was worth ten of her in all sorts of ways, but not to him. To him, this woman was his soul mate and I was a bad taste to get over. I was just his 'friend' that he went out with once. That really hurt me because I cared for him so much. I had become what he had been with me before I realized what I had lost. Still he was a better person than I had been with him. He was honorable and I was not."

"What did you do?"

Caro closed her eyes and sighed deeply, and upon reopening them it was as if all of the life in her was gone.

"I let him go," she replied solemnly.

Moka let the idea sink in and a cold claw of reality started to squeeze her heart.

"But... But how could you let him go if you loved him? Didn't that hurt you to know he was with someone else?"

"It felt like my heart was torn from me and I had to remember how to breathe all over again."

"Then why would you do that?"

"Because Moka, really loving someone means doing what is best for _them_, not you. I could see he was genuinely happy with this other woman and I refused to hurt either of them just because it was what I wanted."

"You're…you're telling me I should give up Tsukune, too aren't you?"

"I am telling you that if you really love him you should do whatever is best for him regardless of what you may want."

Moka was already pushing away when another comment made her freeze.

"This may not be something you wish to hear, Moka, but do remember this. Though it seem like a hated idea, you have to remember that all of your friends, including my niece, in some way or form, did this. They moved on with their lives and supported the both of you."

"But Kurumu-"

"I am very aware of what my mumu has done, thank you; I was there after all. Either way, young lady, what I am telling you is that forgiveness is not about what you expect from others, but what you can find in yourself for them."

Moka frowned unhappily as she let that sink in.

"Do you have any make up?"

Moka chewed her lip as she nodded. "Why?"

"If you want to try and appear easier on the eyes for him, you may want to do something about these bruises. No man wants to see the girl he loves marked by another man."

"I'm…I'm horrible, aren't I?"

"You're young, you feel that anything you do can be done carelessly and with little consequence. I was where you are now, Moka, I am a succubus after all. You have hurt one man in your life, I have hurt hundreds. While I really do wish you and Tsukune to break up for the sake of letting my Mumu have a chance with her Destined One, it would be the height of bad manners to allow her friend to be in need of my help and not offer it. We are women, after all. Men won't understand us and it is our responsibility to help one other when we fall, hmm?"

"I didn't want to hurt anyone," Moka mumbled as she slowly gathered herself up, covering her eyes. "I didn't want to do this or do anything as it happened. I was scared and people didn't understand why I felt like I did. It started with a threat and the next thing I know I couldn't stop everything from happening!"

"You tossed down a pebble and started a landslide," Caro quipped, patting her back and helping Moka stand on her feet. "That may be so, but there are times when your best intentions cause the worst damage. No one wants to lose those their love because of their own foolish mistakes, but in the end you have to remember: Do you want what's best for his happiness or for your own?"

Moka whimpered with her hands still bunching the front of her blouse, eventually pacing towards her purse to fish out a modest make up kit and looking at herself in the mirror for the first time. Dark yellow and burnt orange blotches still colored her neck all the way down to her cleavage.

"I just can't stop messing up, can I?"

"You how, there is something about making mistakes," Caro said, already opening up the glass cylinder far with a twist off lid.

"What is that?"

"Realizing you're making them."

Kurumu's aunt dipped her fingers into the appropriate shade of color for Moka's skin and applying it after motioning for Tsukune's wife to move her own hair.

"And," she added, "to stop. After that, forgiveness and repentance is about fixing what others feel you have wronged in their eyes and paying for the consequences of your actions."

It wasn't long till she finished and began gently brushing her hair, before asking a very simple, but really off the wall question: "So, how was he?"

Moka didn't want to respond, but there was just simply one fact she found hard to deny: Caro was the only one willing to ask questions about her unknown lover, Gin, and not judge her, entirely. Swallowing hard, she answered in a quiet voice: "He was wonderful."

"Better then Tsukune?"

"When it came just to sex, I guess so. I still would have rather not done it."

"If you and Tsukune end up going your separate ways, would you go back to him?"

"I don't know. Isn't that part of making a mistake over and over again?"

"If you're single again, all bets are off. Just make sure to take care of yourself. The worst thing you could do to yourself is try and make life miserable for you when there's nothing to gain by it."

"You still want me to let Tsukune go."

"Think about everyone else, but yourself for a moment and see if there's more to gain by trying to fix what's broken or let what's broken fix itself. So far, you have to admit, you've only succeeded in making things worse, right?"

Images of Yukari in fight with her neck twisted at an impossible angle came to mind.

"I just wanted my husband back."

"I know, Moka."

"Caro?"

"Hmm?"

"Uh...Th-Thank you...for listening."

"Sure. That's what friends are for."

After fixing up Moka and helping her to prepare everything for Tsukune, she left the princess feeling in high spirits, never knowing she had supplied the wily succubus with more than she came in knowing. Supplied with such juicy knowledge, Caro didn't waste any further time in calling her sister, who was many miles away in China at the domicile of Tohofuhai and was being pampered by her ancient, yet amorous and quite affluent host when she got the whole story.

"WHAT!" Ageha shouted over her cell phone.

"It's true," Caro replied, "I got it all. The spoiled princess came clean the moment I let her feel it wasn't all her fault. Oh, you should've seen it, I was stroking her hair and everything, but apparently this could be a big win for Mumu."

"I know, but...I just can't believe it. I mean, Moka and Tsukune, Moka especially, I thought she loved him or was that a ruse?"

"You know vampires; they don't care about love, it was all about taking what's theirs. But, if we play our cards right that stuck up bitch might finally get what she deserves and we come out on top!"

Ageha didn't need to be told more; for years she's yearned to pay back Moka for what happened to her daughter, but the notion that a well-liked young man like Tsukune, and the feelings of her daughter were all mere playthings for some spoiled, vampire girl made this succubus mother see red. Nothing would please her more than to see Moka get put in her place, and now seemed as good a time as any.

"I'll be there, sis," Ageha replied. "I'll be there by tomorrow afternoon, at the latest."

"Great; I'll be seeing you."

"Alright, bye."

Ageha ends the call and, still partially naked with only a floral patterned robe on, begins quickly slipping on her clothes, all while in the midst of her aged paramour, who was face deep in one of his many manga books the entire time.

"Leaving me, so soon?" The ancient monster, martial arts master, and perverted anime geek inquired.

"Yes dear, something's come up. Same time, next week?"

"Sure, sure," he said without looking up, seemingly immersed in his comic book, until he asked: "So, it's true?"

"True about what?" Ageha asked in mid process of slipping on her black and red panties.

"About what young Moka did to young Tsukune?"

"How…how did you...?" She asked, awkwardly falling over and leaving her bare bottom exposed while still in mid process of slipping on her panties.

The aged yasha and kung fu master points to his long, pointed ears as sort of a descriptive answer.

"They do more than frame my face," he quipped, though his usually jovial demeanor was nowhere to be found in the face of such news. "In all my years, I've seen every manner of betrayal; but not this."

As Ageha listened, struggling to right herself up, she didn't really know what he really meant. In her time with him, she's known this old Chinese master to be very non-descript about the things he said, usually saying more without saying much at all. She couldn't tell if the betrayal was to him, who has known Moka and her mother for years, even being present, along with the Headmaster of Yokai Academy shortly after the girl had been born, and helped Moka through her difficult adjustment in the human world. Then again, Tsukune was his pupil at one time, and so the betrayal may be in deference to him; or, the betrayal he meant may have been in deference to his respect for his friend, Akasha. In any case, Ageha had no time to quibble over it, nor did she wish to draw any major attention to what she had to do, wishing to exit quietly from his dojo palace.

"Look, old man, you have to be absolutely quiet about this, okay?" She asked after getting dressed and packed. "Knowing Lord Shuzen, the last thing he wants is for the whole world to know that his daughter is a lying, cheating whore, and I don't need any trouble trying to leave; you got me?"

Tohofuhai made a motion to zip up his lips, indicating he understood, but she had her doubts. Nevertheless, she needed to be going and was courteously being escorted out by her host down to the front gate, which happened to be past his family's little storage building, where they were all busying about with their subjects sorting their supplies. The young, great-great grandson and Tsukune's effeminate, three eyed friend, Fang Fang, and his zombie sister Ling Ling working with the help as their parents, Fei-Fong and Ten Ten were supervising when they happened to spot Ageha trying to sneak on past them.

"Oh hey!" Fang Fang greeted. "Leaving us so soon, huh?"

"Yeah," she replied, nervously. "Family emergency, nothing serious."

"You sure I can't help, maybe conjure up a spell of good fortune. Anything, for great-great grandfather's number one mistress!"

"Son!" His mother, Ten-Ten angrily corrected him. "Leave her be, if she has to go, then she has to go; I know we'd all miss her."

"How nice of you to say that," Ageha quipped, perturbed by this petulant woman's unwelcomed demeanor. "I'll surely miss you."

"Hey, Ageha, next time around you might take me up on my offer?" Ling Ling asked evasively, her question causing everyone to drop what they were doing and eye the voluptuous, playful, yet zombified princess of the family by her off handed remark, until she finishes by adding: "You've never had sex until you've done it as a zombie. It is so _surreal_ when you can remove your head and watch your body go."

"Ling Ling!" Their father, Fei Fong, this time scolds.

"S-Sorry, father."

"That sounds nice," Ageha politely says and tries to inch her away quickly to the opened, front gate, "but, I really should be going, right now; very busy situation at home, heh-heh! Well, I'll be seeing you all; til next time, bye!"

Ageha was just a foot away from the gate when Tohofuhai blurts out for for whole world to hear: "MOKA IS CHEATING ON TSUKUNE!"

"Ah, father!" Fei-Fong snapped, reacting to the sudden outburst.

Ageha glares at him, who merely looks at her as though he had no idea what he'd done.

"I never said I wouldn't tell," he said to her.

At first everyone looked at him, but were more disturbed by the loud outburst than the message.

"Honoralbe, great grandfather," Ten-Ten said. "We are busy; go read your manga while we work. Now, Fang Fang, I want you and your sister to go to the rear wall and check to see if..."

But, it was then that the full weight of what the old man had actually said finally hit them like a delayed reaction.

"WHAT!" They all cried.

As Caro made her way to Issa's chambers to inform him of her sister's arrival, and full of overbearing confidence at these appealing turn of events, she began to notice something amiss as she drew nearer. In her time there, she usually felt his extremely imposing energy practically all over this immense castle, but nowhere was it strongest than inside his private chambers where she often entertained him. He wasn't the first vampire she entertained before, but his power usually proved distracting to her at first, until eventually the very sensation of it almost made their sex exciting; the idea of being fucked by a creature of incredible power would serve as an aphrodisiac for any sex-starved creature, such as herself. However, as she stood outside his door there was something about his energy, this time: there was none. She knew he was inside, all the servants she spoke to informed her that he would be, and Caro clearly heard him shuffling from within, and yet his monstrous energy felt strangely subdued to the point that it was non-existent.

Curious, she enters without knocking and finds him standing, face first before the fireplace, hand propped against the mantle as he drinks a glass of rye whiskey. His back was to her, a roaring fire giving her nothing, but a silhouette of his oddly, shorter and less bulky frame, almost as though she were staring at a completely different man.

"Can we help you?" A voice asked to her right, and startling the succubus until she realized it was Akasha who appeared to be standing vigilant over her man.

"Is that...?" Caro asked, gesturing to the man over the fireplace.

"What do you want?" An irked, yet clearly affirmed Issa Shuzen asked without as much as facing Caro. It was then that, after her eyes began to adjust to the shadows, noticed the gold rosary wrapped around the wrist of his out stretched arm and deduced what she was partially looking at.

"No way," she said with a surprised smile. "I heard rumors, legends even, that the great and feared Lord Issa Shuzen had a sealed form that no one has ever seen, save for his 'beloved' concubine that is. I wonder why you never let me see it, Shuzie-poo; I thought you and I were close?"

"Our arrangement is strictly business," he gave a dry response without even honoring her request for a glimpse of his face. "Have you contacted your sister or not?"

"I have, and she's on her way as we speak. She'll be here tomorrow, no later than the afternoon. And, don't worry, I made sure to tell her to reveal this to no one, not even to Lady Akasha's friend; your secret is safe."

"Good; now leave us."

"...If you wish. You sure I can't take just a little peek at your new form?"

"Now!" He reiterates.

"Fine, fine, you're no fun."

Feeling a little dejected from missing out on a rare opportunity, Caro nonetheless honors his rather abrupt request, but upon leaving her spirits were uplifted once again as she found herself sharing the lonely hallway with none other than Ria, who appeared to be less than thrilled at finding her there of all places and times.

"He's a little busy," Caro jokingly whispered. "Shhh!"

"Oh me, oh my, you do make yourself at home anywhere you plop your rather, round ass, don't you?" Ria quipped.

"Ohh, sugar, you really need to tone down the jealous routine; we're all family, now and besides I just got through talking with Moka about all her problems, of which she was kind enough to disclose with me in private. I'd have to say things are a mess between her and him. Poor, poor, Tsukune."

"You don't say?" She asked, walking closer to hefty chested succubus and nearly sizing her up with her own well-proportioned bosom. "And what did he happen to say to you or should I say, what did you say to him? That he should go back to her or forgive my skanky, little sister for her transgressions, all in some sorry, rather convoluted attempt to show her that she has at least one 'kindred spirit' in the world, which knowing her far better than you, she most likely drank it up like whathisname's semen; I got you figured out."

"Do you?"

"Hm, yes I do. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate everything you're doing to resolve this matter."

"And, I appreciate you backing me for once, hun. I gotta admit, though, I never expected to have someone like _you_ to have my back, but I've had stranger people do so."

"A bit of advice, hun," Ria replied, mockingly.

"Oh me, oh my, what could it be?" Caro replied in kind.

Only slightly amused at the comeback, the supple vampire steps closer, meshing her chest into Caro's in a rather menacing show rather than enticing, and successfully pushing the larger succubus back to drive home the point that if her perverted mind did think this was foreplay, then it would be far from pleasant.

"You may have your claws in my father, okay, but as long as Tsukune is where he is, if I find out you're using this as some very sad attempt at bringing him into the 'fake' embrace of your sex-starved family of yours, well...let's say I've always been curious to know if those things in your chest will explode over an open fire; I just might get that chance. Just so we're clear, you understand."

Caro should have felt fear by Ria's threat, she should have even felt offended by her crude remarks, but to her she was a wet behind the ears vampire who was just as stuck up as Moka; one vampire wasn't any different than the other, after all.

"I understand, perfectly," she replied and graciously walks around the obstinate vampire to disappear to parts elsewhere, but not before commenting: "I wonder if they both realize just how much of their well-being you really have in mind."

"They?"

"Your father and Tsukune; I thought you should have known that after your impassioned speech. Surely, your loyalty is greater than the almighty Moka's, right? Oh well, toodles, hun."

_Apparently, it's greater than your breast size, you fake breasted bitch! _Ria thought angrily, quivering with rage as she watched the smart mouthed succubus saunter herself away with all the confidence of an asshole with guaranteed protection from harm.

Back inside, Akasha and Issa remained silent as though they had made some abdominal decision they both regretted in making; nevertheless, it was the mother who broke the ice, first.

"So, this is it, isn't it?"

"Yes," he solemnly replied. You think I should call this whole thing off and drop it, don't you?"

"I…I did not say that."

"Of course you did, it just wasn't spoken. Sure, I could have said no and dropped it right there, in fact I can still call this off, and simply take our daughter at her word. You and I have raised a wonderful girl, and I am proud of the woman she's become, in the choices in men and family she's made."

"I agree; our Moka has been a well-spring of pride and strength, and I'm glad that in my time away, she's become…everything I'd hoped she would become."

Just that brief reminder of losing his beloved, however off hand the remark had been, was enough for the mighty lord to pause in humble reflection, before continuing.

"Tsukune, however...in spite of his pedigree I have no ill-will against; I'm rather pleased Moka had the astute mind in choosing him as a mate, for he's proven himself a capable and straightforward young man."

"Mm, hm," she agreed whole heartedly, "and he's a very kind individual, too; a perfect balance of the two most admiral qualities in the ideal mate. He almost reminds me of you, well back in your day, that is."

"Hm, let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said with a slight chuckle, but his slight brevity quickly ebbed back into the morose attitude of their conversation. "In the brief time I've known him...Tsukune has challenged Akua, he has challenged my own mate, he's challenged the feared Alucard, hell he even challenged me to the death, and by looking into his eyes I saw no sign, not one ounce of regrett, and all for her. He's never been deceptive towards me, well, not if you count that little white lie he made at their graduation when he covered Ria's transgressions, but then I assumed he had a good reason for it."

"You're saying that he's never been untrustworthy with the things he's said or done? You're saying that what he said today might ring true?"

"I did not say that."

"...Yes, you did."

"...I...we witnessed that same young man challenge me to the death to defend his honor and accusation of our daughter's unfaithfulness, to dare put the very word in conjunction with her; the very irony was not lost on me. For whatever she might have thought of his actions on that night, for whatever some self-righteous fool might think of him in general, that boy is no coward...nor is he a liar."

He turns to look to her, with the very eyes he has allowed no one else even that of his own mate to see, but her, who saw a gaze she had never seen in him before and she met his gaze with an equally concerned stare of her own.

"I..I am so…afraid, Akasha. Afraid, at what we might discover."

"I know," Akasha replied, never before hearing her beloved say such a thing, and scaring her even more than he was.

"And, yes it would be so much easier to simply sweep this under the rug, tell Caro that its off, and accept Moka's word with the understanding that she and Tsukune would work things out."

The idea seemed tempting to him, she could tell, but a better part of her told her that he wasn't that type of man to simply let hide from the truth, if that truth gnawed at him like a tick.

"But, that's not what you're wanting to do, is it?" She asked.

"...Eternity is a long time to wonder what if; at the very least, whatever happens tomorrow, I can eliminate that as a future concern. Besides, I wouldn't want to find out later on that...there was some truth to what he said. That said, I'm not so willing to relinquish Tsukune as an heir, any more than I am to see our daughter punished."

"...I'll go see how he's doing," she offered. "I hadn't yet had the chance to really talk with him after the meeting. I would like, very much to discern what happened before Caro and her sister uncover it."

Issa nods and returns to stare at the fire while his beloved partner departs, the room's atmosphere being no less palpable than before, but paled in comparison to the kind that surrounded Tsukune where, despite the cloud of steam wafting up from the comfortably warm bath water, did little in improving it. He wasn't alone for long, he felt, and in spite of his confused spirit, there was a deep and unsettled anxiety that it could be her defying his simple wish to bathe alone, for however Caro tried to spin needs or wants, some time away from her did provide some measure of comfort.

"Tsukune," came her voice and the heightened level of anxiety and the struggle to control it within him nearly made him vomit in the water. "I hope I'm not bothering you."

"...Please, Moka we'll talk later, just…not now, okay?"

"Oh dear, you've done it again," she said to his surprise. "You keep confusing the two of us, well I guess I should be flattered."

He spins and around sees not his "beloved" wife, but her mother standing by the door. If it weren't for the feelings of relief washing over him, he might've acted both surprised and embarrassed at the same time.

"It..it's you," he stammered. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

But, then he realized that her mother was in the bathroom with him, while in the bath naked, and with his modesty quickly taking hold, a turnip red Tsukune tries to shrink himself in the water.

"M-Mrs. Bloodriver...!"

"Come, Tsukune when are you going to stop being so formal with me; its mom."

"That..doesn't make it any easier!" He cried.

"Oh, this isn't any different than when your mother used to see you naked."

"I was a kid, a...that isn't something to discuss at a time like this!"

"You're right, you're clearly not a kid from where I can see."

Akasha's girlish giggles did little to dull his shock, but it did help him forget his current troubles, if only for a while.

"You're here about your daughter, I mean...Mo-ka?" He asked, her very name hard to pronounce, even after everything he heard.

"If you mean your mate, then no I only came to see if you needed anything else. I noticed you haven't eaten anything for some time, I think it's terrible for a man to go this long without a meal; perhaps, I can order you something?"

She looked at him, but he wouldn't look at her, whether out of sheer embarrassment or something else entirely was difficult to discern.

"For what it's worth, my son, I don't think you're a liar and neither does Issa, it's just that...it's hard to really accept something like that about a person you raised from when she was something so tiny you could literally hold in your arms."

"I know," he said in a hoarse voice, a voice that sounded more and more distant to her. "If I were you or Issa...I might react the same way. And, for what it's worth, there were many times where I held your daughter in my arms, protected her with my body, and patted myself on the back when I knew I had did my job well keeping her happy."

"No one is doubting that."

"No? Heh, 'no one is doubting that'. She is...and so many others. Maybe I am cursed and I just..."

"Cursed?" She asked, confused.

"I must've missed something," he whispered, more to himself than to her. "At some point I must have forgotten that. Should I have stopped them?"

For what seemed like an eternity the young man sat in the large bath tub, his brooding back to her in utter, contemplating silence that slowly began to disturb even herself.

"Please, tell me what you're thinking?" She found herself asking.

"You think I should forgive her and take her back, don't you?" He responded.

"...I never said that."

"You didn't have to, I can feel it; why else would you be in here, talking to me? To make sure I was okay? It's on everyone's mind, even Caro thought I need to quit brooding over it and just forgive her."

"Caro?" She asked, a little offended to hear that woman interfering in business that, as far as she was concerned, wasn't hers to begin with. "Caro talked to you two? What did she say, Tsukune?"

"I don't know...said something about our marriage being an avalanche and that Moka was a rock that had...I don't know, I don't know about anything anymore. Then again this isn't about me, so maybe I should call it off, but I will not go back to that apartment, regardless of whose fault it is!"

"Listen to me, Tsukune; as far as Caro is concerned, she is hardly reliable. Whatever in her life made her what she is today, doesn't excuse her for being such a person; she made her choices, no one else did. And, as for my daughter...I won't beat about the bush, son, we would like to see you two mend whatever rift has appeared between you; nothing would make us happier. However; do you know who the most important men in my life are? My father, Issa, and you. Do you know why that is, what you have in common; it's because you have a certain strength about you, that you make your own choices and stick by them, that you never once blame someone else for making you do something you normally wouldn't. I don't know everything that happened that night…and I do question why you simply stood outside the bedroom while my daughter was doing what you said she was doing, however I won't pretend I know the whole story enough to judge you, and maybe lesser people will blame your for being inactive at that moment. _Still,_ and I stress this, the fact that you still had enough self-control to just walk away rather than respond with violence is something I am grateful for, for both you and my daughter, and I think it says a lot about your maturity as a man. It also took a lot of conviction on your part to come here and to try renouncing your marriage to our daughter, even though I think it's a mistake; nevertheless, it is your choice."

"Right now, I'm having a hard time trying to make a choice."

"Well, all I know right now is that you should choose to take better care of yourself, because this _is_ all about you, and as a mother it's my job to see to you, as _well _as my daughter. So, what can I get for you?"

"I'm not..."

He wanted to protest, as eating this past week has been the furthest from his mind, but realizing that she probably wouldn't leave him alone, he relents.

"Um, I don't know, maybe some tomato soup, I guess."

"Tomato soup, okay. Anything else, perhaps a drink to go along with it? We have some Chardonnay, if you'd..." 

"No!" He almost yelled. "No Chardonnay, please."

"Oh. Issa has some rye whiskey, it usually soothes his nerves when he's tense, maybe you'll like that."

"Yeah, that's fine. Thank you."

"Of course, and maybe I'll have the maids bring you a new wardrobe while they tend to your laundry, how does that sound?"

"That's good, thank you."

"Okay."

She turns to leave, somewhat reluctantly, thinking that it would be in bad form for her to simply abandon him the way he is now, her motherly instinct compelling some action to remedy all of this; if only there was. But, the best she could do was leave with a parting words:

"For what it's worth...whatever happens tomorrow I want you to know that I thank you for always being there for our Moka; she couldn't have had a finer a man at her side."

That late night was a fitful one for both Tsukune and Issa, neither one able to get any rest, and neither one having the good fortune of sleeping with someone who could adequately soothe them. Issa paced about his dark room, drinking his whiskey while his mate, Gyokuro slept the sleep of the just, offering no solace whatsoever like Akasha would, whom slept in a different room. By now, he had gotten used to his worthless mate's even more worthless attention and dealt with his problems solo whenever Akasha wasn't around. However, he knew that even if she slept with him, there would be no safe haven from the pain he felt; his clock reminded him of that. Its loud ticking, echoing maddeningly through the darkness were like nails being hammered into his coffin, because he knew within a few seconds, just a few more loud, annoying, gut wrenching ticks it would be tomorrow and there was no escaping it.

Further down the hall, Tsukune too had the same restlessness, and the same lack of solace. After a long bath, he had returned to his room to find Moka all "cleaned up", that is wearing a pretty, elegant clothing and covered in makeup from head to toe, effectively washing over the love bites her boy toy had given her. All smiles, she had worked with her mother in personally arranging dinner, which turned out to be more than he actually wanted (but figured Moka must have insisted on more). He asked Akasha to stay and she complied, but dinner wasn't helpful at all with Moka there and he ate only what he wanted. Now, sleeping in the same room with her for the first time in days, it was far more uncomfortable than he realized.

"Tsukune," she called from the bed, his bed in which she slept in, while he voluntarily slept on the couch. "Come to bed, it's too cold for you to be on the couch."

He didn't respond; it certainly did little in stopping her from taking the bed as if she deserved it, but now she insisted that he join her as though everything that happened was just a harmless dream.

"Tsukune, please, we're still married and you're my mate, we're supposed to sleep together."

Still, he did not respond, after repeated appeals from her that went unanswered, an undaunted Moka actually came over to where he was and slept on the floor like a dog resting by her master. The gesture surprised him, as around that time he assumed she valued her pride above all else, even him, but to see her so committed as to act like this, he began to think that maybe she was trying. Indeed, Moka Aono was determined to get Tsukune to lover her again, more so out of fear of her act being made public knowledge by tomorrow and revealed to be a liar to her father than losing Tsukune, whom she still thought that he would never leave her, even after what happened. If Tsukune could read minds, it probably would have made his restless fever more bearable, but now his decisive heart was fool of doubt. And, as he laid on the couch with his wife, his unfaithful wife who insisted that he was equally to blame for everything that happened, if not more at fault, and now put on a show that she was worth every ounce of forgiveness, slept beneath him in the cold, nothing made any sense to him. Staring up at the blue ceiling and shadows dancing along it, he finally got up, careful not to wake Moka up and decided to finish what was left of the whiskey. Thoughts played in his head, thoughts of Caro and Akasha, both speaking to him as though one was a demon and the other an angel trying to talk to him. Caro's assertion made little sense to him; he knew he wasn't cursed, it was no curse that made Moka do what she did and if Caro knew the whole story, which she will, Moka's surrogate stepmother certainly would agree. But, the talk of avalanches got him wondering: perhaps Moka wasn't totally to blame for what happened, that something from her past forced her to; he was aware of her troubled past amongst humans, and this whole mess did have something to do with it.

Maybe Caro was right; maybe Moka did deserve the benefit of the doubt, and perhaps even his forgiveness.

But, then he remembered his conversation with Akasha, and her derision of Caro's character that rendered her advice questionable, at best. Recalled, how she said that her past didn't justify the person she is today; he wondered if, in some way she was referring towards her daughter, as well. That she, her own mother, would actually want him to go through with this and divorce her. All of this and more, the thoughts of seeing Moka with Gin, of her kissing him right in front of him even while he begged her not to, and ultimately of hearing the throes of passion coming from the bedroom he used to share with her made him wonder: how could anyone forgive someone after all that?

It didn't give him long to ponder when the chime rang out through the castle like an endearing song, alerting both men to the time, and the day, as in the end, after Caro's seemingly self-indulging speech of a cheating woman, it turned out that she was wrong about one thing: it was all about him; that is, him and the man who bore Moka. This day was for two men, drinking their whiskey and rye, and preparing.

_This is it, _Tsukune thought gloomily. _Today is the day..._

XXX

Sleep for Moka Akashiya, while not as troublesome, was a difficult one for her, regardless and by breakfast the next morning she was a little worse for wear.

"Did you hear me, Moka?" The doctor asked, sitting with her at the same table and carrying on with conversation despite her current lack of attention.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry...What were you saying, again?"

"I said the weather looks like it's going to be another hot one; I thought since you like going down the local water hole to fish you might be ready to find it dry again."

"Oh..yeah, that's...that's too bad."

"...I take it sleep wasn't your friend last night, was it?"

"Is it that obvious?" She asked.

"The bags under eyes is one give away."

"Oh dear," she moaned, holding the sides of her flushed cheeks, embarrassed that she paraded around with such maladies to her appearance. "I thought I worked hard at hiding them."

"Well, they're not that bad; you're not the only one has had it bad."

"You too?"

"Yep."

"What for or would you rather not say."

"Oh, nothing, nothing really, just thinking about my wife coming over today; I'm sure you've heard about it from Rin, by now."

"Yes, I have, do you know why she's showing up, now?"

"Oh, after the incident with Blanche, needless to say word has spread about that and…I guess she's concerned; it's nothing serious to worry about."

"Well, Rin sure seems happy about it; says she hasn't seen her since she was a child. She also tells me you drove her away because of your work, is that true?"

Dr. Kohaku seemed to appear hesitant in his response, and she wondered if she struck a raw nerve.

"Doctor, look, I probably shouldn't..."

"Oh, no, it's...my failed marriage is still a touchy subject for me, I thought I had gotten over it by now; I guess some hurts don't really heal over time."

"I see. For what it's worth, you're a good man and I'm sure you've learned your lesson by now."

"Yeah; I know Rin has. Did you know that for a couple of years after her mother left she wouldn't talk to me or address me as her father?"

"I...I didn't know that. That's sad to hear."

"If I hadn't been diagnosed, I don't think she and I would even be talking."

"I still find it hard to accept your current state, and that it would be the one thing that bonds her to you."

"But, it's worth it, because I love her and...Whatever makes her happy, I'd endure it for her."

"I'm glad," Moka replied with a warm smile.

"So."

"So?"

"Wish to talk about whatever is keeping you up? We can, you know; you can confide with me about anything that's troubling you."

"...To be honest, doctor, I wish I can talk about it. Every day my memory returns to me, little by little; the puzzle's all coming to place."

"But?"

"But...it just feels like...someone is missing. Doctor, being here has been wonderful, and a part of me wish I can stay here, but it all feels so hollow, incomplete, and I don't know why that is!"

"Because of that missing someone?"

"It's probably nothing; I'm sure I'll recover once I get my memories back.

The two sat in silence, the doctor eating his meal and trying to be casual and not too intrusive as there were other things on his mind, however whether it was because of that or an uncontrolled impulse by his own curiosity, Dr. Kohaku mentioned:

"I saw your sketches, Moka."

She puts her food down and almost felt like dying of shock and embarrassment.

"You saw those?" She asked. "All of them?"

"Yeah; I was cleaning out your room when I stumbled across them. One, in particular seemed troubling; a memory?"

"...I don't know," she said, resting her head on her hands in thoughtful, troubled contemplation. "I keep...feeling as though I'd done something wrong and that I should feel at least ashamed, but I don't know why; and, why I would do anything awful to him. All I have are good, really good memories, so...am I bad person? Will...will I end up like Blanche did?"

"Moka," he says, trying to be as supportive as his profession, as well as his own uncertainty would allow, "these past few days I've known you, you have been..."

"Doctor Kohaku," said an orderly.

"Yes?"

He kneels down into the doctor's ear, bringing about a look that seemed to spell out that their conversation would have to wait for another time.

"Okay," he responds, "I'll..I'll be right there. I'm sorry, Moka but...something important has come up."

"An emergency?" She asked.

"My ex-wife."

After breakfast, Moka took the opportunity to go by the doctor's office and get a glimpse of this prodigal wife. Upon nearing it, she could hear a heated discussion from the two and, curious, upon cracking open the unlocked door was surprised by the very sight of the woman who was Rin's mother. A tall, striking woman who almost taller than herself, who stood impatiently in the room like a super model, wearing an extremely tight, shockingly white mini skirt suit that accentuated her long legs, and appeared to be far younger than the doctor himself, close to her own age. But, most striking of all was how she indeed looked every bit like her, with long hair of a similar length, except it was brown instead of pink, and her eyes were sky blue compared to her green; other than that, the resemblance was uncanny, and perhaps explained Rin's affection for her.

"I've done like you asked," she heard him say to her. "I..."

But, his wife raised a hand to silence him as Moka noticed her grab an ear and appeared preoccupied with something.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," she said. "I don't know, tell her to go fuck herself; like I should care. Look, could you give me a sec, please, I'm talking to the father of my child and he's being useless as ever. Yeah, I know! Alright, you were saying."

Moka was a bit put off by this woman's cold behavior, never knowing exactly what to expect when she met her, but certainly expecting someone with some common respect.

"I was sayin, I...Moka?" She heard Dr. Kohaku asked to her chagrin, realizing she must have leaned against the door a little too far out.

"Um, sorry," she said meekly.

"Come in."

"Who the hell is this?" The woman angrily asked.

"Uh, excuse me, I'm Moka, Moka Aka..."

"No, Moka I don't care who you are, I mean who are you to come barging in like this! You better be his counselor who just had yeast infection!"

"Excuse me!" Moka replied.

"Rumiko!" Dr. Kohaku argued. "I'm sorry; Moka, this is my former wife Rumiko. Rumiko, Moka is one of my patients and I'd appreciate it if you showed some respect."

"Your patient?" She angrily asked and slowly started scrutinizing her like she was a plague victim. "Oh, so you're banging her? Really? I would've given you credit if you had better tastes."

"What?" Moka asked in angry shock.

"I am not 'banging' her; Rumiko, can we please get back to why you're here so you can be on your way!"

"Don't you start ordering me around; hell, if you had this much balls back when it mattered, we wouldn't be having this conversation now! And besides, I think you know exactly why I'm here."

The three of them were silent, both ex-husband and wife staring down one another as if sharing some mental argument between themselves; Moka, however was surprised by intensity of their exchange or Dr. Kohaku's anger, which she has never seen before, and of this women whom Rin spoke so highly of. She felt like she had stepped into something she shouldn't have, and at the same time there was a need that said it was necessary. Dr. Kohaku has been there for her and so many of her fellow patients when they were in trouble, and it looked like he might need some help, now. But, a very eager young girl, bursting in the room, gracefully brought some measure of calm to the situation.

"MAMA!" Rin greeted and literally fled over to her mother and enveloped her in a tight, loving hug. "I'm so glad you came back!"

"I'm glad to see you, too," she replied with less fanfare. "You've been good?"

"Yes; mama, I want you to meet Lucy, she's my friend."

"Your friend?" Her mother asked, glancing over at her ex-husband as though he had lost his mind.

"Lucy? So, you have two names or is Moka just what your friends call you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's a long story, but Moka is her real name; she suffered from amnesia and Lucy is just what we call her."

"As you can hear, ma'am, I am your daughter's friend, and nothing else," Moka countered, about as cordial as she could be.

"Hey, Rin!" Suzaku called out and accidentally stumbles into this "heart-felt" reunion. "Oh, I'm sorry, I..."

"And, who is this?" Her mother asked, eyeing his way. "A boyfriend, perhaps?"

"Mom! He's just a friend."

"Another friend, huh? Well, he's certainly a step up from the 'friends' you've made in his looney bin; young, handsome, and normal all rolled into one, go for it!"

"L-Loony bin?" Rin asked, confused.

"Go for it, you're never too young to get started."

"Wh-What?" Suzaku asked, sweat running down his back.

"D-Do you know what you're suggesting?" Moka angrily asked. "Are you _really_ encouraging her, your own 14 year old daughter, to...?"

"Oh, don't tell me how to talk to me daughter," she argued, "and besides, she's fourteen, it's about time she learned how."

"Mom!" Rin said, laughing uncomfortably. "You shouldn't joke around like that; she's kidding, really, it's just a joke!"

"Don't make excuses for me," she scolded. "I don't need to feel ashamed for what I say! I'll speak my mind about whatever, and so should you!"

"And, how dare you call this place a loony bin; you don't know anyone here to say that!"

"It's a place for crazies, isn't it?"

"Mom!" Rin pleaded. "Please, Moka's my friend, she's the person I talked to you about."

"Rin, Moka," Dr. Kohaku interrupted, "could you and Suzaku leave us alone. We have a lot to discuss."

"But...," Rin tried to protest.

"Please, Rin."

"Oh, quit being such a prude, you pussy!" Rumiko rudely yells in front of Rin and the others. "She needs to hear this, it's about her, anyway! I'm going to be taking her away from this 'crazy'-house! At least it'll save me trouble of you having to explain it to her later and botching that up!"

"I-I'm leaving?" Rin asked, and looked over at her father. "Dad?"

"Rin's going; why?" Suzaku asked.

"It's...complicated," he tried to explain. "But, your mother...and I have decided..."

"But, but dad. Mom; I want to stay here! Can't I stay?"

"What?" She asked.

"I said, I want to...", but her mother signals her to shut up as she presses the small device in her ear again and appears to be distracted.

"She said that?" The woman asked and burst out laughing, her unusual behavior drawing confused stares. "I'm sorry, Yamiko, I'm in the middle of something, call me back later. Now, you said you want to stay here, Rin? Why? It's full of crazies; why the hell would you want to stay here?"

"Be-Because of dad," she said, meekly.

"Of dad; speak up!"

"Because, who's going to take care of daddy, I mean. And, besides this place isn't so bad."

"This place is all sorts of bad!" The woman chuckled as though she was talking to an incompetent man-child. "A kid like you should not be growing up around these people!"

"But..."

"And, I hope you're not referring to, whatshername, Moka or something; I don't think being friends with an amnesiac call girl is a good thing for you."

As Moka looked at this person, heard every insulting, condescending word that flowed from her mouth, underneath every impulse to fight her struggling against every measure of restraint, she couldn't help, but feel some familiarity with this proud woman. From the pomp to the way she flings her long hair back with all the casualness of a stuck up woman, there was something haunting about it all.

"Rumiko!" Dr. Kohaku raised his voice, but it did little to deter her.

"No, I will not be silent! You raised our girl in this cesspool of a loony bin; you couldn't even keep one of your patients from killing themselves and you think she's safe here, with you? Ha! I'm going to take her away from here and dump her with my friend, Raymundo."

"Who?" Rin asked, upon which her mother kneels down and talks to her like a little, ill-literate child.

"Raymundo is mama's friend; you'll like him."

"What about you?" She asked. "Why can't I live with you?"

"Becasue...it just wouldn't work, I'm too busy. Now, go get packed so we can get out of here and away from all of these crazies."

"But…but.."

"And, if you're reluctant to leave your little boy-toy, then you can still web chat with him or something, and Raymundo knows a place where you could meet some more, now come on."

"You're going to leave her with a strange man," he angrily, and very smolderingly iterated, "and you think that's safe for her?"

"Yeah, I do. For one thing Raymundo is a very reliable man, he'd do anything for me, and second she wouldn't be around a nut-house!"

"You are not going to take her there, I won't allow it!"

"You won't allow it? Who do you think you are; you certainly allowed that guy to be on top of me and you didn't do anything then! And, people wonder why I left you for someone better?"

"Rumiko!" He yelled and wanted to say more. "Suzaku, Moka, could you please take Rin out of here while I talk with Rumiko!"

"You are such a weak bastard, Ichimei, I can't even stand the very sight of you."

"You…left him for someone better?" Rin almost stammered. "I-I don't understand, what do you mean he allowed some guy to be on top of you?"

"Uh, you better come with me, Rin," Suzaku said, sensing readily what was really going on and tried to pull her away with him.

"You didn't tell her?" Rumiko asked, clearly flabbergasted at her daughter's ignorance.

"And, what was I supposed to tell her?" He asked.

"Oh god; that's your problem Ichimei, you never consider the ramifications for your inactions and that's why I went out and found a real man while you were out being a half-brained idiot. You're pathetic Ichimei; I know it, everybody I know knows it. Oh, and while you were over here helping the mentally challenged, I was with a man who knew how to love a woman."

"Alright, fine," he said through gritted teeth, but he was less concerned about Rumiko's words, and more about what Rin was hearing. "Let's just leave it at that, but this is between you and me, so save it!"

"W-Wait," Rin tried to say.

"C'mon, Rin!" Suzaku cried, but Rin kept struggling with him, eager to understand what her loving mother was trying to say.

"Mama, dad said you left because he drove away due to his work; I thought that..."

"Oh grow up, honey, I left him because he was a weak fool and mama needed a new man, that's all!" Rumiko boisterously proclaimed.

"I can't believe you said that," he said quietly. "In front of Rin, no less."

"And? She needs to hear this, and for you to stop treating her like a child. God, you need to get over yourself, Ichimei and think about someone else, for once. I came all this way just to get my daughter, because you want to stiff me on the alimony you owe me, and to put my girl in a hostile environment, too. You know what, I don't have time for this; I was supposed to be gone half an hour ago, c'mon Rin, get packed!"

Rin just looks at her and her father, the look in that girl's innocent eyes that of shock and awe, as she inadvertently delays Rumiko's eager departure.

"Well? You just going to stand there and look stupid? Don't be like your father; come on!"

Instead of honoring her request, the girl flees from the room with Suzaku chasing after her.

"Rin!" He called to her. "Rumiko..."

With no words to say to this person, he races down the hall after his daughter, worried at what to do. Rumiko could care less about what happened; she was a self-important woman with sexual cravings, a taste for finer things and ultimately in getting what she wanted. In her eyes, this quiet man who counselled to so many troubled souls was more trouble than he was worth, being largely an inactive loser who tried to vindictive towards her by withholding payments and showing little signs in suffering for what he didn't do, plus she needed Rin to enhance her image as a responsible parent for the new job she had going. Standing in the room, un-phased by what just happened, she checks herself in her compact and listens to her friend chatting on the phone, before remembering that Moka was still in there.

"Oh, you're still here?" She asked. "Ugh, not you Yamiko, I'm talking to one of his 'patients'...I don't know, she's just standing there and creeping me out. What do you want?"

"You…cheated on him, didn't you?" She quietly asks.

"Well, I'll say this for you, you ain't half as retarded as I gave you credit for; yes I cheated, what of it? You think I'm a bad guy; please! You don't know me, honey, and you sure as hell don't know Ichimei, even if you are banging him; so don't judge me. If you were in my shoes, you'd understand why."

Moka could not believe what she was witnessing; that this woman who was a mother would talk so cruelly to the child who waited anxiously to see her. But, not half as shocked at the revelation that her leaving was not Dr. Kohaku's fault, that he lied about it all this time...so Rin would not hate her mother

"What are you?" Moka asked, walking slowly towards her. "You're not human; so what are you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That man just lied to his daughter for you..."

"Yeah, and now you see what a total ass hole he is."

"He took the fall for you, so that your daughter wouldn't see for the bitch you are and you think he's an ass hole?"

"What did you call me, bitch?"

"How could you talk about him like he's worse than you; he's sick, probably hasn't long to live, and yet he's cared for your daughter, provided a shelter for her and people who needed it, and done everything for both, and yet you're supposed better than him? What have you done?"

"Do you believe this bitch?" Rumiko asked her friend on the other line, her dismissive attitude only serving to anger Moka further. "'Oh, he's cared for the sick and been a good father', please! What have I done? Why don't you ask him; ask him how all the times I had to suck up to being married to a worthless, good for nothing fool! Or, or, ask him how I learned to do with the kind of money he was making and never once complained about it; let's see how you think about him, now, huh!""

_She doesn't care_, Moka thought. _She just doesn't care. _The very words rang out in her mind like a sick echo, gradually becoming familiar as she stared at this evil person whom she bore a resemblance to as it all began to feel eerily familiar.

"Look bitch," Rumiko spoke, only partially shattering this resounding feeling coming over her. "I don't have to explain myself to you, least of all to you."

"How could you talk like that to your own daughter?"

"So you think I'm a bad mom, now? Listen, no one tells me what to say or what to do; my mom taught me to speak my mind and do what I like and so I did. Ichimei, for all his perfect, holier than thou self, could never, ever figure that out and god forbid he do that to Rin; she'll thank me."

"Really?"

"When she's older and has got a nice man on each arm, yeah! Aww, did I upset you? Yamiko, you should see this bitch, she looks like she's about to cry, hehehe, ahh! Well, if you thought that was bad, then you should hear what your super professor didn't do on the night in question: see, me and this guy I invited over were doing it on the living room couch when he came home. See, I wanted a divorce, he wouldn't give it to me, so I showed him I meant business and do you know what he did? Nothing, absolutely nothing, the guy just stood there and let it happen; no shouting, no yelling, not even punching the guy's lights out, he just stood there."

Moka couldn't tell if it was the story or just the fact that this woman laughed about it like it was a joke that struck some chord in her mind, but the echo of her laughter that rang like annoying bell chimes mixed in with the lingering sounds of the previous echo. What came was anger, there was no question about that, but there was something else that quickly followed, a cacophony of feelings that a person could not put to words, instead only feel.

"And," Rumiko cruelly added, "I don't know..._what_ you prefer in a man, honey, or what you think you know about me and him, but if you still think that's a man, then you really are retarded, honey, and he's all yours. You should see her, Yamkio, still standing there and now she looks like she's about to puke all over the floor or something. Yeah, I can't believe it either, having to recount that whole sorry episode for her dull ears, and none of it, and I mean none of it would have happened if he had agreed with me. All he had to do was say yes, and none of it would have happened, but guys are going to be stupid and he's the king of fools. Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha, what a fucking loser, I swear, hahahahahahaha!"

The words, the laughter, and an air of apathy all swirled about her like a decayed stench, uncontrollable, all-consuming and as she thought about the kind man who had been there for her, helped her open up to a new world and raised such a fine daughter who had become her friend, she couldn't help see him standing before this monster who would dare pull him into the worst hell imaginable and laugh, laugh cruelly, laugh remorselessly at him. It brought to mind something else, of another cruel act, just like this if not worse, and of a man who perhaps meant even more to her.

Something snapped.

"I don't know what he's telling her," Rumiko said to her friend, "but knowing him, he's probably feeling her head with My Little Ponies or..."

It was a growl that caught her attention, animalistic and threatening, that finally shut her up, but thought that some animal had broken as being impossible, continued her conversation.

"I'm sorry, Yamiko, I thought I heard something. Anyway, as I was say..."

Suddenly, Rumiko's larynx is closed off as a pair of vice-like hands grabs around her throat and hoists her high into the air. Hearing her friend's gurgling, Yamiko asks what is going on. Shocked, confused and above all, frightened, Rumiko glances down and notices, to her surprise Moka strangling the very life out of her. Her very being had changed now, her eyes, as well as everything about her glowed with a demonic aura, as the rosary about her neck radiated with a charged energy of its own. She tried her best to break free, but Moka's grip was iron tight and committed to wrenching every last ounce of breath from her fake body.

"Help!" Rumiko tried to call out. "HELP! SOMEBODY HELP MEEE!"

"HOW DARE YOU!" Moka roared with mighty fangs bared in an evil anger. "HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO HIM!? Tsukune never done anything to you, so _why_, why would you do that to him? Fuck you, fuck you for doing that to him, I'm going to kill you, YOU STUPID BITCH!"

"Moka!" She heard Dr. Kohaku cry.

"Lucy!" Rin yelled, and upon hearing their voices turns to find them staring at her, mouths agape, eyes almost out of their sockets at the very sight of Moka, glowing red and suspending Rumiko three feet in the air with her bare hands.

**It's about time, **she heard another voice, a deeper, and more throaty voice that she thought came from the jewel in her rosary. **Beginning to wonder if we'd ever get right in the head, again.**

Shocked, she releases Rumiko, letting her drop unceremoniously to the floor who immediately scrambles to the door.

"...He-lp," her hoarse voice tried to scream. "Help! Somebody, help!"

Dr. Kohaku stood out of her way as she races down the hall, with everyone else beginning to converge on the room, of which Moka could clearly hear while standing in that room at a loss for words.

**That's just great; instead of being in control of your emotions and letting that human get to you, now we got a situation at hand.**

"It…it's you," Moka mouthed in surprise.

**Of course it's me. You've been out of it; water damaged the seal, I could barely speak to you.**

She felt like she had just woken up from a deep sleep, and everything seemed confused, at first. However, as a commotion was created throughout the house and her three friends simply staring at her, as Moka's memories had finally become complete, there was little time to rejoice.

"I..." she began to say, but Suzaku rushed forward and stood by her side, defiantly.

"Su..Suzaku," Dr. Kohaku tried to say.

"She had to do it, doc," he said. "You heard that bitch; she had it coming."

"You...knew about this?" He asked the boy.

"Yeah; it was a secret because if anybody knew about it, I or she'd have to die! Don't say anything, please! She's still Lucy, always has been!"

"Suzaku," Moka said, and before she could react to his fierce, steadfast loyalty, she saw Rin slowly approach her with a blank expression on her face.

"Rin," he whispered, wanting to say some kind of warning, but confused and reluctant about what to do, what to say. Nothing, in all of his profession had prepared him for this; what was he to say?

Soon, everyone in the house had descended upon the room, with Rumiko being quickly followed after by a number of orderlies.

"Get away from her, Rin!" She shrieked at her. "The p-p-p-police are on their way! I want something done about that _thing_, something has to be done!"

"What's going on?" Norman asked.

"Her!" Rumiko pointed. "She's a monster, a real life monster! She grabbed me around the throat and lifted me, literally lifted me in the air and started shaking me violently like an animal, and she had those teeth bared at me, it looked like she was going to drain my blood or eat me or something and she was glowing and..."

"What?" Jay asked.

"She's lying!" Suzaku defended.

"Rin, Suzaku, get away from her or she'll try to eat you, too! Well, Ichimei, don't just stand there! You saw the whole thing too, that girl isn't human!"

All eyes were suddenly on the doctor now, and for a man who always seemed to have all the answers for his patients, and for a time he believed so himself, for the first time in a long time nothing came to mind. He couldn't deny what he had witnessed, now knowing the possibility that everything Moka had told him, all of the far-fetched and fanciful accounts was more than just colorful imagery, making her now a very dangerous threat to everyone present, especially to Rin. However, as he looked at her, he couldn't deny that, despite it all, she was still the same person as before, but that person had no memory of her past; now, who knew. It wasn't until he saw Rin boldly, and lovingly grab hold of Moka's tiny hands with her even smaller ones, the same hands that not too long ago held a very cold hearted person in their powerful grip, did he know what to do.

"Ichimei?" She asked again, impatiently.

"Rumiko," he calmly says. "I wonder if you know, just how crazy that all sounds."

"What!" She shouted, wondering if she had heard him, correctly. "Are you insane? You saw her, you know what she is; for god sake you've been banging her this whole time and..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" One of the interns said. "Dr. Kohaku hasn't 'banged' any of his patients here and we'll all attest to that; you're way off base, ma'am."

"Suzaku, did you see anything?" Dr. Kohaku asked.

"No, doc, not a thing."

"Forget you!" Rumiko snapped. "Forget all of you; Rin, honey, dear, you believe mama, right? You saw the monster try to hurt mama, didn't you?"

Rin looked up at Moka and then back at her mother, and gently squeezed Moka's hand for the strength she was more than willing to give.

"I only see one monster in here," she quietly answers, "and it's not Lucy."

It was Rumiko's turn to have a look of shock and awe, awe at the people she trusted suddenly treating her like she was insane when they witnessed the attack on her just seconds ago. All of a sudden, she saw everyone looking at her like she was crazier than any of them and more deserving in being placed within the walls of a true nut house.

"Lucy, a monster?" Norman asked. "Yeah, and my mother is Gorn."

"Oh, I bet the cops are going to believe your story," Jay said, and added: "I bet they'd like to hear something else, too; of how just moments before I overheard you planning to leave your daughter with a stranger while you were out handling 'business'. We may not have perfect minds like you, but we crazy people do tend to have perfect hearing."

Finally seeing how it was going to be, with a scary monster in her midst and nary a person willing to defend her, she remained determined not to let it bring her down, and defiantly walks away from this place, pride and all, complete with a narrow, brown streak running down the seat of her pearly white skirt.

"Women, am I right?" Norman joked.

"Nah, bitches," Jay corrected.

"All right everyone, show's over," Dr. Kohaku said. "There was a slight altercation, but everything's alright."

With the commotion died down and the room quiet again, Dr. Kohaku reluctantly closes the door behind them, leaving them all in the same room with her.

"So..." he started to say, "...wow!"

"I hope you're not scared of me?" Moka meekly asked.

"Why should we?" Rin asked. "Thank you."

Moka smiled, as did Rin and Suzaku, but Dr. Kohaku, who took his time coming towards her, remained deeply conflicted.

"You must have about a million questions to ask me, huh?" She asked him.

"Oh, you have no idea," he nervously laughed. "...But, I guess, strangely enough given the situation, not that you're strange or anything, I meant that, as your therapist, um _still_ your therapist, I think, there's just one…thing I'd like to ask:...um, who is Tsukune?"


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

_Fix You_

For days this person remained in cold, isolated darkness, unable to see the light save for those few, brief moments when shapes and colors could be barely discerned; however, those moments always left a feeling of unfamiliarity where some fleeting show of bravery was the only thing to cling onto.

_Where am I? Why is it so hard for me to see anything?_

Again and again these questions continued to asked as anger ebbed towards fear, a fear of loneliness as there was no one who could hear such thoughts; perhaps forever.

_No! Wake up! Wake up!_

Again and again such pleas went unanswered, and the fear that no one will began to claw at the heart, determined against such a fate, and in desperation was forced to reach out to the one person who was only slightly further away than normal and could change all of that in an instant.

_Moka! I shouldn't have to be doing this. Moka!_

XXX

"Moka," Tsukune moaned in his sleep. "Moka!"

"Good morning, my lord," a woman's voice responded.

Feeling a bright light touch his face, he opened his eyes and stared straight up as he allowed the ugliness of the day's morning rays swamp over his seemingly lifeless form.

"I hope I didn't disturb you, my lord."

"...Ezumi," he muttered, somewhat relieved that Moka wasn't standing over him. "What day is it?"

"Sir?"

He glances down at the empty bottle of whiskey left precariously in his hand and upon sitting up soon felt the onset of a hangover.

"Never mind," he grimaced, remembering full well what today was; the day he would annul his marriage, of having to relieve that horrific moment again just for the benefit of others who were not there, the day his dreams life will come undone, and it was then that he wondered with dread where Moka was. "Where is she?"

"If you are referring to Lady Aono, she said she would be preparing your breakfast today and is in the kitchen."

"Is she, now?" He asked, not at all moved by her sudden gesture at generosity, especially on this day of days.

"In the meantime, Lady Bloodriver has ordered a bath drawn for you; I thought you'd like to have one alone while your wife is busy cooking, but would you like anything else, my lord?" Ezumi graciously offered.

Tsukune stared into space, his face almost blank to the concerned maid, who noticed his eyes seemed far alien up close to her than she last remembered four years ago; in reality he was thinking how to respond to such a compassionate, genuine, and yet ironic request. He knew she meant well, but what was there anyone could do about this, short of time travel, and as such the only reasonable response his mind could come up with was:

"A reason."

"My lord?" She asked, confused but receiving no response or anything further from him.

In the kitchen, Moka Aono, already dressed and hard at work cooking up something special, could hardly think about anything else but winning Tsukune over; time was essential. A cake was in order, she decided, recalling how fondly he appreciated them, especially strawberry shortcake, and knew if this didn't convince him she cared about him, then nothing would.

"That looks tasty," her mother said upon coming in.

"Thanks, it's for Tsukune and me to enjoy, later on," she replied. "I think he'll like it, don't you?"

"Yes," her mother said cheerfully, though with a heaviness hidden beneath. "You do know what today is, right?"

"...I do," Moka responded, pausing in her work briefly, but quickly puts on a cheery smile. "That doesn't mean me and him can't have a little time together as husband and wife. I think we need this."

"Well, I've had a bath drawn..."

"Oh, really? I'm not ready yet, I'm all a mess with flour and everything all over me."

"It's for him, dear."

"...That's good, um, I think I'll..."

"For him to take alone."

"Oh."

"I figured sometime alone might help clear his mind."

"You do, huh? I-I understand, he looked out of when I got up that I didn't want to disturb him; maybe a nice, warm bath _will_ help him recover."

"Daughter, might I...might I have a word with you."

"We're talking now, mama."

"I mean, the other you."

Moka was hesitant at first; that other her has already said and done plenty that put them in this mess, and she was afraid of what might be said to jeopardize of hopes of reconciliation, but her mother sounded almost pleading for a meeting. It was a side of her she had never seen, and it terrified Moka in thinking that this, all of this, was more serious than she wanted to admit.

"...Okay," she replied, carefully putting everything in a safe place and removing her rosary seal to stand before Akasha in all her arrogant, silvery haired glory. "You wish to speak to me, mother?"

"Come, Moka, you needn't speak to me so formally; we're mother and daughter, remember? Mothers and daughters count on each other and are friends, like you and me."

"...Forgive me, mother; I'm just not in the mood for listening to anymore human centric legends and myths, I have a real urgent matter to attend to."

"It won't take long. I just...I want to know what happened between you and him."

"I've already said everything there is to say."

"Moka, I'm your friend," she said a little more urgently. "If you can't talk to me, then who can you..."

"Mother," Moka replied, her facade beginning to crack and her red eyes searching for some way out of this.

"I know you must feel anger for having you sent to the human world, and...I don't know, I thought by now you would have gotten over it; I don't mean to sound so harsh. As vampires, we're taught that hard feelings are fleeting; being immortal, we have all of eternity to get over them."

"I don't know what to think of what you decided for me on that, Mother."

Flashes of memories appeared, both sad of Jr. High and happy with Tsukune and his family appeared.

"However," she continued. "I know that before my husband I hated them with all my being. They knew how to tear me apart with their laughs and their teasing. I couldn't do anything but endure it! It made me...made me..."

"Feel human," her mother finished, which felt like a nails being scratched on a chalkboard.

"No, weak," she hissed. "You don't understand; you should, being my mother and a pureblooded vampire, and a mighty one at that, you should."

"I'm sorry you feel that way."

"Don't say that! Why must you apologize, you shouldn't have to apologize for anything!"

"Fine, then I regret what little I've said and done; happy?"

"Mother," Moka sighed. "And, how could you act so round about like this? Working behind my back to care for my husband, when it is I who should be doing this."

"Let's not worry about him, right now, let's talk about you. You're bitter about being sent to a human school, I get that, and maybe nothing I say or do today will change that. However, as much as you hated those times with humans, they didn't fully destroy your ability to make friends eventually or by accepting that they were your equal. Basically, I would say, you at least found your place as one of them; right?"

"...That's right; when they figured I had as many faults as them."

"How did that make you feel?"

"Good," she replied, but with a flash of her fangs in bitter, anguished reluctance at coming to terms with that fact. "_However_, I could not be my true self, for my benefit!"

"So, you wanted to feel good about yourself while they were weak, without understanding what it meant to be their equal?"

"Yes!" Moka exclaimed as she finally found someone to understand her plight. "Because, I AM better than them! I am stronger, faster, smarter, and prettier-"

"And, modest." Akasha threw that word out there, tripping her daughter in the midst of her self-praise. "You could also be a little more modest."

"The powerful don't have to be modest when they can back up their claims, mother."

"Moka, daughter, that may be so, but again remember what you said yourself when the humans decided to accept you because they realized you were their equal as opposed to their superior."

"It felt good," she said, chewing on her plump, pink lip as she remembered her own words.

"You see, my daughter, you felt good once you were on even footing with them as opposed to them aspiring to yours. Granted, humans don't have the capacity to be your equal. You know that as well as I do. And, you've been taught that _we_ are superior to them in every way. But, but, to find a vampire who is humble, who can be himself without having to be his true self around anyone is rare when we have to put on airs all the time and it chokes away our pride. Even your own father won't allow himself to be himself for the sake of pretenses. You, my daughter, were not really, truly happy until the part of you that you keep so deep inside your own heart and soul was exposed for the world to see who and what you truly are."

"And what am I, Mother?"

"Just a girl who wants friends to love and to be loved. You are scared and confused. While you think that's normal in the eyes of a human, in your eyes it makes you a horrible vampire; you know that is true."

"But...I _am_ a vampire! A proud vampire, and not human! I am a pure blooded, superior being, through and -"

"Vampires, vampires, vampires," Akasha said, shaking her head. "In all my long life on this earth, I've never met anyone, vampire or not, who can accurately tell me what that meant. It's sad to hear that you do not."

"What?" Moka asked, looking at her own mother as if she had lost her mind. "What are you talking about, mother?"

"Oh me, oh my," came a familiar and unwelcomed voice, "I hope mother and daughter aren't suffering from a failure to communicate? Given what's about to happen, sister, that would be most unfortunate, seeing as how you'll be needing her before the day is through."

"Be out of my sight, sister," Moka growled at Ria, "or be prepared to know your place!"

"Oh, I know where my place is, sister dear; it's right by my father's side, as always, and in the foreseeable future it will be by your soon to be ex-husband's side. Where might your place be?"

"Ria," Akasha intervened as she tries to hold Moka back, "we are having a discussion; could you please leave us."

"She planned this, mother! She's trying to take my husband away; she's always doing this because she's jealous!"

"I'm sorry, but did I 'arrange' for you to spread your legs for another man in the presence of your beloved?"

Ria succeeded in rendering her proud and angry sister silent with that question, but by no means did it subdue her.

"And," she added, "did I manipulate your husband into calling me out of the blue?"

"Ria! Moka, look..."

"I...You didn't have to pick him up and make off with him without telling me!" Moka argued. "You should have let him cool off, so he'd come back as soon as he got cold and hungry enough and we would've worked things out!"

"Oh Moka," Ria said in a mockingly show of concern, "you poor thing; how could I have been so hasty in mine actions? Of course, you had everything planned out, right down to the detail of your husband coming to his realize how wrong he was and come crawling back on his belly to you and your boy-toy and apologize, like a 'proper vampire' would, am I right?"

Again, Moka was stupefied and it irked her further to the point of wanting to scream. How dare Ria twist her own intentions like that, and especially in front of her mother.

"You don't know anything," she muttered. "It was his fault; none of this would have happened had he...done anything I wanted him to do."

"Is that your excuse?" Ria asked. "I thought you were going to say he wasn't paying enough attention to you; that's what they all say."

"They?" Moka asked.

"Desperate housewives, like you."

"Moka!" Akasha yelled after Moka breaks from her grasp and rushes at Ria, but she manages to restrain her in time. "Ria, you've said enough; now leave! I will not repeat myself, again!"

"Fine, I was just going. Perhaps I'll go see what dear brother wants, instead."

"You stay away from him!" Moka yelled. "Go near him and I'll..."

"Oh me, oh my, that sounds like invite some long awaited fun for me; anytime."

However, a glare from Moka's mother let the obstinate woman think better on it, for now, knowing full well that in a few hours there won't be much she could do for her daughter or even Tsukune. Alone again, Akasha stares at her daughter, who averted her gaze for what seemed like the longest minute to her, as Ria's caustic taunts and Moka's roundabout way in responding to them helped illuminate an ugly reality to a burning question.

"You...you _did_ sleep with this...Gin, didn't you?" Akasha asked.

Though her daughter did not answer, much less look at her, returning instead to the baking, it confirmed the worst.

"Why? Moka, tell me why?"

"...All you need to know is that I did what had to be done; you should understand that."

"Understand? Help me to understand."

"You are my mother!" Moka raised her voice, almost pleading or wishing for it to be true. "You're supposed to be on my side!"

"I am on your side, I just need to know why?"

"I shouldn't have to explain myself to you, because you should already know! If you were in my shoes, you'd have made the same exact choice, and if you had then you'd be backing me all the way on this!"

"...You were picked on in school?"

"Right!"

"You felt ostracized by the human children?"

"Correct."

"And, when Tsukune wanted to raise your children around humans, you felt...trapped?"

"Yes; I wouldn't say trapped, but felt more like I was left with no options because he refused to be cooperative."

"If you felt like this, then why didn't you call and talk to me first?"

"I never had you to rely on before; I had to learn to count on myself and if I was to be a good mother to my children then I alone would have to make the tough choices for my family."

Stunned by the comment, as well as feeling a little hurt by it, Akasha was at a loss for words; her beautiful daughter has committed a most unforgiveable act and to top it all off lied to them all about it. What Caro and her sister will uncover today will be made apparent to everyone, and yet the feeling of being a terrible mother who abandoned her child only made it difficult to think of anything to remedy this.

"So...," Akasha started to say, "because of all of that, you felt you had to cheat on your husband...to..."

"He needed to be put in his place; it's pointless to go over everything now, what's done is done. Now, I need to get Tsukune to call this off and admit he was wrong."

With nothing else to say, quiet and distraught, Akasha leaves her stubborn daughter to her cooking, wondering to herself what was going on. Though she hid it well, a part of Moka felt bad with what had been said, regretting that and a lot of things which"had to be done", however she wasn't done yet. An idea popped in her apple shaped head, another one made in her desperation without so much being put into it; only her pride was at stake, and that was what was more important.

"You rang, mistress?" A maid asked after Moka had summoned for her.

"Yes, bring me the key to one of father's potion storage rooms."

"E-Excuse me?" She asked, nervous that she would be given that request.

"Did I stutter?" Moka angrily asked, her red eyes glowing with murderous intent as she had little time to quibble with low rent help.

"Uh, no mistress, I'll bring it to you, right away!"

_W-What are planning, this time?_

**A love potion.**

_A love potion?_

**If that fool Tsukune won't love us willingly, if he can't shake this...curse from himself on his own, then we'll force him to and get him to accept responsibility****.**

_Why do we need to trick him into loving us, at all? He loves us, doesn't he; even after what we did to him, right? We shouldn't need a potion._

**Do you know we only have a few hours before this trial begins and our secret is exposed, Tsukune will divorce us for sure; do you want that? **

_You said we had all of eternity for him to love us again._

**Don't. Don't you start whining to me again! He will learn to love us again, in time, but we need him to fall in love with us right now for that to happen! **

Her weaker, more compassionate side found little point in arguing; in spite of everything, she had to agree, for they were two sides of the same coin and besides there were no other options as time was running out for them both. Blaming Tsukune for everything did seem a lot easier, however she couldn't deny that she still loved him and wanted him to stay with her, forever; making him out to be the villain would make it very hard to accomplish.

By breakfast time, she was pleased to see no one else sitting at the table, but Tsukune at the far end, assuming everyone had yet to arrive. He was less than thrilled to be having breakfast at all, more interested in getting all of this over and done with rather than wait; he was even less thrilled to see her come sit down across from him.

"Good morning," she greeted, but he didn't respond. "You're going to keep ignoring me, huh? Fine, act that way then, but you're wasting your time because I have nothing to apologize for and all this is going to do is make you look like the fool you are, not me!"

Again, he said nothing, but continued eating his meager helping of soup instead of the large buffet before him. Moka tried to eat normally and act as casual as possible, but his demeanor ate away at her.

"Ugh, is that really all you're going to eat? For god sake, I can almost see some of your bones, you could collapse at any moment! Plus, I prepared something special for you back in our room, so you better work up an appetite!"

His continuing silence and flippant dismissal only infuriated her further; at no point had she ever suffered such a behavior from anyone, much less from her own husband.

"I get it," she continued, "it's that curse you're under; I get it, and Ruby will pay dearly for that, I assure you."

_Curse, _he thought bitterly. _She just doesn't get it, or doesn't care._

"But," she adds, "you are a vampire, with my blood making it so, coursing through your veins; surely some witch's handiwork wouldn't be difficult to shake off! And, I know you are stronger than how you let on, right now. Perhaps, at some point she cursed you before all of this happened; it would certainly explain your behavior, for you are strong enough to be the father of our future children, and you are smart enough to recognize that what I fight for is the right thing for us, because you'd be there fighting alongside of me, like you've always done before. Tsukune, I want you to see this, I want you to be yourself again and agree with me; don't go and throw it all away, because it's just what that witch wants!"

"...And, you think they will thank us for it; I mean, our children?" He quietly asked.

"They will, in time. They'll realize that we did it out of love."

"Love?" He asked, almost laughing. "You call it love?"

"Yes," she said with an irritated expression about her face. "It is the purest form of love a mother could give to her children; you may not understand this because you're a man and a second born."

"And, what does that have to do with anything?"

"It has everything to do it; it is what all mothers of high standing and birth know, it is what my mother knows, as do I. Our children may become confused, at first; it's to be expected. However, they'll know that I gave them not the kind of love they wanted, but the kind of love they need in order to survive."

"Your mother doesn't believe that."

"She does, she's too proud to admit to it, perhaps more than I am, probably because of her disdain towards my stepmother and _her_ methods."

"So, you're saying Gyokuro is someone to emulate?"

"I'm saying us mothers will do what we have to in order to guarantee the survival and success of our offspring, even it meant doing something painful to our loved ones."

"If that's the way you feel, then there's nothing further to discuss. You'll have your children, and the chance to raise them anyway you want; I want no part of it!"

"Don't be stupid; you're my mate and they'll be yours, making us your responsibility!"

"I won't raise his kids! You want a father, go marry him."

"...You dare insinuate that I bare his...?"

Moka stood up and half appeared ready to hit him as if he had said something offensive to her face.

"Don't you ever, _ever_ talk to me like that again!" She hissed. "I will not be the mother of his mongrel brood!"

"You had sex with him for that purpose, right? Or, are you going to say I imagined it?"

"That was a demonstration of how committed I was to my resolve, I had no intention of literally bearing his child! He was a tool, and nothing else!"

"It didn't seem that way to me!"

"What? How dare you!"

"Mo-Ms. Akashiya...If you wanted Gin all along, then why didn't you simply marry him instead of me? All you had to do was reject my proposal, that's it, and none of this would..."

"Don't talk to me like that! I don't want that foolish wolf, I wanted you! I wanted it to be you who bears my children and grants me the kind of life I want, not him! How could you say that to me, when the entire time I led him into our bed I looked to you, and secretly prayed that you would put a stop to it! Didn't you see the signals I was throwing your way?"

"Signals?"

"Yes! Didn't you notice how desperate and unwilling I looked; I waited and waited for you to do something to stop it, but you didn't! You just sat there on the couch and let that...that...pimp have his way with me! So, what was I supposed to do, just roll over and be raped! No, I would not let either one of you have that satisfaction, I would make you regret your indecision by doing the unthinkable and decided to enjoy..."

"What is this commotion?" Issa called from up the stairs, and down he came, followed by his wife and the others for breakfast. "It is far too early in the morning for more of this squabbling! Hold your tongue until the succubus arrives; both of you!"

"Yes father, forgive me; the dining table is no place for such discussions," Moka said and obediently sat back down, wisely dropping the subject less she reveals too much to him; her mother already knew plenty more and she wondered if she told him anything, but so far it appeared he remained largely in the dark about it. Tsukune didn't care, only glad to have the conversation end, but deeply troubled that she would berate him about missing signals for wanting to stop Gin from making out with her.

Did she really not want it to happen; and, if so then why keep silent about it or even let it happen at all? He knew Moka was not the sort of person to just sit back and allow anything happen to her that she didn't want, in fact the entire time he tried to kiss her before being turned into a vampire she was very forceful in preventing it from happening. Yet, she couldn't stop Gin from having his way with her, instead counting on Tsukune to step up and stop something that she initiated? It made no sense to him, but so far nothing else that has happened made any kind of sense to him.

After breakfast, Tsukune quickly made his way back to his room before Moka got there, so he could be alone and mentally prepare himself. Unfortunately, when he got there, he found a small table set up with a freshly baked strawberry shortcake waiting for him; Moka's favorite, and at one time his, as well.

"What the hell?" He asked aloud.

"Um, it's for you, Tsukune," Moka said, showing up behind him, now back in her demure, pink haired form. "I saw you get up and leave, and I knew you were going back to the room so..."

He looked at her with an unspoken question of how, so sure he had given her the slip, upon which she replied:

"Oh, I know a few shortcuts in here," she giggled, nervously. "Look, Tsukune lets not do this to each other; I don't want you to treat me like you should avoid me. Please, let me prove to you I still care about you."

"You think fixing me cake will do it?" He asked.

"It's a start. Won't you at least try it?"

She goes to cut him a slice, breaks a piece of with a fork and prepares to feed it to him.

"C'mon, it's your favorite; I know how much you loved my strawberry shortcake, try it."

He hesitated; the last thing he wanted was to sit down to another meal with her, but at the same time wondered if this is the way their relationship must be, avoiding one another? Tsukune looked into her green eyes that were so pleading, hopeful for his love once again and it seemed to him that she may be intent on her plea; however, another part of him thought that the only thing she is hopeful for is him calling off the separation or risk being exposed for the lying whore that she truly is. Neither side made him sure of anything, much less wanting a separation to even go on; it was pure hell going on in his head, and yet the smell of her cake brought back pleasant memories that clouded the bad: memories of waking up in bed in the morning, playfully enjoying brushing his teeth with the woman he loved and pouring a bottle of his minty green mouthwash that she thought little of. It was those moments and more, those tender moments he took advantage of that plagued him, and for a moment he wavered in his insecurities.

"I...I don't know if I want any cake," he said, softly.

"Please, Tsukune. I don't want us to fight anymore; just please have some cake with me, that's all I want from you today, and...if you still feel like leaving me then...I'll understand."

"You mean it?" He asked, almost hurting to hear her say she'll let him go so willingly, starting to question if this is what he really wanted or not. "Y-You'll leave me, I-I-I mean, you'll let me go?"

"Yes. If that is what you want, then...so be it."

"Well, I..."

"...But first, can we please have one last cake dinner together?"

He looked at the cake, and then to her, and at the sound of so simple a proposal, thought there would be no harm in having cake with Moka, perhaps for the final time.

"Okay," he said with a heavy heart. "One more time."

He closes his eyes, like he always did when she playfully spoon fed him, opened his mouth and prepared to receive Moka's treat when a slight scream and whoosh of air caused him to wake up.

"What?" He asked, looking up to see a large raven flapping about the room with the fork in its claws; he didn't need to fully recognize the enormous, black harpy to know that it's odd and rather timely intervention could only mean one thing: Ruby had returned.

"Good girl, Ebony," he heard her familiar voice from the hall, and before long the supple, raven haired witch graced the doorway with all of the fires of hell burning in her hazel eyes, but they were a righteous fire as Ebony drops the fork, cake in hand, into her partially gloved fingers.

"What are you doing?" Moka yelled. "Who said you can interfere?"

"You got some nerve, Moka," she growled.

"Ruby!" Tsukune said. "How is...is Yukari...?"

"She's stable," she said to him, her voice tender yet concerned. "It's touch and go; her parents arrived just this morning, that's why it took me so long to get back!"

"But, the blood I gave her."

"It's not your blood that's holding her back, they think there's something else, something on a mental level going on inside of her and it's...well, it's up to her, now."

"You're saying, Yukari might not make it?" Moka asked with obvious concern; obvious, that is, to her only.

"It's funny you should show concern, now!" Ruby shot back.

"Don't blame me, it was an accident! If you hadn't attacked me..."

"I wasn't the one who did the attacking, princess!"

"Why are you even here? Why aren't back looking after Yukari?"

"You think I'd leave Tsukune here with you? I heard what happened while I was away; lying to your parents, now?"

"It's none of your business."

"Oh yes it is, especially when you're trying to deceive Tsukune, again."

"What do you mean by that?" He asked.

"This cake you were about to eat, has a love potion mixed into it, poorly I might add."

"What?"

**Oooh, that idiot! **Inner Moka seethed from within, realizing everything has been spoiled. **I should have killed her when I had the chance.**

"Oh, I hope I didn't spoil anything," Ruby said, mocking the vampire.

"Is this true?" He asked; at one time he would not have believed it, but upon looking at her and remembering everything she's done, it seemed believable. "It is true, isn't it? All that talk about wanting a simple meal with me..."

"Tsukune, I was doing this for us!" Moka responded. "Please, you have to believe me!"

"How can I believe anything from you, now? You poison food, you lie now, and...What am I supposed to believe?"

"Nothing, Tsukune," Ruby answered. "Not a damn thing!"

"You're one to talk!" Moka snapped at her. "None of this would have happened if it weren't for you!"

"Me! You're seriously blaming all of this on me?"

"My Tsukune never would have rebelled against me if it wasn't for you!"

"You're a real mess. Blaming everyone for your problems rather than owning up to them. I can't even believe you let her spend the night with you, Tsukune; what were you thinking?"

"...I don't know," he said with a heavy sigh, "she refused to leave and I just..."

"My Tsukune is staying with me!" Moka said, grabbing hold of his arm and pulling him next to her. "You have no business with him, anymore!"

"The hell you do, let go of him!" Ruby argued, catching hold of the other arm and tugging him towards her direction.

"Stop!"

"No, you stop!"

Back and forth the two tugged away at him like two dogs over a piece of meat, and for a while it reminded him of the old days when the girls playfully fought over him, but were all such good friends just the same; such thoughts began to hurt more than the tug of war and became unbearable.

"Alright, that's enough!" He yelled, causing both girls to instantly release him. "This is pointless, all of it! Moka, if you think I'm to blame for what happened that night, that's your problem. If you think that everything you did, no matter how hurtful it was, was for the good of children and you would have no problem hurting them the same way if you thought it served for your greater good, then that's _your_ curse; I don't want anything to do with it if that's the way you feel."

"Tsukune?"

"What's going on?" Akasha asked, coming in just in time.

"Mother; I was just...having a word with my husband until she barged in!

"Well, she was...," Ruby was about to argue and rat out what Moka was doing, but Tsukune stops her.

"Moka, you can stop this, all of this," he offers.

"I...I can?"

"Yes. You can fix this, maybe for good."

"Sure, Tsukune anything," she said, relief washing over. "Whatever you ask, I'll do it; what is it?"

"...Apologize, admit you were wrong about everything, ask for my forgiveness, and maybe, just maybe I'll take you back."

"Tsukune...you know I'm sorry for what happen..."

"No! I want _her_ to say it! I want her to come right out and say it, say something, anything that'll make amends even if it meant getting on her knees and begging! I'm not saying this to be vindictive, it's because of that pride of hers that got us to where we are now, but if pride means that much to you, then there's nothing left to say."

Moka looked at him for an eternity, her green eyes so drained of any hope or possibility of that happening, as she knew that pride was all that mattered to that side of her; what Tsukune was asking was for the impossible to happen.

**He cannot be serious.**

"Moka, dear," her mother said, her face devoid of any hints or wants, having the presence of mind to allow Moka to make up her own mind.

"Tsukune, look I..."

"Mother Akasha," he said, "could you...set me up in a different room, please."

"Wait a minute, Tsukune!"

"You heard him," Ruby said, standing in between them.

"Mother!" Moka pleaded. "Could you please do something; she's getting in the way!"

"Moka...it appears Tsukune has made his choice. Tsukune, I'll show you to your room, personally."

"Thank you," he replied, giving one last look at Moka before the next time they'll meet at the hearing.

Moka felt helpless, as though watching a sculpture she made out of sand being washed away with the tide, and nothing she'd say could stop it. As she watched him slowly walk away, she wondered now more than ever what would happen to her; none of this was supposed to happen. Everything was so well planned out, right down to the belief that Tsukune would bend a little for her, thinking he would do anything and sacrifice anything for her; never did she imagine that he'd seek a divorce. Now, all she had left to do was wait, hope and most of all, pray.

XXX

Moka Akashiya felt relieved to have finally gotten her memory back, like a cloudy haze had been lifted and all the world seemed familiar, and for the better part of a day she has recounted everything to her newfound friends, who were so immersed they clung to every word spoken.

"...And, that's it," Moka finished, "that's my whole story; where I'm from, who my friends and family are, and how I got here."

"W-ow!" Suzaku replied, while Rin appeared to be almost in tears.

"That's sooo romantic," she said. "You and Tsukune..."

"Oh man, you guys," said Suzaku, "you're like...superheroes or something; I mean, you got your secret identities and everything and fight super powerful enemies!"

"Well, I wouldn't say...," a blushing Moka responded.

"You're like Wonder Woman with that Diana Prince persona, and Tsukune has this mild mannered guy going on, like Superman, but when he gets mad or you're in trouble he transforms and starts owning!"

"That's Incredible Hulk, you're thinking," Rin argued.

"Whatever; you guys are awesome, and your super friends!"

"Um, thanks," Moka responded, a bit weirded out by analogy, but pleased her friends were immersed in her story. "What do you think, Dr. Kohaku?"

Like the others, he had listened to everything said and sat quietly mulling it over in his mind, wondering to himself what he should say.

"I don't know," he finally replied. "It was...It was an amazing story. And now, here you are with us."

"Yeah, what about Tsukune?" Rin asked, eagerly. "What's going to happen to you two, now?"

"I don't know," Moka morosely replied. "I know when broke out of that prison, all I could think about was clearing my name and reclaiming him, but now I've had time to think and...So much time has passed, with him married to this other woman who looks like me and...I don't know if we stand a chance; in fact, given what's happened, I don't know if I should show my face around him, again."

"Don't say that!"

"Rin."

"You two love each other! You can't have gone through all of that and give it all up, just like that! Fight for him! I know you still love him!"

"She's right, Moka!" Suzaku coined. "Don't let those bitches win! Fight back! Do it for us, please!"

"Guys..."

"...They're right Moka," Dr. Kohaku spoke. "Your life has just been commandeered by forces that are within your control to fix, and by doing nothing then things won't get better for you, for Tsukune or anyone you care for. I speak from experience; I thought if I kept mum to my daughter about...why her mother left, I thought I could keep things going as if nothing has changed at all, and that she can be happy. I was wrong. Don't make that same mistake; confront these people that hurt you, and confront your fiancée about what happened."

His words touched her, bringing back a burning desire from within that for a short while had begun to wane, and after remembering what happened to him she knew he was right; no good would come from her backing down now, nor extinguish a burning fact.

"I do still love him, Rin," she said. "And, I won't give him up, either! You're right doctor, I should try to at least see him again. But, I do not know how."

"You don't know anyone you can call?" Suzaku asked.

"No, not really."

"What about your parents?" Rin asked.

"The only one who answers phone calls at the castle...is Ria."

"Oooh, then that's a no," Suzaku commented.

"Yeah, and if she knew you were here, she'd send some of those Fairy Tale goons here after you," Rin said.

Just the thought of her doing so, and having no compunction of harming the innocent people here, people who had shown her such great kindness and compassion, filled Moka with a great fear, but Suzaku's defiant tone felt endearing.

"Don't worry, Moka I'll protect you," he said with such earnest and sincerity, reminding her almost of Tsukune.

"Thank you, but I don't want you to get hurt."

"Are you kidding; you helped us, why wouldn't we help you!"

"It seems you have some loyal helpers, right here," Dr. Kohaku comments.

"Thanks," Moka said, tenderly.

The kindness of the humans she's observed helped open her eyes to a side of them she'd denied herself from seeing, and upon thinking back realized that there were other such moments before, from humans like the kind and loving family Tsukune had come from.

"Hey!" She said, suddenly remembering something important. "There is someone we can call."

"Who?" The doctor asked.

"His parents: Kazumi and Koji Aono!"

"You think you remember their phone numbers?"

"Not exactly, but I do remember that they live in a town north from here; I even know their address!"

"Well, that's something to work on," he said. "Give me their address and maybe I can look it up in the local directory. You said their names were Kazumi and Koji Aono, right?"

"Yes."

Looking up the desired information in the directory wasn't as hard as Moka thought, they were listed and soon he was calling up their number.

"It's ringing," he said.

Moka waited with baited breath, sitting nervously on edge and wondering how she was going to explain all of this to them or if anyone was even home.

"...Hello, is this Mr. and Mrs. Aono?"

"...I'm Kazumi Aono," Moka could hear on the other line; the voice itself giving her all of the assurance that it _was_ her. "Who is this?"

"I'm Dr. Ichimei Kohaku..."

"D-Dr.? What happened, is this about Tsukune? Is this about my son? Please tell me, have you found him, is he okay?"

"She sounds so worried," Moka whispered to herself.

"N-No, I'm not calling about your son; I have a patient in my care named Moka Akashiya, who says she knows you and is your son's fiancée, and I would really like to...Hello?"

"They hung up?" Suzaku asked.

"...Yeah."

"She sounded upset," Moka pointed out.

"I know; given what you said...it sounds like something happened to this Tsukune Aono."

"Happened? What?"

"I don't know, I thought you could tell us. Did you see anything else that might have happened, anything that would be a clue?"

"No!" She responded, greatly worried herself about what's been happening in her absence. "You...you don't think that clone could have done something worse to him, do you?"

"A while ago I would've told you that vampires and clones don't exist, but now I don't know. I'd say anything is possible."

Anything being possible seemed to so far mean the very worse for her and her loved ones, and now it loomed over everything.

XXX

As Tsukune stood at the mirror, steadily shaving his face he couldn't help, but look at himself and wonder what was going through her mind. All she had to do was apologize for everything and maybe he would've forgiven her; at the very least it would have made this moment more bearable.

_I would've done anything for you, _he thought solemnly. _Even take the blame for something I didn't do if it would help, but..._

"Ow!" He cried upon cutting himself.

"Are you alright in there?" Ruby asked outside.

"...Yeah," he said, watching a tear of blood slide down his chin.

It was a heart wrenching reminder of all that he had given plenty to her, and as much as he would like to play the chevalier to her princess, there was no getting past that horrendous night; to simply forgive and forget that would be, in itself and impossibility. A knock at his bedroom door brought him out of his maudlin, both welcoming and disturbing.

"I'll get it," Ruby said. "Hello?"

"Um, excuse me, my Lady," the maid Ezumi courteously said.

"You don't need to call me Lady, it's just Ruby. Is there something I can do for you?"

"No, it's just that, I was sent to inform Master Aono that the succubus, Ageha Kurono has arrived and are ready for the proceedings; I was to escort him, you can come as well."

"...Thankyou, I'll make sure he gets dressed," Ruby replied, quietly closing the door and resting against it with the same kind of restless feeling as Tsukune. "Tsukune!"

"I heard," he replied.

He had secretly hoped Ageha would take a long time getting here, and deeper still in his heart was a hope that something would occur that'll delay her arrival, postponing this for another day; unfortunately, there was no such luck, nor was this some fantasy where luck had reigned, it was reality and he had to face it.

"...I know she did a lot to you," Ruby said as he walked out of the bathroom, "and I'm not going to talk you out of this, far from it. But, you don't have to do this, if you feel you're not up to it. You can stay with me and Yukari, away from Moka for as long as you like; I know some spells that'll bar even unwanted vampires from crossing."

"That's a tempting offer," he said, "but you've never known me to be a coward, and I've never known myself to run away from what needs to be done. I can't just ignore this, you know that."

Ruby knods and Tsukune glances down at his bed at the handsome suit laid out for him.

"Nice of Akasha to provide some clothes for ya," Ruby said.

"Yeah. She said she picked out a whole wardrobe for me last week, intended it to be a birthday gift; happy birthday for me."

She lets him get dressed and then helps comb his hair and fasten his tie in silence when she asks:

"So, can you at least tell me how you're feeling? You feel scared?"

"How do I feel?" He asks, more to himself. "Well, I wouldn't just say that. I feel nauseous, I got a splitting headache, or maybe all of the above."

"I know."

Dressed and ready to the best of their abilities, they soon walked quietly towards the throne room, led by the same maid meet with Moka's father about her, and yet it felt like all of this he had done once upon a time ago, now distant to him. These four years had been some kind of cruel joke, that it would hit this snag and he'd be forced to undo everything. And yet, as they stood outside the massive doors to the throne room, still he hoped against hope that Moka, Inner Moka, whom Tsukune knew would be present at this, comes clean about everything and does something to make it all go away; that she'd prove she still loved him more than her pride.

It was asking too much, he'd never known her to do something that touching, but then hope was all he had left, now.

With a loud groan, the massive doors opened of their own accord before the dimly lit, ornately decorated room with a long, red carpet leading towards the throne, but the moment Tsukune steps in his face immediately smothered in a pair of massive pillows that appeared out of nowhere.

"Ohhh, Tsukune, I'm so sorry!" A voice wept while he was pressed against the large pair of breast and shook violently. "I heard what happened; ohh, it's just so sad what happened, but don't worry, mama's here and she'll make it all better!"

"Ahem!" Issa said.

"Sis, could you save it later!" Caro told Ageha. "We got important business to tend to."

"Fine," she said and releases him, for which he was grateful.

"It's good to see you, too Ageha," Tsukune replied, breathlessly. "Where's Kurumu; how's she?"

"...You don't know?" She asked and then cast a look towards Ruby.

"Know what? What's going on?"

"There will be plenty of time for idle chat later!" Issa decreed. "Now, there's a more pressing matter for which I have summoned you here, Ms. Kurono!"

"I'm aware!" She responded, her tone serious. "If anyone can crack her nut, it'll be me and my sister. Did you bring a mirror to use?"

"Right here!" A tiny voice cried from above and Tsukune was shocked to see the fairy Lillith, come flying in tow with her magical mirror. "You can use this instead of some dusty, old mirror!"

"I decided to bring her along with me," Headmaster Mikogami said, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. "I wasn't sure to expect, but I knew if she was hiding anything, the mirror's affects would be strong enough to get her to admit her true feelings."

"Headmaster?" Tsukune asked.

"Hello again, young man. It would seem your troubles have become my own; but, then again they always have been."

"I...I don't understand."

"I trust you will, soon."

"Gee, thanks," Caro said, accepting the mirror, but showing disdain of using anything from both the witch and the priest.

Tsukune could see that everyone had shown up, especially with Akasha standing behind Issa like last time, only there was no joy in her usually bright face.

"My lord!" Ms. Ezumi declared. "Lady Akashiya has arrived."

"Send her in!" He ordered.

The door opened ominously and in stepped Moka, fashionably late and dressed exquisitely in a beautiful white dress and walking in regally like a woman who could do no wrong, for there was little she should feel ashamed of. With one look at Mikogami's surprised appearance, there was some flinch of surprise in her austere, red eyes.

"Might I ask why is _he_ here?" She asked her father. "Or, the witch for that matter; I'd assumed it would be a private affair."

Seeing the witch standing there, her best friend with her husband, very nearly made the vampire want to lass out if not for a need to show some decorum.

"Your former Headmaster accompanied young Ruby and asked to participate with the proceedings, in which I agreed. His 'mirror' would come in handy."

"Mirror?" She asked before noticing the flying mirror with the tiny, winged lady attached to it.

"We know how Lilith's power works," Caro said, "being able to split you into your two halves would make this a whole lot easier and weaken you enough to reduce any and all resistance to our probing."

"Oh father, is this necessary?" Moka asked.

"You question me?" He angrily asked, upon which Moka quickly knew her place.

"Forgive me."

"Look, father I can vouch for her," Kokoa defended. "Don't let these...people pry into her memories!"

"Silence!" Gyokuro demanded. "Allow things to play out; I know how you worship her, but I got up to see a show and that's what mother intends to see."

Moka looked to her mother, red eyes pleading for her intervention, but as much as it pained the mother, there was nothing she could do. Ria, on the other hand, stood on the other side of Issa, quietly eager to have the proceedings get underway.

"Mikogami," he ordered. "You may begin."

"Lilith," the Headmaster ordered, "reveal to us both Mokas."

"Okay," the beautiful, thinly dressed fairy said with a devilish grin on her face. "If that is what you wish, master. Reveal to us your true selves, Moka Akashiya, ha-ha-ha!"

With a flash of blinding light from the magic of Lilith's mirror, light so blinding it caused even the mighty lord Issa to shield his eyes, as his daughter and Tsukune's wife reared her head back and screamed, but her voice soon became two voices.

Lilith was neither afraid nor disoriented by the affects, but merely possessing an almost devilish delight upon hearing such a strange cry from her victim. Floating forward with the reflective plane aimed towards Moka, she was rewarded with the upward crimson rise of power splitting in two, eventually collapsing on itself as two separate bodies now stood next to each other.

Silver haired Moka swayed unsteadily on her feet, right next to a pink haired, outer Moka who caught and steadied her Inner self.

"It is done, Master," Lilith spoke, floating back over to Mikogami.

"Well done," he acknowledged.

"Where is...?" Inner Moka muttered, blinking her slitted, scarlet eyes to comprehend where she was, what was happening.

"Who?" Outer Moka asked, assessing her parallel twin as if she was okay.

They could have been twins or fraternal twins, but when Inner focused her eyes and caught sight of her fragile, gentle self, she pressed her hands to her neck, feeling the rosary still intact. Glancing at her hands, then touching her hair, Inner Moka looked around, seemingly dizzy and nearly sick with the reality she wasn't where she was supposed to be.

Her other half was in front of her and she was out, but it was impossible. They were the two sides of the mirror; connected, but always separated.

"You. Why are you…Why am I…?"

"Greetings, Moka Akashiya Aono," Mikogami called out. "You are here at my behest. Understand that you are going to be asked a few questions and I expect you to answer them."

Blinking her eyes, she felt her outer self's worry and crumbling posture.

"Big sis," Kokoa whispered.

"Where's Tsukune?" Inner Moka asked, her self-composure seemingly eroded and was already pushing outer self from her path, taking in the blurred faces till two came into focus enough to find what she was seeking: Ruby and Tsukune holding hands.

"You!" She accused, stomping over towards her mate and her once friend. "Witch! Just when I've been subdued you couldn't wait to take my mate! You were my friend! How could you betray me like this?"

"Betrayed you?" Ruby argued.

"Um, w-we mustn't..." Outer Moka insisted, but Inner Moka was now inconsolable.

"Get out of my way!" She yelled with a harsh shove, nearly knocking her outer self to the floor and struts towards the man of her life. "Tsukune, you're my husband! My mate! I treasure you! You're not supposed to leave me no matter what! I say again, stop this foolishness and come home with me! I can't believe you're doing to Ruby what I did to Gin over and over again that night?"

Moka stopped herself in mid stride, looking around and touching her fingers to her neck; she hadn't meant to say that.

The flinch in Tsukune's cheek made her realize she had definitely said more than she had meant to.

"You had sex with him even after I left, Moka?" Tsukune asked, his voice hoarse.

Outer Moka was rushing to her Inner self from across the room, but it was too late.

'What does it matter now?" Inner Moka asked. "What's done is done."

However when she took an involuntary deep inhale, she found herself compelled to say even more.

"Yes, we had crazy, mind blowing sex that left me trembling and sore! He kissed us and licked us all over, marking us as his property just like we did him! After seeing you leave I needed something to distract us from the pain of you not saving us from ourselves! We didn't use a condom either! And, if him and I had made love the first time, then the second time we marked each other and fucked like beasts! When we were done and you still didn't come back to us, we were getting back at you by getting wilder, crazier, and angrier! We wanted to hurt you and we enjoyed it that night! Everything that we wanted to do with you we did to Gin! You weren't supposed to leave! You were supposed to be so crazy with jealousy and lust when we wore your favorite dress and your favorite perfume! You were supposed to save us! You didn't! You didn't! You left us! No matter how many times we protected you and saved you, you didn't protect us when we needed you to understand us! So we got back at you over and over again! The rooms were dripping with sweat! He flooded our womb to spilling! I sang his name to the heavens! Gin was the man we needed you to be, but you abandoned us!"

When she at last stopped talking Inner Moka looked horrified. Tsukune stared at her with shock and open disbelief as Ruby was shaking her head with disgust. However, it soon dawned on her that they were not the only ones who heard every word.

"As you have forgotten, Ms. Aono," Mikogami explained, "Lilith's mirror has the ability to remove the veil, so-to-speak, and reveal your true feelings. You've just revealed everything to us."

"So...you have lied to me!" She heard a shallow, raspy voice proclaim in anger and shakily turns to face her father and entire family.

Her mother looked away in shame.

Inner Moka clasped her hands over her mouth and looked at her outer self, who wept as she collapsed on the floor, while Tsukune's jaw clenched so hard everyone was sure he was going to crush his teeth.

"Hm, this is turning out to be better than I thought," Gyokuro mused. "I should commend you on bringing this to our attention, Ria."

Ria remained silent, but nodded in approval.

"You...You didn't..." Kokoa stammered as she crumpled to the floor, her green eyes turning pale with a devastated look. "Not Gin...not..."

"I wanted to tell you everything," Outer Moka hiccupped, glancing up through her wet fingers to see everyone glaring and staring at her, especially her man who glared at her over Ruby's shoulder. "Tsukune."

His silence was suffocating her.

"I swear to you as your wife and your mate, I was going to tell you as soon as I saw you again!"

But, there was no consoling from him; this was not the humble quiet Tsukune she was used to. He was in his vampire form now. She could see the anger in his red eyes and feel his youkai flaring, growing stronger with his pillaring rage.

"So everything you just told me, your mother, sisters, to everyone...is the truth and you slept with Gin after Tsukune had left?" Issa asked, his voice soft and steely, though it was far from an actual question for he knew right away what the answer was.

Inner Moka wanted to say something, but she was too afraid to. She wasn't ready. Her mind was going a million miles a minute and yet she was defenseless. How did one protect themselves from themselves?

"Why?" Tsukune growled. "ONCE was to put me in my place. After I was gone though, why did you keep going with him?"

"Because...Because...," she stammered. She looked to her outer self for some support, but she was in no condition to be of any use.

"ANSWER HIM!" Issa barked, causing the proud, indomitable, white haired heroine to jump. "Do not shame yourself further!"

"We wanted to hurt you," she admitted quietly.

"How were you hurting him when he didn't even know?" Issa asked, trying to understand what her point was. "Unless it was to hurt him by having Gin give you the child you wanted in the first place."

"No!"

"No? And, I should believe you, now?"

"Father," Inner Moka pleaded, almost to tears at her own father showing no love, whatsoever to her. "I..."

"Then, what was the reason!"

"I...I am a vampire...So, I had sex with someone other than my mate...It's not like you haven't done it yourself."

A collective gasp from the women around Issa, including her own mother, did little to help her newfound cause.

"As a woman, am I not entitled to the same privileges you enjoy, father?"

"Women's Rights?" Ageha asked. "Is that your excuse? Please; women with even greater shame than yours have resorted to that, don't shame women everywhere by pretending you're doing us any favors. Because, I've seen the extent of your welfare to another woman's pain!"

The succubus and mother to her once, former friend started to walk towards her, only to be halted by Caro.

"Do not insult me, succubus!" Inner Moka hissed. "In spite of everything, I'm still within my..."

"You have no rights, here!" Issa barked.

"B-But, father I..."

"Your mate said you did all of this for children, now you're telling me you've taken up some cause; what are we dealing with here, daughter! No more lies!"

"I..."

"Tsukune," Outer Moka came from behind to touch his arm and ducked when he pulled himself away from her as if she burned him. "I swear to you, I'm going to confess everything willingly, but just believe me when I say that both of us had no intention of letting it go this far at first."

"At first?" Tsukune asked, his voice harsh.

"After that night, I…we, even went as far as trying to see if there would ever be a relationship between Gin and I...That isn't what I meant, I mean...Oh, Tsukune, it was a mistake."

"Is that so?" Tsukune asked, with red eyes narrowing at her, damning her; eyes that were no different than her own father's.

Outer Moka nodded, her pink hair fluttering with her hands clasped hopefully, looking around at everyone, wanting their approval and forgiveness. She glanced over at her mother, looking to her for help, but whose face was far too devastated to really think straight.

"P-Please, remember I was still angry with you and…I was scared."

"You should have been scared before you let him into our home and kissed him!" Tsukune said, his voice holding no emotion and just the slightest bit of simmering anger.

"You bitch!" Ageha seethed with anger. "To think, my daughter suffered...because of you."

"Wait!" Caro interjected. "May I be allowed to speak?"

"You may," Issa responded.

"I know you must all feel...anger, surprise, even hatred, it's only fair! However, Moka _was_ a good girl before this and she has saved my niece, my sister's daughter several times over; shouldn't we give her the benefit of the doubt?"

Ageha pulled her older sister off to the side and whispered heatedly: "What the hell are you doing! We don't owe this bitch, anything and if Kurumu were here, which she _can't_ because of her, I know she'd agree!"

"What are you suggesting?" Issa demanded.

"You brought my sister out here for one thing and one thing only: to get to the truth, and I think you and Tsukune should at least see the reason why she has done what she did. It's the truth and it's only fair."

"Fair?" Gyokuro asked. "Fine, let's see it, things are starting to get interesting, anyway."

"Sister?" Ageha asked.

"Shhh," whispered Caro, "the more dirt we can find in that air-head of hers, the better for our mumu; wouldn't that be better?"

Ageha had some reservations about it, but considering the vampire princess and all that she has done recently, no amount of good deeds in the distant past or a high degree of morals seemed to dissuade a devilish delight from drudging up dirt.

"You say you want to confess?" Issa asked taking each one's own distinct reflection of their emotions: Inner Moka's repentant and pleading, Outer Moka's indignant and bold.

"Yes, I swear I do." Outer Moka took a hopeful step forward.

Inner Moka's glowering red eyes made no move to dissuade her.

"Very well; Caro Shade, Ageha Kurono, show us the cause for all of this, and then we'll decide is she is deserving of having the benefit of doubt! Tsukune Aono, are you prepared?"

Tsukune was pale with both anger and disgust at having to not only revisit the nightmare he'd hoped to forget, but see more; however, his curiosity as to why it had to happen at all gnawed away at him. Solemnly and quietly, he nodded, trying to look as strong as ever while gripping Ruby's hand hard, and receiving an even harder grasp in return.

Shifting uncomfortably, Inner Moka watch her outer-self tremble with hesitating conviction as Caro and Aghea approached them, both snapping their tails from their skirts and their eyes glowing with an opalescent glimmer.

"I promise you, this is going to hurt, you rancid bitch!" Shade whispered heatedly at Inner Moka, slapping her on the forehead with her clover spade tail.

Aghea was even more vehement.

"I am going to try not to enjoy ripping into your memories and I assure whatever you're hiding, the whole world will know."

When the tips of her tail shot out at Outer Moka, and when Caro motioned for Lilith to bring the mirror, upon which both women touched the reflecting surface with their fingertips, the two Mokas suddenly let out a piercing scream that echoed in the small room.

"Show us your sins, Moka Aono!" Caro led. "Let everyone know when you fell from your graceful pride!"

Before long a bright light shot out from the mirror, darkening the room in its glare as an image began to form within it, giving everyone a view of what was to come.

**A year ago…**

"Oh Tsukune, could you go in and get us some ice cream?" Moka asked, playfully pressing her hands together like a beggar.

"The ice cream," Tsukune murmured aloud.

"Ice cream?" A confused Ruby asked, but Tsukune recognized this scene all too well as he remembered this being the day of the flea market and later stopped to get ice cream; when everything changed.

"Sure, what you like?"

"Mm, double-decker strawberry, no make it a triple decker strawberry sundae with three scoops of vanilla on top, with some chocolate syrup over it and sprinkles and chopped nuts...oh, and add a cherry on top, too!"

"Wow," he said, "you sure you're not already pregnant?"

"Tsukune!" She said with her pink, flushed cheeks being adorably miffed.

"I'm kidding, I'm only joking! One double-decker strawberry with two..."

"_Triple_!"

"Triple-decker strawberry, with two…"

"Three!"

"Right, three scoops of vanilla on top, some chocolate syrup over it and sprinkles and chopped nuts on it with a cherry on top; got it! I'll be..."

"Oh, and make sure they serve it in a waffle cone too, please."

"Waffle cone; got it. Anything else?"

"Nope, that's it."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. We can share if you'd like."

"No, no, I think I'll just have a simple cone."

"You...you don't want to eat with me?" Moka asked, putting on a hurt face that tugged at Tsukune's heart strings.

"Well, I...alright, alright I'll eat with you; I'll ask to see if they have any spoons."

"Great!" She said with a smile. "And, don't be in there too long, because I have some good ideas for names for the baby I'd like to run by you."

"I thought we were going to talk about later tonight, at least call our mothers let them think of something, because I got nothing!"

"We will; I'm sure my mom has got some great ideas, I just like to get started, right away!"

"Look, we'll call my mom up first and hear what she thinks, you know she's going to want to get involved anyway, you know how she is; and besides, who knows, she might come in handy being around to help with the kids while I'm at work, since she's a lot closer and you two get alone so well, and all. You know, I bet she's still has those child raising books lying around the house she used with me."

"Fine, but could you go get the ice cream, please? Go!"

"I'm going; I'll be out before the ice cream melts."

Tsukune could hear Gyokuro groan from the conversation of this apple pie scene, but it soon mattered very little to him when he got to see what happened after he went into the ice cream parlor.

"Get back here!" They heard a kid yell, and very soon a little boy dashed past Moka with tears falling from his eyes, the scent of fear coming off of him in waves with his backpack falling from his fingers right at her feet. Right behind him, four much bigger boys without backpacks were after him, smelling of anger and dominance, and as she witnessed this, it immediately propelled her back to her days at junior high…

**Junior High**

"Very good, Ms. Akashiya," said the teacher. "Now, would someone else like to try and answer the next question?"

Moka was pleased that she had gotten the right answer, but soon noticed the other kids looking at her out of the corner of her eye, strange boys and girls, who glared at her with contempt or derision.

She heard snickering going on behind her and glanced around to see the other kids whispering and laughing.

"She's that girl with the expensive clothes," one of the kids snickered.

"Maids bring her food, so she doesn't eat regular food like we do," another whispered.

"Because of her, we have to take another test!"

"Akashiya always helps the teacher! She's making us do more work!"

"Akashiya this…"

"Akashiya that…"

"Akashiya…Akashiya…Akashiya…"

They were all whispering to each other, but she could clearly hear every word. She knew no matter how she smiled, how often she shared her stuff or politely asked to play with them they were always cold towards her as if she were some kind of alien. Couldn't they tell she was trying and that she wanted be their friend?

"Watch this!" One of the girls called out to her friends during lunch. "Hey, Moka!"

Swallowing hard, she put her bento down, and stood before her tormentors with a cultured grace her father instilled in her since she was young.

"Hello," she said politely. "How can I help you?"

Everyone laughed at her like she was some clown, but the girl spoke up and asked:

"Yeah, we only wanted your opinion?"

"What is that?"

"Are you really sensitive to this?" She asked, holding up a bottle of water.

"Look," she replied to the girl, "I'm really not interested in drinking any water. I actually have my own tea...w-would you like to try some?"

She sat back down, opened her thermos, pours her a cup, and offers it to the girl who quickly slaps it away.

"Nah!" She answered mockingly. "I want you to try this, instead. See? It's just plain ole water."

Popping the top off, she took a sip and exhaled in a mocking tone of pleasure.

"See? It's nothing special. Here, you try it?"

She pushed it towards Moka, who shied away from it.

"I'm sorry, but I can't drink it. I'm…sensitive to-"

"Just say it! You can't have 'common' water! You have to drink rich people water because I just drank from it and we're not good enough for you! You think you're such hot shit, that you're smarter than us! You can't wear plain clothes, you don't even take showers in the girl's locker room, and you need your own room to bathe in! I saw it myself! You have to take a bath with special soaps!"

"You don't understand! I really am-Aaaaah!"

But, she wasn't even allowed to defend herself as the spiteful girl splashed water all over Moka's face, causing her to reel in pain and fall to the floor.

"See!" The girl squealed with delight as Moka struggled to her feet. "She can't stand to have regular water on her!"

"Yeah, look at that!" Another kid cried out.

"Let's get her!" Another child called out and instantly every other child there was chasing a fleeing Moka as she shielded herself as best she could.

Luckily for her, one of the teachers were nearby who luckily was able to hear her crying out, and chased all of the kids away, but not without giving a glaring reminder to her that they would be there when there weren't teachers around.

From there on out, she was hunted down and mocked. There were kids who were tortured and humiliated like she was, but they soon turned against her to be accepted by those who would normally tease them mercilessly, and then were shamefully dismissed again as soon as they got their jabs in.

Then one day…

Moka was keeping her hair down, peeking from the left and right of her pink locks hoping to stay as unassuming as possible until…

"Akashiya, this way!"

She looked to the source and recognized the boy calling to her as Hoshii, one of the friendlier boys in the school. Nervously, she was about to pick up her pace to walk away, but she heard the voices coming around the corner. It was her, that girl Takane, the one from the lunch room who harassed her.

Fearing what kind of fate would befall her this time, she had little choice, but to accompany Hoshii down a dark hall, where they hid long enough for Takane and her goons to pass by. Sighing in relief, she turned to her savior and smiled.

"Thank you."

"No problem. People like us have to stick together."

Blinking, knowing full well what he meant by that, she was about to deny it when he shrugged his shoulders and eased her worries.

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm a Pegasus. My family has been living here for a few years now. What are you?"

Her jaw worked, but she tried to keep herself small and unassuming. Even if there were difference between humans and monsters, there were still sects in the monster realms where creatures of Darkness and Light often fought.

Pegasi were creatures of Light, so were Unicorns.

"I really should go…"

Frowning, he put his hand on her shoulder, keeping her in place. "It's a simple question."

She was getting nervous again.

"Please let me go. I am thankful, but I was told I'll get in trouble if anyone finds out."

He did but not without giving her a glower that said whatever bond they had from him helping her, it may not be there to be counted on a second time.

XXX

There was another thing about Jr. High that he also noticed, especially amongst the boys.

"You're so beautiful!"

"Please, please, be my girlfriend!"

"Wow! You must be loaded with money! Can you help me buy…"

"Can your family help my parents get a better job! They work really hard…"

While some of the compliments were nice and the boys seemed friendly, she could smell their insincerity. Their ulterior motives were just as blatant to her as were their false amicable grins. Politely, she would listen to their empty words and then tell them she was grateful for their interest, but it was not her place to dictate who she could or could not date or be friends with.

Her father was the one to decide those things and would only listen to the person he had complete and utter trust in: Ria, who was later seen sitting across from her in the limo after picking her up from school, who had allowed the long, pink hair to shroud her forlorn eyes and grips the backpack tightly.

"Dear, little sister, what's the matter?" Her elder sister asked, voice oozing with false concern. "The humans not playing nice with you today?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Ria."

"Oh?" Ria asked, still trying to adjust to her sister's fundamentally shy personality, different from the 'real' Moka she knew. "The reason I asked was because I could not help, but observe the way you constantly jumped around all those little children, like you were afraid of your own shadow, and then you practically bolted inside the car. You sure there's nothing you want to talk about?"

She remained silent.

"Were those kids calling you names?" Ria asked offhandedly as Moka watched some of the students walking away in pairs along the sidewalk, chatting away about nonsensical things. "You know, as father's favorite, I am obligated to do everything I can to make your life as mis...I mean, as pleasant as possible."

Moka didn't listen, just continued watching the kids walking by, hoping that even though they couldn't see her they would somehow talk about how they wanted to be friends. No matter how many people there was around her, though she always remained alone.

"You know, sister dear," Ria's melodious and concern rich voice caught her attention, "I can help you."

"I don't want to hurt them, Ria."

"I never said for you to hurt them," The dark haired elder sister replied, seemingly insulted Moka would even suggest a thing. "But would you at least like those humans to accept you?"

"There's more than just humans in that school, Ria."

"Oh, I'm sure there are, however they are the majority, are they not? Humans are easy to deal with, sister dear. The trick is to always make them see you as someone they want to please, not the other way around. After all, learning to deal with them is the whole point of your being here is it not?"

Moka was determined to just stay quiet, seemingly more involved with the way the fine carpet in the limo had a sort of grain to it by smoothing it over with her toe of her shoe.

"It's your choice to listen to me if you want, Little Moka, but you're the one who has to want this. All I'm saying is give it a try and you'll get results. I promise you."

Fingering the end of one of her locks of pink hair, Moka felt a little trapped with what she wanted and the offer presented to her. If there was one thing her eldest sister was renowned for, it was getting things done.

"Can you really help me?" Moka mumbled quietly through her lips.

Ria wrapped one long shoulder length glove over Moka's small shoulders and pulled her close, saying lovingly and sisterly: "Little Moka, you're my sister…I promise to do my very best for you."

"Promise?"

"Of course. Do you think I would try to trick you?"

Moka should have known better…

Later, they made good on their effort, driving the limo up to Takane's home in the dead of night.

"Are you sure this is going to work, Ria?" Moka asked worriedly as she held a small basket with cake and a few small bottles of sake. Ria was brushing her long pink hair and tying a pretty bow to the side of her hair with sisterly affection. Their limo was driving down a road that lined some houses of the middle to low middle class citizens. It had been that evening Ria made a few phone calls when Moka had went home that her dark sister instructed Moka to put on a pretty dress.

"Trust me, sister dear, after this day they will be eating from the palm of your hands," Ria announced, sweetly.

"I don't want them to be afraid of me," Moka said as her knees shook and fidgets uncomfortably with the small basket she held in her arms, containing a cake and few small bottles of sake tea.

"Now, you remember what we discussed?" Ria asked, brushing Moka's hair back and tied a pretty bow to the side with sisterly affection.

"Huh?" Moka asked, preoccupied by the sound; she was never afraid of it, but rather feared she might be losing her mind.

"I said, do you remember what I told you?"

"Yes."

"Do you mean it? Do you mean what you're going to tell them?"

"Uh, yes, yes I do."

"Then what could be the problem? You're just bringing some gifts for that nasty, little girl who picks on you. It's a little bold, but it's one of the best ways to show how much you'd like to be friends, right?"

"I guess."

They approached the house, silently as they walked up to a moderately nice house, far beyond a simple cookie cutter apartment or some affordable home she had come to expect her to live in. Moka's knees shook as soon as the door drew closer and closer. Ria couldn't help, but watch Moka stare at the door with apprehension and sort of laughed inside, but with an encouraging gesture from her, Moka knocked on it and took a step back. Movement could be heard from within as a small girlish voice called out: "I got it!"

When the door opened, Takane instantly stared daggers at Moka as she was surprised to see her there, standing on her front porch of all places, holding a small gift basket.

"What do _you_ want?" She asked nastily.

Moka's jaw worked, her cheeks feverishly tinting as pink as her hair as her shaky hands pushed the basket forward to give to Takane.

"I…I…wanted to offer you something and, you know…see if we could be…you know…friends?"

Takane arms slid across her chest and frowned, her tiny nose wrinkling in mild disdain.

"Hello, little girl," Ria intervened. "I need to speak with your parents, if you don't mind."

Ria made it a point to exhale heatedly through her nose and crossed her own arms over the bust of her gown as she looked down upon Takane like she was something to step on.

"Now!"

Takane balked, even going so far as uncrossing her arms and gripping the knob of the door to slam it in their faces.

"Y-You can't make me do anything!" She haughtily replied. "You and your stupid-"

"Why is it so noisy out here?" Asked Takane's father, who suddenly appeared behind her. "Takane, who are you talking to?"

"No one, dad, this is just some girl from my school and she was just leaving."

"Don't be rude," he said, putting an arm on his daughter's shoulder and nodding politely to Moka, and then took in the very sight of Ria in her form fitting clothing, as any man would. "What can we do for you?"

"Please accept this gift as an apology for whatever I did to you, Takane!" Moka said, bowing her head humbly and again offering the basket to her. "I'm sorry for whatever I did, but I never had any intentions of insulting you or your friends. Also know that if you give me a chance I would really like us to be friends! Would you accept me?"

"Oh really?" The father asked. "Well, isn't that nice."

He turned to Takane, waiting for her to accept such a strong and formal apology: "Takane?"

"I don't want her as a friend," she grumbled heatedly.

"That's very rude of you," Ria commented, her tone not delicate at all. "I would expect a properly raised child to be better behaved, isn't that right?"

"Uhh," the father replied, clearly embarrassed. "I-I know my little girl can be...abrasive, Miss..."

"Sekitan, Ria Sekitan, sir, " Ria said, making a deep curtsey that brought emphasis to her sizeable chest. "Or, just Ria, if we become friends."

"Uh-uh, right! Anyway, I know my daughter can be a little rude at times, but I've always allowed her to make her own decisions. See, her mother wanted me to bring her up to be independent and strong, but I always, _always_ try to teach her to be tolerant of others; I'm truly sorry."

Moka lowered the basket and started to sniffle right then and there, eyes brimming with tears. "I'm sorry for disturbing you and your family."

Moka turned to leave, but Ria held her in place and moved a little closer towards the awkwardly nervous gentleman.

"That is such a terrible shame," Ria said sadly, sighing as if all her hopes were dashed. "I went to so much trouble to try and mend a broken relationship. I do a lot of that in my position at Fairy Tale, I had hoped that by coming here personally I could witness and possibly guide my little sister in the ways of diplomacy. If those methods don't work, there are always other means to have people see that there is a difference between being strong and spirited, and just being plain mean."

As Ria turned to give Mr. Kikomura a narrowed eyed glance, she turned Moka away and prepared to head back to their limo. "Well, I do regret wasting your time. Come, sister dear, I guess there are some things that are best not discussed over, no matter how sincere or willing you try to fix things."

"Wait a minute, don't leave just yet!" The father called out. "It doesn't mean we can't work something out. Did you mean what you said that you work for Fairy Tale? I ask because, well Fairy Tale is a really big company and it owns the business I work for."

"Do I work for them? Oh me, oh my, our father is majority shareholder and CEO of the company, and I his humble Chief Executive, and what with my darling, little sister here being his absolute favorite of his children, I really do try what I can to make both her and my father very happy. It would mean so much to my father, and I, if this little matter can be resolved between our precious children."

"Y-Your father...owns Fairy Tale?" Mr. Kikomura asked, gulping deeply. "And, you're Chief Executive?"

Turning on their heels, everyone could hear Ria tell Moka: "It is unfortunate, but it looks like father's going to be awfully upset once we tell him how Mr. Kikomura's daughter treated you, and that her father not only allowed it, but encouraged it."

"Now, hold on a second."

"But don't worry, sister dear, I'll make sure to get his name and address, okay?"

The man grew pale and his eyes darted to the limousine parked in front of his home with the large slogan of Fairy Tale Inc. on its doors, and started to panic.

"Uhh, please wait!" He called out to them, and humbly bowed before them quickly. "Please, forgive my rudeness and the rudeness of my daughter. Won't you please come in and accept our hospitality?"

Takane looked at her father as though he had betrayed her.

"But, dad I don't like that girl! She's stuck up and…"

"Be quiet, dear," her father commanded, laughing nervously and she shut her mouth with a snap. "This is very important for father, now would you please apologize to her right now and be sincere or I will ground you."

"But daddy!"

"Apologize!"

Lowering her head she turned to Moka, chewing on her words and pride that would have been noteworthy for most proud creatures, and reluctantly said: "I'm… I'm sorry for how I treated you. Let's..._please_ be friends."

Though the circumstances were not ideal, Moka still nodded her head and accepted the apology.

"I really do want to be friends with you, Takane."

"Sure you do," Takane scowled.

"There, now isn't that so much better?" Ria said sweetly. "See how much better it is to be nice?"

"Please, won't you and your sister come in?" Mr. Kikomura asked, graciously accepting her hand and opened the door for Ria and Moka to enter.

"Is the Miss around?" Ria asked.

"Oh no, she works the graveyard shift."

"How unfortunate," Ria said, tilting her head prettily as she watched him turn a nervous shade of red.

"Takane, why don't you spend some time with Moka, get to know her better," he ordered, eyeing Ria the whole time.

"What?" Takane asked.

"Such a cute, little rebellious child, isn't she?" Ria asked as she patted Takane's shoulder gently, but upon walking past, she slid her nails over the very sensitive part of his back above his hip.

"Ohh…" He muttered, turning away from her when Ria made a point of looking just as embarrassed as him.

"My apologies, I hope you didn't mind?"

"Huh, oh-oh no, it's...that's alright, I'm cool, heheh," he said, blushing as if the touch of a beautiful woman was a bad thing, but casually brushed it away with a wave of his fingers.

While Ria and Mr. Kikomura enjoyed a bottle of sake, Takane and Moka share a nicely prepared strawberry shortcake, but Takane made little effort to hide her true feelings and was unhappy to have Moka's presence in her home. She also couldn't help, but notice how "well" her father was getting along with Ria and worried how her mom would react upon learning how this woman was cozying up to her father, or the way he was looking at her.

"I think a man of your fine character deserves to be rewarded," Ria hinted.

"Yeah?" He asked. "Hey Takane, why don't you kids go back into your room and play. Show your little friend around, okay?"

"...Yes father; c'mon."

After the two were alone, Takane couldn't put up with this any longer and finally asked something that had been bothering her outside of this semi forced intrusion into her life.

"Are you really as sensitive to water as they say you are?" She inquired, pulling out a super soaker gun from under her bed.

"I told you I was, Kikomura, I don't lie. Why would I say something like that when I want to be friends with everyone? You wouldn't like it if it felt like someone was stabbing you in the face, would you?"

"But it's just water. Water doesn't hurt regular people. Why does it hurt you?"

_Because I'm a vampire. A scary, dangerous, and deadly creature of darkness that can't stand to be touched by something as purifying as that element in its natural form! _Moka thought.

"Look, some people are allergic to certain foods, plants, bug bites, clothes, and some are even very sensitive to sunlight. I didn't ask to be born this way or to have pink hair and green eyes. I also didn't ask to be born in my family, but I love them still the same. Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful for what I have and who my siblings and my parents are, but I don't think you're being fair with me when you call me a snob just for being rich or for having baths and not taking showers with the other girls. I've never used my family's name, my family's money, or our wealth to try and bully people around. I worked really hard for the grades I get to make my parents proud. Don't you do better in school and try harder because _your_ parents support you?"

Fidgeting a little, Takane obviously didn't like how logical her unwelcomed guest was being.

"My dad helps me when he's around," Takane replied, "but I rarely get to see him all that much. He's always working and so is my mom. They're hardly in the same house at the same time except on holidays. And even when they are both home, they're just accommodating each other to keep things civil. I haven't heard them say they love each other in a long time."

Moka shuffled uncomfortably, having never expected Takane to make an admission like that. She couldn't imagine her mother and father not telling each other they loved one another; it was too unimaginable.

"It must be nice to have a sister come to your defense when someone's picking on you," Takane confessed when Moka got quiet.

Moka felt a lot better knowing that she was breaking some ground, knowing that some of Takane's actions might have stemmed from being alone a lot and having to put on a brave face; something Moka understood and did herself.

"It is. Ria is very protective of our family."

"She must really care about you, huh?"

"…Yeah, I think she does."

Moka couldn't remember how long they talked that night, but they got along better than she had expected, and before they knew it, it was time to go. Moka and Takane were in a better mood than before, but upon returning to the leaving room, they noticed Mr. Kikomura redoing his tie and buttoning up his collar, while his and Ria's eyes locked in some kind of bond of their own that Moka couldn't decipher. She saw Ria slipping on her long gloves on and wondered why she had taken them off.

"Thank you for telling me everything going on in your store and I appreciate you taking the time for my sister and your daughter to bury the hatchet. I'm sure good things will come your way if you stay your course at the store, Sutaku Kikomura."

"Please, just call me Sutaku, and you're very welcome, Ria."

"Oh, and don't forget," The dark haired temptress said as she slides a hand up the sides of her calves, past the knees and lifted, ever so slightly her dress just barely enough to show some leg as she finishes putting on her shoes on, "call me if you ever need anything. We're friends now, right?"

"Ah…yes I will, thank you, Ria. I look forward to talking to you, again."

"Thank you for talking to me, Takane!" Moka said, bowing politely.

"Yeah, and I'm sorry for how I treated you," she replied, having to bury her pride as she wasn't used to being wrong. "If it's any help…um…we can be friends, now."

"I'm so happy!" Moka exclaimed, practically pouncing on her and embraced her tightly.

"Ack! So strong!" Taken said, grimacing under the pressure, as though her lungs were would burst.

"Sorry!" Moka squeaked, blushing and smiling so cheerfully. "I work out with my sister."

"You know martial arts, too?"

Moka nodded and performed a quick little karate kick that made both Takane and her father's eyes widen.

"But, I prefer not to fight though…I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"You can't be that good, can you?" Takane asked nervously.

"I'm working on it," Moka chewed her fingernail shyly, "but I would rather we be friends and create happy memories from now on through high school. Don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Takane mumbled, looking a little cautious and sympathetic.

"Sister dear, please say good bye to your friend. We must be going."

"Okay! Thank you for having us! I look forward to seeing you at school!"

"Yeah, bye," Takane said.

XXX

"Can you drop me off here?" Moka called out to her driver as they head towards her school.

"Lady Akashiya, are you sure?" The limo driver asked. "We're about two miles from your school and you're going to be late unless you run the whole way."

"Some of the kids at school think me showing up in a limo is being snobbish, so I'll just rush in."

Moka took her satchel and pulled the door handle.

"I…wait! Let me get the door-"

But, Moka was already closing the door behind her and leaving the chauffer to watch her leave in a hurry.

As she ran Moka realized, she didn't really know anyone who lived in any of the blocks she was running past. Seeing the familiar path that lead to her school, she was caught short when she heard something dangerously familiar…

"What do you mean leave her alone? We were having fun last time, right? If we catch her in the hall again, I've got a couple of water balloons and..." The words froze Moka in her tracks to lean fearfully against the gate, just in time to see several boys from the water incident walking past beyond a fence around the bend. Peering left and right, she saw she was still about two and a half blocks away from school and most of the students were already inside the gates.

If she made a dash she might be able to get away from them before they threw the balloons. Now, if she timed it just right…

"I said leave her alone," she suddenly heard Takane tell them, but the boys didn't appear to agree with them. "It's not funny anymore."

"What are you talking about? It was hilarious! Did you see how she squirmed and cried! We have to do that again."

"No, we don't. Look, it hurts her and…why did you guys egg me on to do that to her anyways? She hasn't done anything to anyone!"

"She deserves it!" One snapped at her, a short boy with bulging eyes and squat features. "And it's not like we had to convince you that much. You couldn't wait to do it."

_A hobgoblin_, Moka realized after catching the boy's scent.

"Yeah, she's always walking so proudly, showing off how much better she is then the rest of us."

_And, a Gremlin!_

"She is also always trying to show how kind and polite she is by volunteering for things and doing extra work! She's making us look bad!"

_A Troll!_

"And what's wrong with that?" Takane defended, but not without some repercussion.

SLAP!

Moka covered her mouth with a gasp after one of the boys violently slapped Takane.

_Why did they do that to her? She was supposed to be one of their friends!_

"You bastards!" Takane yelled, grabbing her cheek and tried to stand, but another boy kicked her back down. "Why the fuck did you do that? Stop!"

"Because she's the enemy!" One yelled, reaching down and grabbing her hair. "We don't like her kind! Neither did you until…"

"She got to you, didn't she?" Another boy answered before the other could finish. "That's it, isn't it? She offered you something. What was it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about! Now let me go!" She screamed, kicking at the boys hard. "I'm going to tell!"

"I bet she offered her money."

"Maybe got her daddy a better job."

"I wonder if it was sex? Even their kind sees lesbianism as normal."

"That'll be sweet to imagine, right guys?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" She screamed, but the other boy had a good tight hold of her hair and tilted it back to force her to look up at him. "She and I had a talk, but she didn't offer me anything more than some cake and-"

"I knew it! She got a hold of her!"

"What do we do? If she says anything about this, Moka's family might get involved."

"That would be bad."

"Then maybe we need to make sure Takane here doesn't talk, right?" The first boy suggested with a steely hint Moka remembered coming from her father many times over.

This young boy was nowhere near as deadly in his demeanor as her father though, and yet it didn't make his threat any less real, though it didn't make Takane any less daunted.

"Are you kidding me?" She screamed at the boy, trying to get back on her feet, but was shoved down on her rear. "I'm telling everyone! You can't do this to me! We're already late for class and I'm never late, the teachers are going to worry about me! They're going to go-"

"They're not going to do anything, but call your father during lunch or the end of school," the largest boy answered. "So that leaves us several hours to do what we want with you and then skip town."

Moka shook her head, her fingers gripping her rosary chain and tugging as hard as she could. She knew that at her current level of strength and ability she might be able to help a little, but these weren't normal, human children, they were the lower level creatures in disguise that had very little fear about being revealed and could still be stronger than her even in their current forms.

"Stop!" Moka shouted, standing up to confront them. "Leave Takane alone!"

In an unexpected show of bestial warning, all the boys hissed and growled at her.

"It's her!"

"We should run before-"

"Wait! She reeks of fear!"

It was all that they needed to incite their bravery as they cackled and chuckled, the two boys not holding Takane down began approaching Moka, menacingly.

"Mother, why?" She muttered under her breath.

"Yeah, that's right," said one of the boys, drawing in closer than the other, "call out for mommy! Hahahahaha!"

"You know what, I never did like you guys," said a male's voice from behind their shoulders.

"Hoshii!" Takane called out, who came out of nowhere.

While not as fast as vampires, a pegasus was an incredibly strong, pure bred creature that were considered A-Class monsters and Hoshii was already on top them before the second boy could respond. Though strong in their own right, his attackers were clumsy and awkward, as two of the boys were already thrown off balance with a few well-placed punches and kicks, making it painfully obvious that this fight was really one sided; by now, Hoshii had already punched one boy through a wooden fence, and was trading blows with the second.

"HEYYY!" The boy holding Takane screamed as Hoshii grabbed his face and shoved him hard against a wall from behind.

"Take her and run!" Their rescuer yelled.

Moka grabbed Takane by her wrist and ran as fast as she could to school where they alerted authorities. Despite some bruises Takane would be fine, and after reporting to the school principal what happened, those boys were later arrested by the local police and Hoshii praised as a hero when word got around what he had done. After all was said and done, both vampire and pegasus went to check on Takane in the nurse's office for her injuries.

"Thank you," Moka mumbled. "Thank you for helping us back there, I mean. We would have been in a lot of trouble if you hadn't helped us. I'm… I'm not used to it. I'm indebted to you."

Hoshii was rubbing his shoulder and squinting one eye, but he seemed to be in good spirits.

"Nah, don't worry about it. Anyone would have done that."

"No, not really. I get in those kinds of predicaments all the time here and no one would have helped me."

"I helped you," Hoshii reminded her.

"You're not human," She whispered under her breath, but just loud enough for him to hear. "You maybe a creature of light, but you're monster like me, so you did the right thing. The good thing."

"If I remember correctly, Takane was trying to keep those boys from hurting you again. I think she deserves some praise as well."

"You...just how long were you standing there watching?" Moka asked.

"I can ask you the same thing...By the way, so what kind of creature are you?"

Taken aback, Moka shied away from him, not wanting to reveal something like that to him.

"I told you, I'm not allowed to tell. I'll get in trouble."

Turning down the hall, Hoshii asked her: "I'm going to guess you're a creature of Darkness; a vampire, right?"

Moka turned her head so fast she didn't see a door just about to open in front of her, but Hoshii stopped it just short of it smacking her in the face.

"Ah, thanks," she blushed, knowing how she must look in front of him and the person coming out of the classroom. "Now, what makes you think-"

"You're allergic to water," Hoshii said. "And, you're very hush-hush about it, and you have more money than anyone in this school."

"That's not true!" Moka whined a little, "It's not my money. It's my father's."

"Still, that doesn't mean your family doesn't flaunt it. I mean seriously you get dropped off and picked up in a limo every day. Do you think people don't notice?"

"I didn't ask to be treated this way by my family or by everyone in this school. As far as what I'm allergic to, a lot of people have these kinds of things. And for being flamboyant, most wealthy people like to see that their family is taken care of from their home to their destinations."

"So you're denying you're a vampire?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Then admit that you are."

"I told you I can't!"

"Look," Hoshii said to her and stared deeply into her green eyes, "I saved you and Takane. I would think that would deserve some level of trust from you."

Moka's lips trembled and she nodded. "I would tell you if I could, Hoshii but...I gave my word to my father that I wouldn't. I'm keeping my word, okay?"

"Fine, I can appreciate that, but I'm taking advantage of your indebtedness to me."

"What would you like from me?"

Rubbing his neck nervously, he said, "Do you think you could put in a good word for me for Takane?"

"That's what you want from me?"

"Well, I-I kind of like her, okay? That's why I was following her and…well…I notice she picks on you, but you seemed to have become friends. I know she's tough and she's not exactly demure or shy, but…well…I like her. So…do you think-"

"You saved us and you think you need my help getting a date with her?" Moka gawked at him. "I'll do my best."

Moka thought Hoshii's reaction to Takane staring at him as if she just saw the most beautiful person in the world was very cute, and understandable as he had qualities that stood out and could mark him more than human if anyone was looking hard enough. He was wide of chest, carefree in his blue eyes, and had a long mane of auburn hair with just the slightest streak of white that was proudly worn in a tail at the nape of his neck. Tall and lean, he had a bit of a nose and a slight overbite, but there was a lot of confidence in his eyes, except when it came to Takene.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Moka exclaimed. "When they hit you I didn't know what to do! I'm so happy Hoshii came and helped us-"

"Thanks to you, Hoshii," Takane said, blushing.

Fidgeting under her appraisal, he just nodded, rubbing his nose with the back of his bandaged hand.

"Your hand," Takane noted and got up off the bed to take his wrist into her fingers. "Is it broken?"

Looking away, he shrugged his shoulders and was unable to answer her, so Takane did the one thing that not even Moka would've had the courage to do. Pulling Hoshii down, she kisses him tenderly on the cheek.

"Thank you for being there for us, I guess I had it coming though, huh? I am who I hang out with."

"You don't have to be like that," Hoshii mumbled, eventually finding his voice, but Moka would not let this moment pass. She was only shy when it came to herself.

"I have waaay too much to eat, so if you two want to share with me I would love the company," Moka suggested as she gripped Takane in a tight hug. "Besides, I'm sure Takane would feel very safe if someone was there to make sure no one else wanted to pick a fight with her."

So, later in the day, the three of them were having lunch, with Moka doing all she could for her friends to keep up the conversation.

It was the first time she had enjoyed a meal and not had someone accost her, and it made her very happy; for the moment.

It was at the end of the week when things would come to an end, as she and Hoshii were walking outside after school together, enjoying each other's company and she warming up to him. She then noticed a gift in his arms and asked: "Is that for Takane?"

The blush on his cheek was answer enough.

"I'm sure she'll love it. Is something wrong?"

When she looked into his eyes, she could see there was trouble, big trouble.

"I don't know if you've heard this, but her mother came home last night and found your sister...and her father."

"What happened next?"

"She didn't say, but she's really upset and…well…she…"

"I hate to ask, but…what did my sister do?"

"She was caught having dinner with her father."

"So they were having dinner?"

"Yes."

"What else?"

"Don't you get it? He's married and they were having dinner."

"Were they kissing? Did she catch them holding hands? Speaking into each other's ears?" Moka offered, in hopes to get a clearer picture of the wrongs her sister was probably involved in.

Hoshii shook his head, but went on to answer: "I don't know. She didn't say. All I know was that her mother didn't like it."

"Her mother?" Moka muttered, realizing out of all the times she went over to see her friend, she had not once seen the reclusive and less mentioned woman. "But..."

"But, just so you know her mother and father were fighting throughout the night, and she threatened to divorce him if he promised to stop seeing your sister."

"But…her father and Ria weren't doing anything wrong, right? My sister mentioned to me that Takane's father was promoted to manager and she was only confirming a few details with him."

"C'mon, your sister is the head of Fairy Tale, head Executive Officer! Why would she waste her time on some assistant store manager at one of their franchises? They _had _to have been having an affair. And, to be honest, I have a feeling that her mother was not so innocent, either."

"Then…if that's the case, if they are both equally guilty, then why...?"

"What can I say? Humans are complicated creatures," he answered thoughtfully.

Moka's voice thickened with anger and frank confusion: "What is so special about them? You can't be yourself around them. You can't show them your true beauty! I mean _can't_! I have to hide and pretend… I'm so much stronger than this and… and in order for me to be accepted, my mother said I have to appear weak and pathetic! What is so wonderful about that, Hoshii?"

"I believe there is something to be said about being humble and meek."

"Why don't we tell them what we are?" Moka whispered conspiratorially.

Hoshii flinched at her words, considering it blasphemy against one of the dominating rules of the monster world.

"No, you NEVER reveal what you truly are to humans…Never!"

Hoshii looked nervously about, but they were alone outside the school halls, right beneath a pretty sakura tree. Unfortunately, they were not truly alone, as some kids, including a concealed Takane was standing just a little ways off to the side, straining to listen to their conversation.

"We can't talk about this," said Hoshii.

"We have to tell her!" She yelled, grabbing on to his hand and entwining her fingers desperately through his, clutching at him tightly to keep him from leaving.

"You're crazy! She won't understand and she'll tell everyone."

He tried to shake her loose, but she wouldn't let go.

"Who cares? Let everyone know! Let's quit this fake existence and just be what we really are! Let's tell Takane the truth! She's our friend! She'll understand!"

"No, she won't!" He snapped and tried again to pull free and get away from her, but his efforts only made Moka hold on more tightly. "She won't understand, don't you get it? Takane isn't going to be able to handle it! She'll be horrified!"

"Don't you want her to see the real you and me, to see us as we really are? Would that be so bad?"

Moka was holding his hand with both of hers, looking at him pleadingly.

"I can't believe you're talking like this!" He shouted into her face. "I thought you were my friend, but…"

He saw the look of hurt on Moka's face and, suddenly noticed the attention he was getting from everyone around them, including Takane. Hoshii lowered his voice and asked Moka:

"Do you know the law? If a monster reveals his true form to a human, the witnessing human must die or else the offender will be executed in flames. Is that what you want? For Takane to be killed just because you wanted to show her how strong you are?"

"No, but no one will ever know! She's our friend and we can trust her. Once she understands why we've been so secretive everything will be fine, I just know it will!"

"I love her; don't you understand? Please don't ask me to do this. Maybe one day, I'll reveal my true identity to her, but only if the time is right for it and she's ready, now isn't the time; I'll deny everything!"

"But it's who we are and what we are! I'm tired of pretending! I'm going to tell her!"

She at last let go of his hand, but this time he grabbed on to hers and refused to let go.

"Stop! You can't!"

"Let me go!"

"I can't! You'll ruin everything! Please, stop this! I don't want to lose her! I don't want her to die!"

"If she loves you, she'll understand!"

"No she won't! How could she?"

"What won't I understand?" Takane's voice said coldly, appearing before them suddenly, arms crossed and rage in her eyes. "From what I can see, you two seem pretty desperate to put your hands on one another. It must be a pretty good reason, whatever it is."

Moka's mouth worked, unable to realize she had been overheard, but Hoshii spoke first.

"Um, w-we're lovers."

Moka's head snapped around to face Hoshii with tarnished cheeks and shocked eyes.

"What?" Moka asked.

Takane, on the other hand, had no problem believing him.

"For how long?" She asked.

"A while now, I only got close to you so I could be…close to her," Hoshii said and tried to approach Takane, but she took a deliberate step back.

"You're the worst," she hissed. "Both of you!"

Hoshii seemed willing to accept the blame and decided to subdue his shoulders and eyes regretfully.

"I'm sorry, I never wanted to hurt you."

"That's not true!" Moka insisted. "He's just being my friend and to spare you the-"

"Just admit it already!" Takane snapped, seething with white, hot rage. "You knew I liked him, and yet the two of you have been using me from the beginning! This whole time, you never wanted to be my friend, I was just a patsy to get closer to Hoshii! This is the secret you've been keeping this whole damn time! You two have been laughing at me behind my back, all along!"

"No, it's not..."

Moka wanted to explain, but how could she? She had to face the truth that Hoshii might be right, if she told Takane the truth she would have to die! How could she do that to her friend?

"It's not… that important. He was going to leave me anyway, that's what we were talking about. Hoshii fell out of love with me and wanted to be with you, he doesn't want-"

"So, you developed a conscience and couldn't go through with the charade anymore, huh?" Takane asked with an air of sarcasm in her voice, eyes red with tears as she began to back away. "I trusted you, I accepted you as my friend, and I loved him and…and you two did this behind my back? I hope you're happy! You two can have each other! I don't care! You're just like your sister, Ria! She did the same thing to my father and mom and they had a huge fight because of it! If it wasn't for my mom being strong enough to push Ria away they would have broken up, but she was a fool! She should have left my ungrateful father! I hate him! I hate you! And, I especially hate _you_, Hoshii!"

She threw her hand back and slapped him, and then Moka sprang forward.

"Don't you dare do that!" Moka screamed, grabbing a hold of Takane's arm and pulling it so hard she heard something pop.

"Aaaaaah!" She screamed as her arm was bent awkwardly at the shoulder, dislocated.

"No!" Hoshii yelled, forcefully removing Moka's grip from around her broken limb. "What have you done?"

Taking in the way Hoshii had to be firm, yet careful with Takane's arm, standing defensively in between them, she thought he was there to protect Takane from her.

"Why?" Moka muttered. "All I wanted was for us to be friends!"

"You two are monsters!" The girl yelled in anguish and ran away, holding her wounded arm and wounded heart, while Moka and Hoshii were left standing in utter disbelief at what had happened.

"Why did you do that?" She asked, bewildered green eyes staring at Hoshii through gritted teeth.

"It was better than letting you tell her the truth," he answered calmly.

"But…"

"But what? Were you going to trust the fate of all monsters to a fourteen year old girl? And for what? So that she would like you better? So you wouldn't feel so frustrated? You're so naïve! Such a law exists for a reason, to prevent war! They're an interesting and complicated people, and they are amazing in a lot of ways, but what they fear, they always destroy. If they ever learned the truth there would be bloodshed and chaos on a biblical scale, we'd probably become extinct! And you were going to risk it all so that one girl would like you better? Idiot!"

Moka tried to find a way around his logic, but she couldn't.

"You love her," she whispered painfully, knowing that he did.

He scratched at his neck and started to walk away.

"Yes I did," he called back. "I had hoped there could have been more and she and I would have looked past our differences, but it was such a stupid idea. I'll fall in love again… eventually."

And that was that…she had hurt him and he had to lie to her now former friend because of what they were.

"No, it was because of what _she_ was," Moka angrily commented.

"It was _her_ fault for being human, _her_ kind that created this world of misunderstanding and distrust! _Her_ kind that are so easily manipulated and so fickle that she was miserable! If they all knew I was a vampire and accepted it, then none of her heartaches would have happened! I hate them...I really, _really_ hate them."

XXX

"Something wrong, sister dear?" Ria inquired in her rich voice when Moka had returned from school.

"I hate humans," Moka murmured while looking out at the horizon through the dark tinted windows.

"Hmph, so what else is new, I hate humans too, but you don't see me sulking. This wouldn't have to do with your friend and her parent's little squabble?"

Turning her soft, pale skinned face and studious green eyes to Ria, she asked: "What happened?"

"What always happens when humans find out that their little tricks have backfired on them? They want what they lost and they'll blame heaven and hell to get it."

"I don't understand."

"Sis, you see we were having dinner. I just so happen to find out the poor man had been under appreciated at work after inquiring if he was due for a promotion. So I made sure he got one."

"Don't lie to me," Moka's normally soft voice was uncharacteristically authoritative, but Ria only smiled that her normally docile sister was being as bold as she's ever been.

"Spoken like a true vampire, however I'm not lying. I promoted him and made sure he would have every possible interest in coming to work at the local corporate office. Out of all the other local franchises, his store has now outperformed every other store, and ranked first. I definitely think he belongs somewhere more lucrative, wouldn't you?"

Moka wanted to refute her, but if what she said was true then what else could she say?

"He was _very_ appreciative. I was delighted to be with him. In fact, I was looking forward to it. Do you know why? Because he needed me."

"He...needed you?"

"You don't believe me."

"No."

"Well," she sighed, "I don't have to tell you he was attracted to me, do I?"

Moka remained silent and listened carefully.

"He was very attentive to me in a way that had nothing to do with business or sexuality, sister dear. Mr Kikomura just wanted someone to spend some time with him, listen to him, have someone to talk to that didn't look down or brow beat him in anyway. He just wanted someone to care. It showed in his mannerisms and his attitude towards me. It was rather pathetic to say the least, but even though he wasn't at all that attractive or wealthy, there was something entertaining about him that allowed me to enjoy my time there with him. I simply had fun being in his company, that's all. Sadly, his wife didn't seem to think so."

This had almost been what Moka was waiting for, the big revelation of the interaction between her kind and the humans.

"When she came in, she had been up in arms about him being a cheating spouse. However, in his defense, he threw back in her face about how she was out with a boyfriend and had known all along. The poor woman tried to throw me out, but one look at me and she knew better than to lay a hand on me."

Moka was all too familiar with how much Ria enjoyed putting people in their place, still, what stuck with her the most was what she said afterwards.

"You said you hate humans, but do you want to know why?"

Even though the memory of what had happened was fresh, she only knew she couldn't understand why things were the way they were.

"Humans can only find happiness if they are equally miserable, sister."

That caught Moka's attention because of how much truth was in it, of how it all made sense to her young and fragile heart.

"They have to have everyone suffer at their level because misery loves company. Your friend's, whatever her name was, mother knew that her husband was happy so she had to tear down what little happiness he had, even if he was trying to find it elsewhere. Even a friend, someone he was attracted to and wanted to spend a little time with wasn't allowed. _So_, in order to make herself feel better and take back what she had been all too willing to throw away, she demanded he come crawling back to her or they divorce right then and there."

Moka began to see parallels with Hoshii when he called out that she and him were lovers. He knew Takane would accept that instead of something as simple as him and Moka being monsters; it was sick, it was all too sick, and that humans were simply perverted.

"And you know what?" Ria chuckled. "He buckled right in front of her, little sister. It's a real shame, because he had so much potential too. I'm sure if he had just been pushed in the right direction, he could have been a hundred times the man he was now. Sadly, I give it less than a year before he's going to be her whipping boy again. His wife came back to him only out of fear of losing what belonged to hers."

Listening to her sister predict the same potential expectations for all interactions with humans, another message brought her out of her thoughts:

"You shouldn't waste your emotions, expectations, or even your hope on them, little sister. They are sheep. They are only ever happy if they are mindlessly following the flock. We are wolves, we go where we please and get what we want, and damn everyone else who gets in our way. Sheep and wolves aren't MEANT to understand each other or be friends, sister dear. We are meant to devour them and they are meant to fear us. THAT is just nature."

Blinking her eyes, Moka found herself hearing the plaintive wails of the little boy getting the shit kicked out of him, her hand gripping the rosary tightly, and immediately dashing over to the alley in which she could still hear fist and kicks meeting flesh.

"Get his shoes!" One of them cried.

She arrived in time to see the boys already running away laughing and triumphant.

In a curled pile, the boy, just barely in his teens, was holding onto a broken wrist and possibly a broken ankle. His nose was caked with blood spewing out at odd angles and tears stained his cheeks.

"Mommy!" He wailed, whimpering and crying…"Mommy…!"

It ripped her heart to see him like this, someone's baby just ripped to shreds for shoes…

Shoes!

In his place, she saw _her_ child.

When Moka and the boy's eyes met, she offered to help him up get help, and after the first few crumpling, staggering steps, she looked for some help, yet found that all the humans who saw what had happened did nothing to prevent the kid from being a target of this bullying, but many simply looked away.

They let this happen to him, she reasoned; they always let this happen to each other.

In her mind, it was Jr High all over again, except Takane, her hated rival was there with the three boys. No matter how she was able to turn their perceptions in her favor, it would be tainted by something she couldn't defend against...

Humans...

Monsters...

She just couldn't win! Tsukune and her children didn't have little Hoshii's around to protect them while in school...Tsukune and Moka couldn't be there on a daily basis...

What could she do? What could _they_ do!

No, it was _her_ job! _Her_ baby, hers and Tsukune's creation of their love, and their offspring would not be exposed to that world until they could stay safe from...from..._them._

As she helped the boy move on with a painful limp, she vowed then and there she would never let her child be brought up around these people…these…humans!

Had the child been a monster, she would have been able to give them the beating they deserved! Her child would unleash their vampire identity and show them their place!

Her child, Tsukune's child, will be safe if for only one reason and one reason only…they would not be brought up around this!

On her blood, on her soul, on her love, she swore it was a cycle that would not repeat again.

Now all she had to do was convince this to the one human that was more important to her in the world...

Tsukune.

However, convincing him of that turned out to be easier said than done.

**That night**

"Pay no attention to him," Moka said cruelly to Gin in front of Tsukune, "in fact I wanted him to see this."

It soon dawned on the werewolf just what was going on and with an exasperated sigh, started to turn and leave.

"Moka, I told you once and I'm not gonna tell you again. Don't use me to make Tsukune jeal..."

Pink haired Moka didn't even give Gin a chance to finish as she reached up on to her toes and planted a wet, passionate kiss on him, a kiss she had given Tsukune so many times, and now was giving another man one right in front of his devastated eyes. He wondered if Gin felt the same way whenever they kissed like that, and perhaps this was somehow divine retribution for enjoying said kisses without knowing what it did to Gin, and that was the reason why it was happening like this. They had sought each other for the longest times and had a chemistry that crossed the boundaries of humans and monsters, so perhaps it was the hubris of thinking they were special that Tsukune reasoned they were brought to here, a cross roads for the two lovers where they had come to such an impossible compromise that they decided to put their unbreakable promises to the test, and all with a vampire's pride at stake. She was making a great show of it for his displeasure, could hear the two of them share each other's breaths through their lips, panting as she pushed herself closer into Gin to where her breasts mashed against him and he could see her body react to Gin's touches, letting him run his hands all over her, and when they parted both vampire and werewolf were clearly flushed.

"I'm so glad you realized how much better I am for you," he whispered to her, hands still draped over the small of her back. "I have so wanted you from the very first day I laid eyes on your fine body and that gorgeous face, but why now? And, why in front of him?"

Moka shook her head and looked away in shame and insecurity at the questions. He had a right to know, but she couldn't really bring herself to say anything other than, "If I was to let you father my children, would you keep them away from a human's influence?"

"Come again?" he asked with utter shock in his eyes. He looked at her pleading, green eyes then turned to Tsukune, who looked down and said nothing, and finally back at Moka. "Is this the reason you called me here? You two are fighting about where your children are going to be raised?"

She nodded with her hands clasped in front of her on displayed bosom, both pleading and hoping Gin looks down at her hands so as to get him to agree.

"Tsukune wants them to be involved with his family and his neighborhood, with other humans in general, but I told him I don't want them to associate with anything human. I had the worst time in my life when I was younger dealing with their bigotry, their belief on bullying those who are different from them and an inability to accept someone who is smarter or better than they are, to respect someone who is superior to them in every way and not hate or belittle them! I won't let my children grow into that, I won't allow him to father them and have a human's mentality to taint the upbringing of the next line of Shuzen!"

It hurt him to hear her say all of that, the pink haired girl who was always so kind hearted and fair minded, instilling words of encouragement to not just him, but to anyone in need of a friend, now she had this elitist personality that it made it seem hard to believe she was the same person.

"Moka," he finally said, his voice still hoarse, but now pained and stressed. "I told you before, I'm willing to let our children be raised in both worlds, but I want them get to know my family, as well."

"They will, when they are old enough and ready for high school at Yokai like I was. By then, they would've been taught and trained enough to be better able to take care of themselves."

"You'd deny my parents their grandchildren, you'd deny my cousin and my aunt and uncle a chance to get to know our kids?"

"I'll deny them the opportunity to know cruelty and intolerance from humans."

"Did you forget, I'm human, too..."

"_Were_ human, Tsukune. You're a vampire, now and you should act like it."

"And before I was, when I was still human you had no problems from me."

"You were just...different, we've been over this."

"What about my cousin, Kyouko, she knows you're a vampire and she likes you."

"Gin," Moka turns back to him, flat out ignoring Tsukune, "if I were to have your children, you must let them be raised around my family and stick to my family's influences, okay?"

"Strickly vampires, then?" He looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Yes," she nodded, her clenched hands pressed even further between her breasts.

"And, would I have to pay child support or anything?"

"No, you don't have to be a part of the child's life. Just give me a baby and allow me to raise it anyway I see fit."

"Well, who am to deny you anything?"

He reached for her hands, allowing his fingers to brush between the cleft of her breasts and pulled her close to him.

"I've always wanted to give you anything I could," he said with a gentle kiss to her soft knuckles.

They then kissed again, easily learning the other's touches, their tastes and desires through such a private contact. Tsukune could do nothing but take in everything, offering only that he was all too aware and lucid of this fucking nightmare of his where he watched someone who was once the love of his life lead another man into the bedroom they shared. Gin couldn't help, but toss a smug and triumphant look over his shoulder, and said:

"So, this is the reason you're going to give up the most beautiful and wonderful girl in the world for? You're really going to let this happen when you can choose to end this right here and now!"

"This is your last chance, Tsukune!" Moka called back to him, demanding a little more forcefully this time. "Agree with me or let this happen!"

"I may not be human, anymore," he responded, his voice soft and gravelly, "but I know that doesn't mean all humans see monsters the way you think, I thought you know that once, but I guess I was wrong. I won't deny them what has made me the man I am today, the person you fell in love with, I'd be lying to myself and them."

"You're not going to get what you want from him, let's go," Gin said.

**He's right, if Tsukune wishes to remain foolish, then let him. We will make him regret his decision for not stopping us.**

"Then it is chosen," Moka said with a pained sigh. "Let's go, Gin."

As she led Gin into the bedroom, the sight of it finally elicited a response from Tsukune, but not one she'd hoped as he shot up off of his couch and yell loud and clear for his mate to hear:

"However, Moka this is _your_ last chance!"

The sudden outburst stopped her in her tracks and she turned around to see an agitated, yet determined Tsukune glaring at the two, fists balled at his sides.

"If you take Gin into our bedroom, then we're through. You and me finished, we will no longer be mates!"

Moka's green eyes looked on in shock and she fully turns toward him like she was roughly twisted about by a threat she thought she'd never hear from him.

"You wouldn't," she mouthed.

"Wouldn't I? I've asked you, _begged_ you, don't do this, now I'm telling you to stop! For god sake you're about to cheat on me over a discussion about children we don't even have yet, Moka it's not worth it!"

"But it _is_ worth it, we're talking about our children's future, and you won't even take it seriously!"

"Then let's talk about it, but not like this!"

"There's nothing more to talk about, Tsukune you either agree with me or..."

"You either stop, Moka or we're through!"

Again, it stopped her train of thought, the idea that the man of her dreams would walk out on her and end their relationship terrified her, even as she held onto Gin's hand.

**He won't leave us, he's desperate, but not stupid. He needs us, we made him a vampire and he owes us his life. He'll come round to our way of thinking and apologize for being so foolish.**

"C'mon Moka," Gin said impatiently, "are we doing this or what? Let him go, you're better off anyway."

"I...I don't believe you," she said to Tsukune. "You wouldn't leave me."

"You're not leaving much of a choice, Moka. Would you please, _please _think about what you're doing?"

"...I am."

She returns back to Gin after having wiped the tears from her eyes and pretends that Tsukune's threat was as shallow as her breath.

"Gin, let's go. Help me put an end to a decision we cannot come to grips with."

"Sure thing, love," he cooed softly as she led him into their room.

When she turns one last time to Tsukune, she seemed to offer one last look of hope, one last quiet, regretful plea to don't let her do this, to stop her or do something to prevent this madness she was about to commit to. When he locked eyes with her, his instead seemed to silently plead with her to not go through with this, begging her desperately, one last time to stop what she was doing and hoping futilely that she would, but it wasn't what she wanted and it made tears flow down her flushed cheeks.

"Would you do me the honors?" she asked Gin after swallowing back a pained sob and trying to make her whispered voice sound thick and seductive.

Tsukune had to literally grit his teeth as he was forced to relive his shame again, made worse by the fact that he had to watch his own reaction to this nightmare, and what it was doing to him. Gracefully, the succubus sisters literally skipped through the hour long madness he had to sit through and got to the part where Moka asked Gin:

"Do you think he's still out there?"

"I don't know," Moka's voice said softly, though if there was any nervousness or regret, his wounded heart beating didn't allow him to hear.

"Do you want me to check?"

Tsukune could hear Moka pulling covers over herself.

"Would you mind?"

"No, not at all?"

The sound of them kissing reached him and it seemed apparent that she only wanted to rub it in his face.

_You uncaring...,_ he thought bitterly. _How could you be so heartless? _

Suddenly, he bolted up to his feet, his fear and sadness having given way to rage as he waited for the door to open, his breathing coming out heavy, the trembling in his bones having become steady and alert as he could hear Gin's footsteps cross the carpet towards him; he would make sure they got what was coming to them. When the door flung open, Tsukune was bombarded with the disgusting scent of their sex, with hers covered all over him while their bedroom wreaked so badly he couldn't even set foot inside without nearly gagging.

"Yeah, he's still here," Gin said, smiling down at him, unapologetically.

The pink haired Moka had made a show of covering herself up in front of Tsukune, as if he was a stranger rather than her lover and they'd met for the very first time. He could tell, by the way her eyes watered and the way her hands trembled as they held the sheets to her chest that she had been crying, but it did little to calm him as he knew this Moka lacked the fortitude to laugh or mock him for allowing things to come to this like the Inner Moka would've, whom he suspected was probably doing so while locked away inside her rosary. Moka nearly gasped as she saw the coldness in Tsukune's eyes, the warm, gentleness she fell in love with years ago, now glaring at her with restrained fury. He had never looked at her in such a way, it shocked her to see he had changed that much in a short amount of time, unsure of how long it had been. She could tell he had been crying, see tears escaping from those fiery orbs, cascading down a chiseled, granite face and down past a mouth clamped shut, while his head lowered menacingly and every muscle in his body tensed as though ready to make a horrifying move. Even Gin looked a little unnerved by what he saw and while Tsukune should've glared at him equally, it was Moka he trained his dark gaze at. Both Moka and Gin didn't have to wonder for long at what he intended to do, as Tsukune raised his right hand, the one that held his rosary wrapped about his clinched fist while his other slowly prepared to remove it.

However, he relented. Tsukune couldn't explain it, with every fiber of his being he should kill them or at least do something, but some invisible force stopped him from going through with it and concluded instead that neither was worth it. Feeling half defeated and half angry, he just turns his back to the both of them, walks away from the bedroom towards the door, stops beside the kitchen counter and gaze down at his wedding ring, a gold band that glinted brilliantly against the cold light of their bedroom, where in the center was a small, embedded ruby which matched her eyes, but seemed dull and lifeless in the darkness, this object that was supposed to be the symbol of their unending love and now felt like acid to him. With great pain, he pulls it off, not bothering to read the inscription inside of it which read:

"Tsukune + Moka, till the end of time"

And tosses it to the floor on his way out.

"T-Tsukune?" she whispered. "Tsukune!"

She called out his name, expecting him to come back, but there was no Tsukune, he had left the apartment and he had left her, there was nothing of him now, but the parting smell of his scent mixed in with the pungent stench of her sex with Gin, and his wedding ring on the floor.

"Forget about him," Gin said smugly. "Good riddance, I say."

Moka, however didn't listen to him, she flung the covers off herself and raced past Gin after him while still naked, flinging open the doors and coming to the opposite railing.

"TSUKUNE!" she screamed out into the night with anguish and desperation. "YOU JUST HAD TO SAY YES! ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS SAY YES AND NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST AGREE WITH ME! TSUKUNE, COME BACK!"

Even as he walked away from her, straight into the surrounding darkness, it was all she could think to say to him. She half wanted to go after him, half wanted to chase him down and hug him even in her unclean state.

**He will come back**, said Inner Moka. **He just needs to cool off and think about what he's done. When he realizes how foolish he's been, he will return. Let him go and wait for his return.**

Outer Moka was on the verge of crying, she had never done anything like this to him before and fearfully wondered if she hadn't driven her Tsukune away. But, then she felt strong arms wrap themselves comfortingly about her thin, sticky waist and start to pull herself into a warm body.

"Hey, hey, it's gonna be okay," he said softly into her ears. "Gin's here and he's never gonna leave you. Now, why don't you come inside, it's kinda chilly out here. Not that I'm complaining, I like what it's doing to your nipples, but we really better go inside."

_Gin is here, now, _Moka thought gloomily as she reluctantly let him start to lead her away from the railing, only to come face to face with a most unexpected observer.

"Ms. Aono?" asked a little old lady in a floral night robe, standing outside her open door.

"M-Ms. Tsubaki," Moka stammered as she found herself staring at the shocked eyes of their landlady who lived next door to them. She soon realized to her horror that the shock of Tsukune slamming the door, her screaming out his name, and perhaps even her and Gin's love making had not only aroused the old woman from her room, but may have alerted all of their other neighbors to what was going on. It was then that she realized that both she and Gin were standing outside, completely naked for all to see.

"...I just saw your husband storm by," Ms. Tsubaki said, looking at the two of them with both shock, and a growing sense of utter disgust.

Ashamed, Moka ran back inside, while Gin just smiled at the reviled old woman, casually strutting back in and seemingly beckoning her to come have some of what he had to offer. Once inside, Moka stood in the living room, shuddering at the whole ordeal and trying to keep herself steady when she happened to glance down at Tsukune's discarded wedding band, still lying where he'd left it. Believing that he would still want it back, that he wasn't serious about leaving it behind and should at least hold on to it until he returns, she tries to pick it up, but happens to notice a fat gob of semen, Gin's semen sliding down her leg; the werewolf had pretty much sprayed his whole essence all over crotch and inside of her during intercourse that she was now a mess, and now that trail of semen seemd to snake it's way down her leg towards what supposed to be the symbol of her love to Tsukune, lying at her foot.

"Man, what a night," Gin came in laughing triumphantly and patting her on the butt. "Bet the whole neighborhood got a good show! How about we go for an epic finish, huh?"

He wraps his arms around her and presses her ass cheeks against his dick as she just stood there staring at the ring.

But, there was more, and he finally got to see all that went on in his absence.

**The next day…**

"Good morning, sexy," he said, as his black eyes roamed over her with delighted appraisal, hungry eyes that stared suggestively at the bruises on her breast and thighs, sampling every supple inch.

"Gin!" She cried, covering herself in a vain attempt to be modest, despite all that he had done to her, and remembering the very sound of her own breath and cries of passion as she graciously allowed him to have his way. "I really appreciate you coming over, but if you don't mind, I think it would be best if you went home. Tsukune and I have a lot to talk about."

He gave her an incredulous look as if she just said something terribly funny and even laughed, causing her to frown.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Moka!" He laughed. "If you insist, I'll go. However, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing a bath with me. You know, I would like to go home clean, too. I could wash your back."

Her surprised look and scowl didn't deter him.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," he said. "What? Are you afraid your husband is going to walk in on us?"

She just stared at him, realizing how true it was and how much it hurt, how painfully gut wrenchingly true that the displacement of seeing Gin there where Tsukune should have been was so starkly different and uncomfortable.

"C'mon, Moka," Gin said, barging in and closing the door behind him, casually walking over to her as he crossed into her space and stepped inside the bath one foot at a time. "Look at you. You're afraid of me like if I've done something wrong to you. Look at this."

Tsukune and everyone watched as his wife and his once best friend played in the bathroom. Moka put up a feeble attempt at trying to remain constant to her marriage vows, but even Gin showed outward amusement at her naïve outlook.

He let the back of his knuckles graze against several dark blotches on her breasts and neck, making her flinch a little at his touch.

"And this..." he pointed out, turning his back to her and showing her long, angry red marks that went down from his shoulders to his hips in rows of fours, from what she assumed was when he was moving on top of her and she trying to grip him in the midst of their euphoric tumble.

"I didn't come here unannounced and forced myself onto you, Moka. In fact, _you_ kissed me first."

He turned back around, taking her trembling hands into his own and forced her large pain filled eyes to look at him.

"You lead me to your room by hand, asked me if I would father your children, unbuttoned my clothes, pulled me on top of you, and held me with your legs into you."

A lone tear fell down her eye as she recalled.

_I really did do that, didn't I?_ She thought, miserably.

"I remember when I gave you each and everyone one of those," he said, cupping her beautifully soft, but bruised breasts and playing with each nipple with a rub of his thumb. Her shoulders shifted, pulling away from the sensitive contact, but he could tell that it wasn't because she hated it. It was quite the opposite, in fact, but it was the confusion and hurt that she expressed with her eyes and breathing that made him continue on. "And, when you gave me these…"

He showed her his neck where she noticed several bruises that appeared, bruises that resembled puncture marks.

Did she really drink his blood? She couldn't even remember it or even what he tasted like.

"You weren't exactly fighting me and, if I remember correctly, you were enjoying it." He chuckled playfully, gazing at her with a suggestive linger of his dark brown eyes upon her lips. "Would it be so bad to enjoy yourself some more? You weren't exactly shy about asking for it, and I won't deny you."

He moved in closer to her in the tub, making some of the increasingly filthy water almost rise over the edge and onto the floor. Things were moving so fast again, and she tried to figure out what to do next and how to do it, though a part of her _did_ want Gin to touch her again; it would feel a lot better than the ache that wouldn't seem to stop.

Inner Moka's womanly voice then spoke to her from the reflection in the water, unregretful and unrepentant: **What is there to regret now? What is done is done. This is just another moment to be blamed by Tsukune's obstinacy.**

"Moka," Ruby could hear Tsukune growl underneath his breath.

"Just think," Gin whispered, lowering his lips to hers and kissing her gingerly, which she didn't respond, but didn't push him away, either. "How would it look to our children if their mother and father weren't seen being intimate with each other? We have to show them how to be a loving and tender couple while we're together, don't we?"

Moka's mouth worked to say something, but she could only stare at him and it felt how even her inner persona was supporting the idea of doing it again with him. He _had_ made a point, but then another one hit home as her hand went to her stomach.

_Am I pregnant? _She wondered, fearfully.

No, it would take at least a week to find out and, above all, vampires were normally infertile, which was why it normally took several centuries for a pure blood to be born, but she wondered if that rule also applied to half breeds.

_Half breeds! _ The thought almost made her sick all over again.

**Father and mother and our sisters don't have to know about this for now, **Inner Moka suggested through the whine of her outer persona's mental cries. **If anything, they'll look at this as a way of being cruel to our partner and to show him his place. They may even approve of the act. However...**

_What have we done?_

**It doesn't matter. Vampires rarely are fertile to other species, let alone other vampires. The only children we'll bare are Tsukune's once we get him to apologize to us for making us go this far and when he does understand that we **_**will not**_** allow his species to interfere with our legacy's upbringing!**

_You...you really think so?_

"What's going on in that head of yours, Moka?" Gin asked, pulling her out of her woes and kissing her deeply again with a slow touch of his lips, even going so far as to part her own and slide his tongue over hers; he was pleased to notice her kissing him back. But, when they parted, he still saw Moka had tears in her green eyes.

"We did something wrong, Gin."

"I know," he casually said, remorselessly. "But, what's done is done."

**I think it's time him and I met.**

"Gin?" Moka requested, touching the jewel at her breast. "Take off my rosary?"

**Why did you ask him to do that?**

_Tsukune could do it the first time I met him. I am curious if it has anything to do with love or with just wanting to protect me._

**Gin doesn't love us.**

_Yes he does, but not in the same way._

**Lust and love are different.**

_But he does have a little for us. I have no doubt._

Gin kissed her again, allowing her to wrap around his neck as one hand cupped her breast and the other pulled at the rosary.

"I am so glad to be able to enjoy you and your other half, Moka. Tsukune doesn't know what he's missing. Thank you for giving me the honor."

She shook her head, unable to say anything let alone be reminded that her Tsukune was not the one touching her.

And so, the choker at her neck was yanked a few times, but the chain held itself in place. Neither disappointed, but not exactly surprised or deterred, Moka brushed his hand aside and removed the rosary with a 'plink'.

Crimson energy filled the room, splashing the water about with its turbulence, soon absorbing itself into Moka as it fades away her pink hair into a gleaming silvery color, draped over paler her skin. Gin watched as the body in his arms became fuller, longer, just over all more mature and with larger breasts in his hands. Soon, red slit eyes peered open and Gin realized he was draped over Inner Moka in a way that was not only overly familiar, but just a bit too close now that he looked at that deep, slightly scowling facade.

Her arms were still over Gin's neck though, body almost aligned with his, but there was this feeling of 'warning' that made him pause before continuing to be affectionate.

"Uh, good afternoon, Moka," he said in a respectful manner that still didn't hide his want of her.

"Ginei Morioka," She greeted formally, as one would at a grand hall. Her deep, sultry voice held a slight sliver of authority, of warning that said: "_Displease me, and I'll show you your place_."

When Gin moved to kiss her, she watched him carefully, daring him to do something even slightly too forward, and take her for granted in some way that would anger her.

Before he could touch his lips to her however, she said: "Do you believe you could be so informal with me just because you have been so with my outer self?"

"I assumed...because Outer Moka and I..." he began, but she shook her head at him.

"Don't ever assume with me, Ginei."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously and he swallowed, eagerly nodding.

"I think I should go," he started to scoot away from her, splashing water over the edge of the tub and onto the floor, removing his hand from her breast as if it burned him.

"Why do you wish to leave? Does being with me upset you?" She growled, his movements making her shift uncomfortably as she watched him get up and out of the water.

"I think I've overstayed my welcome," he said as he took her only towel and wrapped it around himself, scurrying down the hall like a dog with a tail tucked between his legs.

Inner Moka hissed at his sudden departure; this was supposed to be the guy whom she and her outer persona had threatened Tsukune to be the father of her children, to lay with in bed and allow her into her body? Tsukune had more bravery in leaps and bounds then this "boy". Of course, he also had a lot more time to get used to her than Ginei.

"Very well," Moka said to herself, reaching over and putting her rosary back onto her choker, flushing the power out of her and seeping it into her charm.

**We can pick this up later, when and if Tsukune needs another reminder that there are others out there that would be more than willing to share my side.**

_Maybe we should just stop. Won't it be easier for him to come back if we're NOT with another man in our room? How are we supposed to have his children when we don't even know where he is?_

**Think like a vampire, you weakling.**

Moka flinched at her harsh words, as a pair of angry eyes that looked up at her from the reflection caused the girl to freeze up.

**We have all of eternity to make him come back to us.**

Reluctantly, Moka sank herself into the water and whimpered quietly to herself like frightened dog.

Yes, she had Gin, but he was only supposed to be the one to make Tsukune realize what he'd lost. What she wanted was for Tsukune to see what a mistake it was to allow for this to happen and then come back to her and apologize! She didn't want to wait an eternity, she needed him now.

Moka's stomach lurched again and felt like she was going to throw up; even her own body betrayed her thoughts and feelings. No matter what she tried to convince herself to believe, Moka knew what she had done was inconceivably wrong of her. She needed to get out of this apartment and see if she could find him. At a minimum, she needed to see if he needed anything, after all he left his clothes and other things; did he even have anything to eat? She couldn't remember the last time he fed, and a vampire, even a second born one who didn't feed regularly could be dangerous. Moka tried to get out, but realized she didn't have a towel to dry herself with; romantic Gin had that and was already in the bed room, gathering up his things, and chuckling proudly to himself.

"One down, one to go. Oh, what a wonderful life this is going to be."

Then suddenly, a cell phone rang on the end of the night stand.

_Mm, wonder who could this be? _He thought, which he thoughtlessly picks up, unable to recognize the number on the caller I.D. shrugs and answers it.

" Thank you for calling the home of the lovely Moka Akashi...I mean Aono, _formerly_ Aono, this is Gin how might I help you?"

A long pause made him stare at the phone to make sure the line was still connected.

"Gin?" A woman asked. "What are you doing answering my son's phone? Who is this?"

"Who is this?" He asked, clueless.

"I am Mrs. Aono, Tsukune's mother, is my son home?" She asked impatiently.

_My mom! _Tsukune screamed in his head. _My mom! Oh god!_

He tried to keep his composure, tried to maintain grace and dignity while watching this, but Ruby could feel his very hand trembling uncontrollably and grasped it as hard as she could to keep him calm. Outer Moka whimpered that all their dirty laundry was being aired like this, while Inner Moka growled in consternation, as she knew things would get even worse.

Gin rushed to her, mouth agape, cell phone still in hand as he hands her a semi wet towel. Moka stared at the phone curiously, until she heard the voice on the other end of the line speak up.

"Moka? Is that you? W-Why are you sharing a bath with Gin? And where is Tsukune? Is he there with you? Hello? Moka? Could you please answer me, now?"

The very sound of Mrs Aono's voice and the reality of what she heard made the pink haired, young woman want to swallow her tongue in fright.

No matter what she wanted for her children and their future, she had hoped that it would have been months if not years until Tsukune's family was aware or not of the fact that they were not going to be involved with Moka's children. However, having Tsukune's mother, and very soon his entire family against her did not bode well for any chances of reconciliation.

_What do I do now?_

Moka stared at the cell phone in Gin's hands as if the thing would up and snatch her hand if she touched it. Even Gin looked eager to drop it on the floor and let the voice of Tsukune's mother call out until the batteries go dead or she hung up herself.

"Moka! Will you get on this phone right now and talk to me! Where's Tsukune! I'm worried about him and I need to know where he is! Is he okay? Moka? Gin? Please, can someone tell me if he's okay?"

**If this is what we planned to do anyways, then it is best that we take it one step to its completion, **Inner Moka suggested.

Moka shook her head in shock and terror at such a thought.

_I like Mrs Aono! She's been really nice to us and she's just being protective of Tsukune! What mother wouldn't?_

**Do you want to endure a life with humans? Do you really want to settle with their constant abuse and mindless cruelty to those different from them? Do you really want to be recognized as weak and defenseless when it is obvious they don't know their place? Do you?**

_I'm scared._

**Is it scarier than getting dressed in front of Tsukune with his favorite outfit and put on that special perfume he bought? Wasn't it hard to know we called our friend, the one we've kept in touch with for years and kiss him in front of the man we've let kiss us for the first time, touch us for the first time, and make love to us for the first time, knowing full well what it was going to do to him to get on your toes and kiss another man? Do you think it will be easier than taking Gin's hand while our Tsukune sat on that couch, watch us go down that hall, even as he saw us hoping, saw us seek his help to stop us and did nothing as we took Gin to our room and close the door?**

_Stop it!_

**Stop what? It was through your eyes that I saw everything that we did. Every part of your body that he made contact with, I felt as well. You were there when we unbuttoned Gin's clothes and touched him in a way we only touched Tsukune. We pulled him on top of us, felt his skin, a part of him touching ours and then entered us.**

_I don't want to hear anymore!_

**Do you think Tsukune wanted to hear any more of what Gin did to us, but we didn't exactly stop, did we? And he did hear, he heard everything, we made sure of that!**

_If he didn't, then he would have stopped us! He could have at any time and...and..._

**And what? Stormed in the door with Gin on top of us? With your face twisted in agonizing pleasure as we had Gin between our legs, letting him plow his way inside of us while we held our nails onto his shoulders? Yes, I'm sure that is exactly what Tsukune wanted to see if and when he stopped us.**

_Why...Why did we do this again?_

**Because we said we would if he didn't listen to us.**

For reasons only she understood and could accept, that stopped Outer Moka from any more questions. Heaving a shuddering sigh, Moka stood up, took the phone from Gin, pushed her wet hair out of the way and placed it to her ear.

"Please, Moka would you just...just tell me where he is?" Kasumi literally begged.

No vampire would ever stoop so low as to show such utter vulnerability, not even her own mother she rationalized, and Tsukune's mom did it without hesitation.

"Um...Mrs. Aono, This is Moka. G-Good afternoon," she replied, her voice hallow and lifeless.

"Moka! Please, tell me, is Tsukune alright? Where is he? Why isn't he with you and what the hell is going on?"

His mother still sounded concerned, but there was also a note of anger in her voice.

"Mrs Aono," Moka began to say, licking her lips and closing her eyes, tight; it was now or never. "A lot of things have happened. Tsukune and I are going to try and work things out, eventually, but at the moment we're having problems that..."

"_What problems_?" Kasumi Aono interrupted. "Can you please tell me if he's alright?"

Moka rubbed the heel of her hand to her eyes and tried to think of something to say to her.

_What am I doing_?

"He left last night. I haven't seen him since." She admitted quietly, and flat out.

The pause on the other line was only broken by the panting quaver of her once true love's mother's breathing.

"...Do you know...do you know where he might have gone?" She responded in a strict, yet completely weary tone. "Do you know…if he's coming home?"

"I don't know. Sorry."

"I don't know what you plan on doing to try and mend things with my son, Moka, but where I come from you _DO NOT_ fix problems by inviting other men into your BATHTUB! Now, if you don't know where Tsukune is, would you be so terribly inconvenienced to get your mind off the man you are fucking and put a minimal effort into finding my son? If things are over between you two, fine, it is what it is, then! I loved you like a daughter and really had high hopes for you two, but if this is the reason he left then I am truly glad that I brought him up right! To actually think that you would become as vulgar as to have another man in the bath with you while Tsukune is god knows where. To actually think I called you daughter. You seemed like such a good girl! I can't believe you would do something like this! How could you do that to him?"

How could she do that to him? She asked herself that so many times, but each answer didn't feel or sound as just as the last one.

"It just happened that way, Mrs Aono," Moka responded, voice cracking after such a barrage.

Gin touched her shoulder, offering some sympathy, but it didn't feel the same as when Tsukune did it; it felt false, fake, like an involuntary movement than an actual testament to wanting her to feel better.

"Moka, I'll have Kyouko come by later to pick up his things."

"No!" Moka answered quickly, the tears in her eyes flowing down in rivulets. "We're going to work things out, I promise."

"_No_!" Tsukune's mother actually and quite literally managed to bark in a rare and very severe growl, even for a human. "She will come by and get his things, and if he's there, which I hope to god for your sake he is, I'll have her bring him home too; at least you two can find some way of patching things up that way, but I doubt it, the whole forgive and forget thing really does lose its appeal after something like this! Good bye...whore."

Click, went the receiving end and ended the transaction between former Mother-in-law and daughter. Her pink haired head flinched at that last remark, looking at the phone as if to see some of her own ear had remained on the receiver of the phone after being chewed out like that.

She dropped the phone on the floor and looked up at Gin. The next steps to completing her hope of severing all ties with Tsukune's humanity were in motion and she felt emptier for it than fulfilled. There was a growing 'nothing' inside of her and it didn't feel at all as how she thought it would; if anything she felt worse.

**Sometimes the right thing is hard at the beginning, but it will get better once the reality sets in after time.**

_Like losing Tsukune?_

**We haven't lost him. He just needs time to realize our way is better than his and that some extremes needed to be pushed. He needs to be reminded of his place.**

Moka Aono looked at Gin, who was saying something, but she couldn't hear him. It didn't register what he was saying, only that it appeared he was leaving.

"What?" She asked again, looking at Gin as he buttoned his shirt, ran his fingers through his long, silky black hair, and tying on his red bandana. His pants were already on and she thought he looked as slick and sensual as a man could with his own roguish air.

"I said would you mind if I came over later? I'd love to take you out for a walk in the park, maybe dinner?"

Gin smiled his sexy, narrowed eyed smile and suddenly he was better looking than Tsukune, especially the way he moved when they had sex. He certainly didn't miss her blush though; to him it was similar with all the other women he had the joy of pleasuring and knew exactly what her answer was.

"I'll call you," he said and gives her a deep, french kiss, hardening it with a firm embrace about her waist, with his hand cupping her bare bottom from underneath the towel.

Moka lets out a small squeak when he squeezed her cheeks, but he lets her go, walking away backwards with smile and a wink, letting himself out in style and grace.

XXX

"Goooood, evening sexy," he said, flashing her very a cheesy smile, upon which she merely scowls and shuts the curtains.

Before knocking, he makes sure his hair was okay and sprays some breath freshener to hide his previous engagement from her.

"Come in!" He heard from inside, not having to knock twice.

"Alright," he said to himself, "you _are_ eager, tonight."

When he opens, his grin grew wider at the sight that greeted him, that of a half-naked Moka, sitting nervously on her couch in nothing, but her white bra and panties. With her clothing ruined by Kyokou, Moka had little options available to make it a sexy evening, so she decided to present herself in such a manner; she knew Gin wouldn't mind.

"I see we're skipping the foreplay today and getting right down to business!" He said. "Um, you know who isn't here this time, is he?"

The very suggestion of Tsukune made her heart heavy and to want to ask herself what exactly she was doing.

"No," she said sadly.

"Oh, well...his loss, I say."

"Enough about him," she says, hiding her emotions and putting on a happy, yet determined front. "It's just you and me, tonight. How about we go ahead and..._pick up _where we left off?"

Just as Gin stood there gaping in his horny, dumbfounded stupor, a mother and her little daughter walks by the still opened door that he forgot to close and upon seeing the half-naked Moka, the mother quickly hurries the little girl past before she saw anymore.

"Ms. Tokiomi and her daughter?" Tsukune asked to himself, having known the mother and daughter as good friends to them, even helped baby sit the young girl once.

"Gin!" Moka squealed, covering herself in vain.

"What are you complaining for?" Gin laughed. "Give the kid something to look forward to when she gets to be your age."

He then sticks his head back out and shouts at the girl:

"Hey, sneak peak, kid! I might come calling on you in 10 years! Don't know what you're missing!"

"GIN!"

"Alright, alright, geez!" He said and finally shuts the door behind him.

Moka never felt more embarrassed than just now, wondering what must've been going through their heads at what they'd just seen.

**Who cares about that! Let's get this done with, I'm anxious to let off some steam.**

"So," Gin says, sauntering over to his familiar conquest, "let's say we start off with a little something different? Like, say I let your more dangerous side out to play, this time."

"You're...serious?" She asked, a little surprised and a little hurt.

"Yeah," he said as he sat close enough to grope every inch of her, "I think I can handle her, this time."

**I doubt that, very much.**

"So, what do you say, Moka?"

"...Don't...don't you like it when you make love to me? Why her, first?"

"It's nothing against you, per se, it's just I want to try something a little different, that's all."

The feel of his strong fingers sliding gently over her tender, exposed skin sent waves of arousal coursing throughout her body, bringing back reminders of how great he was in bed and overriding any common sense that may have existed.

"I...I saw you talking to that woman after you left here," she said to him, slowly losing her control. "What happened between you two?"

"What, that? Oh, Moka it was nothing, see I was...asking for directions to the...uh, the nearest flower shop, so that next time I could buy you a new rose, here ya go."

He hands her the flower, but it didn't make her feel too at ease.

"Gin...do you...love me?"

"What's this all of a sudden?"

"Please, Gin I really want to hear you say it."

"Ah...um...sure I do," he said with a pained smile.

**Get on with it, **Inner Moka complained. **Quit acting human and let me out.**

"But..." she tried to argue, but Gin's fingers began tracing along her tits, remembering how she letting him fondle them last time was all he needed to entice this desperate housewife.

"C'mon Moka, pleeeease."

"Well...okay," she says, her inhibitions gone, rationalizing that he meant what he said about loving her and removes the seal that bound Inner Moka.

"Oh yeah," he said quietly as he marveled at the stunning transformation, and of how her enlarging physical features stretched out the already, form fitting underwear she wore.

"Well, like what you see?" Moka asked, waving her long, silvery hair about proudly and smiling down upon him confidently and dangerously. "Why don't you take a picture or did you just come all this way just to stare?"

"Huh? Oh right! Let's do it!"

"Really? Because, I remember the last time I wanted to have sex with you, you chickened out; I'm curious to find out what changed."

"Can't a guy change his mind, I mean he would have to be a fool to leave all of _this_ behind! Ooh, a bit soon?"

"Forget about my lost mate, let him stew in his indecisions, I'm not going to waste my time pinning for him like some little, lost lamb; as you said, he's loss! Now, if you're ready, let's go into my bedroom and show me what you've got."

Upon entering the bedroom, he was quick to take note of all of the destruction that went on in there, as well as the strong smell of cinnamon mouthwash.

"Doing some redecorating?" He asked.

"Oh, Tsukune's mousey, little cousin came by and threw a tantrum, it's nothing," Moka casually says, ripping the sheets off and sitting on the bare mattress, gingerly patting it to entice Gin into joining her. "She thinks this'll stop me from putting my husband in his place, she's got another thing coming; well?"

"Boy, you don't beat around the bush, do you? It might get cold, during the night, you know."

"I can handle it, besides I have a feeling we'll be keeping each other both warm or is that too much for you?" She asked with a teasing, yet challenging stare.

"Works for me, but first how about we spice up the mood?" He asks, holding up his bottle of wine.

"It's red, my favorite color; you really shouldn't have."

"I thought you'd might like it; got any glasses?"

"In the cupboards, but be quick, I don't like to be kept waiting."

"No problem," he says, scurrying over into the kitchen to pull down two drinking glasses with the faded initials of Tsukune and Moka printed on them, realizing that these must've been from their wedding reception. "Hey, all I see are your wedding glasses, should I use these?"

"Yeah," she responded without much pause.

Tsukune remained silent, all out of angered responses and now just numb.

"Fine by me; sorry buddy," he said, and begins pouring the blood red liquid into each glass, and then takes out the pills Ria had given them, breaking each down and depositing them into Moka's drink; hoping to get an even more desired experience from it.

"What's taking so long?"

"Hold your horses, you horny slut," he said under his breath as he mixed the crush pills into the drink with his finger. "And, if this works, you too will be a horny sex slave, princess."

Smiling, he returns to his intended target with the drinks and hands her the drugged glass.

"A toast?" He asked and she responds to his request. "To our future kids, may they know what lengths their parents went to provide them with a future!"

He watches Moka drink hers down in a single gulp as he downs his, a single sliver of the red liquid trickling down her chin as if she was bleeding.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Ginei," Moka tells him. "I'm only doing this to get back at Tsukune for allowing all of it to happen, I still intend to bare his children."

"Of course, I agree, I'm on your side. I only meant that, once Tsukune comes back and you two can get to work on making your dream come true, that your kids know what you had to do."

"They won't know until they're old enough," she mumbles, actually worrying on how her children may look on their mother's actions right now and wondering if this was the best idea to do. "Right now, let's not think about that, you and...and I should...whoa!"

"You feeling okay, Moka?" He asked, feigning concern.

"Oh yes," she said with a relaxed smile, her libido kicking into overdrive. "Take me Gin!"

"Whoa!" He cried when she grabbed a hold of his shirt and pulled him back, on top of her.

"Take me, use me, do as you will!" She said, hungrily. "Tonight, I'm yours!"

She didn't need to ask twice, as the eager werewolf took full advantage of his highly compromised, horny vampire slut, the two making wild sex nonstop for the rest of the night.

_Is this what I want?_ She continued to ask herself. _Should I even be doing this?_

**Of course you want to. You want to sit around that smelly apartment, anyway, waiting for that stubborn mate of ours to finally leave our sister and come home?**

_N-No._

**Besides, we need the money and you need to do something to at least keep your mind off of expenses. Now, relax and keep doing what I tell you, I know what I'm doing.**

_Well, it's just I've never done anything like a...maid cafe, before, _she thought to herself, blushing. _What if I don't like it?_

**Enough of that! Focus; Gin isn't anyone special, he's just our boy toy, remember? The tool we need to win this, so focus on the task at hand and we'll have everything we want: Tsukune, a future for our children, everything!**

_I...think I love him... more than just a…a boy-toy, I mean. Not like Tsukune, but just...in a way that's different from him, I think._

**Whatever, just don't get too attached to him; when Tsukune returns and caves into our demands, we may have to limit seeing him. Now, just be as you have been before and don't let him see you begin to choke.**

Moka considered her inner personality's words well, but when she finally stood outside Gin's establishment and saw what it was, her mouth fell open like a dead fish and any resolve she had nearly died on the spot.

"Welcome to Gin-Sempai's, where all your fantasies come true," said a pair of attractive and very young women standing outside of the establishment in nothing, but tight-fitting tank tops and striped panties. "May we pleasure your delight, master?"

What she originally thought was a maid cafe was actually a shimapan or panties cafe, where all the waitresses work in striped panties and tank tops, located conveniently down a red-light district; the thought of servicing patrons in nothing but underwear was less inviting than doing so in a maid outfit.

_I...I can't..._

**Grow up, we've done worse! You thought you couldn't make passionate sex with Gin, either and you did, twice! What's walking about in your underwear amongst a bunch of high school twerps compared to what we did already? Don't let them see you chicken out! Now, go on or let me do it!**

"...Um, ahem...m-may I please see your boss?" She asks one of the girls. "I'd like to...see about a job...here."

"Oh, then right this way," one of the girls happily said, gesturing with a hand for Moka to go inside, in broad daylight where she feared anyone she knew might see her going into such a place.

"Moka, what a fine surprise!" Gin said. "I never thought you'd come to my place of business, you should've called, I would've had a rose waiting for you."

He notices a small vase containing some fake roses by the entrance and plucks one to present to Moka.

"For you," he offers.

"Uh, thanks," she says, taking the 'gift' without much consideration. "Why do you smell like sex?"

"Um, you see, I...oh boy. God, I really wish you called."

**Forget about that, just ask him the question!**

"F-Forget about it," she tells him. "I just wanted to ask you for a job. See, the rent is due at my apartment and Tsukune usually takes care of that, but since he isn't around I needed some money and so I..."

"Sure," he said without much consideration. "I always enjoy helping you out Moka, you know that."

His good intention came craftily veiled with a desire to see her strutting about in striped underwear and a T-shirt, and overcome with excitement he comfortingly drapes an arm around her, where his fingers gingerly gropes in between her buttocks.

"You needn't worry Moka," he said softly. "Your upperclassman is always there to assist your all your wants, I'm the new guy in your life now, and I'll always be there to lend a helping hand."

"I appreciate that, Gin," she said, blushing. "Do I need to fill out anything?"

"You? No need, just show up tonight and I'll get you set up. We do, however have a dress code and last I checked you don't own any striped panties."

"Do...do they have to be striped?"

"Yeah, but no problem, I got like several used pairs upstairs from girls who don't need them anymore, I can loan them to you if you'd..."

"No!" She said, a bit abruptly than she meant to, but balked at the thought of wearing used panties. "I mean, that's okay, I'll...go out right away and buy some, and then I'll be back tonight."

"Fine by me, and after work tonight, you and I can stay after hours for some quality time, eh?"

"Of course, and thank you," she says and prepares to leave.

"Moka," he said, stopping her in place with a gentle grab of her arm by his strong, but tender grasp, a grasp that a part of her wished was a little rougher in spite of the mixed feelings. "I just want you to know, you made the right choice."

"...I know," she said, swallowing back her emotions, and left to go buy a new pair of panties for work tonight.

XXX

They watched it all, every degrading moment, and heard all the pep talks Inner Moka gave to her outer self as she literally porked her way through every embarrassing moment right up to when she was finally evicted by Ms. Tsubaki and up to a private conversation she had with Tsukune:

"You are a vampire," she says to him, "with my blood making it so, coursing through your veins; surely some witch's handiwork wouldn't difficult to shake off! And, I know you are stronger than the way you let on, right now. Perhaps, at some point she cursed you before all of this happened; it would certainly explain your behavior. For you are strong enough to be the father of our future children, and you are smart enough to recognize that what I fight for is the right thing for us, because you'd be there fighting alongside of me, like you always have before. Tsukune, I want you to see this, I want you to be yourself again and agree with me; don't go and throw it all away, as its just what that witch wants!"

"...And, you think they will thank us for it; I mean, our children?" He quietly asked.

"They will, in time. They'll realize that we did it out of love."

"Love?" He asked, almost laughing. "You call that love?"

"Yes," she said with an irritated expression about her face. "It is the purest form of love a mother could give to her children; you may not understand this because you're a man and a second born."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It has everything to do it; it is what all mothers of high standing and birth know, it is what my mother knows, as do I. Our children may become confused, at first; it's to be expected. However, they'll know that I gave them not the kind of love they wanted, but the kind of love they need in order to survive."

"Your mother doesn't believe that."

"She does, I think she's just too unwilling to admit to it, probably because of her disdain towards my stepmother and her methods."

"So, you're saying Gyokuro is someone to emulate?"

"I'm saying us mothers will do what we have to in order to guarantee the survival and success of our offspring, even it meant doing something painful to our loved ones."

And finally, a private conversation she had with Caro:

"I just can't stop messing up, can I?" Moka asked.

"You know, there is something about making mistakes," Caro said, already opening up the glass cylinder far with a twist off lid.

"What is that?"

"Realizing you're making them, and to stop. After that, forgiveness and repentance is about fixing what others feel you have wronged in their eyes and paying for the consequences of your actions."

It wasn't long till she finished and began gently brushing her hair, before asking a very simple, but really off the wall question: "So, how was he?"

Moka didn't want to respond, but there was just simply one fact she found hard to deny: Caro was the only one willing to ask questions about her unknown lover, Gin, and not judge her, entirely. Swallowing hard, she answered in a quiet voice: "He was wonderful."

"Better then Tsukune?"

"When it came just to sex, I guess so. I still would have rather not done it."

"If you and Tsukune end up going your separate ways, would you go back to him?"

"I don't know."

"I've seen enough!" Issa mercifully declared.

"But, my lord," Caro said, "there's still more to..."

"I said, I've seen enough," he made plainly clear to all that there was all he was willing to sit through.

Both Mokas were released from the succubus sisters' grip and, drained from the experience, collapsed to the floor.

"Mikogami!" Issa commanded. "Return them to normal, at once!"

"Lilith," the Headmaster summoned the fairy to him, promptly covering the mirror with a cloth, thereby undoing the spell and rendering both Mokas into one, again.

Overcome by the whole experience, it took her awhile to fully come to, but when she did, she at least hoped to find some understanding from her parents, and most importantly from Tsukune. After witnessing what she went through, a part of her hoped they understood that she was cast out into the human world, all alone without anyone to help or protect her; that as bad as everything else was, they now knew it wasn't entirely her fault. But, as she came to, she neither saw, nor heard no signs of comfort or that anyone had given her the benefit of the doubt as all remained transfixed upon her in an eerie silence, eerie even for the mighty Moka Akashiya Aono.

Tsukune looked down at her with a pale face, his very body shivering with emotion and red eyes that stared holes into her very head; it was his opinion she cared for, and yet his reaction was of visible pain, shock and an anger that could not be accurately described. He was not the naive fool as she pegged him to be, and allowed her own pride to deceive. Whether she liked to acknowledge it or not, he had had been well aware long before this farce that Moka's time at a human school was difficult, to the point of taking its toll on her by the time they met and after seeing what happened first hand, all Tsukune could feel was confusion. Where were the good memories that balanced out the bad? Sure, it was terrible what happened to her in school, but he wondered if that was all that mattered to her; wondered on where the pleasant memories of spending time with his family or those moments that she spent with him, were, moments he thought had changed her view towards humans for the better. Whatever she expected him to feel after watching this, his feelings, as roiling as they were, could not and would not find any benefit of the doubt.

Moka looked at Ruby, standing next to him and had half hoped that even she, of all people, would act out in sympathy to her plight and lash out at her parents for being so cruel as to force her through that. But, she saw the witch eyeing her and slowly shaking her head in a gesture that felt condescending. Her mother didn't even meet her gaze, looking away as though ashamed.

Was she ashamed for putting her own daughter through all of this, Moka could not tell?

Kokoa remained on the floor, appearing to not have watched any of it all. Kahlua was sad, but above all seemed genuinely confused, while Ria kept pinching her hips to keep from smiling. And, father, his reaction was perhaps the cruelest and harshest of all: mere silence, with a stare he often used to frighten her as a child. However, it was Gyokuro who finally broke the ice.

"So, let me see if I got all of this; you spread your legs for a male prostitute, for the express purpose of bearing your unborn, _un_developed children in retaliation for your husband not agreeing with how you should raise your children your way, all because you saw some kids fighting and it brought back memories of when you were picked on by snot nosed kids in middle school?"

At first she just stared at Moka, stoically and refined, but slowly her facade began to crack and bursts out in a raucous fit of laughter that irked the vampire princess.

"That...that...ha-ha-ha-ha...that has got to be the sorriest excuse I have ever heard!" She roared, laughing so hard that it actually looked as if she'd keel over. "I take back, every rude thing I said about you, Akasha! You raised quite the buffoon...I can't remember when I've ever had a good laugh like this."

Akasha glared at her, but made little effort to silence her derisive heckling.

"Stop it," Moka muttered, but Gyokuro only laughed harder when she saw the serious look on her face, collapsing out of her chair on to the floor. "Oh me...oh my...oops, my bad Ria! I must commend you on bringing this to our attention, I am having a really good time!"

"You're welcome, my mistress," Ria humbly replies.

"Ohh, Issa, my love don't look like that," she says to him. "Can't you see, all she wants is a whittle hug!"

Angered by her insults of the pain she just went through all of this, and the awkward silence she was getting, Moka tries to block her out, instead looking to Tsukune for his response.

"Well?" She asks him. "Say something, don't just stand there looking at me! I did what I had to...I...It was for our children."

"Why?" He finally spoke. "If that's what happened then why didn't you talk to me? I asked you on the way home what happened and you wouldn't say a word about it!"

"There wasn't anything to say!" She snapped. "You should have just trusted me that I knew what was best for our kids and-and besides, you allowed this to happen!"

"How? How did I allow this to happen?"

"You stood by and let that fool have his way with me!"

"Moka, I tried, I told you time and again to not do this, I literally begged, begged you to stop even before..."

"THAT IS NOT WHAT I WANTED! I wanted you to act, not beg like an idiot! Not stand there on the other side like a witless moron, but instead be a proper vampire mate and take what is yours: me!"

"You wanted me to prove myself worthy of you, again? Like nothing I've done before counts. And because of that, because of that, you hurt me, tortured me, even my mom, who took you in as a daughter!"

"I'm not asking about all of that, I'm asking why you refused to cede to my demands; all you had to do was agree, agree! This all could have been avoided if you just agreed with me, in the fucking first place!"

"And, those memories; were they really all you could remember of, all that really mattered? Where were the good times we spent together or with my family, my human family, our friends; it's like they didn't even register with you!"

"No they don't; none of it matters when it comes to raising our kids and ascending to our rightful place amongst vampire society!"

Ruby's eyes widened in shock and utter revulsion.

"You think I cared about all of that? I didn't need any friends or be touched by your human qualities of friendship and compassion. As I said before, they were largely good for only keeping my outer self-placated; that's all it amount to. Junior High taught me that!"

"You had friends in Junior High! They could have remained your friends if you hadn't..."

"And another thing, you mentioned you've proven yourself to me; you haven't! Everything you've done hasn't counted, none of it! I chose you as my mate, yes, but you've yet to prove yourself as a proper vampire. What, you think fighting all those, weak monsters during school was enough? I saved you, I fought off every enemy, while you got in my way, so don't think for a second that you've earned your place where I hoped you would belong, because you've yet to even climb to it! At least, you would have if you'd gone my way on this issue; I did this not just for our kids, but for you, for us! Get that through your head!"

Moka crossed her arms, defiantly and matched his piercing gaze with her own, daring him to say or do something he would further regret. But, in her reverie of her self-imposed ego trip, it amounted to very little. Tsukune started to laugh in response just like Gyokuro had, but it was of a dry, sad laugh as he shakes his head and turns his gaze away from her.

"Don't you dare turn away from me!" She hissed.

"You...monster," she heard Ageha hiss in her direction. "You took everything from my daughter, the happiness she would have had with her Destined One...and all you did was piss all over it! Then again, I wouldn't expect less from a vampire."

"Please," Gyokuro interjected, "don't lump us together with her; granted, I've used my boy-toys like discarded tampons in the past, but I wasn't stupid enough to blame it on a bunch of children."

"I wouldn't expect you to understand me," Moka replied, indignantly and proud, "I wouldn't expect any of you to understand. You don't know me or what I've been through to reach this point, nor do I expect you to understand the lengths I'll go for my children, for the future progeny of our family. Yes, I did all of that, and now you know why, and the only person I expect to fully appreciate is father, for now he knows."

"Enough!" Issa barked. "I think I've heard more than enough from you."

"Father? But, but father I...I did all of this...for you."

"For me, you say? For your children, you say? For the future of this family, you say? No. You have shamed yourself today, my daughter."

"Shamed?" She asked, visibly confused. "I-I don't understand. Admittedly, I..."

"No, no, and no; I do not want to hear any form of excuse, be it to justify this...this filth or pass blame for you actions, I do not wish to hear it! I came here, today, as had everyone else, here in attendance to see evidence that would perhaps exonerate you from the claims that sought to destroy your character. I thought that you, my dearest daughter, could do no wrong because I raised you to be the very best out of all of my children here."

"But, father, I..."

"Instead, I see this! You've whored yourself, for what it still baffles me, and your excuse is: daddy, I was picked on in school? Do you take me for a fool?"

"Fa...father, I..."

"Answer the question, Moka Aono, lest you try my patience!" He threatened, an act that has never been witnessed before in this house, and would've shocked everyone if everyone had their wits about them. Akasha looked at him, wondering if he would dare attack his daughter, but a glare from him caused her to hold her tongue, for Hell King or not, this was still his domain. Then again, with everything she's heard and seen, she was hardly in the right state of mind to say much of anything.

"F-Father?" Moka whimpred.

"Am..I..a fool?"

"N-No."

"You would bear the children of some werewolf...pimp; half breed, bastards! And pass them off as my legitimate grandchildren and heirs like I was a blind, ignorant stooge!"

_Oh no, _Outer Moka's consciousness whimpered, fearfully. _Daddy!_

"No, father that wasn't what I wanted to do!"

"Are you saying you didn't conceive of that plan, just now, after we saw your memories of you fornicating in the bathtub with that diseased ridden mutt?"

"Careful father," Ria openly whispered to him, loud enough for her to hear, "she may take offense at you calling her beloved such a word."

"Stop that!" Moka yelled at her. "Father, don't listen to..."

"It must be true," he said, sadly. "How sad; looking at all of that, the way he treated you and still harboring feelings for him, I feel great sadness for you."

"No, it...it isn't how it looks, I never intended to bear his children, it was all a..."

"What you intended is irrelevant, what you've chosen is at hand!"

"Father...Father, you must believe me when I say this," Moka said, this time she was sweating profusely, though she tried her best to control her nerves.

"I'm listening!"

Moka glanced over at Tsukune, who remained standing as he was, face hidden and body rigid, though still expecting him to come to her defense.

"Well?" Issa demanded, impatiently.

"It was because of him!" She accused Tsukune. "I wanted him to support me, like a husband, a true mate was supposed to. None...none of this would have gone this far if he had only..."

"Really, sister dear," Ria spoke, "you're still trying to blame your husband; how unoriginal of you."

"If he had just done like I had asked," Moka continued, "I would have sent Gin packing back to whatever hole he crawled out of! He is an ass that Gin! There is nothing redeeming about him; all that stuff you heard was from my weaker, outer persona that you created, she lacks back bone and any common sense, whatsoever!"

Outer Moka whimpered indignantly, but Inner Moka, who prided herself as being the true and only Moka, carried on without much care.

"Of course, she would trust some...succubus whore and say something that is not true at all and does not represent my true feelings!"

"So, you do value your marriage with Tsukune Aono, the man you chose to be your mate and my heir?" Issa asked.

"Yes, yes! He was supposed to bend to my will, that's all! He wasn't supposed to run off with Ria, to go spend time with this witch, without my knowledge. I expected him to return to me!"

"You wanted your husband to bend to your will?" Issa asked.

"Yes, father I...it was all I wanted him to do."

"You wanted Tsukune Aono, a vampire and heir to my domain, to bend to your will like a weak kitten," he raised his voice, putting the fear of God in Moka's eyes upon realizing that her explanation wasn't working. "While you crawled around on all fours with a worn out fool like some beast?"

"N-NO! Father, I..."

However, she could think of nothing to say, nothing that would help her case.

"Moka, daughter," he began to say after regaining his composure, "you claim to have done this because you feared how your children would grow up, am I correct?"

She nodded.

"You were worried that your husband simply didn't understand anything about raising vampire children, that his naiveté and ignorance posed a risk for the...future progeny of the Shuzen line, am I correct?"

"Yes, father."

"Tell me, were you not there when I named him my heir and your mate? You chose him to mate with, and for that I am proud of, but ultimately the decision to bless your union by accepting him into our family and as my son was mine; you do remember this, right?"

"I-I do, father," she replied nervously.

"So, at what point did you lose respect for my decisions, Moka?"

She stared at him, confused again at what his question meant, which only further angered him.

"Moka!" He yelled. "Answer me; do you disagree with my decisions?"

"N-No, father."

"Have you, at any point in your life ever questioned my choices?"

"I have not father!"

"You lied to me, again!"

"No, father, I have not lied!"

"I accepted him as he was, in spite of his human upbringing, to one day lead this family in the event that I am gone and you were happy! But, you chose to challenge me by saying that he was unfit to sire your children, that his decisions alone would have brought ruin to this family! Do you understand? By sleeping with that fool, you not only sought to humiliate your husband, but you sought to humiliate me, your OWN FATHER!"

Moka stood rooted on the spot, looking up at her father like a frightened kitten, realizing she may have over stepped her boundaries.

"Tsukune," she whispered, plaintively for him, but he didn't respond. "Don't just stand there, say something, do something! Take responsibility for this, any kind of responsibility! Don't let me endure this alone; come to my defense like you've always done in the past, I'm still your wife, your Moka!"

"Don't look to him," Issa warned, standing up from his throne, "look at me! You blamed all of this on being sent to a human school all those years ago. Did you think I were blind; I knew full well what was going on."

"You...You knew?" Moka asked, looking up at him with shock and hurt. "You knew this whole time?"

"I did. While you were under the care of Mikogami as per the arrangement made by your mother before she was taken from us, I had him keep me apprised of all that was happening to you; I knew you were having a hard time of it."

"You knew and yet you did nothing? Why?"

"Oh come now, Issa," Gyokuro intervened. "Don't be so hard on her, it was your fault after all; I mean, we both knew she couldn't cut it out there with the humans, she's just not vampire material."

"Don't say that!" Moka warned her. "I am a vampire, a proper vampire; insult me further or..."

"Or what? You'll invite your dog boy over and have sex with him; I'm sure most desperate, little girls would find that tempting, but really, I have some standards."

Moka found this intolerable, her very status as a supreme creature of darkness being called into question when she thought she was doing the right thing as a vampire.

"Moka, when Mikogami informed me of what was going on, I ordered your sister Ria to everything to help you mend fences with this Takane girl. I even arranged for her father to be hired at one of my firms, all to help you gain some friends while there, which you did. But, you couldn't even keep that from collapsing! You allowed your foolish arrogance to get the better of you like now, and just like now you will bear witness to the dissolution of your marriage."

"W-What?" Moka asked, feeling as though the floor was being ripped out from under her feet at this unbelievable ruling. "You...you can't; father, I won't allow it!"

"Tsukune Aono!" He called to him, dismissing her pleas, coldly.

"Tsukune!" She called to him, still trying to reach out to him and get her mate, the love of her life to end this. "Please, say some..."

"Tsukune...it would seem I owe you an apology," Issa said. "You _were_ completely honest about everything that my...daughter had done."

"Yes, I'm forced to agree," Gyokuro coined. "I thought you were just another lesser minded, second born vampire; but you surprised me here. Had you been a run of the mill, shoot off the hip, roid raged stereotype like I thought, you would have just gone right for the kill at that apartment. But, no you went right where it hurt: by humiliating her with the stigma of being the first vampire in so long to be cast out by her mate; I couldn't have done it better myself."

"...Yes, it would seem that all of this had been for nothing," Issa added, a forlorn feeling evident in his strong voice. "And, in light of this, and before I make my judgment, I must ask do you wish to carry out your renouncement of my daughter, Moka?"

"Tsukune," she beckoned, but again he didn't appear to listen; in fact he seemed closed off from the world, having heard very little. She tried again: "Tsukune, do something! Don't let this happen!"

"Tsukune," Ruby said quietly, gently touching his still shoulder.

"Tsukune Aono!" Issa called again, and then a little more patiently. "Son. Your decision."

"Tsukune," Akasha, after being silent for so long, finally muttered in quiet anticipation.

Whether it was her voice, so reminiscent of the Moka he fell in love with years ago, Ruby's gentle hand upon his shoulder, the cold Issa finally accepting his accusation after putting him through this ugly nightmare again and bestowing some compassion, or the fact that _she_ was still calling to him to for help, Tsukune at last raised his head to answer and what met the vampire lord was the cold, monstrous gaze of someone completely different than the one named Tsukune Aono. He was a thing; every bit as cold and uncaring as the vampire lord, himself, his red eyes perhaps more detached than any vampire known to exist, whose voice responded with all the venom of a cobra and a resonance as hollow as the whisper of some nightmarish being. Tsukune Aono was dead; there was only this person, this monster, who stood in his place to deliver for him the response that a weak willed fool like him could not: "Yes; I renounce."

"WHAT!" Moka bellowed, irate that he would say that, furious that he, her supposed life-long mate, the man that after so long she had chosen as being worthy to be by her side for all of eternity, would renounce her of all people.

_No! No-no-no-NO! You...you said this wouldn't happen; that he wouldn't leave us!_

"How could you do this to me, Tsukune? How could cast me aside like this! You were nothing before I found you!"

She advances, menacingly towards him, demonic energy radiating off her very being with all the intent of putting him in his place, but Ruby bravely steps in between her, scepter drawn and raven wings unfurled behind her like a protective shield.

"Get back, you...," Ruby threatened. "I'm not going to let you hurt him again, even if I have to die."

This only served to further exacerbate Moka's rage.

"WITCH!" She screamed in anger. "You've interfered with me for the last time! Tsukune, is this what you want; to end it in front of her! How could you humiliate me after everything? How dare you wish that of me! How dare you say that you want me to be away from you! I saved you! I brought you life when you were dying and this is how you treat me! I gave you eternity! Immortality! You owe me! Just because I was trying to save our children from your own ignorance you…you...!"

"SILENCE!" Issa roared, quieting her for good. "You still challenge me?"

"Father," she meekly begins to say, "I...I was only doing what you told me to do."

"I did?"

"Yes; you told me once that I should draw upon my strength; that a true vampire draws on their strength if in a bind, and that's what I did."

"So, being married to me was a bind?" Tsukune asked, hollow and dejected.

Moka glared at him, angry that he was purposely twisting her words.

"It seems you were not listening when I told you that," Issa explained. "In fact, there were many things I taught you that apparently were for naught."

"Father, I...I-I don't understand."

"Exactly," he sadly tells her, but remains resolute in his position, "you don't. But, perhaps the fault does lie with me. I sent you to live amongst the humans not just for your safety from our enemies, but for you to learn all you could about them, to blend in where most of us could not; you failed at that. You failed at being a wife to your husband, and thus as heiress to my domain, and now...now you've failed at being a vampire."

"Don't...don't say that, father."

"But, you shall not endure this shame alone; for your failure as a vampire, and as a daughter, is my failure as a father. I...have failed you."

His comment was stunning to all who heard it, but especially for his daughters, even snapping Kokoa out of her stupor, for while it was considered the greatest insult for them to fail before his eyes, to hear him say HE had failed, and all because of the actions of one of them, made them all feel like failures to him and it made Moka's position all the more worse. She had been deluding herself; there would be no benefit of the doubt, it was plain that things were far worse than she had dreamt in that drug induced fantasy of hers.

Ria, however, as she smiled fiendishly was beginning to realize her fantasy coming to fruition; that out of all of her scheming and manipulation, that it would be by Moka's own hand that she'd be undone. That for so long of cow towing to the bastard daughter of one of her father's whores and suffering the disgrace, she'd finally got to witness Moka Akashiya being put in her place.

_I couldn't have done it better, myself, _she thought joyously. _Thank you for being so stupid, dear sis._

"Is there anything else, my lord?" Tsukune asked. "Is it final."

"It will be, save for one condition."

"Yes, of course. I freely rescind my position as heir, if that is what you wish."

"No. You are still my heir, your separation has no bearing on that."

"I...I don't understand."

"Tsukune Aono," Issa declared, "now that you have...severed your bond with the now Moka Akashiya, you must choose which of my daughters you wish to take her place."

His cold eyes briefly took on a flicker of confusion at the question offered to him, just now, as Moka's shock nearly matched his own.

"In order for your separation to be final, you must choose another to take the place of your mate, those are our rules on the matter, Lord Aono."

"What?" Ruby asked. "Why? How?"

"Did Ria not inform you?"

Tsukune then glares over at Ria, who smiled innocently back at him as if she could've sworn she had informed him of that little stipulation.

"If she had, I must not have been in my right mind," Tsukune replied.

"Well, in any case you must choose; anyone would be acceptable."

"Father," Moka pleaded, "do not allow this! This was all a set up by Ria! S-She orchestrated all of this, I know she did! She's always been jealous of me and trying to get in between Tsukune and..."

"DO NOT SPEAK!" Issa bellowed. "We shall deal with you later."

"Deal with me?"

"To ascertain if you are indeed carrying the child of that wolf!"

"But...B-But, I am not pregnant!" She almost chuckled. "That's absurd; my body couldn't carry his seed, and even if it did I'd be careful."

"We shall see, daughter. Now, Tsukune hurry up and decide!"

"...My lord...I have just been divorced and...you want me to marry another of your daughters?"

"That is how it works."

"Kokoa!" Gyokuro snaps. "Stand up and present yourself; after this disaster gets out, I'd be lucky to have you married to any noble!"

Still on the verge of breaking down, Kokoa does as she is told and wearily stands up next to her older sister before Tsukune's eyes, who still hadn't fully grasped all of this.

"M-My lord!" He stammered. "There must be some kind of confusion!"

"Are they not to your liking, my son?"

"No, it isn't that! It's just...what is this all about?"

"Son, you must understand, you are a valuable commodity. As heir to my domain and now free from your mate, my enemies would jump at the chance to wed their daughters or nieces to you in order to gain access to my holdings."

"You don't have to worry about that, I'm through with vampires; no offense, but I don't want anything to do with your kind, _ever_ again," he said, glaring over at Moka who, even now seemed confused by his sudden disdain towards vampires. "I just want to walk away from all of this and try to live with what's left of my life the best way I can. In any case, I don't think I'll marry anyone else after this!"

"I understand your anger, but you must understand my position. You're immortal, my son, I can't take the chance that you might change your mind one day; it's too risky."

"You have my word."

"It's not good enough."

"And, if I refuse, what then?"

Issa looked him in the eye, making sure there was no deception anywhere in there when he passed his proclamation to the irate young man, who out of all of this deserved some honesty: "Then, I will have to kill you, and all of your family, so no one will get any ideas of turning more of your kin."

"WHAT?"

"Y-You can't mean that!" Ruby cried.

"Those are the laws we live by. It is what I had to do once, and it's something you must do; if you choose to renounce Moka, you must abide this. However, if it's something you're not up with, then you will have to remain Moka's mate forever; the choice is yours."

Tsukune was at a loss for words; when he married Moka, he never imagined being thrust into this situation, where the very walls themselves seemed to be closing on him, making him feel trapped. He looked over at Moka, the so-called love of his life, the woman he sacrificed so much for only to have it called null in void by her own admission, and saw what looked to be snide smirk. It was just like before, just like on that night, when she arrogantly believed he wouldn't leave her and that she could get away with something like fucking another man without any repercussion.

"If I said I choose the risk, would I be given time to make up mind?" Tsukune asked.

"A week's time, that is all. It'll be a trial separation, at most, in which time you're free to be with any woman you so wish, but at the end you must either choose someone from this family to be bonded with or your action to renounce Moka will be rendered null in void."

Tsukune gave one last look at his proud wife, who by now had wiped the smirk off her face as she stared into his defiant, vindictive eyes right before he said without a moment's hesitation:

"Then, I accept it!"

"Tsukune!" He heard her snap.

"And, where shall you go until that time?"

"He'll...," Ruby began to say, but was cut off by Caro.

"Tsukune will come stay with me at my Las Vegas Gentleman's Club; it'll be good and far from his pain, and I think it's for the best, but my sister and I will make sure he's well cared for."

"Yes, and I'm sure my daughter, who currently lives there will be thrilled to have him there," Ageha says, casting a snide, vindictive smirk at Moka's way, who then looks to Akasha and quickly turns her smile into an ice cold expression. "It's ironic; your daughter sought to have mine practically banished from here because of her true love for Tsukune, now he's heading to her while you deal with your daughter's..._mistake_."

"Very well," Issa decreed, "we shall reconvene one week from now to hear of your decision. If there is nothing else."

Devastated by all of this and defeated, Moka stood staring about in a daze, shocked that their marriage had been rendered null and void while her husband is free to fuck any woman he desires before either choosing to come back to her or marrying one of her sisters. And, why wouldn't he go fuck another woman, after what she did to him, but still she chose to believe in her mind and heart that regardless of the situation, Tsukune was still her Tsukune.

_I can't believe this! _Outer Moke wailed. _You said this wouldn't happen! That...that we'll..._

**SILENCE! Let me think! He won't go through with it, I-I know he won't. We know him, he's our mate, our Tsukune! He turned dozens of women to be with us, he wouldn't go ahead with this! No, he-he's just mad and wanting to hurt us; you'll see.**

Before she knew it, Tsukune was standing right next to her, looking deeply into her eyes and for a moment she believed there was still something there in him that burned passionately for what they had. If only she could reach that part, get him to see things her way.

"Tsukune," she whispered.

"Your ring?" He flatly asked.

"My ring?" She echoed and looks down at the exquisite and expensive ruby, heart-shaped engagement ring he got for her; the symbol of their commitment to each other, that, for an instant, gave her some hope. But, then she noticed his hand out stretched and became confused.

"I want it back!" He coldly replied.

"What? You...want it back?"

"That's what I said," he calmly, but remorsefully reiterated.

"No. It's my ring."

"But, I bought it for you; now I want it back!"

"Are you crazy!"

"It was a symbol of our love; it's worthless to you, now."

"Tsukune, I still love you..."

"MOKA!" Issa roared. "Hand over that jewel to him, at once!"

His loud decree meant "that was that", as there was nothing to say or do to stop what was happening. So, with a heavy heart, as in spite of her proud display against sentimental emotions, she did found it hard to part with such an endearing emblem, Moka Aono removes her wedding ring and places it gingerly into his palm.

"Tsukune," she whispers again, but he was already walking away, walking rapidly towards the large, opening doors that slowly closed back behind him where only the sound of his footsteps, echoing off the floors could be heard of him.

_No. No. NO! Stop him! Let me out, let me talk to him! Don't just stand there, do something!_

Fainter and fainter the footsteps got, and yet they were still loud, the only sound reverberating in this now silent room as if every was listening to it, but none more so than Moka.

For eight years, from that time so many years ago, yet felt like yesterday, when she plowed into him with her bike on that dusty trail, first suckled on his blood, so sweet and refreshing or looked into his eyes while they lovingly called each other's names, he had always been a fixture in her life. She would never admit it, her pride being what it was, but she had come to appreciate his presence as it did bring something that was missing before, never needing to say anything that showed how much he meant to her, because he would always be there, regardless of the situation. She loved him, craved for him, needed him, perhaps more than anyone realized. There was never a time, nor had she anticipated there ever being a time, that he was gone from her side for Tsukune Aono had been as constant as the rising sun. But, as all those wonderful memories of him came flooding back to her confused mind, as emotions of an endearing past that were far better than middle school came roaring back, she noticed that his footsteps and that of the sweet scent of his unique blood had gotten so faint that there was almost nothing to them at all, it finally dawned on proud Moka Aono that...she had made a terrible mistake.

XXX

Walking down the darkened hallway alone as he heads back to his room, all Tsukune could think was how quiet and lonely everything felt to him; it was like all the people in the world had died, but him. Perhaps he did deserve it; perhaps this was his punishment for being so lenient with Gin that night or maybe it was for all those times in the distant past, when he thought he'd saved or at least proven to Moka how brave he was in the face of danger? Whatever the case, Tsukune felt alone; oh, he could still feel Moka's energy radiating from the throne room, but then again it did little in filling the darkness, only exacerbate its chill, but then Moka's demonic aura suddenly vanishes. Tsukune nearly stops in his tracks when hears, screaming in the darkness, the familiar, plaintive cry of Outer Moka's voice calling his name.

"Tsukune!" She cried out for him in terror. "TSUKUNEEEE!"

"Two steps forward," he coached himself. "C'mon Tsukune, just two steps forward."

Outer Moka turns the corner and stops when she spots him, and immediately runs toward him where she wraps herself tightly about his waist, sobbing into his back, her entire body trembling in a way he'd never felt before.

"Please don't leave! I'm sorry Tsukune! I'll never do anything like this again I swear! I'm so sorry Tsukune, please don't go…" Moka pleaded with him, clutching onto his jacket like he'll disappear any moment if she lets him go, but her very touch became like acid to the bitter young man, who wanted nothing more than to be away from her.

"Get away from me...Akashiya," Tsukune growls, never once looking at Moka and trying to violently free himself from her as he remembered the way she moaned while Gin had his way with her, of the way she covered herself in front of him when Gin came out to check to see if he was still there or all the other, god-awful scenes that were presented of the two of them.

"Tsukune…" Moka sobs, staring at her mate in disbelief. "Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to leave me?"

"Why? You want to know why?"

"I know it's bad, I know what I did was wrong, but we can work through this, I know we can! W-We've been through so much worse, you and I, how could you let this come between..."

"There is no you and I; you did all that stuff with Gin, you called Gin, you asked him to give you a child. You took him to our bed and had sex with him while I was in the next room! You had sex with him again, while I was out falling apart!"

"I'm sorry Tsukune!" Moka insists, her hands together in front of his chest.

"You destroyed our wedding glasses, destroyed our marriage, and my mother...my _mother_, Moka, and what I want to know is _why_? She's been nothing, but good to you, she never did anything to you!"

"That wasn't my idea!" She cried. "It was all her, the other me! She made me do that, I didn't want your mother to know about all of this, I'd have rather died than be that cruel!"

"It was all her idea; and you went along with it. It was you who said something about 'being tainted by humanity', wasn't it? Well, you don't have to worry about that, anymore."

"Please, Tsukune!"

"Go back to your man, have his kids, you won't have me to taint you further."

"That isn't what I meant," she sobbed, her tears beginning to stain the back of his jacket. "I don't know why I said that, I don't know why I said any of that stuff, I knew it wasn't true, none of it; oh please, just forgive me, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Really? And, is she sorry?"

Moka couldn't answer that.

"I thought as much. Is clear she wanted Gin from the beginning and just used our kids as an excuse; well now you two can have him, even if you don't."

"It was just sex, Tsukune!" Moka tries to argue. "I don't love him! I never wanted to go through with it, but she forced me to! She made me afraid and act stupid and...I know I screwed up, I know hurt you and your mother, I know I don't deserve you to trust me again, and I'll do whatever you ask me to do, I'll stop seeing Gin, we'll move away from him, live near humans, anything, but you don't have to leave me!"

"Let...let me go."

"No Tsukune!" Moka argues, her grip growing tighter and more defiant. "We're married, I'm your wife, we belong together and I won't …"

SMACK!

Outer Moka flies to the floor, her cheek throbbing after Tsukune, in a fit of rage, whirls around and back hands her.

**H-He put his hand on us**!

"Tsukune…" Outer Moka's voice trembled, touching her cheek where her husband hit her and looking up into his fiery eyes, eyes that burned with a hatred she had never before seen; Moka had awakened something within him, something neither ghoul, vampire or even human, but a force of abject anger.

"_Get_...away from me!"

Leaving her on the floor, stunned beyond words, Tsukune turns and walks away, his brooding form melting into the darkness. Moka tries to stumble to her feet, the unimaginable pain still pulsating throughout her face, but determined to go after Tsukune and save him from himself.

**Don't just stand there, **Inner Moka berated, **Go after him and set that idiot straight!**

"He's...H-He's not himself," she rationalized. "That's it. Something has come over him, it couldn't be because of me."

"You really are a damn fool, Moka," she heard a voice behind her and wheels around to find Ruby.

"Go away from me," Moka replied, feeling a little embarrassed, but in too much of a haste to quarrel with her. "I don't have time to deal with you."

"I have to say, Moka, watching him hit you like that, it seemed fitting; you being what you are, and all."

"What?"

"You know, being someone's, you know."

"Don't talk to me like that."

"Or what, you'll sleep with Gin in _my_ bed. Lying on your back and letting some guy have his way with you seems to be what you're best at."

"Don't judge me; if you only understood what I was going through, you'd be sympathetic right now."

"No, I do understand, Moka. You think you're the only woman, scratch that, the only monster who's had a rough childhood? Really? My parents were killed in a hit and run while visiting the human world and I was left orphaned, was adopted by a witch who used me to further her own hatred of humans and got me to kill for her; but, I never did what you did. Oh, but poor, princess Moka gets picked on in a human school and that makes it alright to be a slut; for the good of your brats, that is, sorry I forgot."

"How could you be so cold? I thought you'd understand, yeah my past wasn't as bad as yours, but it was still bad and I thought you of all people would get it?"

"If you thought watching all of that was going to make me feel anything for you, then you're more conceited than I gave you credit for."

"….."

"You want to know the sick part about all of this is? You, and Tsukune, convinced me to abandon my hate towards humans; seeing the two of you together, that two people from different species and backgrounds could get along so well, really helped open my eyes. Who knew it was all talk on your part."

"I never asked you to give up your ways."

"But, you never told me not to. You smiled, looked me in the eyes, and encouraged me to follow in your footsteps; what a load of crap!"

"Fine! You were right, I was wrong, I had no business telling you what to do; there, are you happy?"

"Hell no, not by a long shot."

"Just leave me alone."

"So, you did all of this because you didn't want your unborn children to go through what you went through in school, am I right?"

"That's right; everything I did was for their well-being, it was for the good of our family, I never intended..."

"Grow the fuck up, Moka!" Ruby snapped, cutting her off. "So, you were bullied in school; big fucking deal! This kind of stuff happens every time, everywhere, hell I see it at Yokai Academy, and no matter where your kids go, they'll always face that; it's sad, I know, but its life, so deal with it!"

"...Are you through? Because, I have to go talk to Tsukune, okay?"

"Hmph, why bother. Why don't you go crawling back to Gin? Tell me, Moka, before you go, back when Gin would look up your skirts in high school, did you like it?"

"What?" Moka asked, her anger rising.

"You heard me; did you like it? You must have if you didn't have that much of a problem sleeping with him all those times. You used to say you hated perverts, but I guess that's a lie, too."

"Don't lecture me; look at you, you do things that aren't any better, who are you to judge me. You're the biggest pervert of all, maybe more so than Gin!"

"Say what you want about me, that I have my issues as well as imperfections when compared to your holier than thou persona, but at least I know where to draw the line. I never betrayed my friends."

"Yeah? You think you haven't made any mistakes? That you're better than me?"

"I don't think anyone is better than your highness. I find it sad that Tsukune never called you on your warped sense of what constitutes real man, considering that you would prefer a dawg over a real man, any day."

"...How dare you say that; you don't know how I felt when Gin was on top of me, Caro and Ageha never showed that part or how I wondered why Tsukune didn't come save me."

"You poor dumb bitch, you don't get it do you?"

"What?"

"Tsukune didn't come to your rescue just to be cruel or because he was weak. He wasn't trying to be lenient or because he lost his never. Do you want to know why he stood out that room and forced himself to listen to you whore yourself for your children? It was because he believed that the girl he'd known and loved since high school would never in her life betray the love you two made; he had _faith_ in you, his wife, not to go through with it, even to the last minute...and you just destroyed his faith! The only person whose responsibility it was to stop this was not him, but you!"

"You don't think I know what a mistake I've made of this? You don't think I know I have to fix this? I'd give anything to go back and undo everything, I wish I'd never considered calling Gin! This is a mess and I want to back to the way it was!"

"Stop kidding yourself; we both know you don't want that."

"What?"

"This was the way you want it; you finally let everyone know how messed your life was and just what you look for in a 'guy'."

"Do not talk to me like that, I don't love GIN!"

"Of course you do, he is of your kind. That is, the four legged beast kind."

Moka grew silent with shock and anger, that Ruby would have the audacity to make such an insinuation like that.

"Instead of bothering Tsukune further, be a good girl and go back to your alpha dog, before sniffs someone else's tail," Ruby remarked with a vindictive smile as she casually walks past an astonished and offended Moka.

The confident, young witch had taken no more than a four steps when she felt a torrent of demonic energy swirling about, and was immediately propelled to the far wall with a hand clamped about her throat and lifted her off the floor.

"You, ack!" Ruby grimaced as the air was being cut off from her throat. She tries to use her magic scepter, but Moka gripped her hand, depriving the witch with the tool to defend herself, as she looked down, helplessly into a pair of cold, remorseless red eyes.

"I think you've finally said enough, witch," Moka said with a casual flair. "You owe me for saving your ass, now I think I'm going to rescind that favor, right now. But, before you die, I want you to know that, yes I fucked up, and yes I should have stopped myself before it got any further, and while I've shamed myself before the two people that matter, I will not allow someone like you to address me in such a manner any further. Goodbye, Ruby."

Ruby felt helpless to stop it, but she would not give Moka the dignity of seeing any kind of fear or regret in her violet colored eyes, regardless of how much force she exerts her hand.

"I'll give this for you," Moka chuckled, "you always had spirit; I think I will miss that."

But, before Moka could apply enough pressure to break Ruby's neck, she felt a firm grip grasp her wrist.

"Who the...?"

"Moka!" Akasha yelled. "Release her, this instant!"

"But, mother!"

"Now! Don't add murder to what's happened today."

Angered and embarrassed, she does as she's told and lets Ruby drop to the ground, gasping for air.

"Did you just hear what she dared to call me?" Moka asked her mother. "She tried to say I'm a bitch; a low class bitch! And, before that Tsukune...Tsukune just beat me!"

"He hit you!" Ruby gasped, rubbing her neck gingerly. "Don't make him sound worse than you."

"Don't talk to me, witch! You should be grateful I let you live!"

"I'm grateful she had the stones to tell you off, you ungrateful bastard!" Gyokuro remarked. "However, I can understand letting some lower creature talk to you in such a manner; especially when that right should belong to me, the mother you've wronged!"

Agitated, Akasha helps Ruby back to her feet and ushers her along.

"You should leave, now!" She tells her. "Enough has been said."

"Mother!'

"Go!" Akasha advises Ruby and after a glaring look at Moka, who only glared back with murderous intent, she reluctantly does. However, Ruby doesn't go very far, before she whirls around and yells at Moka:

"Saizou Komiya!"

"Ruby, please leave me and my daughter a...!"

"Are you afraid to hear the truth?"

"Truth?" Gyokuro asked. "What, is he another creep your daughter spread her legs for."

"Shut up," Moka said underneath her breath through gritted teeth, embarrassed by the name and accusation.

"You dare tell me to shut up?"

"Ruby!"

"Kill me, Akasha, but Moka knows what I'm talking about."

"Leave my sight, witch!" Moka raged. "That has nothing to do with any of this, now go away from me!"

"Moka!" Akasha snapped, and then returned her attention back to Ruby. "No one is killing anyone; make this quick, who is Saizou Komiya and what bearing does he have on all of this?"

"Mother, she is nothing more than an irate, former friend who has no business being here; there is more important matters to take care..."

"What's the matter, Moka; ashamed?" Ruby challenged. "You should be."

"Why should I be ashamed, you weren't even there!"

"No, but the Bus Driver was, and he told me every detail."

"What is she talking about, Moka?" Akasha asked. "Is there more I should know? Who is this Saizou Komiya?"

"It's nothing!" Moka growled. "This witch just wished to further test me, that's all. It's got nothing to do with any of this!"

"Saizou Komiya was a fellow student of your daughter's at Yokai Academy, the school for monsters and _not _humans, an orc who ran around the school as a bully and notorious for raping female students; it happened around the first day of school he set his eyes on Moka, this being before she could remove her rosary pendant. You remember this, Moka, care to finish what happened?"

"Mother, please, send this fool away from me, I don't have time to waste with her."

"Very well," Ruby continued. "Komiya practically had his incredibly long tongue wrapped around her leg and was flinging her about like a rag doll, determined to soften her up so she was more vulnerable, and he would've raped her too, like all the others, if it wasn't for Tsukune. He was running back to the human world when he heard her screams, and actually turned back to help; that human was the only thing that stood in between this 8 foot monster and your daughter and took a beating for her. Moka, how dare you question his manhood by not stopping you from being a total idiot!"

"I remember clearly," Moka argued, "remembered how I was the one who ultimately took care of that fool, Komiya and let everyone believe Tsukune had done it; it was me who saved the day when my seal was broken!"

"And, who made that possible; you? You couldn't even remove your seal by yourself at that time!"

"I had everything under control, I didn't need anyone's help!"

"You're so full of it, I can't believe it! W-When were you going to make your big move, when Komiya had you on the ground about to rape you or after?"

Moka heard Gyokuro giggle at that last remark, and along with that just caused her normally stoic demeanor to break down in a sweat.

"Just leave me be, witch!" She seethed, her body trembling. "Just go away and be glad I'm letting you! Just go!"

"You've told me enough, Ruby, I thank you," Akasha said.

"Fine, but Ms. Bloodriver, whatever you may think of your daughter, whether you believe she was partially right or justified, or however you may think of Tsukune, _please _ remember that your daughter wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him...," Ruby says, and then looks at Moka and adds with emotion: "...a mere human."

"GO!" Moka roared.

Showing great indifference to her tantrums, Ruby departs to see to Tsukune, while both mothers are left with their daughter sulking, their opinions conflicted.

"...Is what she said true?" Akasha asked her soiled daughter. "Did it happen the way she sa...?"

"What difference does it make? It did happen or it didn't; all that matters is confronting Tsukune! He hit me, did you know that! He needs to know his place!"

She was about to run off to see him when her mother holds her back, forcefully.

"Mother? What are you doing?"

"Moka, for god sake haven't you done enough? Let him be."

"No, mother; I was going to pay him back for what he did because no does that to me without a response, and then once he's subdued I'll make him see that I wasn't trying to hurt him when I slept with Gin, that everything he saw was taken out of their proper context!"

"Proper context?" Gyokuro asked.

"Yes. I...I did sleep with Gin, and I made sure he knew, but there were good reasons for doing so, if I just make him see that and convince him not to go through with this!"

"Hmph, I say let her," Gyokuro replied, her sudden defense surprising, for the moment, both Moka and Akasha. "That's right, let her save her crumbling marriage; it's the very least your fool of a daughter can do for this family and insuring its demise! All joking aside, I have to honestly say I saw this coming the moment He knocked you up; like mother, like daughter, and being a werewolf's bitch is only a natural direction for your lineage, that's just how the universe works!"

"Gyokuro!" Akasha yelled, her powerful aura beginning to shimmer. "You're not going to call my daughter that in my presence, do you understand?"

"How dare you call me that!" Moka growled. "I am no one's bitch!"

"I should dare to call you worse and make you like it, child!" Gyokuro challenged. "And please, your defiant tone is shying away that ugly truth that is as plain as the rank stench coming from you. Oh, and Akasha your position as a powerful vampire won't save you from my wrath; this isn't just about you and your _werewolf's bitch _of a daughter anymore, but this affects _my_ children, you stupid fool!"

Akasha and Moka fell silent as the gravity of what she meant fell through.

"I had plans for my daughters to be wed to some of the finest houses in the vampire realm, but after this...The firestorm this family will undoubtedly face when word of this gets out, and it will, things like this always, always have a way of getting around; sure we can kill all of the servants to ensure it doesn't escape, but eventually someone will talk or a spy might have gained knowledge of this spectacle, or knowing your slut daughter here, she or her wolf buddy probably posted the whole thing online somewhere, and before long all of our enemies will have ammunition to use against us! No one is going to want any of the girls here, and why would they? What influential family is going to want their sons to be associated with the daughters of a household who allows one to fuck dogs for a living? You better fix this, whore, or your dilemma about what to do with your children will be solved, painfully!"

After openly threatening her and casting a challenging, yet fierce eye at the mother of the girl who just spoiled her children's future, Gyokuro leaves them to see what needs to be done. Under normal circumstances, Moka would defiantly ignore her stepmother's fits of anger, but now it seemed her threats were real enough to have some merit; things had gotten out of hand and the possibility that word of this would eventually leak and damage her father's standing made mending fences with Tsukune just that much more important.

"You heard her, mother, I have to fix this now, so please let me go!"

Moka tries to free herself, but her mother refuses to let go, her grip rock solid even the mighty vampire princess to break.

"Mother! Let me go, let me go see him, I promise I won't hurt him too much, but I have to go talk to him!"

"Moka, do you love him?" She suddenly asked.

"What?"

"Do you love him? It's a simple question."

"Of...of course I do, he's still my mate and no one else comes close; that's why I don't want him to..."

"N-No, Moka, I meant Gin; do you love him?"

"No!" She quickly replied.

"So, you have no feelings for him, whatsoever?"

"Mother, how could you ask me that? Of course, I don't care for him!"

"Then why, while you were...confiding with Caro, did you said this person was wonderful; what does that mean if you have no feelings for him?"

"I don't know why I said that, alright!" Moka said through gritted teeth. "I was angry, I was confused...I don't know!"

"All those times you kept going to him, working for him, even doing all those..._things _with him, that wasn't because you were in love with him?"

"No, it wasn't! Gin was nothing to me but a tool in my plans, that's it! He is an arrogant, filthy ass of a man, I despise him! He means nothing to me!"

"Then, please help me to understand why?"

"It was all because of her!" Moka suddenly accused. "That idiotic, weak willed persona you created in me!"

"The one whose personality I based off of myself? Yes, I was bothered that she would do all of that, too."

"Then look to her for the inane moments you witnessed; all she cared about was being loved and wanting to be loved! She just couldn't see Gin as anything less than what he really was; if anything, she can have him if we could separate and I remain with Tsukune!"

_W-What? _Outer Moka's consciousness asked with surprise. _Hey, that wasn't the deal!_

"So, this persona is not only idiotic to you, but is also weak willed and to blame for much of what happened?" A morose Akasha asked.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying! Oh mother, why did you create this within me? Why couldn't I have been allowed to be a normal vampire, then none of this would have happened!"

"...In any case, what's is done, I guess, isn't that right?" Akasha asked after a heavy sigh.

"Yes; and now I have to go see to my husband, so let me go, mother!"

"No."

"What?"

"If he hit you, then it's clear he isn't in his right mind at the moment and probably won't listen to a word you say to him no matter how many times you kick him. Let me go talk to him, maybe he'll listen to me."

"But, mother!"

"I swear to you, Moka I will get him to see things clearly; I...I know I've let you down, but all I ask is you let me make it up to you by doing this!"

"...Alright," Moka reluctantly agrees.

"In the meantime, I think you should wait until tomorrow and let him cool off for the night; you can say your peace to him then, okay?"

Moka nods in agreement, but patience was never her strong point and it was only after heavy resistance to the idea.

"...I guess you're right. But, you have to tell him that I never meant for any of this to happen!"

"Okay."

"Tell him that I wasn't trying to hurt him, but only get him to accept responsibilities as a man to the needs of his family!"

"Okay."

"And, tell him to come see me directly and to not go anywhere without first talking with me, that all I want to do is talk and nothing else, understand?"

"I understand; just go to your room my daughter...I'll take care of everything."

"Thank you, mother."

Moka's ranting had cut deeply to the vampire matriarch, inflicting upon wounds that were already sore after she witnessed everything her own daughter had done chosen to do for both "family" and depraved, but apparent lust. However, Moka was hardly the one to say sorry for anything she says or does, and the only important right now was repairing her image as the loving mate of Tsukune Aono, and not the whore of Gin Morioka.

Meanwhile, Kokoa had solemnly retreated to the dining area, wanting somewhere quiet and private to retreat towards, as she is in the ill-mood for performing any duties now. The red haired girl who had been so vocal about her displeasure towards anything, now hovered about in her black dress like a ghost, as pale as ever. Before long, however, she was soon joined by Kahlua, who while she shared her feelings, she was hardly quiet about it.

"It's so sad, sister," Kahlua said, her blue eyes on the verge of tears and a part of Kokoa, a now smaller part, worried what that would mean. "I can't believe sister would be so heartless and all towards brother Tsukune; he's always been kind to me, isn't that right?"

"...Yeah," Kokoa uttered in barely a whisper.

But then, Kahlua's attitude began to change as her cheeks began to flush, causing her to hold feverishly to them as she started shaking her shapely hips excitedly.

"Ooh, but I hope he picks me to be his wife," she said wishfully. "Kahlua Aono; that has a nice ring to it, don't you think. Oh, and I'm going to hug him and kiss him, oh and pet him, and do naughty things with him; I'm sure Miyabe will be jealous, but he can have Ria! I don't know, what do you think? You think he'll pick me?"

Kokoa just looked at her and casually shrugged, because while she didn't know what Tsukune's intentions will be in light of this, marriage was the furthest from her mind, especially now.

Tsukune was already starting to rip off most of his clothing before even stepping into his room, just tossing them onto the bed with nary a care to detail. What he thought at that moment, after witnessing so much from his "beloved", hearing the words that hurt the most and letting her cold, evil accusations about him come to heart made his feelings an unfathomable mess. But, most importantly, amongst all of the whirlwind of damage that was going on in his mind and soul, there stood above it all the feeling of utter betrayal. He felt all of it, all his sacrifices and efforts, struggles and hardships for her within the last eight years had gone to waste, now he was stuck.

"I may not condone violence against women," Ruby said, standing in the doorway, her sudden appearance hardly doing little to startle him. "But, if there was ever to be an exception, I'd say Moka and this moment would be it...I'm sorry. I know it...it isn't much, all things considering, but..."

"Sorry?" He chuckled, staring into her violet colored eyes with a vacant stare. "Sorry for what? I deserved it, don't you think? I'm a guy, an inconsiderate, idiotic guy who never lifted a finger to stop her from leaving with another man, much less read her mind and sense she wanted me to stop it; and, I'm human, ur, was human. Humans are the enemy, isn't that right Ruby? Humans are the bad guys to monsters, we're bigoted, small minded, and all around bad, and I'm wrong for not seeing that sooner; so, that makes me the perfect villain."

"...Tsukune!" Ruby said, stepping into his, upset. "Tsukune, how can you say that? How can you even think that?"

"It's what you believed in, don't hide it. From the very first day I met you, you hated humans just as much as Moka did; I was a fool to think that changed in her, why should that be any different with you! You must hate me right now, don't you?"

"No. No, that is not true, known of it! I used to believe that, but not anymore!"

"Yeah, that's what Moka said."

"Look, I stuck by you through all of this without a single complaint and you wanna know why? Because you're my family; my hatred for humanity dried up a long time ago, so don't compare me with her! And just because we're both women doesn't, doesn't make us friends. She doesn't know anything, she's a worthless, glorified princess who think she's above everyone and that she can get away with it! Listen, being human is no different than being my kind, and I was wrong for thinking otherwise; you helped me to see that, you helped me to look beyond the darkness and see the light. Don't let her actions darken your outlook, please."

"Well, well, well," said Caro, accompanied by Ageha, "fancy hearing such an inspiring speech coming from Mikogami's little slut."

"What do you want?" Ruby asked, the scepter in her hand gripped tightly.

"Stay your hand, witch," Ageha said, "we didn't come here for you. We're here for him. Tsukune, darling, how are you feeling? You okay? You're holding up?"

"Ohh, Tsukunie-poo is going to be okay," Caro said as she affectionately rubs her huge mammaries against his back.

"Stop that!" Ruby complained, but Caro ignored her.

"Once we get him back to Vegas and meet up with Mumu again, he'll forget all about this horrible day."

"..."

"What was that, I didn't hear...?"

"I said, you...monsters leave me alone."

It wasn't so much just the word he used that shocked them, it had been the first time they heard him refert to them so coldly, but how menacingly it came out.

"Tsukune?" Ageha said. "Tsukune, I know you don't mean that. We're all your friends here, and we are going to help you the best we can."

"Friends? Help? Ha. You know I tried, yes I really, really tried to be understanding of you creatures, thinking we could be friends, that I can be seen as one of you. But, that was a waste. Moka was right, Ruby, I _am_ the bad guy; a no good, _human_ man, no not even a man, a human boy who can't even do what a man is supposed to, right! So says the might Moka Akashiya! It's what you all like to hear, isn't it? Moka just had the guts to say it; you agree, don't you Caro?"

"What?"

"Giving her the _benefit of the doubt," _he said with such contempt. "That's because you've all had your doubts about me, about befriending a human. Well, now you've got your wish."

"Now see here," Caro began to argue, feeling a little offended for being put on the spot.

"Caro, whatever you have to say, I don't want to hear it, you said all you need to!"

"Sister, what did you say when you talked with Moka?" Ageha asked.

"Ugh, he's blowing things out of proportion; he's just hurt and an angry. Look, Tsukune..."

"Please, just go away!" Tsukune responded, his anger growing as well as a fear that if he was berated one more time then something terrible might happen.

"I wasn't trying to be cruel to you," Caro went on, anyway, "all I did was..."

"Hey!" Ruby intervened, raising her scepter to separate the wayward succubus from her friend. "You heard him, he doesn't want to hear your crap!"

Caro stared at Ruby, whose abrupt intervention was seen as an open challenge, and for most of her kind such an invitation would be readily received. However, she was savvy enough to recognize that this was a time when cooler heads needed to prevail and decided to save it for another time.

"...As I was trying to say before I was so rudely interrupted," Caro continued, this time in a more calm and rational tone. "All I did was let Moka think I was on her side so I can dig some dirt on her to use against during the hearing. Heh, after what the way she hurt my niece, you'd think I'd ever be her girlfriend? So, I had to...over embellish a few things, but it worked. I, in no way condone what she did or what she did it for, my sister and I actually grew up around humans with nary a problem from them, even have a few friends who are privy to what we are."

"Ladies," Mikogami summoned from outside. "Visiting time is over. Ruby, I need you to return to the academy and check up on your young friend. I must stay by Akasha's side at this moment."

"I would like to accompany with you as well," Ageha volunteered.

"Why?" Ruby asked, defensively.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Yukari is the daughter of one of my old friends, and seeing as how she was also hurt by this self-righteous bitch, I'd like to pay my respects."

"Don't worry, sis, I'll make sure Tsukunie-poo gets to Vegas," said Caro, who gives her a hug and whispers something in her ear as they both glare at Ruby. "Everything will be well taken care of for his trip."

"Master," Ruby protested, "I don't think it'll be in his best interest for me to leave Tsukune here alone at a time like this; he'll need someone he can trust!"

"My young friend, I think it would be in his best interest to leave the young man with his thoughts; more importantly, there is something he needs to do alone."

Ruby looks over at her distraught friend, who hardly looks back at them, but hangs his head as though it weighed a thousand pounds. That something that needed to be done was something he didn't want, for what could be said after such a horrible act was done, and his humiliation so apparent.

"As you wish," Ruby reluctantly agrees, and before leaving, she looks back at Tsukune one last time and says: "You're my family, Tsukune, and I love you. Someone who hates humans could never say that."

"Don't worry, honey," said Caro, "I promise you'll get over Moka when you hit the club; most men in your position normally do, just wait and see."

"Get well, Tsukune," Ageha then said. "Though, it pains me to say it, Ruby is right, you are like family."

Family. What did it mean to him now, but an ugly reminder of what it has destroyed in his life, and what he must do now? At last alone in his room, he stood before his bed contemplating for the longest time on whether he should make the call, dreading on what to say. He digs around his pocket for his cell phone, untouched since having called Ria, and with hesitant fingers dials a number. With each ring tone, his heart skipped a beat, until after two or three someone, someone who's voice was painfully familiar and made his soul painfully long for despite of some level of proud restraint, answered the other end.

"Hello?" She asked. "Tsukune, Tsukune is that you?"

"...Mom," he whispered, his voice barely a hiss and yet she was instantly able to recognize it.

"Tsukune, it is you; it's him!" He heard her cry out to the background. "Ohh, son, where _are_ you? We've been worried sick; your father and cousin have been staying with me by the phone for days waiting to hear from you! Are you alright! Where are you?"

"Let me speak to him," he heard his father say.

"How is Tsukie?" He could hear his cousin ask.

"Tsukune?" His mother asked again.

"Mom...I'm sorry."

"Sorry?"

"I screwed up, it's all my fault."

"I-I don't understand; sweetie, you're not making any sense, sorry for what?"

"It's my fault, I never meant for you to...to find out like this. I should have called sooner and told you."

"...Oh, oh son th-that wasn't your fault; no. I don't care about any of that, all that matters is that you're okay, and that you come home so we'll work this out, as a family. Please, just come home."

Hearing her voice and those encouraging words were like honey to his sore heart, but believing everything will be okay being surrounded by people he loves was a fantasy, just like before with Moka, when he failed to ignore reality; the reality was nothing would be okay.

"I can't, mom," he said; his voice was so pained, so rough sounding that it must've worried his mother even more, because her voice steadily grew panicky.

"Yes, yes you can, dear. No one here is blaming you for what happened, it's not your fault, dear! We all still love you and are just worried about you, so please come home!"

"I can't mom, I can't."

"Then...can you at least tell us if you're okay? Have you eaten? Are you taking care of yourself?"

"I can't, mom. I screwed up. This mess I'm in...I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry, I understand you're upset and I promise we're going to do everything we can to help, but please..._please_, come hom...!"

It pained him to have to hang up on her, his own mother, just as it was painful even talking to her, as painful as it was learning about how she found out what was going on, but even more painful at being reminded of what Moka had done. He squeezed the phone so much that it could have broken in his grip, while covering his eyes in some agonizing attempt to push back the emotions that threatened to surface.

_Dammit! _Tsukune thought angrily as he slammed his phone onto the bed and wondering if he'll ever see them again, let alone look them in the eye.

In all his tortured angst, however, he failed to hear the door silently open and close, and remained completely oblivious as a shadowy figure snaked its way up to him, until they gingerly touched his shoulder with a gloved hand. Thinking it was Caro, he angrily lashes out at his unwanted guest.

"Leave me alone, Caro!" He yelled upon whirling around to confront her, thereby inadvertently smacking her ample breasts that jiggled upon impact, and in his haste it very nearly confirmed his suspicion, up until he got a good look at who they belonged to.

"Oh me, oh my," said Ria with a pleased smile and an amused laugh, "aren't we fired up tonight! But, I assure you you have nothing to worry about from Caro or Moka for that matter. I am here for you."

"I'm not in the mood, Ria," he growled.

"You could've fooled me," she remarked as she placed a hand upon the chest he accidentally rubbed against. "Anger, though has always been the best...motivator, if you catch me, brother dear."

"What do you want, to gloat? Is that it? Go ahead, it won't do any damage that hasn't already been done."

"As much as I would enjoy that, I think I would enjoy something else from you."

"Like what?"

"Oh, I think you know," she said, eyeing him like a hungry cat and casually stepping towards him.

"Seriously? After what happened, you still want to make me suffer even more?"

"Oh me, oh my, you sugar coat things too much. Suffer, pleasure, it's all relative."

"W-What?" He asked, finally catching her hint. "I swear, if you overstep your..."

"And, I have to say, it was so good of you and father to have come to your sense; a bit late in my book, but then better now than never, as I always say."

As Tsukune watched this red eyed fiend inch ever closer, with lust, hunger and evil glinting delightfully in her eyes along with her smile, features he was familiar with all too painfully well, it soon dawned on him that to his deepest regret that by accepting Issa's terms of separation, he had inadvertently given Ria free reign do as she pleased.

"Get out of here!" He warned, ready to meet whatever she planned to do.

"Oh, Tsukune, I'm hurt," she said, mockingly. "And, after everything I've done for you! You're mean."

"I mean it, get the hell out!" He warned yet again, but it was a fruitless gesture, his words falling on deaf ears, as Ria brazenly reaches up under her tight dress and removes a pair of under wear before him.

"I have to admit," she said to him, "ever since you rejected me all those years ago, I've thought about you, even to the point to where I would wet myself involuntarily. Ohh, you do things to me..."

"Oh my god," he muttered angrily.

"...like no one else has ever done and it angered me that my sister got to have you. But, when you called me up all of a sudden, I thought, heh, oh the things...I...felt."

Like a slingshot, she shoots her frilly, black panties at him and scores a perfect landing over his face. She giggles like a school girl, but he refused to tolerate her antics, much less her very presence in his room and rips the undies from around his head.

"Then go back to feeling yourself!" He angrily replied and angrily shoves her undies back against her, who violently slaps him across the face.

He felt like striking her down for that, his balled up fist raised to deliver the crushing blow and she merely standing before him, ready to receive it, but he decides against it, figuring that she would only like it.

"You're not worth it," he said with much restraint, the part of him that still remained in that husk of a shell.

Figuring he was done with her, Tsukune turns his back on Ria, but is soon roughly kicked in the back onto the bed as he's soon tackled on bed by a gleefully shrieking Ria, who soon has her legs wrapped around him.

"Fight me!" She hissed in his ear as she clamps down on his neck. "Fuck me!"

He struggles to get on his back, hoping to gain some leverage against her, but like a contortionist, she merely works her way to his front and when he manages to sit up with her still on him, she begins squeezing her calves about his waist like a pair of pythons.

"Ggggrrrrrrhhhhh!" He grimaced as the tightening of his waste was almost more painful than her bite.

Desperate, he digs into her hips with his fingernails and applies enough pressure to pierce the skin, causing blood to form, and yet it seemed to only excite her.

"Aaaaarrrrgghhyyyes, yes, YES!" She yelled in orgasmic joy.

So, with all his strength, he gets to his feet and violently rams her against the wall. She responds in kind by a vicious bite of his bottom lip, her fangs piercing the skin and giving him a bitter taste of his own blood. Now, fearing for his life, he digs his fingers deeper into her hips, very nearly coming in contact with the bone, and inflicting enough pain that she finally relents, but not before he felt a warm, wet sensation spread about his waste from her crotch that immediately repels him off the moment she releases him.

Tsukune looks down at the stain on his white shirt, and smell her cum all over it with his heightened senses and with open disgust he looks at her who remains against the wall, panting, sweating, disheveled with her skirt raised and revealing slimy legs, bleeding from the sides, with his blood drooling from her lips, but nonetheless happy.

"...Just the way I remember it," she said, panting and salivating, "only a little better, hahahahahahahaha! You always did know how to treat a lady."

"You sick freak!" He snaps while ripping his wet shirt off of him. "Get out of my room!"

"Oh me, oh my, quite a tone you're giving to your future bloodmate; certain people might get the wrong idea about our marriage."

"What do you mean? I'm not going to bond with you!"

"Oh no?"

"No. Your father said I had to pick one of you, what makes you think it'll be you of all people?"

"Well, who exactly did you have in mind to sever your bond with my...horn dog of a half-sister."

"It's none of your business. Whoever it is, it won't be you, I'll see to that."

"You can do that, but I don't think you really thought this through; it wouldn't be the second time you rushed into a relationship without thinking it through. Now, let's see, you could choose dear little Kokoa as your mate, but you know how she feels about you, right? And, how she just adores her older sister, Moka, right? Well, if she doesn't kill you in your sleep, then she's just as likely to invite Gin over to have sex with in your very presence, just to spite you, now wouldn't she?"

Ria could see the thoughtful look to come over his embittered face with delight in her loins, confident that she has him.

"You could also choose my other sister, Kahlua."

"Kahlua is trustworthy and reliable," he says to her, "and plus she doesn't seem like she'd hate humans all that much."

"Oh yes; once you get back her psychotic rages, she's trustworthy, easy to get along with, not to mention blonde, great legs, and a tanned skin to match. The only problem is that she's as likely to treat you as one of her little dolls and, ever the team player, might even let Moka come around and play with you as she pleases. In other words, she's too trustworthy."

"Alright, then what about Akua?"

"Akua?"

"Yes, you other sister. I remember everything she did to Moka all too well, but right now I'd settle for her."

"Oh me, oh my; you really haven't heard, have you?"

"What?"

"Dear Akua hasn't been amongst us for quite some time; I fear she has met a most untimely end."

"Dead?" He asked, surprised and unnerved. "Akua, dead? How? Was it because...?"

"Oh dear, no, but her demise isn't important, right now. Besides, even if she was an option, well you know much of an older sister complex she had for Moka, in spite of what she did. If she can make her sister happy, and quite possibly screw you over, then she will without father ever knowing about it. That just leaves..."

"You," he finishes for her.

"That's right, baby, and you know how I feel about Moka? I _hate_ her, and all my life I wanted nothing more than to see her humiliated the way she was today."

"What makes you think I have to choose any of you? Your family is big, there has to be a few cousins I can choose from?"

"Well, you could, although they're all currently with other suitors. However, there is one cousin named Rachel."

"Rachel? What do you know about her?"

"Oh, just that you'd like her, I'm sure. She's a very beautiful girl with golden blonde hair, big blue eyes, fair skin and, oh yeah, 10. So, unless you're willing to wait around before she's old enough to consummate the union, in which she must be able to, or you're just that kind of guy, then I'm afraid I'm your best and only option, dear _husband_."

"I'll...I'll run away then. I'd rather take my chances than spend an eternity with you."

"Oh, I would advise against it, husband dear. Father's agents will hunt you down, no matter where you'll go."

"I don't care, anything is better."

"You didn't let me finish, my dear. While he's hunting you down, who do you think is going to pay for your betrayal? Moka? I'm sure you don't care what happens to her. Think about, Tsukune, who close to you will father use, and by use I mean make their lives a living hell, to flush you out?"

The look in his face of abject dread, with the color being flushed right out of his face was a clear indication that he knew what she was getting at.

"And, trust me, he's done it before and...he's always chosen me to administer whatever is needed to get his point across."

"...God," he muttered, his eyes no longer focusing upon her, but miles away from this hellish place.

"Face it, dear, I'm yours whether you it so or not," Ria says as she picks up her panties and casually struts toward him where she wraps her arms around his neck and leans him in closer. "If you want to be rid of Moka then I'm the woman that'll ensure that happens, and you needn't worry about being deprived of your human family; I like them, I like them a lot, and I guarantee they will be taken care of. Besides, I have no problem in raising our children around them, I feel a vampire needs to learn about his subjects and food supply at an early age, anyway. All I ask in return is that you keep providing me with plenty of pleasurable moments."

She was about to kiss him, he who wasn't very receptive to what was going on at all. In his mind he knew she had planned this from the start, from the moment he called her to now, this was her ultimate goal as it had been before; to be his mate and heiress. He was a fool to think she did anything out of the goodness of her heart or that she did to be a faithful and dutiful sister, and as he watched her bloody, fang filled mouth drawn in, there was little he could do to stop it; Ria finally had him.

"Ria!" Akasha yelled after suddenly and abruptly entering the room, followed by the maid Ezumi.

Ria glared angrily at her, coming very close to growling in discontent, but Akasha very imposing aura made the threatening vampire think twice about it. It wasn't so much the daring gesture on Ria's part that made Moka's mother livid, but the very sight of her disheveled appearance pressed up against a half-naked Tsukune, and her smell permeating off of him.

"Akasha," Tsukune said and, coming to his senses, immediately pushes Ria away and begins brushing her off of him.

"Ria, get out!" She tells Ria. "Now!"

"Hmph, and why should I? Not, unless you plan on staking your claim on him; I'm sorry, but your erstwhile daughter has screwed the pooch on that and besides, family only."

"...How dare you."

"How dare I? Mistress, you've just interrupted a tender moment between couples, and really I could care less what you feel about it, but knowing your profession I guess it wouldn't hurt to cheer him up, a bit."

Akasha was outraged that this young woman would dare insult her like this and do so with flagrant disregard.

"Here, Tsukune dear," Ria said as she stuffs her panties into his pants, "something to remember me by, in case after spending time with my Mistress you forget about me. Toodles."

With audacious flare, Ria smooth's out her dress and walks out, leaving mother, servant and son in law alone. He didn't bother looking at her, as the atmosphere remained a bleak one. Tsukune felt trapped, his prospects dim in this family, as it was a nightmare he could not wake up from; how could he have known this would happen? How could he have avoided it? Such questions plagued him, never relenting and always creating dread for the future, worse than how he felt right before marrying Moka.

"Moka," he whispered aloud, the very name coming out of his mouth like a pained sob.

_Why?_ He wondered, bitterly. _Tell me why!_

"Tsukune," Akasha said, as she watched his hunched shoulders brooding by his bed, shoulders she had seen before on another man and yet seemed so alien on a boy such as him.

"How could I have been so blind; so stupid?" He whispered to himself. "The writing was on the walls, how could I have been so stupid?"

"Tsukune?" She repeated, her voice, so reminiscent of the Moka he fell so easily for, once honey to his ears, now acidic to his very soul.

"...Get away from me," he said in a gruff sounding voice, a tone that gave her despair, and yet she perseveres to talk with him.

Akasha walks up and softly places a hand upon his tensed, brooding shoulder.

"Tsukune, I just wanted to..."

"I SAID **GET AWAY FROM ME**!" He roared, whirling about and grabbing her by the arms with vicious, clawed fingers; his face no longer that of a human nor of a vampire, but some darkened, malevolent being, the very blood Moka injected within him becoming contorted with his bottled up rage, now partially glimpsed.

His outburst and sudden change frightened not only Ezumi, but Akasha as well who stared just inches away from a face so twisted by anger and sadness whirled into one. Both women were horrified to see that the kind young man they knew and respected had vanished before their shocked eyes and become this devil. It was only a brief showing, however, as within seconds Tsukune realized what he was doing and upon releasing Akasha, quickly reverts back to his old self as if it had never happened.

"Akasha," he said with surprise and deep regret; it was as though the old Tsukune had returned for that moment. "...I didn't know..."

"...Ezumi," she orders the maid."

"Y-Yes, my Mistress."

"Please, leave us. I wish to speak with...Master Aono alone; wait outside, if you will."

Ezumi looks at him, her eyes not so much fearful of him, but just deeply troubled and upset at what is happening, but she honors Akasha's request with humble, silent bow and shuts the door. Alone, the airy silence was deafening for Tsukune, as he was uncertain of what her intentions would be; he'd heard horror stories of her abilities, however there was no fear or concern about his mind, only a restlessness that comes from one who is resigned to his fate.

"I know why you're here," he said, his hollow tone returned. "It's because of me hitting M...your daughter. If you've come to pay me back for it then go ahead, make it quick."

He didn't close his eyes to brace himself for some hard, bone shattering kick, as was custom, instead he looked her in the eye and patiently waited as she slowly approached him.

SLAP!

The red hot sting on his cheek, however, which was a strong one just the same, was far from what he expected her to do nor was the deep hug that followed. She was crying, he felt, and as though that wasn't strange to him, having her wrapped around him in a loving embrace was even stranger.

"I'm sorry," he heard her whisper. "I'm so-so sorry. This is all my fault, I brought this on! I sent Moka to the human world when she wasn't ready, I sent her to that school in her condition; this is all my fault!"

"What?"

"You tried to tell me, but...I wouldn't listen. I think I knew, deep down, I think I knew and...I tried to hide it, make believe it would just go away! I had no idea, though."

He pushes her away and turns his back, leaving Akasha to wipe away her tears.

"What will you do, now?" She asked, but got no reply. "I know things look bad, I know it seems like everything is unfair, but..."

"Everything ends," he muttered, more to himself. "Even relationships, even love. It just...ends."

"...That isn't true. None of it. Tsukune, I want you to listen to me, there are no endings in this universe we live in, there are only transitions. When one door closes, another one opens, and so on and so on. You've been hurt, and you have every reason to feel the way you do, but this doesn't have to mean the end for you, my son. You _will_ rise from this, as we all must do in these situations; no matter the darkness that seems to surround us or how lost we are, eventually we find illumination, our iridescence, that is just the nature of things."

"...And, you really believe that?" He asked.

"...I have to," was her reply. "...You can room with me for the time being, I know it seems a bit forward of me, but Ria would think twice about bothering you in there...that's up to you, whatever suits you."

"I don't care," he answered.

"Okay...It may be a small consolation, but, um, my daughter, Moka, is very sorry for what transpired and would like it, very much if you would talk with her first thing tomorrow morning."

There was more silence from him, with neither a nod nor inkling towards honoring the request.

She nods, and exits, telling Ezumi to make preparations to move his things before leaving. Very meekly, the nervous maid enters and eyes the young lord who remained unmoved. Ezumi knew what happened, saw everything Moka had done, but never imagined it would change him this much.

"So, lord Aono," she says with a nervous smile, "I'll carry some of your laundry and take you to Mistress Bloodriver's room, whenever you're ready. Would you like some extra shirts, my lord?"

"You were right," she heard him mutter, in a voice so small, so light, as though out of shame but willingness to have something said, regardless.

"I'm sorry, my lord?"

"You were right. You tried to tell me, but...you were right."

She knew what he meant, so confident and being helpful then at informing an ignorant boy at that time, but now she can just look on with teary eyes at what he's become and hear how wrong he was to have such hope in this bleak atmosphere.

"...I'll see to your arrangements, my lord," she responded, softly and leaving him to his darkness.

Elsewhere, Akasha finds a secluded spot in the castle and breaks down crying; the girl she brought into this world, whom she had high hopes for, loved unconditionally, and even sacrificed her life for, had done something so unthinkable that it brought everything crashing down around. For all her power, charm, and intelligence, this mother was uncertain of what would become of her daughter now, nor did she have any idea what of to do.

XXX

Saying goodbye was the hardest part for Moka Akashiya; for the last several days she spent at that half-way house, she's bonded with so many strange and wonderful people that they were almost family. Norman she'd miss the most, who gave her the Vulcan hand salute: "Live Long and Prosper", in which she managed to reciprocate in perfect detail, making the staunch trekkie rather proud. But of course, she'd miss the others just as much, especially the blind savant Jay, who had taught her so much about playing the piano, as well as overcoming adversity; she will never forget him, much less anyone or anything significant ever again. And, as she, Dr. Kohaku and the kids approached the bus that would take her to where she belonged, there was an eagerness to go that almost, _almost_ superseded the regret in having to bid farewell.

"I'm going to miss you, Lucy," Rin said as she tearfully hugged Moka.

"I'm going to miss you too, all of you," Moka replied, trying to fight back her emotions and appear strong for them. "I'll never forget you, I promise."

"Don't forget to call or email or something," said Suzaku, who likewise tried to hide his emotions.

"I promise; I'll tell you everything that happens as soon as I can."

"The bus is ready, Moka," Dr. Kohaku informed. "You better get going if you're to make it back home."

"Okay," she said with a deep breath, building up her courage and determination to see this through. "Wish me luck!"

"Kickass!" Rin said with an enthusiastic fist pump.

"And, we mean that literally," Suzaku coined.

"Right," she laughed and waved goodbye as Dr. Kohaku walks her to the bus, however unbeknownst to them their tender little departure wasn't all tender as black suited men situated about the terminal quietly observe from afar.

"Looks like our patience paid off," one of the men said to his compatriot. "With our men posted at every bus stop and train depot leading out of the city, it was only a matter of time before she made her move. Inform the Mistress that the target is moving."

"Yes, sir."

"So," Dr. Kohaku said. "This is it?"

"Yep, it is. Did you send Takane that goodbye gift I made."

"Yes, she should be getting it soon. I...I don't know what else to say; it feels like I've known so much about you and yet, you revealing yourself to be an...I mean, ahem, actual creature of darkness, well...I guess I was no help to you at all, huh?"

"..._No_," she said with great earnest. "No, you were a big help to me. These past couple of days you've really helped me to understand myself, understand you humans, and you, Rin, Suzaku, even Norman, and Jay, and Koga, you all taught me how to live the right way, and not as some paranoid, egotistical princess. I am indebted to you."

"Thanks."

"I wish I can help you with your...condition."

"You just worry about your battle ahead of you and only that. The people who are dear to you, especially the man who loves you, need you now more than ever. Tsukune Aono sounds like a good man who's been there for you a lot of times; I can tell you that you're lucky to have a man like, but for all that you told me about him and from what I can tell has happened, it looks to me he's going to need help, and only you can give it."

"I understand, Dr. Kohaku," she replies and then gives him a warm, goodbye hug. "Thank you for everything."

Just as she was about to leave, however calls out:

"She isn't the real you, you know?"

"What?"

"This...other you, Inner Moka, she isn't your true self."

"But, Doctor..."

"I remember what you said, what your mother told you, but I think, no I know that the you I'm talking to right now is as much as real and true as the other one. You're two sides of the same coin, one representing compassion, the other your pride. And, like a double edged sword, pride can serve us well at times, but if we don't keep a strong hold on it, it'll cut down everyone we care about, including ourselves. Don't let her control you, be strong; you are the real you. Remember that."

"I will," she says with a smile.

She steps on the bus, stops to wave at the three of them and then disappears onboard. Stood watching the bus door close its doors, get into gear and, before long the bus pulls away from the depot and rolls down the street towards home. Content, the three get ready to leave, the close of an interesting day behind them and the start of a new, and unfamiliar tomorrow ahead.

"You know something, doc," Suzaku said as they begin to leave.

"What is it?"

"When I grow up, I want to become a therapist, just like you."

"Really?" He asked, flattered. "Why, thanks, I'm sure you'll make a fine therapist."

"Yeah, so that maybe I can one day psychoanalyze a monster, too; maybe it'll be a werewolf this time!"

"Uh, I don't think therapy is always like that," Dr. Kohaku tries to explain.

"Hey, me too!" Rin jumps in. "I can find it what's eating him, not literally, and then maybe we'll fall in love!"

"Hey!"

"Gross. Or, or I can examine an alien and I can help him _assimilate into our human society_!"

"Kids, you're missing the point of psychotherapy."

"Now, you're starting to sound like Norman," Rin told Suzaku with a roll of her eyes.

"Ooh! What if he's really an alien!"

"Norman?" Dr. Kohaku asked.

"Yeah, I mean Lucy turned out to be a vampire; who's to say?"

"He's not an alien; that much I'm sure of."

"Let's go ask him," Rin suggested.

"No."

"Hell, yeah!" Suzaku agreed.

"No. I've started to have a breakthrough with him thinking he wasn't an extraterrestrial; kids!"

His words fell on deaf ears as the kids eagerly ran and started plotting on ways to get Norman to reveal himself as an alien, much to Dr. Kohaku's chagrin, but he was smiling all the same, for the three of them were happy, their lives in some way fixed by a vampire. Meanwhile, a delivery man knocks on an apartment door and waits patiently as a small woman answers it.

"Are you Takane Nikomura?" He asks.

"Yes."

"This came for you, ma'am," he tells her and hands over a white, decorated basket filled with an assortment of sweets and flower corsages, along with one envelope.

"Who's this from?"

"He didn't say; said you'd know. Have a nice evening, ma'am."

Curious, she opens the envelope and finds it filled with cash, enough to keep her business going; attached to it was a note:

_Dear Takane,_

_I know you've apologized for the way you used to bully me back in middle school, and I have forgiven you for that. You've apologized for the fight we had that ended our friendship, and I have also forgiven you for it, but I don't accept your apology for the way our friendship ended that day because it wasn't your fault; it was mine. I should have been a better friend to you when you needed one the most, and because I was so immature about it, I wound up hurting you the worst possible way, and hope that __**you**__ shall one day forgive me._

_You're Friend, always_

_M.A._

_P.S. _

_You make a better strawberry shortcake than me, here's enough money to make sure you keep making more, I may comeback someday. _

_Best of wishes._

Takane looks at the note with utter surprise, so much so that her mouth involuntarily dropped open like a cartoon character, and she barely noticed her son come up behind and marvel at the present.

_No, _she thought, as she quickly remembers the woman they've been spending time with and begins to wonder. _It couldn't be! Could it?_

"Whoa!" He said. "Who left all this, mother?"

Teary eyed, she hugs her son and only replies:

"...An old friend, son."

In the meantime, Moka Akashiya comfortably settles into her seat at the back of the bus and calmly watches rests her head against the tinted window, thinking.

**What a cornball reception, **Inner Moka derided from her jeweled prison.

_How do you mean? _Outer Moka asked. _They're my friends, OUR friends._

**Really? And that dribble that quack went on before we left; how absurd! We're better off, anyway!**

_I disagree, and I won't let you get to me, either. They're my friends and that's that!_

**Whatever! It's of no matter, all that matters is getting back and setting what's right again. You have no idea how hard it was to remind of it!**

_What are you talking about?_

**You haven't heard me calling out to you? But of course, our minds were scrambled by the shock and water, our connection was cut off, but I've been talking to you and trying to call to you for the last week! Couldn't bear the silence, not that I'm saying I was worried or anything!**

It hit her as she sat against the plush cushion of the seat, that those times she heard a voice calling out to her, she thought it was Tsukune when it was really her Inner persona talking. Strange how the voice of so called true self, would sound amazingly like his, beckoning like a song rather than a caustic berate. Did it mean something profound, perhaps validating what Dr. Kohaku said? She didn't know, nor did she know what to expect, but as Moka laid her head against the window, staring out at the passing street lights that seemed to wave them on by out of the city, this woman who had been through so much was prepared to go through even more flames, and try to fix him.


	20. Chapter 19

**Act II**

**Chapter 19**

_Numb_

Kokoa Shuzen felt as though she was stuck on dark and lonely road in the dead of night; though the obstinate red head has always been somewhat of a loner, shrugging off such feelings as sadness and depression with an arrogant pride that was instilled within her, tonight was different, this night was something terrible, something horrible. She wouldn't sleep nor have her little bat companion, Ko to accompany her, preferring to work the rounds of the castle alone like a demon who had encountered some new and horrific hell, and nothing could abate it but absolute solitude, in which to reflect.

By early morning, the sun had yet to rise on this cold, dark morning, and still it was as good a time as any for the defeated to depart this land; the less than mighty Tsukune Aono being one of the defeated. He never imagined, having gone into that throne room that he would come out of it worse off than ever, and it was proven that being a human equaled to being some sort of villain in the eyes of the incorruptible Moka. Everything else mattered little to him anymore, be it the darkness that pervaded outside, the breakfast that hadn't been prepared to feel his empty body or that Moka wanted a word with this human; Tsukune was up and ready to depart with Caro.

"Tsukune!" Akasha called from outside the private washroom. "The limo is prepped and ready; are the clothes I laid out for you to your liking?"

"They're fine, thank you," he gruffly replied, hardly glancing at the dress suit she had given him. It was hardly the outfit to wear around the Vegas Strip, but Tsukune figured she must've hoped he'd change his mind and stay on with them; fat chance that was going to happen.

Still, as he stood in the bathroom, making her wait, it seemed futile even being in there, as he had not gone into the washroom to clean up, for what amount of cleaning would cleanse him off right. He could've rinsed out his mouth with mouthwash, but Akasha had no mint flavored ones, only the blood red cinnamon flavor kind, and the same kind _she _favored and decided that a rancid breath was preferable. Instead he looked at himself in the mirror for over an hour, patiently waiting to hear for the word to disembark as he much desired to be alone. The face that stared back at him, he could not see, yet in place of this hollowed out shell were the repeating images of what he saw from Moka's warped mind, and how again and again it was always his fault in some way.

"Tsukune?" Akasha called again.

"I'm coming!"

Upon exiting he noticed Akasha standing outside with his luggage already prepared, while she makes an effort to fix his hair and licks her thumb so as to clean parts of his face, as though she was Tsukune's mom.

"I can't have you going to Vegas looking like that," she said, busily working over his appearance. "You still have your dignity, about you."

_Dignity, _he thought bitterly, almost wanting to laugh coldly at that remark. _What dignity, I thought I, the evil human, wasn't allowed to have any?_

"Fine!" He angrily replies, but lets her do what she has to do.

"There; all better."

_Dignity, _he thought bitterly again.

"...You sure I can't talk you into waiting to see my daughter? She really would like to talk to you, and I think she is most sorry for what happened. Please, don't let it end like this between you two."

Without saying a word, Tsukune walks around her to grab his things and prepares to head out.

"Tsukune Aono!" Akasha says rather forcefully, like a mother laying down the law. "You hold it right there!"

He stops in his tracks, ready to receive his berating from her.

"I know you're upset, but it's no reason to act the way you do; you can at least be a..."

"Man?" He asked her. "I have to be a man about it? Funny, everyone keeps telling me that."

"Well, then…"

"But…!" He dared interrupt, which for anyone to do would seem as a serious affront, but he continued on without any care to himself, "your daughter has proven I wasn't one, and you're never wrong about me, humans, anything, so I have no reason to start acting like something I'm not, now do I?"

"…Tsukune."

"Are you going to hit me? Kill me even for speaking ill about your perfect daughter; fine!"

He stood before, drops his luggage, and appears to wait patiently for her physical rebuke.

"No, I'm not going to do that!" She responds. "I wasn't even going to question your manhood; you're putting words in my mouth that isn't true!"

"But, I'm _not _a man; I'm an idiot, an all too human idiot. I know exactly what Moka is going to say and I know what you're thinking, what everyone is thinking, and there's nothing more she can say that'll change how things are."

"...So, your mind's made up, then?" She asked with a heavy sigh.

Tsukune pauses and thinks long and hard on that question, but only one answer seemed to suffice:

"What mind? Goodbye, Akasha."

"Goodbye?"

She wanted to say more to him, convince him to stay and that things would be better if they worked them out. But, who was she kidding; it was the same damn song of love and good intentions, and none of that would be enough to stem the tide of destruction. Akasha could force him to stay, for her daughter, but it didn't mean he'd listen. She could threaten him into submission and forgiveness like a proper vampire would do, but who would that help, only satisfy her daughter for however long before something else crops up to threaten her happiness. So, she could do nothing, but watch her future, former son-in-law walk away.

Outside, it was a crisp, dark, quiet atmosphere where only the sound was the cry of a lonely crow, a lone sentry left here by Ruby or some imaginary tormentor, laughing at the mockery Moka has made of this wretched house. High above a cold breeze wafted through the rooftops and lofty turrets, blowing through Kokoa's red mane causing it to billow like a flame, yet provided no warmth to her unprotected body nor her tortured soul. Down below, Tsukune likewise heard the crow's cackle and thought it was cruelly laughing at what a tool he was, being all he could think about and then some. The walk outside towards the front steps were far longer than ever, like some spell had made the walk way stretch unendingly, so he picked up his pace, not wanting to spend another second longer at this place and most eager to avoid Moka.

"Oh me, oh my," he heard a sinister voice that he, for what must've been a brief moment of peace for him after having forgotten her, heard from behind, "leaving me so soon?"

"I have nothing to say to you," he said, not even bothering to turn and look her in the eye. "If you want me to say goodbye…"

But, without warning or much less his consent, Ria whirls him around and gives him a long, open mouthed kiss. The action caught him off guard, the very feel of her pressed up against him was caustic to the soul, her tongue swirling about his and the feel of her sharp fangs as it gingerly pricked its surface.

"Get off me!" He cried, shoving her away roughly, which only served to excite her as she lapped up a bit of his blood, joyously.

"Something to keep me warm for your return, my dear lover, my dear...mate," she said with a toothy grin.

"I haven't decided anything yet!" He argued.

"Oh you will," she responded as she watched him storm off to his limo with unabashed confidence in his choice. "...You will."

"What took ya?" Caro asked, waiting patiently by the running limo. "The plane takes off within the hour, I was beginning to think Moka might have gotten a hold of you and um, well you know."

"I'm ready, let's go," he said brusquely.

"Are you sure you haven't forgotten anything? Believe me, honey, as much as I am glad you're leaving these...'refined' people behind, but I don't want to have to remake a return trip because you had a sudden change of heart."

He looks back at the castle, now strangely less ominous and just more sad, pathetic, and lonely. Up above, he caught movement on the rooftop in the dark blue light and saw a solitary figure, red hair billowing as though waving goodbye, staring down at him, but quickly disappears.

"No," he said to Caro, "let's go."

As the dark limo slowly pulled away into the darkness, taking Tsukune and Caro from this dreary place, Ria watches with quiet glee at these strange turn of events that have turned in her favor. Her rapture was cut short, though by an abrupt call on her cell; such insolence would've been responded to by an eventual death for whoever dared interrupt such moments, but the caller I.D. showed that any such punishment may not have merit.

"This had better be good!" She greets the caller with a caustic snap.

"It is, my mistress," the caller responds. "Our target is on the move."

"The target?" She asked, immediately knowing who the soldier was referring to and what it meant. "You see her, now?"

"Yes, she is boarding a bus as we speak. Mistress, she's heading for the Aono household."

"Really?"

For a brief, almost lightening moment, a sliver of panic crept into the dark, vampiress' normally reserved facade. All her life, she had been about precision and calculation to the tiniest detail; nothing, regardless of how small, would be allowed to get pass her that might have a slim chance of derailing everything. However, as things were already in motion to ensure her place as heiress and wife to Tsukune Aono, she knew there was a chance that if the Aono family somehow caught wind of everything that was really going on, her hopes and dreams would be for naught. Besides, she actually needed the Aono family as leverage should Tsukune choose to be difficult, and that would be even harder if _she_ stood in the way of that.

"How much does she know?" Ria asked.

"Well, apparently she had suffered amnesia, and that's why she hasn't..."

"I don't care about any of that, how much does she know?" She snapped.

"...Everything, my mistress. We are pursuing the bus, now and we'll have her apprehended in no time."

"No!" She quickly responds. "I'm not going to risk you fucking this up, it's far too important. Follow her and keep me appraised; I'll call in some specialists to keep her contained until I arrive, is that understood?"

"Yes, mistress."

Ria hangs up with her once elated mood now sour, but more because that someone like her, who should've died, would damper such fine spirits all of a sudden. Briskly walking back to the front door, she wastes no time in making a few calls, one of which was someone she knew she could trust in keeping track of someone else just as important.

"Miyabe."

"Ria Sekitan," the suave, deviant answered, "if I live and breathe."

"If you're not careful with how you talk to me, you may find both difficult to accomplish."

"And, judging from your tone, I'd say you're in one of those moods, which tells me that there's a snafu in one of your many, intricate little plans of yours. What was it that Akua was so fond of saying to you, something along the lines of applying chess to the complexities of life or something?"

"I don't know, why don't I send you to go find out? I didn't call you to hear your quips, I'm asking you to perform an errand for me."

"Who am I to refuse you, though I do like how Kahlua treats me, like how a dog treats a piece of meat rather than some chew toy; I'm just that kind of guy."

"No, you perverted twit! I need you to keep an eye on Tsukune Aono, he's on his way to Vegas and I just want to keep tabs on what he's doing; use one of your flunkies."

"For him? You can't be kidding?"

"Am I the sort who kids, my dear plaything?"

"If you're so interested in him, then why don't you...?"

"Because, my attention is needed elsewhere. Now, do as I say or the next time you spend time with my sister, you'll wish you could feel even a love bite from her, are we clear?"

"Crystal," he sighs, reluctantly.

In the meantime, Tsukune sulks quietly in the limo, enjoying the ride for what it was as he stares out the window looking at nothing. 

"You know, to be honest her behavior doesn't surprise me," Caro began to say, thinking this will break the ice, but he doesn't respond so she adds: "Your wife I mean. I knew right off the bat that Moka wouldn't be a good wife for you, that she was a certain _kind_ of woman who leeches off of her husband and your marriage was doomed from the start, and I'm not just saying that as my darling Mumu's ever protective aunt, either. Did you know that there were certain memories I purposely left on the cutting room floor because they were either redundant or…would've cast me in a rather _unfavorable_ light."

He didn't say anything nor turned to face her, but she saw how his head sort of perked at the moment, letting her know she had sparked his interest. For Tsukune, like Issa he too had seen all that he wanted to see about his "beloved wife" and her actions and her reasons for doing them, but for some serious dread in his stomach, he knew learning more shit would be as inevitable as the hell awaiting him further on.

"You probably aren't aware of this," Caro continued, "and knowing her I'm not surprised, but something happened at your sham of a wedding reception years ago that you're most probably unaware of."

She went on to tell him about the incident that occurred at their blissful, human wedding act four years ago, picking up just shortly after Caro had tried to seduce Tsukune and failed, but made up her mind to try someone else.

**Four years ago…**

Caro had been standing near the women's restroom, drinking punch, gazing about the reception and patiently searching for someone in particular; fortunately, she didn't have long to wait when she began to sense Moka's approach, walking hurriedly towards her all flustered for some reason.

"What a lucky girl you are to have such a handsome and polite husband," she said to her. "Excuse me, I am Caro Shade, Kurumu's aunt, and you are Moka Aono, yes?"

Moka was wary at first, having just met the woman, still she couldn't help, but feel a little silly about being suspicious after such a warm greeting. Her inner self on the other hand was never wrong about these things though and she _was_ one of Kurumu's relatives. She was sure Kurumu had no ill will towards her, but how would her family see things?

"Thank you, that's very kind," she replied and reached out to shake her hand.

Shade accepted it and then boldly placed her other hand around Moka's hip.

"What are you doing?" She asked, nervously.

"May we have a one on one chat, you know, girl to girl?" Caro asked suggestively.

Moka could feel the surprised faces turning in her direction as they saw the two of them together.

"Ah, this… this isn't considered normal for a human wedding reception."

"What, I'm sure no one will be upset," Caro teased, turning her eyes to a few men who were already leering at the display of two very lovely and very outstandingly developed women standing together so closely. "A few of them may even take some pictures."

But, Moka was feeling more than a little awkward. "What are you doing? People are staring!"

Shade wanted to laugh, she loved attention. The chance to do something a little challenging to the norm was always appealing. "I want to give your husband and you a gift, a very special gift that will last a life time and hold endless potential and pleasure for both of."

"W-What do you want?" Moka asked nervously.

"Nothing much, I only wanted to teach your husband the techniques of the arch succubus and how to feel comfortable being with a real woman. We've just had a little chat ourselves, and he loves you so much, but he acts so…what's the word, oh yes, timid around me; I think that's just because he's so nervous around a woman. See, I think he's afraid he's going to hurt you. The poor thing, but I think it would help his mind, his heart, and his manly pleasure to not only learn the things I, one of the highest ranking mistresses of the succubi seduction arts, can teach him about how to please a woman, and how to please you too of course."

She gave Moka a little wink before adding: "I could teach him how to feel comfortable making love to another woman in front of you."

She started to remind her of Yukari, but felt more uncomfortable to be around.

"Thanks, but…"

Shade saw Moka start to nibble on her lip nervously, so she decided to explore another avenue while the girl was distracted.

"And what about you, Moka? Have you ever made love to a woman?"

Moka turned beet red and looked away.

Shade's eyes brightened and she licked her lips, devilishly.

"How utterly delightful it would be," she purred in Moka's ear. "You must let me help you with that as well. I will help you build up your own self confidence in ways you can't imagine. I can teach you how to read your lover, be it your husband or your friends…"

She suddenly slid her arm up Moka's back and pulled her close, gentling mashing her breasts against Moka's, rolling in an all too familiar gyration she saw Kurumu did to Tsukune with a much more expert tilt. Moka gasped, but then felt the tickled slide of Shade's fingers crawl from Moka's hip to her side. The succubus's breath exhaled hotly against her neck.

But then, Moka's eyes refocused from the unexpected electricity that her womanly parts were experiencing, the unexpected softness of this alluring woman's body pressed against her own, almost debilitating her with those very simple, but exciting touches. She saw someone who wanted to dominate her, to teach her, mold and become a part of her.

"Your Tsukune already has three other lovers who want him badly, even now, Moka…and you only have him," she said quietly, but not in accusation. "It must be so frustrating, isn't it? But, with my instruction, I could teach not only you, but all your friends that you touch, that you enjoy with such pleasurable and erotic moments, give you all something to enjoy and teach to your precious people. His lovers will become yours in a mastered joy that will last a lifetime."

Moka looked ready to refuse, but Shade pressed on giving her no such chance.

"Please don't deny yourself this opportunity. You deserve this."

She traced a finger along the curve of Moka's neck, letting the feel of a mistress of pleasure, of lust, of a woman's gentle, soft touch caress her so mildly, so intimately. She couldn't deny that it felt remarkably different then how Tsukune touch with his rough, strong, yet respectful fingers.

Shade released her hold on Moka but left her other hand there on the nape of her neck, drawing small circles with her perfectly manicured nails.

Moka slid away from her however, her eyes wide and nervous.

"I am perfectly fine as I am," Moka replied softly, backing away further from Shade's touch. She felt overwhelmed by someone who could turn her on so easily, so knowingly. She couldn't help but feel like a she was facing her own father in terms of power, and it frightened her.

"And his lovers are not his lovers, they are our friends. Whatever my husband and I are to learn, we will learn together and I think that may be best."

Shade gave her a knowing smirk, and then looked over her pretty face as if committing the small details of her eyes, nose, lips, and even her chin all to memory.

"Give me five minutes with you," She asked, stepping forward and leaning her forehead against Moka's, forcing the young woman to look in her hypnotic eyes.

"Why do you want this so much?" Moka asked almost fearfully, a little nervous around such an aggressive woman.

Shade took Moka's hand into her own, lacing their fingers together.

"I'm only doing this for Mumu. If you and Tsukune are 'friends' with my niece, then I think it would be best for you and Tsukune to teach her what I'm about to teach you both. I can't teach her directly, it would be too embarrassing for her."

"…Seriously, we are all just friends," Moka reiterated, but Shade stuck her tongue out playfully, earning a slight giggle from Moka.

_Would it be so bad_? Moka wondered.

**Careful! **Inner Moka's voice rang through her head. **Things are never as simple as they seem!**

"Excuse me," Moka said, finally breaking away and disappearing into the ladies room, eager to distance herself from Caro.

The meeting with this Caro Shade left Moka feeling flustered and embarrassed with herself. Never has anyone awakened such dirty thoughts within her the way this woman had done; she reasoned it must've been some succubus trick of hers and she wanted nothing more than to forget it ever happened for the sake of her pride. She was just finishing up doing her hair when she heard and getting herself clean of Caro's paws from all over her when…

CLICK.

She turned around to find Shade leaning against the door, her fingers still on the lock, a strange hungry, yet determined look fixated about her heart shaped face. With a startled gasp, Moka started to yell, but Shade appeared in front of her like some demonic spirit, her eyes glowing hypnotically. Moka couldn't yell or fight, and any need to move was rendered futile. The only thing she could do was to stand there, feel everything, and breathe heavily.

Shade crept slowly to Moka's immobilized form and leaned in close, her breath reeking of wine as it wafted most aggressively over her skin.

"W-What are you trying to…?" Moka managed to utter underneath her breath

"I am going to learn all I can from you," Caro replied, "starting now."

Shade had just locked the door to the ladies room and hypnotized Moka, leaving her only the ability to breathe, feel, and be aware, her stiletto heels clicking on the tile and echoed in the room like some herald of doom.

"I want you to know," Shade began, her hands resting on her hips as she approached the pink haired bride, "If I wanted, I could have you do anything I want to you willingly with this level of charm. I am not at Kurumu's rank, but much, _much_ higher. I am only doing this because I want to know you and…I wanted you to listen."

Moka tried to avert her eyes away, but Caro's gaze was too powerful and it left her helplessly worried and scared.

"But you will accept much more than my words," Caro said, resting her hip on the counter of the marble countertop, tapping it's hard, smooth surface with her six inch nails. "Sit on this, dear."

Against her own will, Moka's body complied with a simple hop. Her knees bent, legs crossed at the ankle, and sat primly even while hypnotized. Nonetheless, she allowed herself to remain still while Caro slid ever so closer to her, pressing her breasts against her arm as she whispered a husky command to: "Pull back your skirt, sweetheart. I want to see what you're going to give your handsome husband tonight."

A whimpered breath came out in complaint, but her hands did as she was instructed. She reached low to the hem of her skirt and lifted it high past her bottom, shimming to get it bunched up as far back as she could where starring back at the succubus were a pair of pure white, lacy panties attached to an equally white garter belt with a waist piece.

"How pretty," she purred in Moka's ear, dragging her tongue along the lobe. "You look good enough to eat."

Moka whimpered through her nose, a small and scared delicate sound. She wanted to scream for Tsukune to come rescue her, but this tiny sound was all she could manage. Undaunted, and seemingly enticed, Caro traced her claw like fingernails up Moka's stockings, stopping just short above her knee. With her other hand, she moved the long beautiful pink hair away from her neck and placed a big, succulent wet kiss.

It was just a kiss, but Moka reacted with a trembled whine.

"Oh my, that little kiss did tickle you, didn't it?" Caro chuckled deeply into the crook of her neck. "You are delightfully sensitive, hmm?"

Moka's lips trembled, but could do nothing more than huff.

"How about here?" Caro teased, kissing her right behind her ear. "And here?" She traced her tongue along the shell of Moka's ear, nipping at it gently while her fingers pulled lightly on the left knee.

"Open your legs, my pet. I want to know how you will have yourself seen by your gentle husband."

Moka was panting and blinking fast, detesting how easily her own body was being overpowered, her legs indecently opening while she leaned back and arched her chest upwards. Her blouse was stretched taunt over her sizeable breasts to near bursting at the buttons.

"Now that is a positively beautiful sight for darling Tsukune, isn't it?"

Caro licked her lips and walked away from the counter to take her place between Moka's outstretched legs.

"Lucky Tsukune," she moaned placing one hand on each knee forcing her legs even wider apart.

Leaning forward to slide her breasts against Moka's, the young bride gave a small whine of complaint.

"From the next thirty seconds," Caro said, "I want you to treat me as if I was Tsukune and this was your wedding night."

Moka leaned forward and shyly touched Caro's face with an endearing affection. Her hands smoothed her dress down a little, but the gentle smile on her lips just asked for patience till she felt comfortable within herself. She wrapped her arms around Caro and kissed her lightly, enjoying a slow and tender kiss that made her blush.

Caro ran her fingers up Moka's spine, making the girl tremble, returning the bride's kiss with a little more passion, more sliding of her tongue against Moka's. For the whole thirty seconds, it was little more than polite kissing and gentle explorations.

Looking at her watch, Caro pulled herself away from Moka and voiced darkly: "Now, I just want you to stay like this, and don't fight me, however I want you to think of that time when Ria had your boy and what he had to be feeling that night."

Moka's expression was that of utter horror; if she could have covered her mouth she would have.

Caro proceeds to lower her own dress at the shoulders, exposing her perfectly round breasts with their flawlessly glowing skin and light pink, but thick nipples. Then the succubus has her face hover between Moka's legs and pulled her pretty panties aside, exposing a trimmed pink mound of flesh.

In a sultry whisper, she said: "I hope you remember everything you feel."

The plum haired beauty, the ever protective aunt of one of her friends, whom in the back of Moka's consciousness had always felt like a rival, then opened her lips and licked. Moka was now in tears, her body trembled, as lewd wet licks, heated, breathy moans, and purring could be heard from the small space between the sealed vampire's legs. Caro's whole body moved with her head, her hair rippled about as she gave every moment of concentration to Moka. The young bride's body flushed, her eyes were even rolling in their sockets and her legs were trembling to the growing feel of her climax.

Shade lifted her wet stained mouth from Moka's pussy and continued the sexual assault by eagerly rubbing her nipples against her clit.

"You hate this, don't you?" Caro asked. "But your body _is_ responding to it, isn't it? Do you think it was the same for Tsukune when he was with your sister?"

Her pants were coming quickly, the muscles in her legs were trembling under the strain and her body was rising in temperature.

"Kurumu told me what happened," she said to her as she rolled her breasts against Moka's vagina with growing pressure. "She told me Tsukune confided with her about the night you made him go with your sister to 'protect' his family and him. That was very brave of you and I sincerely applaud your sacrifice, but do you really know how much that night hurt him?"

The ever growing liquid staining Shade's breasts and the wracked trembling of her legs announced her climax. She then rolled her gentle fingers inside of Moka, cooing softly at her still worried face.

"I made you do this, react like this, but you hated every moment of it, hmm? But for Tsukune, well do you think it was much different than what you felt now? Over and over again, he was subjected to this many times and against his will, he was not left unscarred by it. He has lost his confidence and I can see in you…"

She removed herself from Moka's legs and fixed her panties and her skirt for her before continuing: "…that there very well may be evidence that this union is doomed. I'm sure there are times when he is with you that you are unsure if you will ever be able to keep up to the standard he was exposed to with a woman who has more than two centuries more experience. I know my mumu has told me she's moved on, that she'll sacrifice her Destined One for your happiness, but I don't really believe neither of you will find it."

Caro picked up a towel and wiped her breasts clean of Moka's feminine fluids and then worked to clean up the young bride. Moka's look of horror was still growing by the second. Tears were falling from her eyes, travelling down the cheeks and off her chin. Soon, however Caro snaps her fingers, and releases the charm.

Moka gasped and fell off the counter onto the floor. She looked at Shade with incredulity, her free hand gripping the rosary at her chest with trembling fingers. Her instinct was to unleash her full power and tear this foul woman to pieces. The only thing that stopped her with great indignation was the fact she was at her own wedding reception surrounded by human guests.

"Good night, Moka Aono," Caro simply says, her face showing sympathy, but without a hint of remorse in her voice. "I hated having to do that, believe me I really did, but I just had to show you the truth."

"The truth?" Moka hissed. "And, what do you know about what I had to go through with Tsukune, anyway? You don't know the whole truth, about how much_ I_ hurt every day, living with that decision! How dare you do this to me!"

"And, what will you do?" Caro challenged. "Will you go crying to your hubby, tell him what I did? No, no you won't do that, you're much too proud."

"…Get out of my sight," Moka threatened, "and if I see you again…"

Chuckling, much to herself, Caro walks back to the door, unlocking it with a click and opening it for Moka, who dashed out without saying anything to her.

Upon hearing such a disturbing story, and the fact that Moka kept this from him, Tsukune normally would've reacted aggressively at the thought of Moka being sexually assaulted in the bathroom of their own wedding; his wife. He gave no eye contact nor uttered a word, but he sit up straight with a look of abject disgust, perhaps wondering if this had anything to do with her behavior. But now, he didn't know how to act, much less respond to what he heard.

"How could I have done this, you must be asking," Caro continued, as if reading his mind. "Why didn't she confide in you what happened, you're thinking. Was what I had done in some way responsible for her recent actions, that I somehow turned her into a slut? Far from it; you think she's so heavenly and yet strong as an ox, but you didn't really know her at all. I'm afraid that petunia was damaged long before I did anything to it. The point I'm making is...well, look at you? _You_ resisted the very same hypnotic spell I put on her, and I'm a high level succubus; stronger men have fallen haplessly under my spell, but you, you didn't, that says a lot about you, about strong your will is, even in the face of my…ahem, girls. So, if that's the case, if you were able to resist me, then why couldn't Moka?"

She looked at him again, but again he said or did nothing in response, letting instead all of this sink in with very little cohesion.

"Why didn't this so-called superior being who was so terrified even having your weak, human heritage 'taint' your offspring, this 'strong woman' resist my charm and kicked my ass all over the restroom that day? Your love for her caused you to reject me, even to the point of death, and yet her love for you… didn't save her from me; why is that? No glorified explanation, no defiant stance on me not understanding her the way you do and how wrong I was for doing what I did? Maybe what I did was wrong, I'll go as far as admit that, but you have to admit Tsukune, that Moka is weak willed, I see it every day of my life in men _and _women; they find someone of a stronger caliber and leech off of them all they can. I know this, because that's usually the kind of people my kind preys upon, the ones that are too sycophant and easily corrupted, who's psyches are too disjointed and out of balanced, it was what she confirmed in me that day about your marriage, and as smart as you are, you should have known that about her."

Tsukune wasn't sure of what to think anymore, of what was right or wrong; he thought he did, but now it was fucked up. Even if what Caro said about Moka was true, once upon a time it would have been okay, for he was willing, had been willing to shoulder the emotional strength for the both of them, even if she were too proud to ever ask for his help. It was a man's job or so he thought; but, Moka showed that it wasn't, because her needs were elsewhere, with another man whose emotional weight was about as fragile as her own.

So, what was the point?

"Why are you telling me this?" He asked, the very sound of his voice almost alien to him.

"So," Caro began to say, "that finally got you to speak, eh? Good, I was beginning to worry."

He looks over at her with an incredulous look, wondering if it had all been a ruse.

"Oh, it did happen like I said it did," she answered for him, "every bit of it."

"Then why…?"

"Because, I want you to forget about it and just get over her! These things happen, it's the circle of life; you marry a leech, get hurt and drained, from the looks of it, and then you move on and start anew with someone else."

"Just get over it?" He asks, almost angrily. "You tell me you raped my wife four years ago at our wedding…"

"I didn't rape her; I may have fondled her a bit, but it wasn't rape, let's get your terminology at least right before you start accusing me."

"Whatever! You tell me this now, after everything that's happen just so you can show me that she has a weak-will power and that I should just forget about her? Like that?"

"…Yes, pretty much."

He just looks at her, his mouth open, but without any words to come forth. She, on the other hand playfully grabs him and, against his will, shoves his face into her exposed cleavage.

"Ah? How's that, baby? This always makes lonely guys happy."

Unfortunately, Tsukune wasn't very receptive as she'd hoped as he roughly shoves himself back away from her as if her skin felt like acid to him.

"...Okay, I see," she said, annoyed by his distant mood, but undaunted. "You know, I'm sure this newly acquired, anti-social behavior of yours will catch on beautifully with my Mumu. You don't know how happy she'll be to see you."

"And, what about Kurumu?" He asks. "How is Kurumu? Is she doing okay?"

"...You can say that," she said after a long pause, which managed to catch his interest. "We like to think she's readjusted herself pretty well, all things considering."

"What's that supposed to mean? She hasn't found someone else or what?"

Caro locks eyes with him, long and hard, as if she was studying his mind for any deception on his part.

"You really don't know, do you?" She asked him.

"Know what? We haven't spoken in years; what's happened Kurumu?"

"You mean, Ruby didn't tell you what happened, to make herself seem like the uppity bitch I know she is? But, of course, she'd omit certain details, still I never thought she'd completely forget about it!"

"Tell me what? Was she supposed to know where Kurumu went? What happened? Is she okay?"

It was nice to hear that eager, earnest side of Tsukune again, having felt like years before the man her niece fell in love with had made an appearance, and it helped encourage the succubus even more that bringing him to her was the best thing to happen right now. She felt it was time he knew the truth, and what a fool he'd been in not picking Kurumu.

"Caro?"

"...Tsukune, a lot has happened over these last couple of years that apparently you weren't very privy of; I blame that ever-loving wife of yours, she's damaged much more than your heart."

"What is that supposed to mean? What does this have to do with Kurumu?"

"This; what she did now? Oh, nothing; this actually goes back to that incident in Hawaii, I'm sure you remember?"

"...Yes," he said with deep regret, recalling the violent fight Moka and Kurumu had that came dangerously close to revealing monsters to the world at large. "They didn't blame Kurumu for that?"

"Who else? Your darling Moka was the daughter of a Hell King and the Lord of Vampires, not to mention the current heiress; naturally she was immune. Yeah, folks will tell you life's not fair, but it's easier said than accepting it. Besides, there was a YouTube vid showing Mumu in her true monster form flying away, and so..."

**A week after the wedding...**

It was the beginning of school, and all the kids, old and young, freshman or senior milled about to their classes; business as usual, just another day. And, yet as Ruby greeted each and every student pleasantly with her sunny smile like she always done or reprimanding some wayward girl from flashing her panties from underneath those unbearably short skirts that she detested, like she always did, the witch knew things were far from normal. Never had that been more apparent as when she saw the car come barreling down the past, blowing past students, causing girls' miniskirts to twirl high in its wake and creating nose bleeds, the squeal of its tires cutting through the tranquility of the morning like a knife. It came tearing around the bend at what she guessed was a hundred miles an hour if not more, this sleek red sports car with smoke rising from its tires as it very nearly went off the road. It was the only vehicle present and there was absolutely nothing to be gained by such reckless haste, but Ruby knew, and as painful as the expectant confrontation will be, she tried her best to maintain an air of decorum.

Behind her a number of students stopped to gawk at the car as it raced right up the road straight towards them and almost directly at Ruby. They could hear its engine roaring and see it coming without slowing down at all.

Ruby held her wand in her hand and stood her ground, trying to create the sense of control for the kids, but just as the car was getting dangerously close it slid sideways and screeching to a halt about five feet in front of her. One of the Public Safety Commission appeared behind her, ready to offer her support in confronting with these unwelcomed guests, but Ruby beckoned him to stand down.

"I've got this," she said.

"Wrong," Yukari said, floating down beside her, face as grim and determined as her friend, "we'll handle this."

"Yukari, you shouldn't be here, besides you've got school."

"No way!" The younger witch protested. "I have just as much in stake as you; besides, she's my friend, too."

The driver side door popped open and a leggy woman with a black mini skirt, tiny red top, and shades stepped out, letting the two girls know that it was pointless to argue, now.

"Fine," Ruby relented, "but, just let me do all of the talking, and no aggression."

"Hope we're no interrupting nothing," Caro Shade said with an amused grin. "Oh, and excuse me for scaring you there with my driving, I've got a whole lot of horses under the hood and I like to let them get out runnin' some times."

Noticing the male students staring at her Shade stretched a bit, deliberately giving them a better view of her cleavage.

"Caro Shade," Ruby muttered, having met her earlier at Tsukune's wedding. "No need to worry, I've dealt with much more frightening things. I had expected to meet with Ageha."

The passenger side door opened and out came another beautiful woman, with greenish blue hair and a tight fitting sapphire outfit with a fur draped over her shoulders.

"Uhh, hi Ms. Kurono," Yukari nervously greeted and bowing humbly before her; however, unlike her sister Ageha wasn't very receptive.

"Where is my daughter?" She angrily asked. "I demand to see her right now!"

Ruby nodded, she couldn't blame Ageha for her hostile tone.

"Our master has already agreed to let you see her, but you must understand that she is to stand trial for her crime. If you make any effort to try and free her you will also be arrested."

"Please, forgive us!"

"Yukari!" Ruby whispered, heatedly.

"This...this wasn't supposed to happen! I was supposed to make sure she didn't do anything stupid, it's my fault Kurumu's in this mess!"

Ageha opened her mouth to reply but it was Shade who answered in a silky smooth voice: "That's real nice of you to say, now can we please see our baby girl?"

"Yes," Ruby said. "Follow me and I will take you to her."

Half a mile from the main campus was an isolated brick building that, while at first unassuming, was actually the Safety Commission's headquarters and detention center. Once inside, this small building gave way to an immense, lower level underground dungeon where the more serious activities took place and where prisoners facing serious charges were held and 'questioned.' Down and down the two witches led their visitors through a twisting stone staircase, passing sets of heavy iron doors with guards posted on each. When they passed through two doors they shut and bolted behind them, where they were soon greeted by five female guards.

"Is all of this really necessary?" Ageha asked.

"Just following orders," Ruby replied.

At last they came to the bottom level, a single dank hallway with half a dozen barred cells on each side with carved stone walls, floor, and ceiling in each individual cell covered in runes meant to prevent any sort of teleportation, transformation, or magic.

Just seeing the miserable conditions made Ageha hiss:

"I thought you were her friends? How can you put my little girl in a place like this?"

"Ms. Kurono," Yukari tried to say, but Ruby beckoned her to stop.

"We are her friends," Ruby said. "I am not the one to blame for this."

"But you're not trying to help her!" Ageha snapped.

The guards and Yukari tensed, and Ruby wondered if she would be forced to fight.

"Leave us," she told the guards, not wanting things to escalate should it come to that.

"But, mistress Ruby," one of them protested.

"I will be responsible for anything that happens, just let our Master know that Kurumu's family is here, with us!"

Ruby eyed Ageha, letting her know that if anything were to happen to them, they would endanger their entire family further. Ageha seemed outraged, but Shade put a calming hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Easy girl, we're just here to pay a visit remember?" She whispered in her ear. "Besides, no need to get all hostile...yet."

Ageha gave a reluctant nod.

"Which cell is she in?"

"All the way at the end, last one on the left. You may talk to her but nothing more. Please do not touch the cell or try to pass her anything, as you can see there are spells designed to ward off any trespassers."

The group walked down the short hallway and came to it.

There sitting on the dirty stone floor in a torn and filthy maid's uniform was Kurono Kurumu. Once proud, happy, and above all bubbly, she was now a shell of her former self. About both her wrists and ankles were manacles with heavy chain and she just sat there despondently with her knees tucked into her chest and face sunk down. Seeing her like this always tore at Yukari, but for Ruby's sake and as one of the student police, she tried to put on a stoic face.

"...Kurumu," she said to her. "Hey, boobzilla you got some people here to see you!"

She could feel Ageha and Caro stare at her after that poorly timed attempt to bolster her old friend's spirits, hiding underneath her hat and hear Ruby groan, while trying to playfully laugh it off.

"...That was just my nickname for her," she chuckled, nervously. "She's really cool about it, though. To be fair, she used to call me flat chest!"

As well-meaning as it was, Kurumu did not speak nor acknowledged her visitors in any way.

"Kurumu!" Ageha called, instinctively reaching out to the barred cell door, but the instant she touched it there was a crackle of energy and the woman gave a cry of pain as she yanked her hand back.

"I told you about the spells," Ruby explained. "Any attempt to force open this door will likely burn you to ashes."

"You didn't say all of that!" Shade said dropping her playful demeanor and looking severe for the first time.

"I told you not to touch the cell door or pass her anything, you should've heeded my warning."

"Heed?"

Ignoring the slight burn on her hand Ageha directed a murderous gaze towards Ruby.

"I want my little girl set free right now!"

"Ms. Kurono, please...," Yukari tried to reason, but the irate mother merely shoves her out of the way as her form began to change: leathery wings spread from her back, claws extended from the fingers, and a tail whipped back and forth angrily.

Ruby stood her ground and clutched her wand in both hands, Yukari was about to stand up to and get ready for the fight, but Caro stood overhead, shaking her head no.

"I cannot release her Ageha," Ruby said trying to sound reasonable. "She has broken the law and must stand trial. The only one who could free her now would be my master."

"You think I'll let you burn my baby at the stake?" Ageha howled.

"Momma stop," a weary voice pleaded from within the cell. "None of this is their fault. Please don't get in trouble for my sake."

Hearing her daughter's plea calmed Ageha, resealing her form and turned back to the cell.

"Kurumu? Baby, it's all right, momma is here and she's going to get you out of this."

Kurumu looked up at her with such misery it made her mother's heart want to break.

"its okay mama," she said, quietly, "it doesn't matter anymore."

"Doesn't matter?" Ageha almost howled. "Honey do you know what the punishment is for breaking this law? It's to be burned alive!"

"I know," Kurumu said morosely. "Tsukune was almost killed the same way. It just doesn't matter anymore. If I've lost Tsukune I don't care if I live or die."

Ageha and Shade looked at one another as though they both understood. The emotional attachment a succubus made with her Destined One was completely unique. She could never love anyone else in the same way. When that connection was severed most succubi lose all will to live. Shade had yet to find her Destined One. When Ageha had lost Kurumu's father she had strongly considered suicide, but had eventually decided to live for the sake of her child.

"Don't be so damn dramatic Mumu," Shade said trying to rile her up out of her depression. "Tsukune's not dead remember? Your hunky little vampire is still out there waiting for you."

When Kurumu did not respond even to complain about being called 'Mumu' Shade knew it was serious.

"Kurumu, please don't talk that way," her mother begged. "I know what it's like to lose a Destined One but you haven't lost yours!"

"But I have!" Kurumu cried, tears falling from her eyes. "He doesn't want me! I tried so hard but he doesn't want me! Not even as a lover! All I did was cause him trouble! He'd probably be happiest if I just disappeared from his life forever."

Sitting in a cell facing execution it was not the thought of death that brought Kurumu to tears. It was the knowledge that her Destined One did not love her, did not even desire her physically. To Ruby and the guards she sounded hysterical. To Ageha and Shade her priorities actually made sense.

"Hey, Kurumu, it isn't like Tsukune doesn't still care about you," Yukari tried to explain. "You'll always have him as a friend."

"You're just saying that, because it's Moka you were in loved with," she retorted.

"I loved both of them, get that through your thick skull! And, I love you, too. Yes, as much as it pains me to admit, I kinda like you as well."

"Well, I'm not sure if my Mumu swings that way," Caro said. "But, if you're interested..."

"Kurumu, look I know you feel your world has ended," Ageha told her. "But...what if we'll bring Tsukune here and he can tell you that himself."

"Yeah!" Yukari cheered. "Then you'll see he still cares for you."

"No!" Kurumu wailed, her chains clinked and jangled as she shot to her feet. "Don't you dare bring him here! I ruined his honeymoon and have caused him nothing but trouble! I don't want him to see me like this. If he finds out about this he'll blame himself, I know he will! Mikogami has promised not to contact him unless I ask him to. Please, please, please don't involve him in any of this. I've hurt him enough; I can't cause him any more pain."

"Sweetheart," Shade said. "Don't you think your dying is going to cause him pain?"

"Not if he doesn't know about it. Just tell him I'm living somewhere and don't want to see him. I'm sure he'll forget about me and be happy with Moka. That's the very least I can do for him."

"We won't tell him," Ageha promised. "But stop talking like you're going to die. There is no way we'll let that happen."

"You can't save me momma," she sat back down and curled up against the wall. "I'm guilty."

"Baby you've never been to Vegas," Shade said trying to cheer her. "Not only do the guilty prosper they own most of the place."

"Kurumu we will not let you die like this, you are going to live and so long as both of you are alive there is always the chance to be together. No matter how bad things seem right now they can change." Ageha said.

Kurumu made no reply. She just sat there on the cold floor with her head down. Her mother and aunt tried to cheer her and get her to talk to them without any success and after a lengthy, heartbreaking silence, the two sisters looked at one another and realized they had no other choice.

"Your time is up," Ruby said, placing a hand on Ageha's shoulder. "I'm sorry, but it's time for you to..."

Suddenly, nails flashed into talons and she violently slashed Ruby's abdomen, flinging her into the far wall.

"Ms. Kurono!" Yukari yelled. "What the hell are you...?"

Her tiny voice was cut short as Caro grabbed her by the throat and began to squeeze. Yukari tried to use her wand, but she felt something thick and leathery wrapped tightly about her wrist, nearly cutting off circulation, while Caro's clawed fingers clasped about the other.

"Nah, uh, ah," she whispered in the young witch's ear, a forked tongue lapping gently against her lobe as the spoke. "I wouldn't be trying any magic tricks if I were you. I told you I was into that kind of stuff."

Caro's tail squeezed so hard around Yukari's wrist that it painfully pried her wand loose.

"Aaaahhh!" She cried.

"...Nnggh, Ageha," Ruby grimaced.

"Momma, what are you doing?" Kurumu yelled as she watched her mother held her talon like finger nails, dripping with Ruby's blood, just inches away from Yukari's chin.

"We don't care what happens to us," she threatened, "but, you're going to let my daughter go or your friend here will never see the light of day, again."

"Momma," Kurumu pleaded. "Momma, please don't do this!"

"I'm not going to let them kill you, baby!" Ageha yelled, elongating her nails dangerously closer to Yukari's neck. "Now, open that cell and let my little girl out, now!"

"...This...this isn't a fight you want," Ruby warned as she struggles to her feet. Blood began to pour profusely from the wounds, the very sound of it spilling onto the floor sickening to the faintest of heart, and yet Ruby has endured worse and survived it; what Ageha had done was only flesh wound. More importantly, Yukari was in trouble and she wasn't about to let her suffer because she was only doing her job.

"Stand down!" Ageha warned. "You don't think I'll fillet this little bitch?"

"I don't think you will," she responded, grasping her scepter and summoning forth black crow's wings from behind her back. "You wouldn't kill one of your daughter's friends."

"Well, this day has been full of surprises," Ageha replied and nicks a sliver of Yukari's skin loose, causing a stream of blood to spew forth.

"You...," Ruby threatened.

"Yukari!" Kurumu yelled. "Mama, stop! You don't have to do this, I've resigned my fate, please stop this!"

"You don't know a damn thing about me or my sister, we'll rip her to ribbons before my daughter's eyes if it meant her survival. Now, you have to make a decision before she loses blood and passes out, or worse."

"I'd think fast if I were you, hon," said Caro. "This lightweight may not be as sturdy as you."

"Okay! Okay, damn you. Okay, I'll...I'll let her go. Just take it easy."

Ruby slowly moved towards the cell, giving all intention to opening it while eyeing her opponents, but unbeknownst to the two succubi, she shared a mental message to Yukari to have her ready to move.

"Well?" Ageha demanded.

"I'm doing it, I'm doing it!" Ruby yelled, fishing out the keys and making a play to open the cell, all the while mentally making a spell; her mind was already working on a way out of this, she was too badly injured to fight them both on, but there was a plan. From the small mirror in Kurumu's cell, she could clearly see that Caro's giant breasts, wonderful tools for her trade, were so large that they provided a buffer zone in-between her and the young witch.

"Tell me, hon?" Ruby began to ask.

"Are you talking to me?" Caro asked.

"Yes; tell me, please, I've always wanted to know..."

"Know what?"

"Stop wasting our time!" Ageha said impatiently.

"Tell, are those fun-bags of yours are as sturdy as they look? I'm curious, because I've seen you both shove Tsukune's face in, and nearly suffocate him, so I can assume their pretty thick."

"I can assure you, hon, the moment you set my little mumu free, you can feel them as long as you..."

Before Caro could finish, however, Ruby's wings, in near lightning speed, stretched themselves through the bars, never touching the metal and bent themselves back around where they shot back out and skewered through Caro's breasts like daggers.

"EEEEAAAAAAHHHHH!" She shrieked in pain, flinging Yukari loose as she collapsed to the floor in pain.

"SISTER!" Ageha screamed while Yukari rolled out of her way.

She ran to aid her sister, whom trembled uncontrollably, yet as Ageha knelt beside her, she realized it wasn't through pain, but anger as normally placid Caro radiated with pure evil intent as blood dripped from her once impressive breasts.

"Aunt Caro!" Kurumu yelled. "WHY? Why did you do that?"

"She didn't leave me any choice!"

"But...you shouldn't have done that, you shouldn't have sliced her breasts like that! I could've talked to them, you didn't have to do that!"

"They brought this on themselves!" Ruby argued. "I will not have them coming here on these grounds and threatening my staff!"

"You bitch!" Ageha hissed. "You have no idea what an insult you've made to our kind!"

"Yoooouuuuu!" Caro growled, her face contorted in an inhuman mask of rage and sheer hate.

Her tail whipped about wildly, bat like wings soon unfurled themselves, nearly hitting her sister out of the way in a haste to kill, and despite clutching herself in pain Caro was like a juggernaut ready to inflict death.

"No one does that to my chest! No one! I'll kill you, you and everyone else!"

Soon, both succubi were transformed and ready to waylay into the lone witch, no longer thinking about ensuring Kurumu's escape as all reason had flown away, but a pair of bathtub wash bins fell from the ceiling with enough force to crack open a skull and smashes them on the head, knocking them out.

"...Thanks," Ruby said to Yukari, who had managed to get her wand back just in time. 

"No problem. Still, even I wouldn't have slashed ole' booby brain in the boobies like that; a succubus prides her chest above all else. I can't believe you did that!"

"I had to think of something that didn't involve you getting filleted. They'll be alright, but right now we'll live their fate up with the Headmaster."

"Mama...Caro," Kurumu wept as looked forlorn upon their still forms, wondering with even greater depression and hopelessness as to whether or not if witnessing this ever mounting despair that's now befallen her entire family when she had only wanted to spare them this, was in some way her true fate all along. "...I'm sorry."

Mikogami sat behind his desk, grim visage eyeing the attractive, and securely bound mother of one of his prisoners, kneeling before him and awaiting punishment. He knew one, equally attractive intruder was in the infirmary that apparently had her massive breasts rendered into massive pin cushions thanks to his cleaver, yet overzealous servant, whom he glanced over at his side in a telepathic hint that seemed to ask: "Did you really have to do _that_?" Upon which, Ruby blushed and tried to look away. Regardless of it, Ageha showed no signs of remorse for what she did, and her vicious, pink eyes suggested to him her that if she wasn't restrained, the highly dangerous mother would do it again or something far worse.

"Your eyes are pretty when you're mad, did you know that?" Mikogami asked. "And, were it not for me and my servant's resistance to your charm spells, not to mention the protective runes placed around this office, why we'd all be at a precarious position."

"Don't think that'll save you from me!" She spat, venomously.

Mikogami sighed sadly and casually walked around his desk toward her.

"Master...," Ruby tried to warn, but he gently waved her off.

"Ageha, Ageha, Ageha Kurono," he replied. "I remember when you were just another student of mine at this school. Whenever you got in trouble like getting into one of your many catfights with that Shuriyuki girl and would be sent to my office; you know I never passed up a chance to look you over just to, um make sure you were up to code and everything, you know."

"Yes, I do. I knew you wanted this, that is no surprise, and there was never a time when I wasn't trying to find a way to put you under my spell; I bet you didn't know that, did you?"

"No, I guess not."

"And, here I am, once again at your mercy. Not just me, but my sister, and my own daughter! Believe me, if my sister wasn't incapacitated, your tricks would be no match for our combined power!"

"Don't get me wrong, I would delight in being at the tender mercy of your entire family."

"Master!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Oh hush, now," he laughed. "I'm an old man, I have my wants. Besides, don't think I haven't thought about you and Yukari."

Ruby's face turned red and shied away in embarrassment.

"But, my vow of chastity being what it is, I do have an obligation to this school and its mission."

"By executing my daughter for a mistake?"

Mikogami walks by to his desk where looks down at the reports his agents had sent him about the three finalists for his annual 'scholarship.' All three were ordinary fifteen year old boys attending various Japanese middle schools. Though apparently average each boy had shown a strong will and sense of empathy that made them a possible candidate to attend Youkai academy as a human; it was a constant reminder of what this was all about.

"I don't know if you, Shuriyuki or the millions of people who come through this dimension and leave, I don't know if even the boy himself ever fully understand how pivotal this all is. For more than a century now I have arranged for a single human to 'accidentally' attend this school for monsters. Each year one boy or girl would come here and be forced to adapt to their surroundings or perish; ninety five percent of them managed to somehow survive, but never fully graduate. Still, even those failures showed promise. About once every two decades a human was discovered on campus and publicly executed without my intervention what so ever, to reassure the monster races with all their apathy and prejudice towards humanity that this place was still secure enough for you to send your young here."

"I...I don't understand," Ageha replied. "Why would you...?"

"Because, it was a necessary evil required to create a better world one day. Just as we are educating monsters to accept humanity, I would create a small pool of humans who not only realized monsters exist, but would try to change human society and its preconceptions of them; I am proud to say that Tsukune Aono showed promise of such hard work being paid off. He's not there yet, though. Being turned into a vampire wasn't exactly where I envisioned him going, but he has a ways to go. This is a slow process and it might take hundreds or even thousands of years before we are ever there at that peaceful future for both our kind. A...very long time, and so you see if I become too hasty and, say allow the monster races to know I was deliberately exposing the existence of Yokai Academy to humans, they would stop attending and the school would be forced to shut its doors. Who knows, things may get even worse, like open war between the humans and monsters; the same goes if, by chance, a monster were to reveal their existence to the human world. See what I'm getting? We have got to set an example for the students here."

Ageha casts her gaze down, now softened, but by no means understanding, as she lets his words sink in, partially.

"I feel for your plight, Ageha, I really do."

"...What of Moka?" She asked. "She was involved; my daughter wouldn't have needed to transform unless it was to protect herself and we both know how strong a fight Akashiya..."

"Mrs. Aono, now."

"Whatever! We both know how powerful and unmindful of who or where she fights can be. Why isn't she here? Why aren't her folks present?"

"She wasn't the one videoed."

"You can't tell me that the dozens of people there failed to see her fighting my daughter! This isn't fair, and you know it!"

"Ageha; it's been decided, your daughter must stand trial for what she's done."

"None of this would've happened if it wasn't for her," Ageha muttered.

"You don't mean that," Ruby answered.

"Don't I? If...If Kurumu hadn't been so love-struck and affected by Tsukune's humanity, she could've used her charm and other powers to claim her Destined One as her own, like a true succubus would! Should Moka have threatened her, in anyway, me and my sister would have come to her aid and she'd have to deal with the three of us!"

"The fact that your daughter didn't do all of that, that she was affected by his human and thus became almost human herself, shows promise for this program," he responded. "And, now she's willing to die for that cause, for the possibility that humans and monsters can one day have an open relationship like he did with your daughter."

"...What if there was another way?" Ageha asked.

"What way is that?" He asked, his curiosity peeked as the ever shrewd priest wondered as to where this was going.

"What if my daughter simply disappeared? You can say she was executed trying to escape, and we'll sneak her out of here after dark."

"And should someone see her one day in downtown Tokyo or...?"

"She won't be in Japan, at all. My sister has residence in the U.S., a gentleman's club where the girls often wear wigs and it's good and far from here, there's little chance that anyone here might recognize her."

"Complete and total exile? ...No, it's too risky."

"Please! It won't hurt this cause you're working at, what harm will it do?"

Literally on her knees, she hobbles toward him, eyes now one of pleading and desperation; it caused him to smile, creepily.

"I'm a mother; are you father?"

"...I've been known as such, but no, I'm not actually a parent."

"Well, I am, I'm a parent who's fighting for her child's safety and if you had children of your own you'd do everything in your power to save them, wouldn't you?"

"And, what exactly are you willing to do for your child's safety?"

As if on cue, her eyes changed, expressing one of great desire, desire to do anything the old man wanted.

"You said you wanted this when I was one of your students, no?" She asked, seductively. "Well, I'm a woman now, not a little girl, you'll find I've _developed_ a lot more than when I wore those tiny, school miniskirts. I don't even think the shirts would fit me."

"...Ohh," he muttered with his mouth hanging open in opened delight.

"Master!" Ruby whispered, furious and a bit jealous.

"Don't let small tits over there influence you," Ageha quipped. "I'm on my knees, and all yours."

"...And, your sister? What of her?"

"Oh, my sister is all board, I can assure you. She's a bit hurting, right now, but that won't stop her from pleasing you or you could have both of us. I know being a headmaster of this most unique school and ensuring its mission for a better tomorrow must be taxing work for a man like yourself. We know ways to alleviate that stress."

She could see by the mounting drool in his mouth and that all too familiar leer in his eyes that she has him eating out of the palm of her hand, or rather off her ample bosom, and all without the use of her abilities.

"...Your nectar has...always been tempting, but um, I'm a devout catholic and the whole vow of chastity and all. But, before you lose hope, I could arrange for something else, if you're both really on board with your willingness to make a transaction."

"We are," she said, her hopes rising, yet maintaining a seductive, and in control calm. "Anything; if you want us to do each other, you got it!"

"Whoa! Let's not get too far off the beaten path. Sister on sister action is delightful, in Japan, but it's a bit creepy even for a guy like me. No, what I had in mind is that you two be willing to entertain others for me, as a show of token appreciation, as well as grease a few palms."

"Whom do you have in mind?"

"My former colleague and master in the far east arts, Tohofuhai..."

"Tohofuhai?" Ageha asked, surprised at the suggestion. "But, he has to be ancient! He's older than you and is a bigger pervert!"

"This coming from the woman who not too long ago was willing to fuck her own sister!"

"Fine! Who else?"

"...Issa Shuzen, the father of your daughter's hated rival."

Not so much as the very utterance of the man, but the idea that in order to free her daughter, she would have to service him like a low class harlot was insulting enough for Ageha to nearly turn down the offer in favor of her, Caro, and Kurumu all dying together in flames.

"You can't be serious," she muttered in murderous tones. "You would have one of us become his playthings."

"You said you'd do anything I wanted, and I do want this, if you're game or rather if you're game enough to sacrifice so much for your daughter's continued existence."

That was the thing about Mikogami that Ageha clearly forgot; that not only was he a pervert, but a master manipulator as well. She couldn't help but assume he planned for this meeting to take place; by pinning the blame on her daughter, he could use her to have both mother and aunt, both well known for their amorous pursuits to be placed in a situation where they would do anything he asked for.

_I bet you were to one who uploaded that video online, you dirty bastard! _She thought bitterly, but of course she had no proof.

"...Do we get a choice of who to bang?" She asked.

"You do," he replied.

"I'll take the old, Chinese man; Caro will do Issa."

"Good. I'll arrange for the meetings and as soon as that is taken care of, you can take your daughter from here; you have my word."

XXX

"Word," Caro finished. "These days, a person's word isn't worth the breath it comes riding on; oh, but he kept his word. Ageha went to the old man in China, enduring his weathered old penis, his manga collection, and his bratty kids. And I, as you just saw, spent the next few years pleasuring the dark lord, himself, which mind you, I seem to have gotten the better deal out of this. Not only did I get to make hell out of your former wife's holier than thou family, which are one of the perks of being his new mistress, a position your former mother in law enjoyed until I came along, but I also got to see why Issa is so revered by females all over the monster community."

"...All of this...is true?" Tsukune asked, literally sitting on the edge of his seat as he thought about Kurumu and all this mess.

"It is, unfortunately. My mumu's incarceration, the deal we made to get her out of there,...that wicked bitch mutilating my babies, which still don't feel right on account of her, and the face that Mumu can never set foot in her home country ever again or risk being executed; she did it all for you, all of it, and if she knew you were in trouble now, I think she'd risk it again just to be there for you."

Hearing all of this didn't help his demeanor in knowing that the one woman in his life who has sacrificed so much for him and would do so again was the one woman he rejected for the girl who became his wife. Not once in Caro's story did Kurumu blame him or fell back on some excuse for her actions, that she would let herself die without causing him any further trouble, while he was off busy living his life with his so-called wife, oblivious to his friend's pain, but now fully aware that...he had chosen the wrong one, it should have been her, it should have been her all along!

"Stop the car!" He called.

"Sir?" The driver asked.

"I said stop the damn car!" He yelled and was already opening the car door before the limo came to a stop.

"Tsukune!" Caro called.

Tsukune literally falls out of the limo, on to the moist ground and vomits uncontrollably over the side of the road, his very body having been unstable since last night's torrid mess was unveiled.

"Oh god," he muttered, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"Take it easy, hon," Caro voiced her concern as she attempted to comfort him.

"...I must be a pathetic sight for you, huh?" He asked, breathlessly.

"What do you mean, sugar?"

"...The man who should have chosen your daughter, now puking his guts all over the road and acting like a weak child!"

"Don't sell yourself short, I've seen 'bigger' men than you crumble up and blow their brains out over less; trust me, we ain't there yet, not if Caro, my sis, and my darling Mumu have anything to say about it," she said with absolute hunger dripping from her voice. "Now, lets it all out so we can go underway."

He could tell she was the least bit concerned about his psyche, but Tsukune wasn't going to emote further like this in such a damnable place like this.

"You sure you through out there?" Caro asked upon reentering the car.

"...Just get me the hell out of here," he whispered and remained silent for the rest of the ride.

XXX

The pre-dawn hours at Yokai were always quiet, and even more foreboding, with every student still in their dorms asleep, but for Ruby and Yukari it was one of their favorite times. Known as the "witching hour", the two would be up early to gather what they needed for spells and what not, however those times were gone and for the most part seemed unlikely to return. Accompanied by Ageha, Ruby quickly made a bee line towards the school infirmary upon returning, where her young friend was being cared for.

"How is she?" Ruby asked the head, mummified looking nurse.

"Not good. I've done all I could do, witch biology is confusing to say the least, close to human's, which I know even little of, but still different from both humans and monsters; still she's incredibly resilient, but...it's up to them, now."

Ageha walks around to enter the room where she's greeted by a most unwelcoming sight for a mother to see: the young witch Yukari resting still and motionless on a gurney, her black hair splayed all about like a dark pool, unkempt, with bruises that have only begun to heal, yet having very little effect on her well-being. On the floor, underneath the bed and curled into a ball was her puppy, guarding over her, while seated on her bedside in a quiet vigil were her parents, both locked in some meditative state as they waged a ceaseless mental battle for their only child's soul.

"Dear god," she whispered, approaching politely to the grieving parents. "I had no idea...how long has she been like this?"

Only Mr. Sendou acknowledged her, looking up with eyes full of grim, weariness, and a forlorn uncertainty.

"How are you two holding up?" She asks, trying to be supportive.

"...It's touch and go," he said, his voice so hoarse and incredibly weak. "We're trying to reach out to her telepathically, have been at it for a full day now, with no sleep, but..."

"I got here as soon as I could," Ruby announced upon entering the room. "Still no contact?"

"...No," he responded, tears welling up in his eyes from both lack of sleep and the emotion of this all, but held back by a resounding level of strength and determination.

"I still don't understand your ways," Ageha said, "but, this mental therapy you have, if anything can, help cure what ails her; I'd say it's the power of the mind that counts."

"I'm afraid it doesn't work as well as with your species, Ms. Kurono," he said. "The person has to want our help if our mental commands are to work, but Yukari...our little girl...it's as if she's lost the will to fight."

"Mr. Sendou," Ruby whispered.

"Her mind is a mess, but from what we've gathered..."

The man fell silent, trying to cobble together everything he saw and gathered from his daughter's tortured mind and work up the courage to express them all.

"...We know what happened," he finally admits. "I...I just can't understand it...How could this happen to her? Yukari has always been loyal to Moka Akashiya, so can any of you help explain to me why this had to happen?"

He looked to them both, his hazel eyes filled with a desperation, a father's desperation, to know why his young daughter was hurt so brutally, both physically and mentally; yet, neither of them knew how to tell him.

"...I wish I knew, myself," Ruby finally responded.

"She's a bitch, Taka Sendou," Ageha tells him. "There's no rhyme or reason for someone like that to do what they do; she does them and expects the rest of us to like it!"

"You're one to talk," Ruby muttered.

"What did you just say to me?" Ageha asked, starring daggers at her.

"You have some nerve appearing by Yukari's bedside after what you pulled."

"I told you before, I'm here to support my dear friend, Tokiomi; why is that so hard for your pumpkin shaped head to grasp?"

"Because, not too long ago you held her daughter, your so-called old friend, and threatened to murder her!"

"_I wouldn't have been forced to if you hadn't threatened __**my**__ daughter, cunt_!" Ageha spat, trying to keep her voice down in deference to Tokiomi, but nonetheless livid. "What would you have had me do?"

"Obey our rules, our laws, not act like a total maniac!"

"A MANIAC!" Ageha roared, standing up and eyeing Ruby, who likewise responded in kind, ready to fight right there over Yukari's bed. "How dare you; is a mother willing to do anything to save her child a maniac? And, what would you know, you who have done all sorts of depraved things. Yes, Ruby, I know all about your little S&M activities behind closed doors. But, no that doesn't make you a maniac, oh no, a maniac is someone who betrays a friend you went to school with and try to murder her!"

"That's what you did, it's what I've been saying all along, and you have no place being here!"

"I told you I was acting on behalf of my baby; you were the one...!"

"SILENCE!" Tokiomi roared, finally coming out of her trancelike state and glaring at them both. "This is all our faults. Tsukune Aono had chosen the wrong woman, that much is painfully clear, and now he's suffering for it. _We_ all allowed this woman with an unbalanced mind and a soiled soul into our lives, all of us, and now _we're_ suffering for it. All of this has happened because one woman's unstable mental state has warped things so far off the beaten path that it's affecting all of us, and the best the two of you can do is bicker amongst yourselves?"

Both women looked away in shame, while Mr. Sendou reached over to comfort his wife.

"I should have foreseen this," she muttered to herself. "I knew she was...I should have said something, made them listen, but...little Yukari was so happy I didn't want to upset her, and since she has our gift of foresight, I thought she knew something I didn't, but now..."

"Tokiomi?" He asked, and she leaned into his protective shoulder, crying.

"I can't reach her," she wept. "She won't talk to me, she won't even acknowledge my presence...we've lost our little girl, Taka."

"There's nothing we can do?" Ruby asked.

"No," Taka said. "We've done all we can for her; the rest is up to Yukari."

As Ruby looked on, watching her friend lying there in such a lifeless and pitiful state, with zero sign of any kind of intelligence whatsoever, she never felt more helpless than now and all she could think about was Taka's question to them earlier, one that still had no clear answer to.

_We let this happen, _she thought bitterly to herself. _We're all to blame. I'm so sorry Yukari, I'm so sorry Tsukune, I wish we had known sooner._

XXX

The trip from Japan to the U.S. had been a long and taxing one; aside from Caro going on incessantly about mundane topics and Tsukune simply nodding, it had been relatively quiet on his part, but by noon Tsukune was riding in a limo along the Vegas strip, and yet he couldn't help marvel at such an exotic, colorful and lively place strewn with people of every color, shapes or sizes, in fact the place itself was a far cry from the world he just came from. He could not believe Kurumu was holed up in a place like this, and noticing if this town was lively during the day, then what was it like at night?

"And, here we are!" Caro proudly announced as the limo pulled into a massive roundabout driveway.

Before them, perched on a small hill decorated with palm trees stood a massive two story, windowless palace made of white alabaster, and on top was an impressive neon sign of a naked, winged lady locked in erotic poses.

"So...this is a strip club?" He asked, astonished.

"Gentleman's Club," she corrected. "There's a difference."

"Sorry; a gentleman's club?"

"Welcome to the Devil's Playground or Caro's as its affectionately known, your non-stop place for all the pleasures a man could ever want in the desert; trust me, once you're in...Well, you get the picture," she said with a big, suggestive smile aimed at him while their limo pulls up under a small, brightly lit breeze way.

"And, Kurumu works here, now?"

"Yep, my Mumu is the star attraction; made many a enemy from my fellow dancers, and many a man pine over her. Oh, and before we go in, there's one thing I need you to do for me."

"What's that?"

"Everything I told you about what happened to her; whatever you do, don't mention it?"

"Why?"

"I don't have to spell it out, now do I? You wouldn't want someone bringing up your problems, now do you?"

"...No," he replied.

"I'll make sure no one knows about yours, just that...it'll kill her if she knew you knew about hers; pride and every...oh. What's important is that you kids get reacquainted and for you, dear boy to do what you do best: make her happy."

"Yeah, I get it," he said, impatiently. "Let's just go in and see her."

"Oh, she won't be in until 6:00, she sleeps during the day."

"What? Then, what are we supposed to do until then?"

His car door opens and he steps out under what looked like type of movie projection of a half naked women dancing to blaring music against the arched ceiling; one of these women, he could scarcely believe, yet could clearly make out under the gobs of makeup, was Kurumu.

"Kurumu?" He muttered, watching her twirling about a shiny pole, half naked, with only a tiny, school mini skirt and a light blue bra.

"Well," Caro replied, suddenly grabbing him about the neck and pushing him along with her, "let's get you all relaxed and ready for her big entrance, I want it to be a surprise; let my girls show you how it's done!"

It was through the double, tinted glass doors that Tsukune was immediately teleported into another world; dark, but brilliantly colored with neon lights and spot lights dancing all over the place. There were several stages situated at various corners of the club, each one containing a different dancer entertaining her clients, with a single, larger stage situated in the center of the room, but dark and not in use; he figured this must be Kurumu's.

"More than you imagined, isn't it baby?" She asked him smugly, observing his opened mouth expression, but the mixture of various dance tunes going on made it difficult to hear.

"What?" He asked.

"I SAID, A LITTLE MORE THAN YOU IMAGINED, HUH?"

"YEAH! IS THERE SOME PLACE WE CAN GO A LITTLE QUIETER?"

"SURE!"

She leads him to the bar area, where amazingly the music wasn't as strong and he could hear Caro plainly, much to the relief of his ears.

"That's better," he said.

He felt a small hand and right boob begin to rub up against him, and is surprised to find one of the strippers immediately trying to cozy up to him.

"Boss, who's this?" She purred.

"Hands off, Calypso," she warned, "he's taken."

"Oh; well obviously," she says, suddenly relinquishing him after looking down at his hand, "too bad, you're a looker."

"Oh yeah, I completely forgot about that."

"About what?" Tsukune asked.

"That!" Caro replied, pointing down at his ring finger, which still held the symbol of what was, and now is a failed experiment in solidarity.

"You've got to be kidding."

"If we're going to have some fun, hon, you gotta ditch the unwanted hardware. Common mistake, most men who come in here tend to forget they have it on!"

Tsukune had forgotten the thing was still on his finger, it's very sight now unseemly and painful to look at. The man looks at this shining, gold thing upon his hand for so long that it brought back painful reminders of just how hard he fought to obtain them, remembering only of how happy Moka would be once she lays eyes on the rings that would become their wedding bands, focusing on how nervous he would be before presenting them to her it; memories so strong, so all consuming that it seemed everything around him was nonexistent.

"Um, Tsukune," Caro whispered, snapping him out of his haze.

"...Yeah," he said.

His hand quivered with anguish as they gripped around the ring finger, touching the wedding ring's smooth, cool surface, and casually fingering it before angrily pulling it off and tightening it underneath his closed fist.

"There, that wasn't so hard," Caro said, cheerfully. "Now that's been taken care of how about you go have yourself a nice lap dance and bottle of wine, on me."

"No thanks," he replied, "I'm not in the..."

"Celeste!" Caro called to a dark blue haired, stripper. "Celeste is one of my most reliable of girls."

"You called, boss," the girl said, eyeing Tsukune like he was a piece of meat, which did little in improving his mood.

"Yes, why don't you pick some girls, trustworthy girls, and show Tsukune the bachelor's delight suite until Mumu starts her shift; my treat."

"Is he for...?" She asked with a smile and a suggestive look in her violet colored eyes.

"He's a surprise; now run along."

"Sure thing, mama-san! C'mon, sweetie!"

"No, I'm not really up to it," Tsukune tried to protest. "Look, I've had a long flight and I just need to be somewhere alone until Kurumu shows…"

"Now, Tsukune, you remember the rules your dear-old daddy in law gave you," Caro reminded him.

"That's fine, and…and I'll get right to that, but right now…"

"Oh come on," Celeste insisted, grabbing his arm and playfully tugging him, "it'll be fun!"

With her small, yet amazingly strong hands almost aggressively tugging against him, it quickly dawned on him that she wasn't human, indicating that Caro probably has employed many monsters to dance for her human patrons, and yet her eagerness and the look of playfulness in her eyes, of this beautiful, happy go lucky non-human girl, pulling him along against his will, brought up unwelcomed memories of another such person that caused a nasty reaction deep within him to boiling to the surface.

"I SAID…!" He started to yell, ready to wrench his arm free from the poor girl, but quickly realized where he was and who he was talking to wasn't Moka, and immediately calmed himself down before anymore would be said that'll lead to intense regret. "I said...sounds like fun."

"He just got out of a nasty marriage," Caro explains to her as she begins playing with his crotch, much to his quiet, reserved dismay. "So, if he seems a little stiff, loosen him up, I want him primed and ready for Mumu."

"Ohhh, I get it. You don't need to explain nothing, honey, it's okay. If you'd like, baby, I can sit you somewhere nice and I'll bring you something to drink and do anything else to make you feel comfortable."

"I'd take it, Tsukune, hon, a grown man like you shouldn't be allowed to pine about his ungrateful wife!"

"That's fine," he replied, still far from becoming comfortable, but trying to remain civil for Caro and Kurumu's benefit, especially for Kurumu. "If you girls want to do...whatever it is you do in the bachelor suite, then that's fine."

"You sure? We wouldn't want to do anything that'll make you uncomfortable."

"No, no...I'm supposed to be meeting new people, making Kurumu happy, acting like a man, so...might as well get started."

"Sure thing," Celeste said and politely leads him to the suite, though giving Caro a concerned glance.

Though Caro tried to play his behavior off, she couldn't help find it odd for a guy, especially one going through a divorce, figuring he'd be happy. In her life and profession, she has encountered many a married man who has been cheated on or was going through a divorce; and, in most cases she was the cause of it. However, they all gave into their male instincts the moment they laid eyes on her and her girls, quickly forgetting their pain long enough to be of entertainment. But, she had never before witness a man behave the way Tsukune did: the soul wrenching reluctance in relinquishing his wedding band. It reminded her of the wedding reception four years ago, of when she tried to test Tsukune's devotion to the woman he picked over her niece, and how painfully he resisted her charm, almost to the point of passing out. Still, she rationalized that he was another man, one destined for her darling niece, who's snubbing insulted their entire family; one night will snap him out of this phase and be placed where he rightfully belonged.

In the suite, Tsukune sat in a plush chair, motionless while Celeste and four other girls danced literally over him to soft music, doing everything they were trained to do to cheer up a guy, every sordid thing they could think of that would pleasure even a terminally ill patient just for him, but Tsukune wasn't moved, without a lack of trying. He tried to show interest, but he just couldn't muster anything in the way of carnal lust and even they could sense his interest was elsewhere.

"C'mon, would you lighten up?" A dark haired stripper angrily asked while shaking her half naked ass just inches from his face. "I've seen paraplegics look more alive than you."

"Huh?" He asked. "No, I'm entertained, really!"

"Here baby," Celeste says, bringing his hands to lay firmly upon her bare breasts, allowing him to feel the soft orbs and her warm pulse as she danced. "Its okay to touch, we don't mind since you're the guest of honor."

"That's right, honey," said a blonde as she smoothes her warm, wet fingers gingerly about his face.

"...Thanks," he responded, closing his eyes and trying to gather up any kind of joy from this.

"You wanna talk about it?" Celeste whispered to him with genuine concern after gyrating in closer and nibbling his ear.

"No, I'm fine, really. You're doing a great job."

"It'll be okay, it's good to get these kind of things off your chest; no pun intended, seriously though."

Even though she was stripper doing a lap dance he did not want, the show of physical, bodily interest as fake as anything he's witnessed before, for a moment he sees in her the same look of compassion and worry in her violet eyes and fair skin almost reminded him of Ruby, regardless of how similar their habits were, of all things. He didn't want to nor did he want to be in the middle of this striptease that Caro thrusts upon him, but whether it was to stifle this growing madness from within that needed venting or mere indifference to the current situation, Tsukune relents.

"...My wife cheated on me, okay? I trusted her and she betrayed me."

"Awww, that's so sad," the dark haired one openly mocked, putting on a fake show of concern while she rudely bumps Celeste out of the way and gyrates her crotch less panties in his face. "I suppose you came here to drown your sorrows like a typical, _hurt_ man, huh?"

"Stow it, Rose!" Celeste snapped at her, ready to fight her. "If Madame Shade didn't think you were half way good, I'd kick your ass for what you did."

"What? I'm only trying to show I care. Don't fret, honey, being a man with a failed marriage on your list of accomplishments can't be easy, but I've worked with less."

The other girls rolled their eyes and groaned, showing no interest in their fellow stripper's comments, who seemed to hold their opinions in little regard. She, Rose, reminded him of Ria, more in personality than appearance, as both seemed like stuck up princesses wrapped around a fat rat. And, like Ria he had a strong urge to hurt her in spite of his reservations of caving into such violent tendencies.

"Don't listen to her," Celeste said to him. "She's like that with everyone."

"Well, it's not like she doesn't have a point," he said, quite bitterly. "Simply put I fail at holding down a marriage."

"See," Rose agreed, condescendingly. "Told you."

"Don't get yourself down, honey," Celeste told him, ignoring Rose. "Let me tell you, you don't want to let people like that win, because that is why they do what they do: to bring you down because they hate life and are miserable themselves."

"Really?" He asked, a humorless smirk upon his worn face. "That's funny, she said the exact same thing about...humanity, in general, and _that's_ why she did all of this!"

"She did, huh?" She asked, and then leaned in close to whisper in his ear: "Actually, monsters are pretty vindictive too. I've met a couple that'll make that fake Rose seem polite. Don't let prejudice like that affect you, because it's her problem, it shouldn't be yours. Alright, lover boy, how about you buck up and try to have a nice time! What do you say?"

"Yes, big man, don't let your evil wife make you feel even more of a loser than you are, now!" Rose continued to gloat.

Tsukune didn't want to let some random person get the better of him, let alone some stripper's comments, but her constant derision of his personality, as though questioning his manhood just because of everything happening felt like a manifestation of his wounded pride in the presence of others, making him so worked up that everything seemed cloudy.

"Alright, that's it, get out of here, Rose!" Celeste yelled at her.

"Fine! I don't know why you brought me in here anyway! Have fun with Debbie Downer; loser."

"...Take it easy," he heard Celeste say to him, and felt her gentle hands trying to steady his trembling hands.

"Oh," Tsukune gasped, becoming fully aware once again. "I...I apologize."

"Don't, it's okay."

"Did I almost...?" He asked and tried to steady himself, confused as to why he was behaving so strangely.

"Annabelle!" Celeste ordered one of the other strippers in the room. "Why don't you take over while I go fetch for him one of our best margaritas."

"Margaritas?" He asked, the very sound of his voice one of exhaustion.

"Yes, you never had one before?"

"No."

"Well, you're going to love them, perfect for soothing nerves; trust me!"

"You got it," Annabelle complied.

"You don't have to do this," he said. "I can simply sit in here or wait outside for Kurumu to show."

"Not alone, you're not!" Celeste argued. "We're going to keep you company, whether you like it or not. "

His reply came in a heavy, yet exasperated sigh, too weary to argue and far too worn out to even force a smile, but he allowed the women to keep him mildly entertained, until the time had finally come. When Celeste leaves, she doesn't make for the bar right away, but instead heads for Caro's plush office, who was currently busy with the club's schedules. The door open, Celeste simply knocks on it to grab her boss's attention.

"Got a minute?" She asked.

"Yes; how is Tsukune, you finally get him to loosen up, huh?" Caro asked with a big knowledgeable smile. "Just, don't loosen him up too much, he's Mumu's boy and I'd show hate it if would damage the goods anymore than they already have."

"Umm, no, no w-we haven't, madam."

"Oh," Caro replied, pushing her chair away from her desk to emphasize how much more serious this conversation is. "Funny, I thought you girls would do the trick. I hope you're not holding anything back; well, I guess I did say not to go bananas with him, so maybe you should turn it up a notch."

"No, no, we did everything you taught us, madam, that's the problem."

"Then, what is...?"

"The problem isn't us, it's him. Madam, I don't think he should even be here, it's a bad idea to expose him to this environment."

"Hm-hm, explain. Why is my club an unfit place for a depressed man to be here?"

"It's nothing against you, it's just..."

Celeste closes the door and continues:

"You know what I am; my race is one of the Fay peoples, remember?"

"Yes, I know, and who else to please men than a bona fide fairy, right?"

"Yes madam."

"Then, why can't you work your charm on him?"

"...It doesn't work like that, not as well as yours, and even if it did, it would be a terrible mistake because what's wrong with him, such a spell would only make it ten times worse than it is. Throwing sex at him is dangerous for him, and...I'm only thinking for his well being."

Caro stands up, crosses her arms thoughtfully and walks over to Celeste, mulling over what she just said, but undaunted in how to perfectly work Tsukune.

"Celeste; honey look," she says, placing a motherly arm about her. "I know you mean well for him, believe me I understand, he has that affect on people. But, me and my sister have waited four years, four long years to find some way of reuniting our mumu with her Destined One, do you understand how important this is for _our_ people?"

"I do, b-but..."

"Oh, I am well aware of what's eating him, I was there through most of it and I'd seen everything his bitch of a wife did to him; believe me when I say I know what he needs, I've dealt with men like that before. His confidence as a man has been shot and all he needs now is a boost to his testosterone, that's all."

"So, either make him horny or knock some sense into him, is that how it works?"

"That's the surefire way of curing a man. Why don't you go back and give it another try; trust me, he'll come around."

"Yes, madam," Celeste said, reluctantly leaving the office, but going back to work with all the determination and trepidation as a mine worker heading into an unstable situation.

At prime time, the house that had been slightly busy before was by now flooded with patrons from all around Vegas, piling on in like waves. Even with Celeste's help, who had stayed long past her shift was over to keep him company, Tsukune had difficulty trying to discern the shapes, as the lighting didn't help matters much.

"There she is!" She points out.

"Where?"

"Here," she suggests, pulling out a chair for him to stand up on and get a better view. "Towards the entrance, see; the hair!"

"I still don't see anything!" He replied, surveying the crowds in vain to see where she was pointing.

"Hold on!" She tells him.

"Huh; heyyyy!" He yelled, as she, thinking the chair wasn't enough decides to use a sliver of her inhuman strength to lift him up on her shoulders and then stands on the chair herself with him to increase his chances. Everyone who saw it thought it was a magic act and applauded the seemingly petite woman.

"See her, now?" She yelled.

"Uhh, yeah."

From his vantage point, it was easier to see certain individuals and amongst this sea of people he could clearly make out a lone, greenish blue hair zigzagging through the crowd.

It was her, that much he knew.

"...Thank you," he said nervously. "You can let me down, now."

"No sweat," she complies. "Just a girl trying to help."

"Thank you."

She was about to leave, but stops and quickly turns back to him as if forgetting something.

"Oh and, please remember, don't let her bring you down to her level; you're so much better than that."

"How do you know that, you just met me."

"I know you, it's my nature to know people; where I'm from its our specialty to sense a person's soul, we make it our business to learn that much from one meeting...but even if I wasn't and I was some normal human being, I would still know you're a better person than she. Take care."

"...Yeah, take care," he said, taking in her advice lightly and sets off to search for Kurumu, while Celeste looks on as he disappears, hoping against hope for his long recovery.

Catching sight of Kurumu was one thing, but as Tsukune quickly found out, catching up to her amidst all the throngs of people would be a completely different thing. She was always a few people ahead of him, he could see her waving to other people, even practically hear her familiar voice calling out to them.

"Hey, Kurumu, how are the girls?" One amorous patron inquired.

"Fine, now that you're over there and they're over here!" She retorted.

"Yo Kurumu, your aunt's been looking for ya!" A stripper said to her.

"Okay, thanks!" She replied with little fanfare.

"KURUMU!" He hollered.

"YEAH!" She responded with a dismissive wave, not even bothering to turn around or stop to see who was calling her, so he tried again. 

"KURUMU!"

"HEY, KURUMU!" An excited man yelled.

"YO, I LOVE YOU, KURUMU!" Another screamed.

"KURUMU, OVER HERE!" Tsukune screamed, but his voice becomes lost underneath all the other men calling out to her and she just brushes him off just the same.

By all appearances Kurumu had the personality of a busy body as he noticed that she would only talk if someone was talking to her, a far cry from the easily excitable girl he remembered; it was as though she was too important to be bothered with starting conversation. She made very little eye contact while hurryingly along, his friend acting like a woman who felt too good for this place, like one who had better than things to do than speak with anyone, let alone him of all people. Tsukune wondered if this was a mistake, if she perhaps was better off not seeing him and he began to slow down his pace, allowing her to slip into the strippers' changing room without so much as speak her name.

"Excuse me," a stripper said, bumping into him on her way out. "...Uh, can I help you? The locker room is off limits to patrons."

"...I'm...uh...Excuse me, I was just...I was just going," he stammered. "I shouldn't have come."

When he leaves, he accidentally bumps, face first into Caro's cleavage.

"Ohh, no you don't," she says and presses his face in further, intentionally trying to suffocate in a tight embrace him. "My mumu has been waiting for this opportunity and you're not going to spoil it!"

"Oh, he's the one?" The stripper asked, a devilish smile creasing along her air brushed face.

"Caro!" He cried, trying to hold his face away. "Let me go, I can't go in there...What do you mean, I'm the one?"

"Ha, honey Kurumu has been going on about you ever since she got here," the stripper said. "You're the one who got away! Most of us thought you were a myth because...well you've seen her, half the guys in Vegas talk about her, what guy in his right mind would pass that up?"

"So...she...?" He asked.

"So, get in there!" Caro yelled, giving him a rough, playful push toward the locker room, that the stripper was kind enough to open the door to allow him to stumble in and land face first onto the floor.

"Ugh, what the...?" Tsukune asked, but the moment he gets his bearings, he finds himself looking up at a bevy of half naked women caught in the middle of changing. At first he feared a beat down like what happened during his days at Yokai Academy, when Gin had tricked him into spying on the girl's locker room, but luckily for him the women there didn't seem to mind him being there.

"Well, well, if it isn't Mr. Love Lost in Nevada," mocked Rose who stood over him triumphantly, topless and in her crotch less panties. "Come to give it another shot or are you lost; let me help you with that, the section for loser, dead beat husbands is down the hall."

Some of the other girls began to laugh, and for a moment he almost wished they had instead pummeled him senseless.

"I'm here to see Kurumu," he said, trying his best to avert his eyes.

"Look at me baby when you're talkin, didn't your daddy teach you anything," she said, turning his face toward her, face to breasts.

"Listen, I would have waited outside but...where can I find Kurumu."

"You're not going to find her down there on the floor, baby."

"Stop calling me that!" He said angrily, his temper rising dangerously and he badly did not want that to happen in a place like this.

"Aww, little man is going to throw a fit," she mocked, instead.

"Tone it down, Rose; she has her own dressing room," one of the strippers replied, pointing to a closed door down the other end of the room. "It's unlocked, but I'd be careful if I were you, she'll claw your eyes out if you bother her while she's getting dressed; ain't that right, Rose?"

"Yeah, you two got into it real bad!" Another stripper laughed.

"Ha-Ha, I bet the two of you are gonna have some fun?" Rose jeered. "The bitch and her loser boy-toy; I can't wait."

Not wishing to have to look up at her or any other half naked, leering stripper any longer, Tsukune quickly gets up and brushes passed her, but not before she boldly smacks his butt.

"Hmm, I'd say this much, at least you got something to work with," she remarked, eliciting a few laughs from the other girls; he ignored her, though not without some tribulation in doing so.

He never thought being stuck in a women's changing room would be this much of an ordeal, but aside from Rose and the women giggling, their leering eyes training on his every move and the feeling that he must seem like a joke, there was the worry of whether or not Kurumu really did feel much of anything, other than anger. After hearing Caro's story, a great part of him felt guilty about it, as if he had somehow orchestrated her woes. He had chosen Moka over her after all, had listened and obeyed her every whim in distancing himself away from his friends, and always defended her to them or making a big show of just how important the princess was to him, whereas Kurumu was willing to die without him knowing, all for his continued happiness. Why couldn't Moka have been like that? Why had everything been about her? Why couldn't it have been Kurumu who captured his heart instead of Moka? All these questions tormented his damaged spirit as he stood in front of the door to her dressing room, shakily reaching its door knob and debating if this was perhaps a terrible mistake, that she would really be better off not knowing he was here at all.

"ROSE, DID YOU TAKE MY ROUGE!" Kurumu angrily asked, bursting out of the room with only a flimsy bra half on. "Bitch, I know you took...it."

Her sky blue hair, now shoulder length, was a messy heap with a styling comb stuck in it, her purple, lacey bra had been barely fastened on and was held up by her free hand, but quickly slid off in her frozen state, letting those enormous breasts, unchanged since the last he saw them, dangle freely as the two locked eyes for the first time in four years.

"...Oh...Oh my dear god," she whispered.

"...Hi, Kurumu," he said, nervously.

Curiously, she slowly raised her finger and began poking him in the face. He thought it was more strange than annoying, made all the stranger by the odd look she was giving him while doing it, but he didn't say anything, allowing her to continue this odd response.

"Umm, are you...?" He asked, reaching up a calming hand to soothe her down, but in doing so, however his fingers accidentally comes into contact with one of her nipples, trapping it in-between his digits and freezing him involuntarily, while still touching his friend in such a precarious way. He could hear all the girls laughing and embarrassing him, making this all the more uncomfortable, but for Kurumu it looked as if he was fingering her, and that seemed to suggest that something was amiss.

"Okay!" She yelled, startling him by grabbing his face and stretching it.

"Oww, what are you...?" He asked.

"What the hell is this? Aunt Caro, I know this is your doing; messing with my mind again! How dare you keep tricking me just so I'd get over him! You ought to be ashamed, as if Tsukune would ever touch me like that!"

"Uhh, Kurumu!" He said. "It's me. The _real_ me!"

"Kurumu, you're dumber than he is!" Rose boasted. "Old lover boy here has been waiting to come see you, as he was too butt hurt to get worked up over me and Celeste and the girls to give us the time of day; he even needed to be pushed in here by your crazy aunt! I guess she figured even you might not have much luck on the dance floor, you didn't with him before!"

It was then, through Rose's jabbing, and the way his sinuous skin remained consistent against her fingers that she realized this person standing before her was real, that Tsukune Aono was actually standing in her presence.

"Tsu-kune?" She asked, her eyes displaying a tired, yet relieved look to see her Destined One, at last come back.

"...It's me," he repeated.

Her face rosy cheeks turned pale at first, but then lightened back up, her opened mouth stretching into a smile, followed by a loud and boisterous scream that reverberated throughout the room.

"...YAHOOOOO!"

She screamed, she hollered, jumping up and down, breasts bouncing in rhythmic motion and then propelled herself onto him, her bare chest pressing hard against his face until he was close to passing out.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, IT'S YOU, IT'S REALLY YOU! I mean, you, here, right now, I can't believe it!"

"Mmmmh," he murmured.

She at last releases him, but he inhaled air like he had been deprived of it, his eyes watery as if having been pressed by up against her pillow soft, warm breasts were not as heavenly an experience one might consider. It was apparent on him that she did indeed really miss him, for never could he remember such a strong and "heartfelt" greeting from her than now.

"It's...good to see you too," he gasped.

"I...I can't believe it, I just can't believe it," she said, more to herself actually, her pink eyes close to tears as this joyous moment in her bleak life still seemed too good to be true.

"Yeah," he replied with a frank smile.

"So, Kurumu, what are you waiting for?" One of the strippers asked.

"Yeah, you finally gonna show us how much you've missed lover boy?" Another one joked.

"C'mon, mumu, we've been dying to see ever since you started pinning over him," Rose mocked, but Kurumu ignored them.

The entire time she never removed her hands from his body, afraid that this was all an illusion and if not vigilant, he may disappear.

"This...this _is_ real?" She asked him. "You're really here? Standing before me? I-I-I'm not hallucinating?"

"No," he said, feeling her hands pressing against his face grow firmer and tighter like a vice. "Um, could please let go, you're crushing my face!"

"OH, I'm sorry!" She said, releasing him and now even happier than ever, convinced beyond any doubt that he was indeed standing in front of her. However, her joy was short lived, as she worried that he might not be here alone and was less than willing to confront _her_. "Wait a minute, if you're here then...Look, Tsukune I really don't want any trouble, so if you've brought Moka, then..."

"She isn't here with me," he said. "I'm came to Las Vegas alone."

"Oh, woo, that's a relief!" She said, yet noticing the harshness in his voice when he mentioned "she", as well as wondering why he had come alone. "Is everything okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Its just that you would never go travel half way around the world without Moka. And, you look different. Is...Is everything alright between you two?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"You sure?'

"Yeah; so how is...?"

But, Kurumu, in a fit of euphoria and relief that Moka was nowhere around, immediately pulls him in for another face to breast, bear hug.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! WHHHHEEEE!"

The girls laughed, hoot and hollered.

"Hey, Kurumu, you're going to kill him if you keep pushing your girls in his face like that!" One of them yelled.

"Ooops, sorry!" Kurumu said, pushing him out of her chest.

She then looked away, blushing terribly out of embarrassment.

"What's wrong, now?" He asked.

"You...You weren't supposed to see me like this!"

"Naked?" He asked, and then he grew a little embarrassed himself, having been reminded where he was.

"No! What I'm doing...it's not how I pictured seeing you again!"

"You don't have to feel ashamed, your aunt..." But, he remembered what Caro said to him, of how he should keep knowledge of her plight a secret, and quickly bit his tongue. "...Your aunt runs a respectable business. Isn't that right, girls?"

However, they kept laughing and whispering to themselves, leaving him in the hot seat.

"No, no no, NO!" Kurumu wailed, falling to her knees in despair. "You have no idea what I went through, what I have to endure just so I couldn't see you, again."

"Kurumu," he responded, kneeling down and feeling inner anger towards himself. "You don't have to feel that way, anymore."

"You're right," she replied, quickly taking hold of his hands and staring doe eyed into his which quickly made him feel uncomfortable. "Because, you're here now. You have no idea how these long years have been like a nightmare, but now that you're here, even if it's for a short while, I feel better than I did in a long time!"

"Oh, he may be here even longer than you think," Caro said, waltzing up to the two. "Now, don't you two look cute."

"What do you mean?" Kurumu asked. "You're...planning on staying, Tsukune?"

"...Moka...," Tsukune tried to speak up, but the words were difficult to say, "...some things have changed. I don't even know where this will lead me."

"Changed? Did something happen between you two?"

"Why don't you jog his memory, mumu" Rose joked. "I think your breasts deprived oxygen to his brain."

Kurumu stared daggers at her, though never taking her hands away from his, which she noticed had begun to shake.

"Look, Rose, call me 'mumu' again and my tits are going to kick your ass!"

"Ooh, that sounds like a threat, I'm so scared of the star attraction.

"Rose," Caro intervened. "Zip it!"

"Ugh, forget about her," Kurumu said to Tsukune, rubbing his hands vigorously, "now tell me, did something happen with you and Moka?"

Tsukune wrenched his hands free and quickly stood up; it felt strangely liberating not touching her soft hands, the very sensation of them now something he detested, but the look of shock in her eyes made him realize that she deserved more than this strange behavior from him.

"Look, Kurumu," he began to say, "...this probably isn't the right place to get caught up; how about later, when you're not...busy."

"He's right, mumu," Caro agreed. "A guy like him should be reserved for a 'special' showing."

"Yeah, mumu," Rose joked.

"Shut up, Rose!" Kurumu snapped. "Sure thing, Tsukune. I'm going to be booked all night, but after my shift is done, would you please wait for me and we'll talk some more."

"Yeah, I can do that," he said, trying to smile, but the forlorn shadow on his face didn't wane much. "So, I'll see you after your...dance."

"Okay," Kurumu said and watched him walk out, never taking her eyes off of him, still finding it hard to believe that after all these years he would grace her presence again, but growing as jealous as ever whenever the other strippers' eyes followed him out. "Take a picture, whores!"

"Don't pay any attention to them," Caro assured her. "Besides, you got him in the bag, now!"

"Yeah; hey, what's going on with Tsukune, though?"

"How do you mean?"

"He seemed...I don't know, different. You didn't notice? And, what's the deal with Moka? Is she still in the picture or what?"

"Lets just say things back home have changed in your favor. Your Destined One is finally here and now more in your reach than ever before."

"Auntie, the last time I thought that, Moka interrupted and I wound up exiled. I don't want to go through that again; I've learned my lesson, he's hers, not mine."

"Not anymore."

Kurumu looked up at her aunt, her eyes full of both mounting surprise and hope for something that for so long seemed unlikely to ever happen.

"You mean...?" She asked.

"That's right," Caro said. "Their marriage is on the rocks!

"I...I don't believe it! Tsukune and Moka; they're always so lovey dovey."

"Who cares about all that, he's back on the menu and your chance is up! Don't talk to him about it, though; he's still pretty worked up about it. If you still want him, and I know you do, you're going to have to play it cool with that one."

"But, are you sure he's okay, though? He looks like...he's been cursed or something."

"Oh, well he did spend some time with that Ruby character, so I wouldn't be surprised."

"N-No, not like a witch casting a spell, I meant...I don't know; how bad was the break up?"

"Its something you don't need to worry about, Tsukune will be fine, all he needs is you to cheer him up, again. Hey, how about you do that piece you were practicing on performing, tonight?"

"Um, I don't know."

"What's wrong, you've been rehearsing it for a straight two weeks, I thought you'd be thrilled."

"Oh, believe me I want to do it, it's just...now, with Tsukune going through all these troubles, I think it would be in bad taste."

"Honey, bad taste is allowing your special guy to slip right through your fingers again just because you want to play it safe. Sometimes, to get what you want, you have to go out and get it, don't wait for that something or someone to come to you. Show him you're on his side, he'll learn to appreciate it."

"Okay," Kurumu replied, as a wry smile slowly began to appear on her face, one that let Caro know that she was indeed her mother's daughter, "he's really going to love it, and I'll be careful. God, I still can't believe he's here; I'm going to give him a night he'll never forget!"

While Tsukune waited, which felt like forever as being the star attraction, Kurumu needed to make sure she looked her best, he spent his time at the bar drowning his sorrows in cherry coke instead of a much more desirable beer and mulling over what he should do with her. He hadn't seen her in years and his sole reason for coming out here was to spend some intimate time with her, as well as hoping seeing an old friend would ease everything, but there was also the added need to move on with another woman, the main condition behind this separation procedure laid down by Issa Shuzen, and undoubtedly the main reason Caro moved mountains to have him brought here. That hadn't been lost on him, as Tsukune knew Caro was just as opportunistic as Ria, although Ms. Shade was the lesser evil. However, could he really do it with Kurumu, a girl who was always pretty to him, but was nothing more than a friend. Unlike Gin or any other guy at this dive, it was hard for Tsukune to simply make out with any random girl he didn't feel as much as he had with Moka.

"Moka," he muttered, the mere thought of her, however little, had now become a painful one, a pain that showed no signs of lessening in degree.

"You okay, buddy?" The bartender asked, noticing how glum he looked.

"You have anything a little stronger than coke?" He asked.

"Sorry, boss's orders; said this was all I could give ya. I guess she was worried on the liquor expenses, cause coke is about as far as she'll go on her hospitality."

"Well, how about this?" He asked, fishing into his pocket and slapping his two, expensive wedding rings on the counter in which the bartender couldn't help, but whistle at their opulence. "Use these as collateral; they should fetch for something expensive."

The bartender picks one up and painfully scrutinizes it like it was a gold nugget, and Tsukune could see by the mounting excitement in his eye, that he was sold on the offer. However, he looks up behind Tsukune and quickly hands the item back.

"Uhh, yeah I can't take this," he tells him.

"Why not?" Tsukune asked. "They're not fake, these are genuine, they're good!"

"Yes, but you're not," Caro said, stepping up from behind him to spoil his transaction; Tsukune was less than thrilled.

"Why?" He asked. "I only want a beer."

"I got this," she tells the bartender and gestures for him to give them some privacy, which he complies.

"Mind if I sit down?" She asks, but sits down next to him anyway without waiting for a reply, slowly sitting her plump rear and crossing her legs in such a way that her tight, short skirt flaggerantly revealing more than he wanted to see. "Hon, I don't want you hocking your pricey jewelry just so you can drink yourself to death; I've seen it happen to many a guy, and I don't want that to happen to my Mumu's guy."

"Is that why you have me on soft drinks instead of the hard stuff? I'm insulted."

"Tsukune, believe it or not, but I'm looking out for you," she said, gently stroking his inner thigh in as loving a manner as the gesture would suggest. "Someone has to, especially now."

"You're too kind," he muttered and removed her hand, but her smile showed she was undaunted.

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? Heard yourself talk, lately? You haven't even tried to enjoy yourself since coming here. Did you know when you left, mumu asked what was wrong with you, because you were far different than she remembered. You allowed that..._girl_ you foolishly married to turn you into something you're not, now is that fair for my niece? If you really care for her or feel guilty for what happened to her, then how about you make it up by trying to be more your old self again, for her, hmm?"

He had to consider someone else's benefit, yet again. It was a morose feeling, one he would've done readily in the far, distant past, but lately it had become a terrible feeling, made worse by these recent events as the very reality sunk in and he knew nothing good would come from it; Moka reminded him of that. She reminded him that no good deed is ever rewarded, that regardless of how hard you try at something, someone will always downplay your good intentions as mere nothing, that you were far from anything, but.

"Make it up to her," he echoed, and looked at his drink with a frank smile. "Why not? It's what I do for my friends."

"Good to hear," she said, placing her hand once again upon his thigh and patting it dangerously close to his crotch area.

He want to say something about it, to express his anger at her consistent foreplay with him, but tried to keep himself under control. Fortunately, he didn't have to say anything, as Kurumu was about to take the stage.

"Look, her number's coming up," she tells him as a hush comes over the crowd and the lights dimmed, the center stage dazzling with dancing neon lights.

"LADIES...!" A voice yelled over the microphone, "oh, who am I kidding, GENTLEMEN AND PIGS ALIKE...!"

The audience laughed as the announcer continued:

"Now for the main attraction you've all been waiting for, and have all ditched your wives and girlfriends for, all the way from far off Japan, give it up for the sultry, the juicy, the oh-so delectable, TSUKIE'S DELIGHT!"

Tsukune nearly gagged on his drink when he heard the name mentioned.

_She used my name for a stage name? _He wondered.

The spot lights trained on the curtains, where out appeared a single, shapely leg with black knee socks and dress shoes, quickly followed by a girl with pink hair, dressed in only a satin robe. She tiptoed across the stage like a sly, yet timid schoolgirl, afraid to show off her body for the everyone else, which enticed many of her fans. If he didn't know it was Kurumu, though Tsukune could've sworn it was Moka or someone mocking him by pretending to be her. But, Kurumu wouldn't do a thing like that, how would she when she was in the dark about the divorce. Tsukune realized he was jumping to conclusions, rationalizing that it was normal for strippers to disguise themselves with wigs and that the lighting, and his own warped mind merely made him see the hated Moka Akashiya where she wasn't. But then, Kurumu throws off the robe and reveals the familiar green blazer and short skirt uniform of Yokai academy, an outfit that he knew she never wore and yet filled out nicely enough to drive the men wild, yet was unmistakable as being Moka Akashiya Kurumu was disguised as; this was her intention. Kurumu was mocking Moka by dressing up as her and doing a striptease act.

"I know you're going to love this!" Caro said to him while looking at the stage. "It was her idea, been practicing it for weeks now, her way of showing how much she appreciated Moka's 'heroic' deeds for her; we figured you'd appreciate it!"

But, as Caro looks over at Tsukune, expecting to see a pleased look on his face, she only saw a shock and unnerved one. First came the shoes, then the black knee socks, one by one, which she tossed to the excited audience, then the jacket which flew after a simple twirl. Then, after a dance about the pole, which culminated in an upside down pivot that displayed in full view lily white panties, which were always Moka's choice, she begins to slowly unbutton her dress shirt and tossed it too into the crowd, having stripped down to just a skirt and bra; for Tsukune it was like watching her flaunt their marriage in his face all over again.

He half expected her to remove her bra in that order or at least take off the skirt, but instead Kurumu goes right for the panties, removing them in as seductive a manner as he had ever seen any woman do, and eyeing him in the audience, she aims them on her finger and shoots it across the room, landing on his face with pin point accuracy.

"Awww, lucky!" A guy yelled.

They were warm and smelled, smelled of _her_, who was smiling at him as if she had bestowed a present, all the while entertaining horny men all around the instant she turns her back on him; it was more than his body could take.

"Tsukune!" Caro called after him, as he ran through the crowd, its hoots and hollers as Kurumu carried on her unintentionally crass charade and wowing them further by unveiling her tits. The smells, the sights and sounds, he didn't care about any of it, all that mattered was looking for any place to hide.

Tsukune bursts into a restroom, he didn't care which, lurches over a sink, his hands gripping so hard on its porcelain surface they very nearly cracked it, while every inch of him shook violently from some rising discomfort within.

"_Oh god help me_," Tsukune muttered in desperation as the very room itself shook uncontrollably, he felt like his own body was losing control of itself, it scared him. What was happening to him, he didn't know. Seeing Kurumu on stage as Moka or seeing Moka herself, being the way she is, the way she always was behind his back, so free to act as horrid as ever like he was a fool, as though he was the bad guy who deserved being hurt this way, hurt him more than he was willing to admit to himself.

"Why...?" He asked underneath his breath, his rage building, but trying with all his might to keep it subdued where it belongs; he kept reminding himself that this was not him.

Believing to have calmed down enough, he looks at himself in the mirror and sees how frazzled and dazed his appearance had become, so in trying to wipe the sweat off his face, Tsukune sees that he was still clutching onto Kurumu's panties; they looked so much like the kind Moka where's.

_She took them off, she took them off, _was what he thought, recalling the image of his blushing bride, of sweat, loving Moka stripped naked for Gin, presented in all her nude glory like a trussed up piece of meat.

"...Tsukune," he heard her voice calling faintly, and felt her soft hands gingerly touch him.

Like an electric shock he reacted so violently to her touch, that his back handed fists wound up punching across Caro's bulbous chest, once again causing them to collide against each other like a pair of balloons.

"...Really," she said to him, "I'm flattered you can't keep your hands off of me, but if you're going to expect me to betray my mumu's trust by shagging up with her Destined One, first, then I'd rather it not be in the Ladies Restroom."

Back to his senses, he looks around sees it was in all appearances a women's bathroom.

"But, even so, that doesn't make it okay to damage my establishment," she adds.

He glances over to where she was pointing and notices fractures in the sink he was just not too long ago gripping on.

"I...I'm sorry," he stammered, his face like one in a daze.

"Might I ask how you're doing? Getting hot and bothered, are we?"

"What?" He responds.

"You ran out of there like a bat out of hell! Then, when I went after you, I find you staring at the mirror and those panties like you were about to lose it; you didn't hear me calling you?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, I guess I'm...I don't know."

"Look, hon, I know Kurumu's act was a bit...too soon, but we really did have the best intentions put into it. The last thing we need is to see you going crazy."

"...Just leave me alone, okay?" He muttered, trying his best to keep it together.

"Tsukune," she responded as if scolding a petulant child.

"I'll be okay, you have my word I won't lose it...I'll try to keep it together, for Kurumu's sake."

"...Well, alright. You gonna continue using the restroom in here or are you done?"

Tsukune looks about, remembering where he is and thought going back out to enjoy the show, much to his displeasure, was perhaps the better choice to make.

"C'mon," she said, taking his hand, more forcefully and encouraging a manner than he would've liked, and dragging him back to the bar. "I'll even hold your hands through the whole thing, sugar. Better yet, how about I sit on them and keep 'em warm, huh? Hahahahahaha!"

The laughter, _her _laughter, directed at him; what did it mean about him? That he was a fool for believing in true love or how arrogant it was to assume his good deeds would always yield good results? What was he, the butt of everyone's joke or just a pawn? It was all he could think about while Kurumu danced for his pleasure; perhaps he should be more attentive of her, but then again some darker part of Tsukune made him feel like his only purpose living was for other's benefit.

_I...I can't think like that!_ He thought angrily. _It...It isn't Kurumu's fault this happened! I'm to blame! It's all me!_

But, something argued against him, stoking the fires of his rage and wanting to blame everyone and everything for his misery; he felt as though he was going insane!

Hauled back out to the floor, Caro positioned him right up to the stage where Kurumu had succeeded in removing her bra and was pole dancing with nothing, but a skirt on, doing moves that intentionally gave the crowd an up skirt view of a perfectly smooth, pink vagina. The men were going wild, tossing up dollar bills on the stage and eager to place them inside her skirt. Then, to really give them what they want, she dances off stage and starts strutting about the excited crowd before finally making her way to Tsukune. She could see him sweating as he looked up at her while performing a lap dance, which excited her thinking he was captivated by the performance and proceeds to bob and move her pink, hardened nipples just inches from his face. However, the sweat was cold as he struggled to hold it together; there she was, "Moka" topless, half naked, dancing her feminine parts that she used as a tool to hurt him, moving up and down his body to simulate oral sex, and the crowd of horny men going wild, wild...for _her_. For this ordeal, from the start of her performance to its conclusion, he secretly prayed that it would end.

"So, what did you think?" Kurumu asked him upon giving him a big, affectionate hug.

"Huh?" He responded, his mind just now returning back to earth. Her dance routine was finished and all around them the place was beginning to wind down; she now stood before him, sweaty and tired, pressing her warm, wet body against him in a tight embrace. "Uh, you were great!"

"Really? So, you thought I was I hot up there? Did I blow your mind with how screwed over Moka?"

"...You...?"

"Oh, Caro told me you two were having some...problems; I'm so sorry!"

"And, how much did she say?" He asked with some foreboding, greatly upset that Caro would go and betray him like this.

"Not much, just that your relationship was on the rocks; she figured it would be best not to bother you. But, I understand how you feel."

"You do?"

"Yes and let me say you're better off without her. I know how much she can hurt you; believe me, I do."

"Kurumu," he said, seeing the look of hurt and anger in her pink eyes, knowing full well she must feel the way he does.

"Lets forget about that," she said, quickly putting on a big smile. "You're here, I'm here, we can get caught up without any interruption! Say, where are you staying?"

"Staying?" He asked, not having thought about that since disembarking. "I don't..."

"Aunt Caro!" Kurumu yelled. "Is Tsukune staying with you?"

"Why no!" She called back from the bar. "We haven't really decided on where he would be staying; I guess we'll have to work it out!"

"It's okay, really," he tries to explain, "I'm sure I can afford a motel somewhere."

"Nonsense, you can room with me," Kurumu suggested.

"I couldn't."

"I insist, unless...unless you don't really want to spend any time with me," Kurumu said, putting on a maudlin act. "I guess I understand, considering after all I did."

Looking into her sad eyes and feeling a pang of guilt he didn't need to feel more of that night, instead wanting to be alone with his misery, a weakened Tsukune caves in.

"...Okay, I'll stay with you."

"Yahooo!" Kurumu cried, hugging him again. "Did you hear that, Caro?"

"Alright you kids, that's fine with me! Just make sure Tsukune is a perfect gentleman, unlike the last guy you were with!"

"Last guy?" He asked.

"Don't mind her, she's joking; right, aunt Caro?" She asked, eyeing her aunt with a most fierce gaze. "Just let me get my things and we'll go!"

Being left in her dust, waiting to go spend his first night as a bona fide bachelor with the girl who had the hots for him in school, Tsukune couldn't help but feel this was well orchestrated by Caro and Ageha. It didn't help; everything was moving too fast for him, and ever since Moka brought Gin over, his mind and soul had yet to fully keep up. He had no plan, motivation, or even desire for anything at all, but it felt like only he was aware of this. Sex was the furthest from his mind, let alone thinking about getting into another marriage so soon, and he wasn't sure what would happen after a night alone with Kurumu.

Was this a good move; was any of this even good for him?

The night felt old and worn out by the time he left the club, and yet this new world around him still seemed alive. Fortunately, they didn't need to drive as Kurumu's place, a fancy resort hotel was within walking distance and the entire time they walked she continued talking excitedly, making it painfully clear that she was happy in having him over, chatting away even after ascending some steps and jostling with the key to her pad, which graciously offers him into the place he'll be staying for the week this arraignment was to carry on.

"Well, here it is," she said, with less fanfare. "It's not much, huh?"

He couldn't say anything negative about it, as while the place was a modest one bedroom, completely airy and well furnished domicile, it was still a far cry from his apartment with Moka.

"No, it's real nice," he said.

"You think so?"

"Yeah; I don't see anything wrong with it."

"I'm glad you think so," she said, shutting the door behind him and closing the curtains, leaving him feeling more uncomfortable. "Usually this place is a mess and I can never find the time to clean it. Well, just put your things where ever, it's no big."

"Uh, you sure about that?"

"Yeah, I don't care. To be perfectly honest, I've been saving up so I can find myself an apartment; I hate this place. Please, make yourself at home and I'll go freshen up!"

Kurumu heads to the bathroom, while Tsukune reopens the curtains, not wanting to create an atmosphere where they would feel intimate.

"Did you want to get a bath?" She asked.

"WHAT?" He responded, nearly excited and livid that she would suggest what he was thinking of.

"I said, did you want to get your bath first, silly? I'll draw you a bath, if you'd like?"

"Oh, oh-oh, no you go ahead, I'll just watch some TV."

"Okay. You seem jumpy for some reason, you okay?"

"Yeah, it's...been a long day."

"I bet it has, flying all the way from home and...How are things back there?" She asked with a forlorn tone in her voice.

"...The same as usual," he lied, sadly.

"That's good."

He turns on her flat screen, HD TV, flipping through the channels with the remote, becoming quickly impressed with its varied selections, but uninterested in watching anything, simply aimlessly flipping channels instead. In the bathroom, he could hear her changing clothes even with the door clothes, and his mind couldn't help, but wonder what she was planning, what Kurumu had in mind for the two of them tonight.

"Oh, you should've seen the cash I raked in today!" She yells delightedly. "They really loved me! Did...did you love me?"

"Yeah, you were great."

"I'm glad. Hey, while you here, you have got to let me show you the strip; the gambling places spectacular and real easy to fleece, Caro taught me all the tricks, you and me can bring in a cool million."

"That sounds great!"

"Or...," she adds, sticking her head out the door, "we could...just see a show, together. I mean, if you like?"

"...Um, sure. Yeah, I can...I can totally go for that."

"Great! Then it's a date!"

"Sure is," he happily agrees, but just for show.

He should feel pleased by all of this, lucky that Kurumu was willing to make this easy for him in getting over Moka, and besides she had just proven herself to be a more devoted woman than she was; at the very least he would not feel alone forever. And yet, there was no enthusiasm going on within him, as solitude seemed more and more inviting, while an inner anger continued to eat away. Tsukune could only think about yesterday, could only focus on five nights ago when this whole nightmare started, thinking of how selfish and unfair Moka had been, and how she would dare blame him for everything.

"It isn't my fault!" He said aloud.

"Did you say something, Tsukune?" Kurumu asked.

"Uhh."

"Did you say, it's not your fault?"

Before he could answer, thankfully a knock came at the right moment, albeit an angry knock followed by an irate man calling for Kurumu from the other side.

"Delight!" The man cried. "Hey, I know you're in there, bitch!"

"Kurumu, who's that?" Tsukune asked, but there was only silence from the bathroom, as if she was secretly hiding from both him and the angered stranger who was apparently familiar with her. "Kurumu?"

"I hear you in there, I know you got someone with you; open this door bitch or I'm busting it down!" The man threatened. "On the count of three. One..."

Before he could say two, Tsukune wanted to open the door and confront this prick of a man before he had to listen to him attempt to break the door, but Kurumu jumped out the bathroom, half naked and cried:

"No, don't open that!"

"Why?" He asked, hand already on the knob. "Is this guy bothering you?"

"No...It's complicated, just..."

BANG!

"You've got to be kidding me," Tsukune muttered to himself in disbelief that this guy was literally going to break down the door.

"Please, just leave it," she begged him. "I'll call Caro and she'll send some of the boys from the club to deal with him!"

BANG!

"Look, I'm going to deal with this guy before he does break down the door," Tsukune says.

"NO DON'T...!" She cried, but it was already too late; Tsukune angrily thrusts open the door and was confronted by a similarly tall man in a light, cream colored suit, slick backed brown hair, and piercing blue eyes that stared daggers at him as he instantly begins sizing him up, quickly scoffing at him in mere disgust.

"I had to see it to believe it," the man said with a dry chuckle. "Your whore mother and aunt team told me you had moved on with a hot, Brazilian model for a boyfriend, but this guy...sheesh, you could've done better, babe!"

"Get the fuck out of here, mutherfucker!" Kurumu yelled. "I don't want you here!"

"Who the hell is he, bitch?" The man asked.

"None of your business, now get out!"

"Excuse me, you mind telling me who the hell are you?" Tsukune asked, standing defiantly in his way.

"Who the hell am I! _Who the hell am I_! Who the hell am I? Delight, baby, do you believe this bitch, here?"

Tsukune wanted to hit him, when Kurumu gently moved him out of the way and confronted this person herself.

"Look, Trevor, this is my friend, Tsukune, and he's going to be staying with me for a long time, okay?" She asked, with Tsukune noticing a hint of heightened tension in her normally placid tone of voice. "Now please, leave or...!"

"Or what?" Trevor asked, menacingly challenging her with so much audacity and disrespect.

"Or, I'm going to _fucking _disembowel you on the spot if you don't get out of my god dammed space!"

"He-he-he, babe what I wouldn't give to have you do that to me; I knew you could please a guy in the sack. And, as for Sookie-Nay, or whoever, I don't really care who the fuck this cunt is, he ain't getting in my way! You think you can start seeing other people behind my back, make a fool of me, and I won't find out!"

"...Kurumu?" Tsukune asked, disturbed to hear this man rant on about one of his friends.

"It's...it's not what you think," she tries to explain.

"Kurumu? Her name's Delight Mr. Chicken Shit! I don't know who you are, and I don't give a damn, but since you're new to the neighborhood then a word of advice: stay out of my way! You're dealing with Trevor Winstead; heir to the Winstead family fortune of casinos and nightclubs that line up and down here, I fucking own this town and you're currently getting cozy with my property, Tsukie!"

"_Listen, you ass_!" Kurumu screeched in such a distraught manner that it seemed so uncharacteristic of her. "I am not your fucking property, okay? You've treated me like I was shit ever since you first set eyes on me, but you don't know when to take no for an answer, honey! So, let me put it in tones that you understand: I don't date bitch-ass little boys like you, not now, not ever, okay? Come back when you've had surgery to make your cock ten times larger than what it already is."

"You think you can talk to me that way?" Trevor asked, becoming dangerously worked up.

"Uhh, I think I just did," Kurumu replied.

"You are property, do you understand what that means? I fucking OWN you, I own you and every hoe in that shitty palace of yours and I DEMAND you show me respect before I put my steel toed boot to those fun boats of yours!"

"You wouldn't?" She asked, getting defensive.

"You don't think I would? You don't think I haven't had to put a bitch in her place?"

"Don't you dare come in here and touch me!"

"Oh yeah?"

He raises his right leg and prepares to kick her when Tsukune steps between them.

"Oh hell no!" Trevor yelled. "You want some of this too, tough guy? Because, I _will_ fuck you up!"

"Get out of here," Tsukune threatened menacingly, his gaze upon the man unflinching, and his anger being barely contained from within, especially after that "put you in your place" remark.

"Tsukune," Kurumu whispered. "Tsukune, its alright, he's..."

"I can't standby anymore," Tsukune replied, more to himself than to Kurumu, whom to her sounded like he locked in some trance. "I can't, I can't standby anymore. I've heard...and seen all I can take! Leave Trevor, now or..."

"Or-or-or what? What are you going to do, stare at me to death!"

Tsukune's hands, balled into fists, shook while his breathing heavy with sweat pouring, and if he wasn't trying with every ounce of his psyche to control himself, he'd have murdered Trevor on the spot in the most monstrous way imaginable.

"Back off!" Tsukune warned. "Kurumu isn't your property, just back off!"

"That's where you're wrong," Trevor argued, "because, the way I see it, she _is _my property, like everything and everyone in this town is my property, and I see you banging her without _my_ permission what am I supposed to think, friend? Some out of town punk ass bitch, shagging up with my hoe..."

Tsukune grabs him by his collar and brings him closer to his face in a show of intimidation.

"What?" Trevor threatened. "You wanna go? You don't think I can't beat your ass down! I have _killed_ men who would _dare_ touch me! So go ahead, do something! Because I'm ready, bitch! And when I'm done with you, I'm going after jugs over there and reassurt my authori..."

Tsukune angrily throws him back and Trevor immediately reacts with a punch, but his fist was caught in mid-air with a lightning fast catch by Tsukune's palm.

This guy, with his smug demeanor and blatant disrespect of women reminded him of Gin, the smut obsessed pervert who was the so-called enemy of women everywhere, and yet the one man his wife had chosen to humiliate him with, chose to love her the way she wanted, the one she loudly proclaimed was a far better lover than. However, it wasn't until Trevor had mentioned putting Kurumu in her place, of his crass analogy of her as nothing more than a lifeless object to have sex with whenever the mood suited him, to use only to be tossed aside with all the apathy of throwing out a paper cup, utterly devoid of any love or emotional need that this Trevor soon reminded Tsukune of someone else, someone worse than Gin, and with his anger boiling over, began to squeeze hard.

"Aaaah!" Trevor screamed as Tsukune cracked his knuckles underneath iron fingertips. "Aaaaaah-AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"TSUKUNE!" Kurumu screamed, trying to get him to release the guy, but his hands felt like a steel trap. "TSUKUNE! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HIM!"

At last he finally snaps to and releases Trevor, who cradled his wounded hand and wept like a wounded dog.

"My hand," he muttered. "What the hell HAVE YOU DONE TO MY HAND!?"

"Wha-I...?" Tsukune stammered, slowly realizing that he had done something terrible.

"YOU FREAK! YOU GODDAMNED FREAK, I'LL CALL THE POLICE AND HAVE YOU ARRESTED!"

"You do that!" Kurumu retaliated. "You go ahead and do that, bitch and I tell them what happened, tell them you started this fight by threatening to attack me in my own home, you son of a bitch!"

"This isn't over!" He threatened, retreating for now.

"Don't ever let me catch your bitch-ass around me again or _I'll_ break something else of yours, motherfucker!" Kurumu threatened in kind. "You don't own the police anyway, so go ahead and call him, bitch!"

"That's where you're wrong, because I do own the cops, babe and they're coming here and throw that muscle-bound freak in the SLAMMER! And you, and that slut bag of a aunt are both FIRED!"

"YOU DON'T OWN OUR PLACE, DOUCHEBAG!"

SLAM went door, that the whole hotel could hear, if not the altercation itself.

With Trevor gone and the two of them alone again, Kurumu checks Tsukune over, worried if he was okay, but more concerned by his sudden flash of violence. In all the years she'd known him, she knew Tsukune would occasionally give into violence if only in defense of her and the other girls, and there were times where the vampire blood Moka gave him would result in more ghoulish behavior. But, tonight there was a cold, and sickeningly intelligent rage that came over him, as though there was someone he badly wanted to inflict pain upon besides Trevor.

"Tsukune," she whispered, looking up into his eyes with concern, "are you okay? You seemed..."

"Who was that?" He asked heatedly.

"Him? That was just..."

"Don't lie to me!"

"Lie to you?"

"Are you cheating behind his back? Is that why he was pissed off, you're using me, aren't you?"

"Is...is that what you think of me?" She asked, visibly hurt.

"I don't know anymore, I don't know anyone I used to know anymore! You know what, coming here was a mistake; I should've..."

"No!" She almost yelled, barring him from walking out the door.

"What are you...?" He asked, stunned that she would stop him so forcefully.

"Look, the truth is we're not dating, we were never dating! Trevor is a douchebag, cunt licker! His dad gave my aunt the loan and sold her the property to her club, and as a result he comes by and bangs all the girls here, except me. There is no Brazilian guy, my mom made him up so Trevor would quit stalking me, but the guy won't take no for an answer. I should have told you, but I didn't, because...there's a lot about me...in these past four years that...that...I thought you'd be ashamed of me, I thought you'd think I was some..."

Kurumu started to breakdown, and feeling some guilt Tsukune tried to comfort her, but the blue haired girl stopped him and straightened herself up, wanting instead to be honest with him rather than have him think she was putting on some act.

"I didn't mean what I said," he says to her. "I don't know what came over me, and seeing as how I dumped you for...you have every right to find happiness with someone else, I shouldn't judge you the way I did. I hurt you, you should be the one mad at me, not the other way around."

"Mad at you?" She asked with genuine confusion. "I'm not mad; yeah I was hurt you chose Moka over me, but I kinda understood your feelings for her. Look, you're right, there is a lot you probably don't know, and one day I hope to tell you all of it. But, as of right now, you're here with me, after all this time, and you have no idea how happy I am. You being here has given me a new reason to live, I hope you know that."

"...Yeah," he said, his heart heavy, yet somewhat relieved for her, "I'm glad for you...I'm glad you're...happy."

She slowly sits on the bed, heart heavy and eyes showing a deep shame that she tried so hard to hide from him, and even herself, and yet no longer.

"Tsukune," she says, heavily. "What you saw today, I mean...I don't just mean now, I meant everything; the dancing, the bilking people out of their money, all of this, it..."

"Kurumu," he says quietly, sitting down next to her and trying his best to be supportive.

"This isn't me, you know that, right?"

"Of course I do."

"This was my aunt's idea, to come live with her and work the trade, to use my succubus talent, to use the goodies, the looks, the everything about me that makes our species what it is! Oh, these last four years have been hell; oh, you have no idea some of the things I've had to do..."

Kurumu buries her face in her hands, trying to hold back the tears, but in vain as the years finally caught up to her.

"..._I hate it!" _She wept. "This is not the kind of life I wanted. I'm sorry you had to see me like this, I really am, it's just that..."

Tsukune knew he had to say something, and at one time, long ago it seemed he would have said something encouraging and uplifting, to put his buxom, yet tormented friend at ease; effectively, rendering his own concerns insignificant. Now, after everything that has happened to him, his whole outlook changed perhaps forever, there was no amount of courageous altruism he could muster up nor any amount of lying to both her and himself to remedy this situation; nevertheless, Tsukune had to say something.

"You are a good person, Kurumu," he finally tells her, grabbing her attention. "You know you're a good person and that all you've done were good deeds. You sacrifice everything for other people, you work hard to accomplish so much honestly, you try to do right by others...you deserve so much more than this. But...all you get is this, all you get for your troubles, for your...selfless actions is this! Because, you made the wrong choices in life, because you made one or two mistakes, because you're far from perfect or whatever people say and now, now you're the one to blame for everything that goes wrong, you're the bad guy of the story, while the real bad guys like Trevor or...whoever, they get what they want, they get everything good and right handed to them while you, and me, we're the ones who get punished for it."

"Tsukune?"

"You are a good person, and what happened to you isn't fair; you know it, I know it, but does anyone else? Hmph, no. We're expected, no literally told to our faces that we have to toughen up, stop whining, that's how the world works and we gotta dance on cue when everyone else wants you to, as if your pain means nothing to them. It's funny how you were willing to die for others, but no one would give you one ounce of respect. I know this isn't how you act Kurumu, I know. But...it can't be helped, this is the hand fate dealt you with I guess that's what I'm saying; I don't know, but...there's nothing you can do about it."

"Tsukune," she said, gently stroking his cheek. "...I've never known you to be so deep."

"Sorry, I..."

"No, it's okay. Thanks for listening, though; you are right, it isn't fair, none of it. Sometimes, I feel Caro and my mom don't even understand how miserable I am, and even if they do, they're too out of touch with reality to care. But, you're the first person I've ever really talked to in a long time and...I appreciate it."

He smiles, but wasn't really happy; regardless, Kurumu rests her head tenderly upon his shoulder, feeling emotionally safe and comforted for the first time in a long time.

Later that night they slept in the same bed together, much to Tsukune's regret; but, then again he begrudgingly rationalized that he had to make Kurumu happy, as well as acquaint himself for life being married to another woman. He hadn't bathe since the night before, and even though she wanted badly to at least have him use her tub if bathing together was out of the question, but insisted on being fine without it and retired when she did. They talked a little bit more about mundane matters, but Tsukune's heart just wasn't into it and eventually he curled on his side, his back to her and feigned sleep for awhile as he reflected on things. In time sleep did come to his troubled mind, but not to Kurumu.

She couldn't forget what Tsukune said to her about getting what you deserved, and she felt just as bitter at the hand dealt to her by fate. Seeing Tsukune lying next to her, so close and without any attachments in the way, Kurumu decided to take her own fate in hand and get the reward that had been denied. Every bit as wily as her aunt and mother, she too had feigned sleep and true to her nature as a succubus, sensed when her prey was fast asleep before moving in. She undid her hair, undressed and stood before his sleeping form in all her nude glory, a perfect, supple young figure ready to straddle this weary traveler, a man who had plagued this succubus' dreams for so long. She knew Caro had warned her to take it easy with him, that this unknown situation with Moka was still bothering him, but she couldn't help it what with Moka in doubt; the timing was just too perfect. No more Moka or Mizore, nor even that bothersome witch, Yukari interfering, it was just him and her now, and as she straddled his curled form, her devilish tail flicking loose and excitedly from behind as naughty desires created an orgasmic delight, Kurumu knew that this could only be the beginning for the two of them.

"Tsukune," she whispered tenderly, kissing him and smelling him, her excitement building.

His eyes sleepily opened, but with her powers she had him locked in a dreamlike state while she began to unbutton his shirt. In his dream, what he saw wasn't Kurumu, lips kissing his body, large naked breasts pressing up against him and dangling just inches from his face, instead he was surprised to find a pink haired woman whose nude breasts, while nowhere near as close to Kurumu's, were still a most pleasant sight to greet him, as well as her charming, rosy smile.

"Mo-Moka?" He asked, curious to find her straddling him, naked.

"Tsukune," her light, tinkling voice responded, as it always had before.

She smiled down at him and he, like always, smiled back at her. He was just glad to see her again after what felt like such a long time, never questioning why or what happened to begin with. To him it felt like just another day with the two of them together; the atmosphere felt warm, humid even, no doubt from her bare body as he thought she must be excited to be so close to him. He looked up at her rosary seal, wondering if her other personality would dare approve of this, but also wondering if she did, would she be the one on top or just merely rape him in his sleep.

"Hey," he said with a smile, gingerly flicking the rosary that nestled in-between her perky breasts.

"Tsukune," Moka giggled.

"Moka," he replied.

"Tsukune...You're so pathetic," she said, giggling.

"W-What?" He asked, confused at first by the remark, and suddenly he realized she had one of his arms pinned underneath her knee. "Moka, what's going..."

"What's going is that I'm tired of having to deal with you," she said in the most cruel voice he had ever heard. "You're so pathetic; all I asked was for you to do one simple thing and you wouldn't even do it. Didn't you know how I felt about humans? Didn't you see what they did to me, and you still wanted to subject our children to all of that? Do you think I enjoy always putting you in your place; this is your fault, you made me do this."

Just then, his dream atmosphere changed as he instantly recognized this room as being their bedroom from their old apartment. The door opens and in steps Gin, naked and sauntering over to where they lay.

"Hey, old buddy," he cheerfully greets.

"What are you doing?" Tsukune asked, his adrenaline racing and trying to free himself, but Moka wouldn't let him as though her whole body weighed over a ton and then proceeds to pin his other arm when tried to lift her up. "I...Moka, what are you doing?"

"Oh no, you're not leaving this time!" She said mockingly, her gaze upon him one of spite and superiority. "This time, I'm giving you a front row seat of what YOU allowed, isn't that right Gin?"

"That's right," he said, grinning like a sick animal as he crawled onto bed next to her. "How do you want to do this?"

"Moka," Tsukune pleaded, finding it strangely difficult to lift her off of him and feeling trapped in bed. "Don't...Don't do this! Don't do this!"

"You know how I want it," she said to Gin, then turning back to Tsukune with the most evil grin he'd ever seen. "Lets make him watch, shall we?"

"Really man, you're going to let the most beautiful, most sexy _and_ morally right woman like her go?" Gin asked. "Oh well, open up babe, lets give hubby a show!"

He stood up in bed so that his dick was in her face and she thus proceeds to blow him, all while Tsukune is left trapped in bed, forced to watch. Tsukune wanted to close his eyes, shut himself away from this ugly world, but he couldn't; for some reason his eyes refused to close. He still hoped that she would stop this, that at the last second she would let him go and tell Gin to take a hike, but Tsukune continued to watch the love of his life, the woman he gave everything for, even his own humanity slowly suck on Gin's dick and appear to enjoy it. His groans and gasps were soft, full of a relaxed pleasure, while her muffled moans invaded every orifice of Tsukune's body, his very mind wracked with a mounting insanity of being forced to what felt like hours of watching all of this and not do anything to at least escape.

"Moka!" He pleaded. "Stop! Stop this! Pleeeeeeeasee!"

Gin ejaculated into her mouth, and Tsukune saw her happily lap up the white liquid around her mouth like some child licking up ice cream.

"Moka!" He screamed, and then she lifted her knees off his arms, only to grab hold of them and brought them over his head, pinning them with her vampire strength as she hovered just inches from his head, semen still smeared on those once precious, delicate lips.

"Tsukune, don't call me Moka, fool!" She said, her voice changing and becoming more sultry. "Don't talk to me like I'm yours, I was never yours, you're mine to do as I will and you're going to shut up and enjoy every minute of this for being so stubborn! Ready Gin?"

"Hell yeah!" He replied and proceeded to hump her, doggy style.

"Damn you...Moka," Tsukune whispered.

"Oh yes," she moaned, her foul smelling breath enveloping Tsukune's nostrils, as he felt her tits brushing up against him as they bobbed up and down from Gin's rough, and aggressive pushing. What made it worse was that it looked like she was in heaven, enjoying all of it without any care in the world. "Fuck me Gin, harder, faster, FASTER! YES! YES!"

In his agony, helpless to end this nightmare, to get away from this place and his beloved wife, he soon saw her "gentle" pink haired countenance eventually morph into that of her silvery haired, red eyed form, whose smile upon him, and her orgasmic, painfully delighted moans soon giving way into a cocky laugh, the laugh of some demon from hell there to torment him, so self-righteous and mocking as to render all his hopes into lies, his genuine love just a mere plaything for this creature to dangle in front of after all these years only to finally yank it away to reveal it had all been a prank; something snapped. Soon, life began to return to his arms, life that came in the form of some violent, electrical energy rising from his rapidly beating heart which catapulted them free as his whole being morphed into something monstrous, something so bestial that it shocked even her and Gin, and immediately "Tsukune" sought the one person who deserved to have all this animalistic rage and wanted violence on, but it wasn't Gin.

"DAMN YOU MOKAAAAAA!" He screamed, his voice unlike anything that has ever escaped his mouth, his hair turned white, skin a dark, demonic color, and eyes glowing red Tsukune unleashes every power in his inhuman body he could muster and punches her off him so hard she sails through the air and smashes against the wall; but, he wasn't done.

Jumping off the bed, leaving a stunned and frightened Gin watching, Tsukune went for the kill, ramming into her limp form with broad shoulders, pressing an indentation in the wall as the very air come flying out her mouth along with a splatter of blood, a sound that brought him great joy.

"Oooooooofff!" She gasped.

He then yanked her up with a single hand and rained down bone shattering punches on her pretty face with the other, all the while screaming:

"DAMN YOU MOKA! I GAVE EVERYTHING TO YOU! I DID EVERYTHING FOR YOU! WHY! WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME! WHY! WHY!"

"I'M NOT MOKA!" She screamed. "I'M NOT MOKA!"

Still fully enraged, still not satisfied with all he'd done and too out of control to care about anything, as her once impressive body now felt so tiny, frail, and pathetic, making him wonder why he ever though it was something, Tsukune claps both his fists and brings them down so hard upon her shoulder blade that there came a bone shattering snap that thrilled him, and then he literally throws Moka in the air and starts slamming her tiny form against the wall, the very force of his blows shuddering the entire room, all the while the demon continued screaming:

"I'M NOT MOKA, I'M NOT MOKA, I'M NOT MOKA! TSUKUNE, TSUKUNEEEE, STOP, PLEASE STOP!"

Suddenly, it was as if being snapped out of a deep hypnosis where soon, gracefully and frighteningly soon, the evil Moka Aono soon changed yet again, but not back into her pink haired, deceptive form, but her hair instead turned blue. As Tsukune kept slamming her, his hits losing frequency, he found it odd at first that her hair would take on that color, but quickly it dawned on him that he wasn't in their apartment, nor was he beating up on Moka.

"..._Oh god_!" he gasped, the energy in his arms gone and finding himself holding a badly beaten, bloodied up girl. The room had changed back to the hotel room he was sharing with Kurumu, and he realized to his horror that this injured, frightened girl before him could be no other person.

Kurumu looked up at him, her left eye damaged, blood cascading down her entire, bloated, black and blue face and lips. The wall she had been slammed so hard in, resulting in a dislocated shoulder had a massive crack where she landed, again and again, and realizing what he'd done, releases her, whom collapses on the floor. Even his very fingers where he grabbed her left deep, bluish bruises on her trembling arms.

They locked eyes with one another, she terrified of him for the very first time, and he looking at her as if he had killed her without even knowing it. There were no words he could convey, looking at his hands and thinking, with horror what he was trying to do. He had never known to be so violent with anyone, found himself incapable of descending into such madness and throttling anyone within an inch of their life, be they his own friends or...

_What's happening to me? _He wondered out of sheer terror. _What did I do, what am I becoming?_

A knock jolted him out of his stupor and he could hear voices on the other side.

"Hey in there!" Someone shouted. "Are you okay?"

He looks one last time into Kurumu's frightened eyes, lamenting on how badly he'd inflicted damage on her, and terrified of what else his mind will get him to do, bursts out the door, past all the shocked people who hovered outside, disappearing into the night. As soon as he left, Kurumu at last began to cry uncontrollably, her sobs making impossible for her to hear anyone else talking.

"Out of my way, out of my way!" Caro yelled, pushing her way through the crowd to get into the room, where even she was shocked to find what happened. "Oh my..."

"That guy attacked her," a woman said to her. "We saw him escape, should we call..."

"Out!" She tells them. "EVERYBODY OUT! It's being handled, there's nothing to see!"

Not waiting for them to comply, Caro immediately shuts the door and is left alone to console her niece, who's naked and bruised body laid on the floor, crumpled, battered, and heaving from the deep sobs that escaped her heart.

"Mumu, " Caro gently calls to her, but the moment she reaches out to touch her, Kurmu reacts violently in a state of fear and Caro has to calm the beaten girl down. "Hey, it's okay, it's okay! Mumu, it's me, it's your aunt Caro!"

Kurumu kept screaming as Caro hugs her tightly, but finally calms down in her soothing arms, enough to be coherent of her surroundings.

"Everything is alright, darling," Caro says, gently and comforting. "No one is going to hurt you, shhh, shhhh. Now, who did this to you, was it Tsukune?"

"...He..." she stammered, trying to make sense of everything herself, to figure out what's going on before telling her or anyone anything, and yet nothing did.

"Honey," Caro said, looking her straight in the eyes with a calm, yet firm austerity. "...It was Tsukune, wasn't it?"

Kurumu didn't say anything, but the tears in her eyes, redoubling in frequency along with even more sobs at the thought of her Destined One ever hurting her, even a little bit, provided Caro with all the answers she needed.

"It's okay, dear," she said, hugging Kurumu again, clutching her against her bosom.

"I don't know what happened!" Kurumu wailed. "I don't know...He just...and..."

"I can't believe he would go off the deep end like this."

"I was so happy he was here, sleeping in my bed and I wanted to make him mine, and...I don't know what happened, I've never seen him like this! He thought I was Moka, aunt Caro! He kept screaming and attacking me, and he thought I was Moka!"

"That son of a...If I ever get my claws into him, I'll...!"

Kurumu pushes herself off of her aunt and looks her dead in the eye, knowing she's hiding something that could've at least prevented this.

"You knew?" She angrily asked. "You knew something was going on, didn't you?"

"Mumu, now isn't the time for that, right now we need to find that 'man' and..."

"What happened to him?" Kurumu asked, ignoring her aunt. "What happened between him and Moka to make him act like this, I know you know?"

"Mumu..."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! NO, YOU DON'T GET TO CALL ME MUMU EVER AGAIN!"

"Don't scream at me, you need to calm down!"

"DON'T TELL ME TO BE CALM, I WAS ATTACKED! And, please don't start acting like the surrogate mother or caring aunt you pretend to be!"

"Wha-Mu..."

"I TOLD YOU STOP CALLING ME THAT! You're not my aunt and I'm not your niece! All I and Tsukune are to you are a pair of toys for you to play with as wish, admit it!"

"Now, see here!" Caro argued, visibly offended at her niece's unwarranted accusations. "How dare you say that to me, after everything I and your mother have done to..."

"Oh, save it, the two of you haven't done anything for me, but plot and scheme as if that will help me!"

"You are going way over the line, you have no idea what your mother and me have had to sacrifice to keep you alive!"

"Oh, you mean like whoring yourselves out to Issa and Tsukune's old master?"

"How...how did you...?" Caro stammered.

"You thought I didn't know, you really think I'm stupid! Especially you, the oldest, the one who's always plotting and scheming and using your body to get what you want! I never asked you to do any of this for me, you chose to pimp your bodies out because it's all you two know how to handle your problems! Me, I chose my actions just like I chose my fate. Instead, you haul me away from home and..._here I am,_ you got me dancing at your _sick_, crappy dance club full of perverts, fighting with your slutty strippers, I'm being harassed everyday of my life by obsessed dicks like Trevor, and now you brought, Tsukune, the love of my life dangling on some string the way he is..."

"For you!" Caro argued. "All of this was for you!"

"It was for you! All of this was for you, to satisfy your own desires, to have fun with this, that's how you are! You brought Tsukune down here, from whatever is going on just so we can have sex and you can somehow join in or watch or whatever perverted thing you had in mind, never caring that something is going on with him and you won't even _tell me_! Damn you, aunt Caro. Ever since he's been here, he's been acting funny; you could sense something was going on with him, but I could never figure out why. But, you know why, don't you? You knew he wasn't okay. What aren't you telling me? What's going on with him? Answer me!"

Caro looked away, taken aback that her own niece would yell at her in such a way, but begrudgingly realized that considering what happened, and just how much Tsukune meant to her, that it looked like she had a valid reason for the outburst. It was hard for a woman like Caro to ever admit having been wrong about something, maybe even in overestimating herself at times, but the arch succubus inwardly began to wander if there was perhaps some truth to what Kurumu said, that maybe it was possible she had become so jaded over the years she found it hard to relate to anyone else; and for a creature who invades a person's inner most feelings, it was a sore point to come to terms with. In any case, Caro stood up and tried to think, observing the damaged and unkempt bed where they laid, and now forced into accepting the reality of the situation: she had overstepped her boundaries.

"Caro!"

"Hon...," she finally responded, whipping out her tail and looking firmly into her niece's frightened eyes. "You know of our ability, to be able to peer into other people's dreams and memories?"

"What does that have to...Yes, I know that! But..."

"Then, you must also know...that we can share those memories with each other at will."

"I do," Kurumu replied, finally understanding what she was getting at and bracing herself.

"You know your mother couldn't be here, that she needed to see to check on one of your friends, the little sendou girl."

"...Yukari? What does she have to do with this?"

"Honey, I want you to know that...I know you're hurting; you may not believe this, but it's true and...all I can ask is for you to brace yourself for what you're about to bear witness to. Your mom and I had to uncover some pretty nasty things, heh, nastier than what I've seen, and its better explained this way."

The younger woman remained as motionless she could as Caro laid her tail upon Kurumu's head and showed the wounded girl things that were far more painful to bear, if not helpful in explaining why a man who had been a hero and a beacon of hope for her, had become so violent, so withdrawn, and was now running blindly through the Vegas strip with no idea where to go, but was at last alone.


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

_You Know My Name_

Tsukune's rage and latent want for revenge towards Moka, be it a welcomed one or not, were human in spite of himself being far from such physically; in fact it was the very sort of thing within him she sought to destroy. However, life was often funny and merciless on its own, delivering a devastating pain far worse and unique than anything a human could unleash, but Moka was such a person who valued self gratification above all else, making it highly likely she would care about such things. To them things like love and hope were collateral to be bartered at a game table. For who was Moka Aono Akashiya; was she a heroine, a lover, companion or just another vain, vacuous individual with wants that superseded love? It was a question being asked worldwide, as news of her deeds were spread all over thanks in part to Caro's gossip, but with the power of the internet, something new to this classic game of vanity and pride, she could also thank Gin as a certain bawdy web vid moved faster than word of mouth.

If Moka is indeed anything like the kind of gambler who dominates in this game called love, then with all likelihood she wouldn't care; but, regardless of the vampire princess's cares the rumor mill, if left unchecked can turn into a wildfire that will engulf everyone who ever mattered.

Whether it's friends:

"I still cannot believe it!" Said Ling Ling as she and her family sat at their dining table trying to digest their musho tea, as well as the horrid revelations about their once friend and companion, which had just been recently after recently catching Gin's web broadcast. "How could this be the same girl we used to know, I thought she was better than this!"

If her body was no longer dead and zombified, Ling Ling knew tears would be streaming down her face beautiful, yet pale face; in fact, of all the dark times she had witnessed since being brought back from the dead, nary a one made her regret to being returned just to witness such times. Her brother Fang Fang, like their great grandfather took it all with quiet reservation, but her parents were most vocal about their shock and anger.

"Unforgiveable!" Her mother, Ten Ten spat. "If I ever get my hands on...on...Th-The nerve of this-this...WHORE!"

"Calm yourself, wife," Fei-long implored, steadying her trembling hands that were dangerously close to spilling the contents of her tea. "Drink; your soul will appreciate the serenity in all of this."

"I can't, husband. This is an affront to _us_; we trusted her, protected her, even helped fix the rosary seal _her_ mother entrusted to us, and she goes and makes fools of us all! Don't tell me you're okay with her crimes?"

"Mother, please don't be mad," Fang Fang pleaded.

"Grandfather!" She yelled at Tohofuhai, who sipped his tea in quiet meditation. "You've been awfully quiet about all of this, even after seeing that..._thing_, what do you have to say! Are you all going to say she was in the right? If half of what we heard from your succubus prostitute about the reasons for doing this were true, how can anyone in their right mind think that it could _possibly_ justify any of it?"

"...I said nothing in the way of taking sides, nor was going to make excuses for her," Tohofuhai finally spoke. "It's clear she is in the wrong, that much I cannot deny. _However_...my former student and the husband wronged by all of this was wrong as well."

They all looked at the old man, astonished that he would take such a stance as play the neutral psychologist, doling out blame in either direction when it was clear to them that Tsukune was the victim in all this.

"How so, grandfather?" Fei Long inquired as he lovingly touched his wife's hand to steady her. "Please, explain. If the rumors _are_ true, then you think Tsukune should have caved in to her demands and severed his bond to not only his human upbringing, but to his own human family? If that is your belief, then I am afraid it is here where I must speak out."

Tohofuhai didn't need his grandson to explain further the reasons behind his vocal discontent, as the tender show of affection towards Ten Ten was a visible reminder of what _they_ had gone through as a young couple. Once upon a time, they were star crossed lovers caught in between a violent, bloody turf war between their respective families and it was only their love and determination for each other that managed to forge a peace and bring an end to years of conflict. It was indeed a worthwhile union, he knew, one that has lasted to this day and yielded two, fine children, and in a culture where the bonds of family are held above anything else, the old man could understand their disgust at a demand in severing family bonds and betraying ones beloved for something so trivial.

"You have me all wrong, grandson; I do not suggest Tsukune should have succumbed to any demands nor should have wasted time putting an end to his wife's tryst like some crazed barbarian. Indeed, what would have been the point, because even if he had, there's no guarantee it would put an end to further affairs."

"Then, why did you say..."

"Believe me when I say I know what you kids think, how you must feel about all of this. Fei-Long I've always credited you for your strong desire to marry Ten-Ten, in spite of your willful disobedience given the circumstances both our families were in. But, your wisdom spoke volumes because you did not allow blind love to cloud it; you saw in her that she was the right woman to become your wife; she is outspoken, yet astute, honorable, but a bit crass at times, _at times_, and above all she is brave, all of which makes her suitable as co-head of this household. Unfortunately, however, Tsukune did not share that wisdom when he should have. When these children left here years ago I was concerned, because the girl that I knew had not changed since from a kid."

"I don't understand, great grandfather," Fang Fang responded.

"...In the time she had known Tsukune there was no marked change in her personality from when she was a frightened, xenophobic child cast out into the world. She was still the same fractured child, at war with herself, a girl divided and still prisoner to a rigid upbringing and troubled past that could only spell disaster. I didn't say anything at the time because I thought my teachings to the young Tsukune had helped him to become not only stronger, but wiser. And,...heh, quite foolishly, I assumed that given time he might somehow change all of that in her; I was wrong, in both of them. Tsukune only has himself to blame for allowing all of this, not for letting what happened happen, but for allowing his emotions to cloud his wisdom, as she clearly was _not_ the one for him. And, she is to blame not just for her crime, but for allowing herself to remain just a girl."

They all understood what he was saying now, and yet it didn't ease the tension in the room. For Fang-Fang, who was perhaps closest to either of them, this weighed far heavier upon his slender shoulders than anyone of them, because he had championed her as Tsukune's #1 woman out of all the girls that were around him. For the great grandson and student under Tohofuhai, he wondered how he could have been so blind as well.

_Shame,_ he thought morosely, _what a great shame._

_XXX_

"Meow, this is just shameful!" Wailed the were-cat Ms. Nekonome, their former homeroom teacher who had introduced the two of them to Gin and his Newspaper club. "She was such a good person, so kind and sweet. And Gin...well, I-I still can't believe this!"

Another school day had just begun at Yokai Academy, and yet it was while drinking coffee in the teacher's lounge that she found out about everything when math teacher Ms. Ririko Kagome and gym coach Okuto Kotsubo went around showing every teacher the torrid web feed; Ririko couldn't have been more pleased.

"Personally, I always knew that girl was no good for young Aono," Ririko boasted. "I told you that, didn't I, Nekonome."

"B-But, they were such a sweet couple and I even attended their wedding. My students were good kids, I don't understand what could've happened!"

"Well, I think it's downright disgusting!" Okuto responded, haughtily. "That girl acts like she has no responsibility or self control what so ever, and just the fact that none of us recognized it sooner only proves she's a pro at covering her tracks."

"Well, I knew all-a-long," Ririko continued to gloat.

"Not good, not good at all," said the Indian, Home Ec. teacher, Aspara. "She and her kind always were rude people, not only did she and her sister both so rudely destroy a plate one of my patented curry recipes, but I caught the younger sister committing a most unseemly act in my class...with the same guy! Wretched, wretched people!"

"It's no surprise that all of them were associated with you in some way, huh Nekonome?" Ririko asked, sticking her face into the catwoman's gloomy space.

"Yeah, well whatever happens to her and her boy toy would be too good for them, that's what I say," said Okuto.

"Don't say I never told you so," Ririko continued to tease Nekonome. "If Tsukune had only listened to me and stayed away from that girl, focusing instead his undivided attention on my tutoring, where would he be now, huh? I'll tell you where, fulfilling his life as an important member of society that's what, _and_ principally as my number one graduate, of course."

Ms. Nekonome wasn't in the mood of responding to her peer's lust addled ego trip or the questionable Okuto's self-centered judgment of someone else. All that pervaded in her mind and soul was a deep wonder on what could've happened to her students, most of all to that innocent and compassionate pink haired girl she remembered so fondly.

XXX

"Where had we gone wrong?" A woman quietly asked herself, her pale blue, opaque eyes searching within her very soul for that answer.

It never got so bad, she recalled, nor did her cold heart ever want such a thing to ever happen. Nevertheless, it happened and this was as real as the women gloating and gossiping amongst themselves, which included her own mother.

"I know; it's a crying shame," Tsurara Shuriyuki said to the other snow women in a local market, their light kimonos offering little warmth to their pale skin, yet were indifferent to the bitter cold they had become accustomed to it, their gossip being the only thing of importance, right now. "That poor Tsukune! Who would've guessed. To be honest, I always respected him, I really did, and I think he did the right thing by choosing not to waste his time on that pervert either and giving that whore what she wants, which was having guys fighting over her; ha!"

Even in the far flung reaches of Japan's snowy mountains, where a frozen snow village cut off from the rest of the world resides, news of infidelity and deceit concerning the woman of the hour had reached their ears.

"I hear what you are saying, Tsurara," said one of the women. "Women like that talk big, claiming that's not what they're about, that it's something else when it's really all about shallow attention, every time!"

"I would hate to see two guys fighting over one of those sluts," another one jumped in, "because it is so disgusting. There are much better women out there that deserve it more, and yet they'll waste their time on that two-bit whore?"

"Tsurara, your daughter was supposed to marry this Tsukune?" One of the women asked.

"Yeah, yeah she was to marry him."

"Well, I bet he wishes he had, now!"

"I'm sure he does. Us snow women would _never_ betray our husbands or our families, and Tsukune would've made a fine son-in-law, NOT that I'm saying the man my daughter is married to now is a bad guy, it's just that...in a way I still wish Tsukune could have become my son-in-law. Oh, how I wish my dear Mizore would've dragged his frozen carcass back home like any good snow woman would."

The others agreed with her on that and more, all the while a certain lavender haired woman, standing not too far away at a fruit stand heard every word. It didn't bother her quite as much that this has become the topic of luke-warm gossip. It bothered her to realize that, for all of her quiet, seemingly flawless vigilance, she failed to see this coming or recognize that one of her closest friends, who has saved them on many occasion and had always been so nice would wind up doing this. It saddened her, as well, to know that for all the times _he_ had been there for her when she needed someone, that now she was not there for him when he needed someone.

XXX

"Someone come take a look at this!" Yelled an excited kid.

Even at a human school as random kids were starting to mill about the halls, a few had become engrossed in a pink haired woman's antics, whose fame is credited by a certain pair of teenage boys who have since spread the word around to their friends and curiosity seekers, praising their god among men, the so-called Wolfman.

"A-WHOOO!" Some of the boys howled as they tried to imitate Gin while watching his web feed in the school library.

"Damn, look at that bitch!" A random guy yelled. "And, what did he say her name was?"

"Moka; that's all we know! Hell, that's all we need to know, who cares who she is!"

"Yeah, you said it! Aww, look at the ass on her, what I wouldn't give to plow into her."

"She's sticking her ass out because she's blowing him."

"Yes, we see that, dumbass!"

"Oh man, and I can't believe her husband is just letting her do that; what a pussy!"

"Hell yeah man, Wolfman said he wasn't much to look at anyway, so can you blame her!"

"Said his name was Tsukune Aono; more like Sucky Oh-no!"

All the kids laughed, creating a raucous in their isolated section, their boisterous conversation drawing ears.

"Look at him go, plowing those chicks! Now, the other two are gonna start coming in behind Moka, they got those strap on dildoes!"

"Aww man, this is going to be good!"

"I told ya the Wolfman knows how to deliver!"

"He is the man; knows how to please a lady better than some and provide a good show!"

"Yeah, who the hell cares about Oh-No!"

"Yeah, Oh-No, hahahaha!"

Suddenly, the boy's laptop is slammed shut as an angry girl stands before them.

"HEY!" They all cried.

"The fuck you doing to my computer?" The boy angrily demanded. "If you don't like it then go somewhere else!"

"You boys make me sick!" Rin responded. "You spend your hours watching two fakes make out and think they're something; get a life!"

"And if we don't?"

"And if we don't?" She mocked.

He brushes her hand away and reopens the computer, still playing the Wolfman's feed.

"Man, what's her problem?" One of the other boys complained.

"She just needs to get laid; hey, maybe the Wolfman takes requests, heheheheh!"

"I said stop running that shit!" Rin yelled. "Or, I'm going to report you to the principal."

"Go ahead, it ain't going to change anything; you'll still be flat-chested and desperate!"

All the boys laughed and though Rin wanted to scratch their eyes out over what they were doing, she was left feeling overwhelmed in her efforts to defend her friend, but her adversaries' fun was interrupted when a boy, passing through, "accidentally" spills his drink over the keyboard, frying the circuits.

"Ooops," said Suzaku.

"WHAT THE HELL!" The boy cried. "MY COMPUTER, THE HELL YOU DO THAT FOR?"

"My bad, man, I shoulda been watching where I was going; yeah I was busy looking at the 'Wolfman'. You got a problem with it, go hit it up with him, I'm sure if you blow him right he'll give you a new one!"

"The fuck you say to me, little boy?" The boy asked, in which he and his friends stood up, towering over Suzaku as they made it clear to him that they were upper classmen and were to be respected. "You know how much my computer cost, bitch? You gonna pay for that mutherfucker or do I have to shake you down for it?"

"And what if I say no to either?" Suzaku challenged.

"Then, we're going to curb stomp your ass all over the bathroom walls!" Another boy threatened.

"Go ahead try it, but it won't change anything, you'll still be a bunch of desperate losers who get off watching other losers get lucky online. Sad."

The lead boy was about to punch Suzaku when he sees the assistant principal coming towards them and just happen to witness him about to hit a younger classman.

"Timigachi!" He yelled. "What are you doing?"

"Uhh, M-Mr. Nagise, I was..."

"Office, now, all of you!"

"What about Suzaku? He and his girlfriend started it!"

"I didn't see Suzaku lift a finger!"

"Why don't you tell Mr. Nagise about the website you and all your boyfriends were watching a while ago?" Rin asked.

"Shut up the hell up, you!" The boy whispered heatedly, but the cat was already out of the bag.

"What website?" Mr. Nagise asked. "_What_ website?"

"I think they said, Wolfman or something?" Suzaku answered. "You could probably look it up."

"You little bit..." the boy threatened, but was cut off by a menacing glare from Mr. Nagise.

"In-my-office," he threatened. "We're going to look up this...Wolf-man and see what's what, and if I find out that it's not to my liking, your families _will _hear a lot about it from me. Now go!"

Irate, frustrated, but knowing when they've been licked, in much the same way the pink haired slut in the vid felt without any of the joy in it, the Wolfman's fans marched toward Mr. Nagise's office where he and ultimately everyone that mattered will see what all the fuss was about.

"Thanks," Rin said to Suzaku, though with less enthusiasm.

"Don't mention it," he replied, but noticed how blue she had become. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, just...I saw some of...well _that_ and, I never knew it was so bad; just like she said, but so real."

"Yeah, I heard some girls talking about it near the lockers," he replied.

"You don't think...I mean, what if...what if everything Lucy, um Moka, said was only half true? What if there was more than what she said to us? You don't think...?"

"Don't ever think that about her! You know her, I know her, we all know who she is and what kind of person she is! Lucy is the kindest person we know and has way more class than that fake slut. I believe in her, and you should too. We keep believing in her, that's all she asks of us, okay?"

"Right," Rin said with a reassuring smile. "You're right. Lucy is the real deal, and she _does_ have more class, which is more than I can say about that skank."

Old acquaintances:

"What the hell did you just say?" Tonko Oniyama asked as she and her old high school friends, Shijimi Chono and Sumae Mizuno work together on a client in a beauty parlor.

"That's what I said," Shijimi replied. "But, who really cares; it's her life, let her fuck it up like I figured she would!"

"Yeah, but she's doing it with Gin!" Sumae declared. "I mean, of all the perverts to do it with, _him_?"

"Whatever; like I said I always knew she'd fuck her life up eventually and I was right. First she strings that poor, hapless Aono guy along and then dumps him for Mr. Wolfman!"

"You know the Wolfman?" Asked the young lady they were working on.

"Yeah; don't tell me you've heard of him?" Tonko asked.

"Not really, but me and my boyfriend saw his podcast awhile back and we both thought the guy couldn't be any more of a douche, my boyfriend couldn't stop laughing at the way he kept going on and on about himself!"

"Tell me about it!" Shijimi laughed. "_We_ went to the same school as him and we know all about him!"

"Really? And, was he every bit the Don Juan as he makes himself out to be?"

"Let me put it to you like this, we all went to this private school, and you know how girls would wear short skirts as a uniform, right? Well, Wolf-man, Mr. Don Juan, spend his every waking hour admiring our panties!"

"Oh my."

"N-Not just _our_ skirts!" Tonko chuckled. "But, every girl in the school!"

"Even the female teachers!" Sumae laughed.

"Jesus, what a loser!" The woman said. "Was he has good as he said he was in the sack or is that all a lie, too? Did any of you ever...?"

"Well, I did once," Shijimi replied. "And no, he was not good, at all! Well, I wouldn't say he sucked either, but he's definitely no stud in the sack!"

"So, so-so?"

"Yeah, somewhere in-between fucking a virgin and being humped by a dog."

"Talk to her about his aim!" Sumae chuckled.

"His aim?"

"Oh yes. _Believe_ me, if you get any ideas on trying him out, let me warn you right now, bring plenty of soap, and one of those sponges with the scratch pad on the back too, because the inside of your legs are going to thank you for it! I couldn't get him off of me for weeks and I had to wear skirts on account of my brand new pants and shorts would stick!"

"Ugh, I think I'll take your word for it; thanks. I guess some women are that desperate; they'd fuck anyone or just don't care who they fuck. Low standards. So, what kind of girl was the 'lucky woman' anyway? Did you know her?"

"Yeah we knew her, and I never liked her either," said Tonko.

"I don't know, she seemed pretty nice," Sumae replied.

"On the surface, perhaps," said Shijimi. "In our school, like in every school, every girl was a 'type', and this one was one of those girls who, you know, was Mrs. Congeniality; that girl in school all the guys looked at and ignored you."

"Oh, I know what you mean."

"Anyway," Tonko added, "she was this spoiled, rich chick with shiny, pink hair and a bubbly, sparkling personality that could make you gag!"

"Little Miss Perfect," Shijimi responded.

"Actually, we all called her 'princess' behind her back, on account of how she _always_ got what she wanted and we all had to accept it."

"And this guy she was supposedly married to, the one she cheated on?" The woman asked.

"Ohh, poor sap," Sumae said. "I remember him clearly, because he was new to the school.

"He seemed new," Tonko added. "I mean, you can certainly smell it on him."

"And, what was he like?" The woman inquired.

"Oh, he was nice; a little too nice, if get me? I mean, he was always, always polite and all, but he seemed too gullible."

"Yes, and she latched onto him like mosquito," said Shijimi. "She had him pegged as fresh meat and had him wrapped around her dainty, little finger, having him follow her where ever she went."

"They'd look all doe-eyed into each other's eyes," said Tonko. "And, he'd say her name, and then she'd say his, and then he'd say hers again, and back and forth like that for hours, and it would make all the guys jealous of him because he was the only one she'd give the time of day to."

"Oh, but it was all a lie," Sumae added, sadly. "If you saw them then, you'd think there was something between them, but there wasn't."

"He was duped," said Shijimi. "Just like the loser that he was, he let himself get screwed! Too bad, he was a nice guy, but..."

XXX

"But, that's what happens when you're blind, deaf, and dumb," said the siren Ren Otanashi as she sits comfortably in her living room with her two sisters, Rin and Ran who had just got through seeing Gin's podcast on their iPad.

"Mm-hmm," Rin replied, nonchalantly. "What were we talking about again?"

"...Take off the headphones so you can join the conversation before I murder you," her sister said.

"We were talking about Sun's boyfriend making out with one of her friends," Ran said. "It's too bad, I actually liked Gin."

"Really, big sis?" Ren asked. "You really thought he was an okay kind of guy?"

"Well...yeah, um, sort of. I mean, he was funny."

"The only funny joke he ever told was how much he loved Sun and that he was 'committed'."

"Oh yeah, did you guys see that vid about Gin and that pink haired woman?" Rin asked, upon which she received a look from her sisters.

"Like I was saying, I told Sun he was no good, she should've listened to us."

"Yeah; I guess we better tell her what we saw, if she hasn't already found out," Ran asked.

"Hey guys, we better tell Sun that we saw her boyfriend banging some other chick!" Rin suggested.

"...Great idea, sis," Ren mocked. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Rin smiled as though she was proud her younger sister had accepted her idea, for once.

"Boy, I really feel sorry for Gin now, once Sun finds out," said Ran. "He _did _seem like a nice guy at first, but still...I mean, this, this is..."

"I got it, Ran," Ren said, composing an email with a link to Gin's website attached to it.

"What are you doing?" Ran asked.

"Sending her an email, with a link leading straight to the video."

"Wouldn't it be better if we called her, instead?"

"Hell no, she'd never take our word. I've been knocking on that door for years, she's never answered; this is the only way she'll listen."

XXX

"Only way to what?" Maron asked from the storage room of where she and Sun worked.

"Maron, don't make me repeat myself, again," Sun groaned as she, herself labored at labeling shipping crates. "Having a man around is the only way to make things easier for us!"

"Then, why don't we hire some?"

"Because, it will cost money, we've been over that!"

"Fine you got me, I just don't want to see you get hurt, that's all!"

"What? You worry too much. Besides, this is Gin we're talking about, there's nothing..."

Just then, she hears a chime go off on her laptop and thinking it was Gin, immediately drops everything to eagerly answer his call.

"Sun, can he wait, I still need you to go over the inventory sheets!"

"In a second, it won't take long, I promise!"

Sun Otanashi found it odd that he'd call her this early, but regardless of the time of day, she'd gladly come a calling whenever he wanted. There was nothing she wouldn't do for him, be it foolish or responsibly sound. However, upon opening her laptop, she sees not his sparkling smile and heavenly face staring back at her like always, but an email.

"It's an email from...Ren!" Sun called out.

"Really? I wonder why she's calling all of a sudden; last time you talked, her and her sisters weren't all too fond in coming over here to work for a human over the summer!"

"I don't know Maron, there trying to send some web attachment or something!"

"It better not be anything dirty!"

"No; it's..."

_The Wolfman? _She wondered as she read the attachment's title, curious as to why her siren kin would want her to look at it. It began to worry her on whether this might have something to do with Gin, just by the association of "Wolfman", however she shakes the thoughts from her head and thinks it merely a coincidence.

"Well, what is it?" Maron called.

"Ugh, it's my business, just stick to yours!" Sun called back, and clicks on the attachment. "Alright girls, what are you trying to get me to see, this time?"

To old enemies:

"The truth, deshi!" Said the diminutive, red haired zombie enforcer, Deshiko Deshi while regaling her fellow cohorts on the Public Safety Commission on the recent fall from grace of one of their most despised enemies.

"And the truth is, Deshiko?" Keito asks, her svelte figure relaxing in chair as she fidgets with her dark hair, all the while carefully drawing out fine gobs of webbing from her mouth and toying with it out of boredom. "What, you'll believe everything the students say?"

"It's the truth, in fact not only are the students talking, but the teachers as well!" She continued, excitedly wringing her hands around the boo staff she consistently keeps against her shoulders. "They're saying she did it because of her hatred for humans."

"What utter nonsense!" Kuyo proclaimed after suddenly walking into their headquarters.

"Oh, Commander what an unexpected surprise, deshi!" Deshiko cried, standing at attention at his arrival. "Me, Keito and the others were just...!"

"Save it, I know about everything, and while it does explain why the Aono boy was here, moping about, I find it unbelievable that his female accomplice would all of a sudden develop a hatred for humans so great, that she would sully herself with her pitiful, Newspaper Club President in some pathetic attempt to punish them. After all the trouble she gave us, and the humiliation I suffered just to protect that human boy, it seems highly unlikely that her hate would be greater than my own."

"Hmph, I too remember being humiliated at her hands when I threatened her newspaper club buddies," Keito fumed. "I thought it was for them, but I guess it was to protect the 'integrity' of her secret lover's business."

"It must be true, Tsukune did show up out of the blue, seeking asylum, deshi. Perhaps, her battle with us was to protect Gin and no one else."

"No; if I know vampires, and I think I do, then it was never over anyone else," Kuyo declared. "This, and her recent actions were over something far more mundane than a sudden case of 'anti-humanism'.

"If you don't mind me asking, what then?" Keito asked. "Then what was the purpose of all our humiliating defeats at that..._woman's_ hands?"

XXX

"Yeah, it doesn't make sense!" A mermaid asked her friends, while lounging around a pool in Hawaii. "I mean, isn't she the one who jumped into the school pool, a pool full of clear water mind you, just to save his sorry ass?"

"To give her credit," said another beautiful mermaid, "it was a noble thing to do, aside from simply telling her boy toy about vampires and water, early on."

"Oh please, the whole learning to swim to impress the girl he likes; c'mon!"

"It's true, he was all like 'I love her, I only joined the school swimming club for her', and crying like a baby when Tamao put the moves on him; but, we _were_ trying to eat him, too."

"Okay, but Gin! Really? Then, she must've been really desperate! I guess ole' Tsukune wasn't all that in the bed; she should've tossed him back to us!"

"No thanks; if he can turn her towards that loser pup, then she can keep Aono!"

The girls all laughed, all but their leader Tamao Ichinose, who comes up for hair and flings the water from her long, wavy blue hair with an athletic elegance.

"Hey, Tamao, what do you think?"

"I think you girls have got it all wrong," she replies.

"What do you mean? That's got to be the only reason, Tsukune couldn't keep up with the vampire princess in the sack!"

"You said it, hahahahhaha!"

"No girls," Tamao insisted, "I know Gin, and he's nowhere near a man as Tsukune."

"If not, then why? Why did she care back then when we tried hitting on him?"

"Because, she's a princess, girls," Tamao responded, casually raising herself out of the water, her fins turned back into smooth, glistening wet legs as she sits along the edge. "A girl like that gets what she wants, and most importantly, does not like to share...without her permission, that is."

"Oh, you talking about the rumor of how she 'shared' Tsukune with her sister?"

"Something like that," Tamao said with a wry smile. "In any case, I'm not surprised, not in the least bit."

"She certainly isn't as pretty as you; never was."

"Oh, I know that," she says. "I'd say she was second, maybe third behind that succubus girl, what's her name. Still, it didn't mean she was any less of a spoiled brat who was jealous of my, I mean our, attention of her boy-toy and Gin is most likely her latest. A poor choice mind you, but the latest."

"That makes sense. Vampires always were proud."

"Probably the proudest of monsters."

"God, I hate them!"

"Yeah."

"Stuck up, bloodsuckers if you ask me."

"In any case," Tamao adds, more thoughtfully. "Tsukune _was_ much better off with us. Boy-toy or no boy-toy, he was a real man...even without sleeping with him."

"Yeah, and he would've been even better in our stomachs," one girl remarked, creating laughter around the pool.

"Ohh, but I wouldn't have eaten him much," one girl commented. "Yeah, I actually kind of liked him."

"Me too."

"Yes, he wasn't that bad of a guy, even kinda cute. Too bad he was such an..."

XXX

"Idiot," said the troll Chopper Rikishi who, while in his human guise, was currently bench pressing 800 lbs. in a packed gym with the human slug, Nagare Kono spotting him. "He should've known better than to cling to vampire, like that! Women like that, especially vampires are nothing, but trouble!"

"You're right," said Nagare, familiar with the predicament only all too well. "Believe me, you don't have to repeat it to me."

"Nagare, that guy Tsukune...beat me in a fight, fair and square back in school!"

"I heard."

"He was the baddest guy around!"

"You know Chopper, I hear he is, or at least _was_ a human."

"I don't care about any of that, that guy proved himself to be a real man in a fight, I wound up respecting him, and here he goes and gets himself involved with a whore like that; it's disgraceful! He should have known who he was getting involved with; just who the hell does that bitch think she is?"

XXX

"A WHORE!" Hitomi Ishigami bellows as she randomly smashes her petrified statues to pieces, too blinded by rage to care about the mess to her studio.

"HITOMI!" Cried her fellow gorgon, Excellent Maki.

"WHAT!"

"...Whores fuck for money, it's a business," he calmly replies. "Sluts do it for free; so the correct term would be slut."

Hitomi just radiated with pure rage, her eyes as black as night while the very snakes in her hair coiled and writhed excitedly, whereas Maki, whose human form remained flawless as ever sat comfortably in a well cushioned chair in her studio, just watching his gorgon sister explode after hearing the news.

"Oh, please continue," Maki tells her.

"Don't mock me, Maki!" She spat at him. "Did you think telling me alone wasn't insulting enough? I had to find out, I had to _see _it for myself on some goddamn link; do you have any idea how embarrassing it is for me? Do you know how long I've thought of her as the epitome of perfection, the ideal work of art that I wanted to be part of my collection! She was it, Maki, if I had petrified her in her true form, she would've made all these other statues worthless by comparison, but instead you bring me THIS! Now, what am I supposed to do, huh? She's soiled! She isn't perfect anymore, she's just a run of the mill soiled dove! Damn you!"

"Dear, there was never anything special about her, believe me, I knew the girl just as well as you. That's your problem, you see perfection when really all I see is the ordinary, and a vampire is only going to be as perfect as a vampire can get. Only the romantically blind see them as perfect. Forget what you read in books, they're not that excellent as a species; and coming from a gorgon, that's saying something!"

"Whatever; I've got nothing to show for all of my obsessing, you've denied me my unending pleasure. My life's ambition, gone. What do I have to show for it? What?"

XXX

"Vindication for what those two did to you," said Mako Yakumaru, former Yokai Academy nurse and member of the now defunct terrorist group, Anti-thesis, defeated years ago by a certain vampire girl and her human companion. She now stands in an alleyway, talking on her cell phone to relay what she heard through the grapevine. "I thought you would be happy. They went on about humans and monsters, working together to oppose our view, and then she goes and does this!"

"You expecting joyous singing in the streets," said the man on the other line.

"Well, they did humiliate you; and that smug bitch..."

"Tell me, Mako, are you happy? Happy that our so-called enemies were felled by something as pathetic as an affair?"

Mako had to think about it; the very thought of it, however deep carried some weight to even her cold heart.

"...I..thought I would be," she replied. "In some way I am; I mean, it serves him right for ever trusting that bitch, not just because her intervention ruined my career at Yokai, but how _she_ ruined him. Still, enemy or not, no one deserves that. I guess, in some way, and I never would've admitted to it, but I guess I wound up respecting the guy for how he stood up to you."

"Yes, I know. Look, keep me apprised of anything else, okay."

"Sure thing, Hokuto."

Hokuto Kaneshiro, a monster who, like Tsukune was once human until another vampire of sorts turned him into a ghoul. His days since his fateful encounter with Tsukune and his friends haven't been much except lying low in a large, lonely house that was once a Fairy Tale safe house, his only contact being Mako. After the call, he sits thoughtfully for awhile by a table, drinking a glass of scotch before heading outside in the cold, lonely night to think. Only, he couldn't think, just remember, remember the time when he stood over a battered, and injured Tsukune Aono, who committed himself to defending all the monsters inside Yokai Academy and rescue his girlfriend whom he had been captured, only to be rescued himself by her later, unleashing her full power out of concern for this human boy. Then later, as the three of them fought for the fate of the Academy, Hokuto never forgot what she said as the two of them managed to gain the upper hand:

"You're losing," she boldly proclaimed in that throaty, almighty voice of hers, "because you choose to fight alone; you threw all your friends away rather than rely on them, like we do!"

_What was that? _He wondered. _Was it all a lie? Were you gloating? I don't understand you..._

And, even obsessive stalkers:

"Bitch!" Hissed a bearded, obese man.

"Who, her?" Asked his lanky, bi-speckled companion.

"Oh, um, I cut myself on the poster, Kubishaku," he said, holding up his right index finger with just a tiny pin prick of blood.

"Kubishaku, Bozaburo, c'mon and bring them over to the pile so we can get this over with," a skinny man with spiky blond hair orders.

"Coming, Kozo," said Bozaburo, as he and his other companion haul boxes full of paraphernalia over to a giant pile of similar objects.

For Kubishaku Nagai, Kozo Kashara, and the bulbous Bozaburo, it was the sum total of a rather sick, yet nearly life-long of hard work maintaining an obsessive collection of one girl whose very presence filled their pathetic fantasies ever since meeting her in high school. However, as they gathered on a South Caribbean beach, their collection in a massive pile where with the flick of match and the amber glare of a small, working fire amongst tons of stuff, the rise of smoke billowing upward toward the night sky, signaled the start of something remarkable, even for them.

"Oh, I forgot something!" Kubishaku said, and hurriedly retrieves a life sized card board cut out of Moka Akashiya in one of her signature, high kick poses which he then graciously hands it over to Kozo. "Care to do the honors?"

"With pleasure," said Kozo, who gratefully receives the gift, breaks it clean in half, and tosses the parts on to the now roaring fire. "Hope you burn, you stupid bitch!"

"Yeah, in more ways than one," Bozaburo jokes and the three of them laugh.

As the fire rose higher, silhouetting their forms against its illuminating glow, it became a signal to all who might have looked down on them in the past, including she who was once the girl of their dreams, but even she would have had a hard enough time to comprehend this. It was perhaps the first time in either of their lives they took such a stance, not for a girl, but out of respect for a one time enemy who's pain they once shared, and ultimately respect for themselves. It didn't matter to them if Moka would be surprised by this or would continue thinking little of them and their display; what mattered to them, now was their self respect. As beautiful and perfect Moka Akashiya may have seemed in the past, it wasn't worth debasing themselves further in her name after such a cheap display she showed of herself. Before long, almost overnight, her name and reputation have become a thing of the past, and pretty soon it would become a hot button issue amongst her own kind, whose opinions on the efforts she worked to ensure the future success of vampires everywhere will be considered if it was, indeed necessary.

"I want her dead, _now_!" Gyokoro roared at her husband, while she paced angrily about his study.

"Keep your voice down, woman!" He threatened. "I will not suffer your bellowing in my presence."

"Save it Issa, your high and mighty status won't keep me quiet!" She argued and then stared daggers over at Akasha, who stood quietly in their midst. "This...this is all _her_ fault! Her and yours! You two have single handedly destroyed this family's reputation!"

"Enough!"

"No, I will not be silent, not again!"

"If it's me you blame," Akasha spoke up, "then I shall gladly give up my life if it so pleases you, but do not threaten my daughter's life!"

"Oh, have I offended thee?" Gyokoro mocked.

"Nothing has been decided yet," Issa declared. "Whatever happens next will be judged tomorrow by the council; in the mean time..."

"Nuh-uh, we decide now!" Gyokoro ranted.

"No we will not!" Akasha argued. "She is just a girl, no doubt frightened and confused by all of..."

"Do you hear yourself?" She asked, incredulously. "You're seriously defending her?"

"No, I am not!"

"You are; both of you are!"

Gyokoro eyed Issa furiously, seeing in his hardened eyes some sliver of remorse for his bastard daughter, despite her actions.

"Mad...You've all gone completely mad! Is she _that_ perfect, _that_ special, that she can do no wrong? Is Moka Akashiya above reproach? Do either of you have any idea what would happen if word of this gets out, assuming it hasn't already gotten out?"

"Nothing of this will get out, this is a silly concern of yours," Issa reassured her.

"Oh really? Just like it was silly of me to ever assume your daughter would embarrass you one day? Well, we all found out differently, haven't we? Oh Issa, darling, these things have a way of getting out and not only that, but spread so fast that...not even she, your beloved whore, can use her super powers to stem the tide! Do you know what this will do to our reputation? What this will do for _my_ daughters'? That's right Akasha, MY daughters! Yours had just sealed their futures away from them all because she couldn't keep her damn legs closed!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Akasha yelled. "I won't have you talk that way about her!"

"Or what? You'll kick me? Even if you killed me today, it won't change a thing, your daughter is still whore and my daughters' chances of ever becoming wives to available vampire nobles is effectively gone; you will be vilified, now try and live with that! Oh and by the way, if you do plan on killing me then think again; my family carries some considerable clout in the vampire community and I don't think that is something dear Issa would want dissolve, even for you, darling."

"...I'm not excusing what Moka did, it was wrong," Akasha responded, her demeanor both grave and subdued. "And, I am sorry about your daughters, but killing my daughter is something I will not allow!"

"Yeah? What if that's what will be decided as her punishment tomorrow? You going to stop the whole council and create an even bigger mesh in her name?"

Akasha remained quiet, while Issa, weary of this argument that had been going on for hours was at a loss for how he was going to spin this with the other vampire elders.

"Think about it, Issa," Gyokoro continued. "You need me, far more than you need her...or _her_!"

The irate vampire queen and mother continued her threats, her voice carrying out clearly through the still castle air, every word spoken finding their way into Moka Aono's chambers where she lies awake, unable to sleep and left wondering of the fate that awaits after sunrise. She felt like getting out of bed and dropping to her knees to pray, remembering seeing how humans do that when they are in such a predicament; she would've gladly done so in a heartbeat if she had any guarantee it would change everything.

XXX

Despite hoping for an end to her ordeal, she nonetheless continued running blindly through a dark corridor, heart pounding painfully as the very breath of her body rushed out in short, shallow gasps; she had reached her limit. It felt like she had been running for hours through darkness so dark, that not even her supernatural eyes could see very well, and yet a need to keep on running compelled her forward, anyway. Up ahead was an open doorway, it's light a welcoming beacon in the darkness, but after an ardent effort reaching it she bursts on through only to find neither salvation nor a clue as to where she was, but instead some strange and disturbing scene being played out. It was a massive throne room, one that she recognized clearly, where standing on either side of a blood red carpet that led up to the throne were people from her past; family, friends, some old while others new. They were all in odd, bent angles for some reason, and were in a parade of memories all lined up at attention for her, in no particular order, with only her parents standing next each other at the very right front.

"What's going on?" She asked. "Why are you all here and...why are you all standing like that?"

But, no one spoke, much less looked in her direction, only continued standing around in their strange, uncomfortable poses and staring blankly as if awaiting obediently for some special command. The woman wondered down the carpet looking in every which way at her friends and family in this curious state, but she quickly noticed someone was missing. Oh, she saw her parents, school friends, new acquaintances and even old foes, but there was one person in particular she felt should be there, yet wasn't.

"Tsukune?" She asked.

Suddenly, as if on cue, a spot light clicks on in front of her and there, dangling over the throne dais like a marionette was the man in question, his nude, bloodied body suspended in mid air by a series of hooked chains that pierced their way into every inch of him.

"TSUKUNE!" She screamed, flying up to him, shocked and devastated at what surely must be his lifeless form, wondering how this could've happened to him. "No, no, no, no, this can't be happening, Tsukune! Tsukune!"

She gingerly touches his chest, all slick with blood pouring out of his scars and sipping over like a red, oil slick; in fact his whole body was now indiscernible from that bright faced, young man she fell in love with.

"You can't be dead," she whimpered as she slowly grasps his shoulders. "YOU CAN'T BE DEAD! No, NOOO!"

_If only I had gotten to him sooner, if only I had gotten here sooner, _she thought to herself. _I'm sorry Tsukune, I love you!_

Suddenly, his chest rattled to life and she soon realized he was still alive.

"Tsu-Tsukune?"

"..._You_," he gasped, his throat so dry the words came out as a hiss, his mouth so full of blood that they sputtered out along with those few words.

"Hang on, Tsukune, I'm going to get you down," she said, surveying the chains and trying to figure out the best way to unhook him without hurting him. "Don't, please don't try to move, okay? Everything is going to be just fine, I just..."

"...Why?" He whispered.

"Don't talk, you must save your energy, you've lost a lot of blood!"

Reaching for a hook situated over his heart, she reaches up to pull it out, but her hand phases right through it.

"W-What?" She asked aloud, staring at her hand which appeared as solid as ever, and was at a loss for this peculiar predicament. The woman tries again, and again her hand goes right on through. "What is going on here? Why can't I free him?"

"It's hopeless," she heard a voice behind her, a familiar, throaty voice with an aura of superiority hovering over it. "You may as well give up."

Looking over her shoulders, she saw everyone else turn their gaze and follow a tall, silvery haired woman walk up the carpet to where they were, her red eyes full of suave sophistication, but with a smirk that was cruelly smug at the same time.

"...W-What is this?" She asked, astonished to see this person here, walking up to her.

Soon, the silver haired woman grabs Gin from the audience, who happily accompanies her up the dais like an obedient puppy and stood before the two of them.

"You did this?" She asked the woman. "You? You did this to Tsukune! Let him down, now! Did you hear me?"

She punches the woman, but her fists went right through, hardly phasing the smug smirk on her face. Dismayed, but undeterred, she continues punching and kicking the both of them, but met with the same results.

_Am I a ghost? _She wondered. _Why can't I touch anyone?_

"..._Why_..._are you doing this_?" Tsukune, weak from blood loss, tries to ask his tormentors.

"Tsukune," she gasps out of concern.

"Because you're too human," the silver haired woman said cruelly. "You actually tried to expose our unborn children to a culture that raised someone as weak and pathetic as you?"

"Really, man?" Gin asked, his head resting on his mistress's shoulder. "You're going to let the most perfect, most wonderful woman in the world go when you can just end all of this, right now?"

"Tsukune, don't listen to them," the frightened girl said, terrified at this scene being played out and at being so helpless to do anything.

"_But...But...I...I protected you_," Tsukune whispered, the only strength he had left.

"You, _protected_ me?" This callous woman retorted. "You dare claim that I ever needed you to shield me from harm, with that weak, mortal flesh of yours."

She reaches out and gouges her sharp nails into his chest right over his heart, squeezing the remaining blood out between her finders as though he was ripe fruit. His pained cry, the frightened woman could see, only delighted his tormentors as the silver haired woman then proceeds to lick off Tsukune's blood from her fingers and then fed the rest to Gin, who sucked them clean.

"STOP IT!" She cried. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

"Save some for me," Ria said, appearing out from behind the red eyed woman, her visage just as menacing and cruel. "No fair hogging him all to yourself."

"Help yourself, sister."

Ria comes up to Tsukune and starts licking his blood up and down like an ice cream cone, her face taken on that of a delighted child savoring such a refreshment.

"What is going on here?" The girl cried as she watched the dark haired vampiress then bite a chunk of his flesh off and devours it, whole.

"Mm, that's one delicious boy," Ria purred.

"Well, Tsukune will you yield to my demands?" The silver haired woman asked him, but he refused to answer. "Fine, we've prolonged this long enough, it's time we take it up a notch, shall we, sister?"

"Oh me, oh my, lets; this is my favorite part!"

"Stop it," the girl begged pitifully, but then looks out to the audience, wondering why no one was doing anything. "HELP HIM! SOMEONE PLEASE, YOU CAN'T JUST STAND THERE AND DO NOTHING!"

But, no one would budge, let alone look at her. Desperately, she runs to her parents, thinking they will listen to her.

"Mother, father, please help him, please do something, anything, don't let this continue!"

However, they appeared not to hear her, let alone acknowledged her presence, their gaze now focused toward the silver haired woman instead.

"Mother? Father?"

Upon trying to reach them, she discovers to her dismay that her hands went right through them, the same way they did with the chains.

"No," she whispered. "It can't be. Ruby? Mizore? Yukari?"

She looks at everyone there, calling their names, hoping to get a response, but none would budge.

"WHY ISN'T ANYONE LISTENING TO ME!"

"Aaaaaaaarrrrrrgh!" She heard Tsukune cry and looks back up to see what Ria and her sister were doing. Both had positioned themselves on either side of him, holding two chains connected to separate pulleys, each one linked to the chains holding up Tsukune's limp form and were pulling with all their vampiric might; she soon realizes with unimaginable horror that they were trying to rip him in half!

"Stop!" She cried. "STOP IT! G-GIN? Don't let them do this, help him!"

But, Gin wasn't responsive, being ever the obedient lap dog he watches with glee at his mistress playing a sadistic version of tug of war with her older sister, ripping apart Tsukune. Tsukune wasn't going out without a fight, though as he gripped both chains with his painfully outstretched hands in a futile attempt to hold them together. Again, the girl looked frantically at everyone, hoping to get their attention and do something, but she next saw their eyes were missing, as if they had never been there to begin with.

"W-What...?"

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" She heard Tsukune scream, his brave efforts failing and could listen with terror at the sound of his tendons being snapped.

Frantic, she runs back to his side and tries again and again to touch the chains, only to meet failure.

"Tsukune...Tsukune, I don't know what to do! Tell me what I'm supposed to do!"

"Tsukune!" The silver haired woman said to him. "I've wasted my time with you for too long and haven't gotten anywhere; now I finally get what I want and you, you get what you deserve!"

"You get what you want, daughter," she heard her parents say in unison, their voices dead and robotic.

"You always get what you want," Yukari said, her voice the same.

"MOKA AKASHIYA GETS WHAT SHE WANTS!" Everyone else said in unison, again and again as their voices filled this cathedral like setting like a deafening roar.

"STOP IT!" The girl cried, holding her ears in vain. "STOP, STOP SAYING THAT!"

"MOKAAAA!" Tsukune shrieked as with the last, good yank from Moka and Ria he comes flying apart at the seams, his blood and flesh coating the girl, whose very face was locked in a state of shock that could not be accurately put into words as the man she loves was reduced to tiny bits lying everywhere. Tsukune was dead, her sole reason for coming here gone, while the one responsible laughs coldly at the deed she has done, standing triumphantly over the nugget sized parts of him that stained the floor.

"Ts-Tsukune?" The girl asked meekly, as if still expecting him to say her name in response. "Tsukune, Tsukune, TSUKUNEEEE!"

"He's gone!" The woman said to her, looking straight at the girl. "Good riddance. I get what I want and you, you get...nothing."

"You're not..."

Suddenly, the walls trembled and then the ceiling collapses as tons of debris come crashing down on the girl, who finds herself alone, helpless and above all defenseless before the avalanche that came crashing down.

"NOOOOO!" Moka Akashiya screamed, her cries startling some of the passengers on the bus she was currently on rather than a castle, a sliver of drool dangling from the window seal and becoming caught in her long, pink hair.

_Was it all a dream? _Moka wondered.

**Focus! **Her inner persona cried from the jeweled rosary around her neck. **Stop sleeping around and stay alert, something is wrong!**

Still overwhelmed by the strange nightmare she had, Moka gathers her bearings and looks about her new surroundings; they'd stop. She had been riding all night and morning, remembering she was on her way back to meet with Tsukune's parents before falling asleep, thinking it would be a nonstop trip, but only to wake up and find everything stopped dead. Tapping a passenger seated ahead of her, she asks:

"Do you know why we've stopped?"

"Some kind of check point, I dunno," the lady responded.

It must've been around 6 or 7 o'clock in the morning, but it was still dark enough for the highway to be lit up with row upon row of car headlights parked up and on either side for some unknown reason.

"I don't understand," she said aloud.

**At this rate we may never get there in time to do much of anything! Something is up.**

"You think?"

"Think what?" The lady asked.

Ignoring her, she peeks her head out the window to get a better look, and it was in the early morning air that she smelled them. Approaching the bus from both ends, she could clearly make out their oh-so familiar forms, their black suits silhouetted against the glare of headlights and sunglasses that seemed oddly out of place, yet were perhaps the most intimidating thing about them of all; it was a trap.

"Um, excuse me, driver!" Moka called, trying to sound calm and not alert anyone.

"We'll be moving in just a minute, ma'am," the driver responded.

"No, I'd like to get off here, please!"

The driver and a few of the passengers looked at her as if she'd lost her mind for there was nothing around them, but an abandoned, dried up rice field in the middle of nowhere.

"Just have a seat, ma'am and I'll drop you off at the next stop."

"But I..."

She could see there was little point in arguing, the driver would not let her off and she could see the men were drawing closer to the bus.

**Don't just stand there, **her inner persona berated, **do something, anything!**

"I know, I..."

She stares at the nearby rear door, just dreaming of stepping off on her own if it was within her power, until she noticed an emergency lever positioned overhead, just within arm's reach. As Moka debates on pulling the lever, up ahead one of the men had already reached the bus and loudly knocks on the driver's side door.

"Is there a problem, officer?" The driver asked upon opening the door.

"Yes there is; you see, we're looking for someone, a young woman that we believe boarded your bus today."

"Is she wanted for something?"

"I'm afraid that's classified, but we would like to search the passengers just to be sure, we won't take anymore of your time."

"...Well, there is this one lady, kept insisting to be let out here; she maybe your..."

Suddenly, a loud alarm rings out as the rear door opens and, kicking two other dark suited officers in the face who happened to be standing in the way, Moka leaps from the bus, bags in hand, and flees into the field.

"THERE SHE IS!" One of the officers cried. "GET HER!"

Into the blue haze of morning she ran, the old rice field being mercifully dry as a bone, yet was still expansive as the nearest tree line was far away. Nevertheless, Moka knew she couldn't stop as, without looking, she could hear the Fairy Tale goons closing in. Shots rang out, so she at least knew Ria wasn't interested in bringing her back to that prison, perhaps worried that she'd blab to everyone of her involvement in all of this.

"DON'T FIRE!" She heard one of them say to the others. "YOU WANT TO DRAW ATTENTION?"

Finally, she reached the woods, but one of the officers grabbed a piece of her hair, prompting her to turn briefly and strongly kicks him in his gut, then she crashes through the trees. Hearing more approach, she pulls back a branch and lets it go, slamming it into two more that were gaining, but unfortunately there were already far too many entering the woods with her to deal with, so she ran frantically a little more, tearing pieces of her clothing in a desperate attempt to find somewhere to hide.

"Where is she?" One officer asked, stumbling about in the dark woods.

"She's got to be somewhere, find her!"

They looked everywhere for her in the darkness, sniffing out her scent as they knew she couldn't have gotten far, but Moka knew it was only a matter of time. Hiding in some bushes, out of breath, yet trying to control her breathing, she was plum out of ideas on where to go; there was nowhere she could go nor of any other way to get back to her friends without being spotted; it all seemed hopeless.

"There she is!" She heard someone shout and she was back running for her life again, the thugs hounding after her like a pack of wolves.

One managed to grab her bag, so she swung it around like a club and knocks him out, spilling some of her clothing everywhere in the process.

"I've got you!" Another one yelled, leaping at her, causing Moka to cry out and slam her bag into him, which snapped loose from its strap and falls to the ground with its target.

Totally disregarding her belongings, she simply dashes deeper and deeper into the woods, clothes tattered and torn from the prickly branches all around that grabbed at her, inadvertently scaring the woman into thinking that these thugs were all over.

"I can't...I can't run anymore!" She said aloud, finally resting behind a large tree.

**You must, you can't stop now!**

But, even her proud, inner most personality had to admit things seemed dire, as there were very little options left. Yet, in the air came the smell of what she thought was barbecue and diesel fuel: a truck stop and it was mixed in with these strange scents that another, more familiar scent, stood out and granted her some much welcomed relief.

_Do you smell that? _She thought.

**I do.**

_Its him, it's him!_

Literally following her nose through the dark, Moka picked up steam and ran, hurrying through the trees before it was too late and she'd miss her savior. She leapt and ducked, pushed branches out of the way and nearly slipped, but Moka was determined nothing would stand in her way.

"THERE SHE IS!" She heard one of the goons cry out and Moka knew there was no stopping now, prompting her to run even faster, bursts of her vampire stamina kicking in.

_I can make it...I can make it!_

Suddenly, upon reaching a small clearing that would take her to this truck stop, an arm sticks itself out of in front like a massive, oak branch and close lines her in the neck, causing Moka to fall back, hard and flat. Everything was a blinding flash of light and for an instant stars began popping in and out of focus, with no idea what hit her, much less what happened, but she did know something: everything hurt like hell.

"Well, well, well," said a thick, husky voice from somewhere overhead, "looks like we've bagged us the mother lode, wouldn't you say, Rokuro?"

_Rokuro? _She wondered with mounting fear.

"Why, I do believe so, Mr. Kamiya, and a nice move catching such an elusive prey.

_K-Kamiya._

Slowly, the shapes that hovered over her started to come into view, one tall, the other short, and her heart nearly dropped when she saw who it was; they were two of Fairy Tales top operatives: the large and formidable siren, Kanade Kamiya and his lackey, Rokuro Tsubaki.

"It's been a long, long time hasn't it, Mrs. Akashiya?" Kanade asked; his bright colored hair and serene smile as deceptive as the composed tone of his voice. "Now, what was it you were so fond of saying? Oh yea, ahem, know-your-place."

Moka lashed out, kicking, scratching, doing all she can to fight back against this new threat, but she was too worn out and Kanade, being stronger was able to quickly subdue her.

"That's enough, pinkie," he said and whips out an opened bottle of clear, spring water that he held precariously over her face. "You see this? Yeah, sweet, delicious spring water, capped in a bottle. If you continue to fight, I just might spill some of it on your face and let you get a taste. Now, are we going to have a problem?"

The threat, and his simple arsenal, effectively took the fight out of her, as well continuing to smell the truck stop nearby, and lamenting on how close she was to it.

"What shall we do with her, Rokuro?" Kanade asked.

"It's whatever you decide, Lord Kamiya," he replied, looking down at her with the most perverse grin she had ever seen, his dark countenance just as menacing as she remembered it as his response filled her with the greatest fear she had ever felt before.

"Mistress Sekitan wanted us to take care of you, said these lackeys here were too inept to handle it on their own. Lucky you, isn't that right, cupcake?"

She doesn't respond, nor grant them the pleasure of seeing her panic.

"But, my lord," Rokuro tells him with a snide grin. "We mustn't be so brunt with her, she _is_ a vampire, after all; anything we do should be done out of respect for her."

"You know, you're right, Rokuro," Kanade replies and looks down at her with an evil, knowledgeable smirk of his own. "Say, it's almost dawn, and you must be exhausted, Akashiya. Rokuro, isn't it customary for a vampire at around this time to find the nearest coffin and go to sleep for the day?"

"I do believe so, my lord. I even remember reading somewhere that, back in the old days they would have servants bury them under several feet of dirt; so no one would disturb them."

She tried her best to maintain composure, but the subtle hints dropped caused her eyes to widen inadvertently out of fear.

"You're just in luck, Akashiya," Kanade says, mockingly, "we so happened to have brought a coffin with your name on it. Shall we?"

Before she could cry out, a bag was draped over her head and she felt herself being carried through the air. She screamed and bucked, but Kanade threatened her again with the water, and being unable to see where he was standing or where the bottle was, only knowing he was nearby, it made fighting free even harder.

They eventually dumped her unceremoniously onto a flat, wooden surface and she heard them place something large and wooden overhead, making everything go dark. Thinking it safe, she struggles to remove the bag, finally tearing it off only to find everything draped in a pitch black environment. With nothing to light, she for a moment, thought she was somehow back in that abominable cell, with only her inhuman eyes to see, but quickly it dawned on her that this was no prison cell. Before her eyes adjusted, Moka was able to make out a wooden board, no more than four inches from her face and on each side were smaller, wooden walls creating an air tight prison. Then she heard loud knocks ringing down all around her, leaving only one conclusion to come to: she really was inside a coffin! Not only that, they were nailing her in like she was a corpse.

"NO!" She screamed, trying to push the lid off of her. "LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!"

But, it was no use; most of the nails had already been hammered through while some of the men applied pressure to hold her in until the last one was fastened through. Moka screamed and pounded on the wood, trying to at least punch or kick her way out just like in the prison, but the room was incredibly small and it afforded her little space to effectively burst out like before. As if that wasn't enough, she then felt the coffin lift itself up, creating a weighty sensation like she was floating in mid air.

"Okay," she heard Kanade say, "drop her!"

She felt a heavy fall, followed by an intense thud that rocked her senses. The sounds that came next made her start to breath heavily: dirt raining down over, their plop-plop sounds like a ticking time bomb for her. She pushed hard against the board, poured all her might into it, but it wouldn't budge. She punched the board, then began clawing at it, scratching it's rough surface and gathering splinters for her effort. Her blood smeared the wood above, so much of it accumulating that a few even fell into her mouth, giving the vampire a taste of her own blood, but it didn't matter next to being buried alive for who knows how long. Moka clawed her nails down to stubs until it only felt like she was rubbing her fingers against the wood, and then it was pointless. Her strength just wasn't what it used to be, she had to admit; if only his blood was available, it always gave her the strength she craved. If only he was around, his very presence was always the courage that she needed, even if she never admitted it to him. She was finally on her way to him, finally going to reunite, so close and yet, as the dirt kept piling on, so hopeless.

"Tsukune," she wept, all bloody, sweaty and tired, "...save me!"

"HEY, WHO ARE YOU!" Someone above cried out.

Moka could make out the sounds of a scuffle, could hear Kanade shriek his piercing, siren's scream, but was quickly silenced, and more importantly she picked up the scent of freshly spilled blood. There then came a loud thud, as if something or someone heavy had dropped on top of her. She was almost hesitant to call out, nervous as to who or what this new threat could befall her. Then, with a surprising show of force, the lid comes flying off and letting in fresh air into her cramped tomb, at last to lock eyes on the man who became her savior.

"...It's you," she said breathlessly, smiling gratefully at the man who stared down with confusion in his one eye.

"Moka?" Koga asked.


	22. Chapter 21

**I'd like to thank each and everyone of you for your continued support over this long and time consuming run, and I know some of the narratives have been lengthy so I'll try to make the next chapters as conscise as possible. Also, I probably should reply more often to all of your comments to provide some feedback, it's just that with the hassles of writing, editing, and getting each chapter uploaded at **_**least**_** once a month, surely you can understand I'm simply trying to get through with this as best as I can. **

**This is not one of my better works; allow me to explain. My computer doesn't have grammar check, in fact what I do is do all my writing on wordpad, then use another computer that has Microsoft Word for all my edits, and for awhile that's worked for me. But, for some reason I wasn't able to this time and after spending far longer on this short chapter than I wanted, I was less inclined to wait another day for the chance to give this a more thorough look over, so I ask you to please bear with any grammatical errors you might find.**

**That said, I wanted to respond to any inconsistency concerns when compared to the main storyline; yes, I am aware things in the manga are going in a different direction and it would help alot that, in the case of **_**this**_** version of the story, you could at least pretend this is set in an alternate universe or something. Sorry if this seems hard to deal with, but seeing as how the actual Moka character is not the backstabbing bitch she has been portrayed thus far, then your plight by now would seem a bit redundant.**

**And, I wanted to address with what you've read so far after the start of ACT II, in which certain scenes you had issue with over their pretty graphic nature, especially in Chapter 19 where Tsukune beat up Kurumu. It was not my intention to portray him as an unsympathetic hard-ass, but was going for realism and show what these events would do to anyone if under these circumstances. It doesn't excuse what he did, but it's a bit much to say he deserves an even more severe punishment than what he's going through; you were meant to see how much his psyche is gradually crumbling, which is what the nightmare scene in Chapter 20 was supposed to hint. **

**On another note, please stop worrying about Koga getting with Moka; this isn't Twilight or True Blood. I have NO intention of hooking these two up; instead, I wanted to create a new friend for the characters, one who was a bit more colorful and more frank about his views when compared to Ria and Caro. He was based him off rougish characters from various movies, TV shows and anime, such as Kurt Russell's character from **_**From Big Trouble in Little China**_**, a movie about truckers, monsters and green eyed women (but the eye patch though has nothing to do with Snake Plissken). As far as his love interests go, I already have an established character in mind and believe me its someone none of you ever saw coming, so be patient and you will be rewarded.**

**Chapter 21**

_It's A Long Road_

The balding, fat pawnbroker looked at the two, priceless ruby engagement rings again; just to make sure these were legit. Staring back at him were two 24 karat gold rings, each with an enourmous, diamond encrusted, heart-shaped 18 karat ruby in the center; it was definatly more extravagant than anything he has seen in his life. He then made another glance at this haggard looking, unshaven mess in a suit standing before him who decided to enter his store at so late a night with these items, perhaps wondering if he had knocked over a jewelry store and was trying to hock them for some drugs.

"And, where or how did you say you got them?" He asked.

"Does it matter?" Tsukune asked. "They're engagement rings."

"Engagement rings or not, I need to know if these weren't, you know..."

Tsukune sighed and explained:

"They weren't stolen; I worked for this wealthy european who performed for a living, in exchange she allowed me to buy them off her."

The man remained unconvinced.

"Here," Tsukune said impatiently, slapping down a bill of sale on the counter to prove his ownership. "If that still isn't enough, you can check to see if they're stolen if you want, but I'm telling you the truth. Now, will I get anything for them, here or do I need to go somewhere else?"

The pawnbroker thought on it for awhile, weighing his options in letting such lucrative items go or simply caving in to offering something for them. He was sorely tempted on the latter, but was in no way willing to pay this man the exact amount they were worth.

"Lets see here," the dealer said, thoroughly looking over the bill. "Am I pronouncing it right, Tsukune Aono?"

"That's right. Now the wedding rings, how will you give me for them?"

The broker scrutinizes the two gems some more. He knows how valuable they were, the finest pieces of jewelry that have ever graced his establishment, and of all the people he's conned in the past, it'll be hard to pass these off as baubles, price wise.

"Well, Mr. Aono, I gotta say...these is some pretty high-end stones; how much were you looking?"

"Whatever they're worth! Now, can I get something or not?"

"Hm, lets see...how does...$1,150 sound?"

"1,150?"

"That's right; I gotta tell ya, this isn't a jewelry store and not that many people are coming in here to buy anything like this. I'll tell you what, $2,250 is as high as I'm willing to go."

"...Fine, I'll take it," Tsukune replied.

As the transaction was being made, Tsukune vividly remembers the trouble he went into getting those two gems, of the dangers he literally faced while working for the forturne teller so that it would be possible to recover them from the treasure cache of a real live, fire-breathing dragon, all to give to a woman who mattered more than life itself, who's continued prescence made such trouble worth it in the end. Now, he was selling them to a pawn broker at the price of common, cheap trinkets; it seemed oddly fitting, as it was symbolic of his marriage to that same girl, who turned out be a lie.

"Great doing business with you, Mr. A-ono," the broker said after handing him the money and a hardy hand shake.

As Tsukune was leaving, an item in one of the glass shelves caught his eye and for some strange impulse that seemed sadly appropriate, he decides to ask about it.

"How much for that?"

"$50; if you want it, you'll have to undergo a three day waiting period."

"Three days?" Tsukune asked, a bit forelorn.

"Yeah, I know it sucks, but that's the law around here. So, you interested?"

He thought about it; the prospect of waiting around any longer being an unappetizing one, but it was a tempting tool to be used.

"Fine, I'll take it," Tsukune replies. "What do I need to sign?"

"Here."

The man offers Tsukune some papers to fill out, takes the money, and asks:

"I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm prying, but I have to ask where the hell did you come from? All decked out and shit. What happened, you crap out? Lady friend dump you on the side of the road or something?"

"Yeah," Tsukune chuckled, "or something. Thanks."

Leaving the store with $2,200 for his troubles, he was once again back out on the strip with its neon lights lighting up all around him, but by no means illuminating for him. The night felt so cold for a desert, people selfishly going about their lives with nary a care; scantily clad women in flashy outfits that reminded him of the gentlemen's club he left behind callously flaunt their bodies to attract men they would hardly give the time of day to. Business men and greedy out of towners lined the streets, all looking for their big score and to take advantage of the "main attractions", and yet it all looked sick as this is the way the world really worked, as though his eyes had finally opened for the first time.

"Will there be anything else?" The waitress asked after handing him his cup of joe.

"No," he said quietly, unnerving the small waitress as he brooded darkly over his cup of coffee while she graciously scurries back to her female coworker leaving Tsukune to sit alone next to the coffee shop's window that he barely looked out at, inadvertantly listening to the conversation of people going about and having a good time at almost, it would seem, at his expense.

"So, what else can we do with this?" Tsukune heard a guy asked one of his friends, as he and a group of others, all college aged, sat behind him, hovering around a laptop and discussing some fanfiction they were writing. "We got the couple having issues with race, the wife has made a threat, but doesn't go through with it; what do we do next, how can we take things to another level?"

"...Why not have her go through with the affair," a girl suggested.

"Whooaaa, you're kidding?"

"Yeah; try to imagine the worst possible scenario of the situation their in, and what could be more worse than if your wife makes good on her threat? That would really fuck you up, wouldn't it?"

"That would be cold," one guy joked.

"But, that is a good idea," the first guy commented, "you should go with that, see how far you can take it!"

"Great!" The woman replied. "But, I think I'm going to have to write a seperate story and finish up with this, first because I've got some good ideas on the direction I can take it, see we..."

"Leaving already?" The waitress asked after Tsukune drops a tip in a tip jat and was already out the door without so much as a thank you; not that it mattered, so long as the young co-ed's business got his money.

He hadn't even finished his coffee, mindlessly holding on to it as he resumed meandering about the massive city with a half empty cup without any destination in mind. Eventuall his coffee, untouched quickly turns cold, as cold as the night breeze that whipped itself against his exposed skin and beat itself against the thin fabric of the dress suit he wore. Looking at all the women walking around, petty, vain, good looking, with their brightly colored hair and flashy clothing having a good time or too self absorbed in some petty squabbles of theirs, all reminded him of Moka, which still hurt. But, as painful and bitter tasting as it was thinking about the wife who wasn't, she was now joined in his inner torment by another woman of his past, this one he had hurt himself.

_Kurumu, _he thought painfully. _I'm sorry._

He started to wonder why any of this had to happen? He never wanted to hurt anyone, to become someone who beats women and turns on his friends. He never wanted to become some monster; all that ever mattered was being a happily married man with the wife that he loved, a good paying job to support her and their children with, and have friends to share all of it with.

"Damn you," he muttered darkly to himself, his dark thoughts wavering between her pink haired head and fake smile, and his own monstrous image, blaming himself for what he had allowed to transpire. "What have I become?"

"Hey baby!" A fat prostitute called to him as he passed by. "Looks you want a good time! I can make you better!"

However, he doesn't reply, much less glance her way, which irked the woman and her fellow hookers.

"Hey, what the hell? I'm trying to offer you an opportunity to see heaven! Well, fine be that way, homo!"

"Yeah, you queer!" Another prostitute laughed, but Tsukune still did not respond.

"Probably can't even please a man!" The fat one laughed.

"Hey buddy," said a balding, greasy looking pimp came up to him with gold teeth glittering in the night, with a gin and nicotein enriched breath, "my lady friend asked if you want a good time, won't even cost much; so, how about you drop the attitude and let them please your royal highness, its a once in a lifetime deal."

Again, Tsukune said nothing nor acknowledged him, so the pimp callously dumps his lit cigar into Tsukune's drink and says: "Normally, I wouldn't suggest entertaining the mentally handicapped, in fact we see them everytime they roll through here and lose everything, I only asked because clearly you had enough left to buy you some joe, and figuring you may have become another bitch-of-the-strip here I thought you might like to relax with my girls so that you at least have something positive to remember from our fair city!"

"...No," Tsukune quietly said.

"Oh, I see," the pimp says, allowing Tsukune to move on, cup in hand, but as he slowly walks on by a leg suddenly trips him over and he falls flat on his face. "Ooh, gotta watch your step aroud here. How about I give you a leg to stand on!"

The pimp proceeds to kick him in his gut and repeatedly stomps his body, knocking the wind out of him, as the cruel laughter of the pimp's harem all around him rang in the night air. Regardless, this mighty vampire does nothing to defend himself and instead lies there, take the beating like the whip dog that he was.

"Whatev," said the pimp, actually tired from such an easy beat down and fed up with this lifeless loser he was working over.

"Aw baby, don't tell me you're through," one of his prostitutes moaned.

"Yeah, I don't wanna another strike on my record on account of him; c'mon, lets leave him!"

"Yeah, he weren't never gonna be much to grift off of anyway, baby!"

"You said it!"

Lying on the ground Tsukune could hear them walking away, laughing and joking, their taunts getting dimmer as he lost conciousness on the pavement. When Tsukune comes to he finds himself still on the ground, his whole body felt like it had taken a long nap on a cheap bed, all sore and restless. There was some relief that no one had tried to take his wallet, but somewhat bitter that there were people walking around his prone form, never bothering to help. It was this scene that brought about a vicious, excrutiating pang in his stomache as he became reminded of Moka's experience at the ice cream parlor all those years ago after witnessing human children beat up a boy while people around them stood by and did nothing; it was this same, exact senario that started this all. That pang grew even worse when he started to wonder, with mounting trepidation and sadness, that maybe she was right all along, and he in the wrong. Struggling to his feet with this pain, it made the walk of shame and ultimately of doubt all the longer as he continued his aimless wandering.

He remembered what she said to Gin on that night:

"_Do you think he's still out there_?" Moka asked.

"_I don't know; you want me to see_?" Gin suggested.

"_Would you, please_."

Gin swung open the door and presented Tsukune a full view, and smell, of their righteous affair as Moka, sitting in bed naked, sweaty, holding up the sheets, _their _sheets, to cover her shame, her meekness, but secretly he knew she was satisfied with it everything; the air of superiority. And maybe, just maybe she was right, right about everything, and that it took her doing this just to make him see this to prove just how wrong he was.

_"Really, man?" _Gin had asked. "_You're going to let the most beautiful woman in the world go, when you can choose to end this?"_

Tsukune's anger, still shimmering like magma, roared back with a vengeance and made it hard for him to see that this was really his fault, that it was all of his doing, the choices _he_ made that night.

_She must've been laughing, _he thought angrily. _Still laughing!_

She had gotten the last laugh and as for him, he was divorced, his best friend who only tried to help was beaten up by him and now his whole reason for living shot to hell, and for what? To wander the streets with nowhere to go? To get beaten up to see what it feels like? To see what kind of life awaited their children; is this what she wanted to prove? He imagined her laughing at his failure as a man, even hearing it, it's scornful caterwall echoeing throughout his mind down to the core of Tsukune's soul. However, it soon grew so loud and distinctive that it haunted him at every step, regardless of how quick his pace got.

"Oh my god, look at him!" He heard her light, tinkle of a voice declared loudly for everyone to hear, until it soon dawned on him that _she_ wasn't the one talking.

"Yeah, watch this babe!" A guy responded.

"C'mon man, I just want a few dollars, that's all," said a third voice, one that was haggard, worn out, and slurred.

"Yeah, yeah, okay I'll give it to ya," the other guy said, "if you promise to do one more thing for me!"

"I'll do anything, what?"

Tsukune quickly noticed that the voices he was hearing weren't coming from his head as he looks across the street from him to see a young, attractive girl in her late twenties with a svelte body and long, blonde hair, playfully clinging on to the arm of her tall, dark haired boyfriend who could've passed for Gin's twin save for a shorter hair cut; both looking good for those who'd fawn over their perfection, and yet seemed instead concerned with toying around with a bearded, dishevled man in a dirty, worn out U.S. Marine's uniform, sergeant major in rank, as he begged on his knees for cash. The man, Tsukune could see, looked like he had seen combat recently what with a jagged scar along the right side of his face and dog tags hanging down past his stringy, dark brown beard and stringy hair, clinking loudly while they sparkled reflected light like christmas ornaments. Nevertheless, as noble as his past exploits must've been, this marine was hardly being treated as the war hero that he was, instead wretched looking from a hard life on the streets, his once impressive uniform faded in some areas with holes and tears, and the boots now barely recognizeable after being worn down into nothing more than "sandles" with bare toes sticking out of both of them. His hat was gone, exposing his long, matted brown hair to the elements, and the gloves that were once white, now had a dingy black to them that did little to sheath his filty fingers as they were held out before this perfect couple, with tired, yet hungry and desperate hazel eyes pleading for their human decicency.

"Hey, come on, man," The marine pleaded, "I'll do anything, anything you ask; I'll-I'll suck your cock if you want, man!"

"Ewww!" The girl groaned, making a face, but enjoying this hobo's antics all the while.

"What do you say, baby, should I take him up on his offer?" Her boyfriend jokingly asked, grinning. "Would that turn you on or what?"

"God no! Just hurry up, he's starting to give me the creeps with the way he's staring at me."

"Alright Rambo, I'll tell you what I want you to do, I want you tooo...sing for us."

"Sing? Sure, sure, I'll sing whatever you like; what do you want me to sing?"

"Sing: '99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall', with your pants down."

"_Gross_!" The girl went.

"While, hopping on one foot and without falling," the boyfriend added. "That's right, the whole entire song without tipping over."

The marine looked at him, figuring that his ears weren't working as well as they used to with all the crud in them.

"But...but, I can't dance," he said. "C'mon, man cut me a break!"

"Oh, so you're willing to suck on my cock, but you're too good to dance with your pants off for me?"

"But, I..."

"You gotta work for that money; nothing's for free, isn't that what they teach you in basic training?"

_Nothing's for free, _Tsukune thought bitterly, _not even your dreams._

Showing some signs of reluctance and dignity in his glazed over, beaten down eyes upon granting such a ridiculous request on these crowded streets, he did have to admit that his work for money has been met from far more, ridiculous requests in the past, including fellatio. So, this brave marine unbutton's his pants, drops them, and slowly starts to swivel his hips like a hula dancer for everyone's amusement.

"99 bottles of beer on the wall," he sang quietly.

"Louder," the man laughed, "so everybody can hear you!"

"Ugh," his girlfriend winced upon staring at the marine's hairy, beat up legs and blackened, tore up briefs, "they even smell!"

"...You take one down and pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall!"

"On one leg!"

The marine hops on one leg and continues:

"98 bottles of beer on the wall...!"

"C'mon, be happy, let's see you smiling!"

The marine cracks a smile and made the tone of his song sound even happier and more upbeat, complete with lively gestures. Before long, a growing crowd of spectators watched his performance play out, either laughing deresively like the boy and girl or merely shaking their heads in utter disgust and walking on. He was doing good, however, maintaing perfect balance as years of military training helped, but the added years of hardship and an inefficient had taken their toll, only making it to 94 bottles before losing his balance and toppling over on his face; the song interrupted.

"Ohh, too bad!" The guy said.

"You were doing good, for awhile," the girlfriend said with a modest smile, which was as incinsere as her praise. "C'mon, let him start over, I'm sure he can do it again."

"Nah," said her boyfriend, "I don't think so."

"...You got to pay me now," said the marine, getting up on his hands and knees. "I did it, I did the song. If-if you want me to do it all over again, I..."

"Oh, no, no, no, the deal was to sing the WHOLE song on one leg without missing a beat."

"C'mon, bro."

"Sorry, _bro_."

"Ohh, how can you be so cruel?" His girlfriend jokingly asked. "Why don't you give him a little something for his trouble, at least?"

The marine rips off a dull medal from his jacket and with shaky hands, attempts to hand it to the man.

"What's this?" The boyfriend asked.

"You can have it, it's..it's all I've got!" Said the marine. "It'll be worth something to ya! A few dollars, please that's all! I know I messed up, but I did the song, and..."

"Oh alright, keep your cheap, store bought medal; here!" The man said, fishing out his pocket a handful of quarters. "This all I got from blowing it on strippers, take it!"

The marine tries to reach for it, but the boyfriend holds it out of reach, toying with him as if he were dangling a set of keys over a kitten.

"Don't be like that!" His girlfriend laughed as if it were hilarious.

"What? 'Be All You Can Be', right?"

"C'mon, you're gonna make him cry!"

"Alright, here!" The guy said, finally releasing his hold of the change, but instead tosses it all over the ground for his singer to scrounge about and recollect all of it, his pants still down, but desperate to get a hold of the first bit of money he'd seen in god knows how long. "God, what a loser."

"Oh you're mean," said the girlfriend as she and her paramour walk right on by without any effort to help. "Probably all messed up in his head or something; just pitiful."

"Tell me about it."

"He can end all of this now by getting a job, you know!" She says. "He's only hurting himself. My cousin had this neighbor who lost everything in the stock market of '08 and..."

As the couple continues on with their self-important lives, and everybody else practically tip-toes around the crawling man on the ground, Tsukune continued watching this person, this soldier who must've seen countless horrors and performed incredible acts of bravery in his time serving, protecting, all for the sake of people he either cared about or hardly knew. Judging by his age, no older than Tsukune was, he must've been just as young when left the world he knew behind, only to be deposited in some unwelcomed environment where his future was in doubt, but at some point made the conscious decision that his life would be of small importance if it meant protecting everyone the man cared for from those who would harm them. Now, he was just this man, crawling around on the sidewalk, dirty, hungry, cold, beaten up, haphazardly trying to pull up his pants while trying to gather up some meager amounts of change after some "perfect" couple had callously tossed down to him, with shame etched across his filthy face.

Tsukune, having seen enough and became motivated by nothing more than a desire to end this wretched scene, to no longer stand by and observe some goddamned crime going on without putting up a fight, ran across the street to where the marine was, being more that he could endure.

"Hey!" He called, upon reaching him. "Hey, hey, let me help."

"It's mine, I earned it, you can't have it!" The marine snapped, jealously coveting his ill gained riches.

"No, no, I'm here to help," Tsukune said, and generously handed him the last quarter. "You want some money, here!"

Tsukune takes out the remaining money he had from the pawn shop and gives it all to him; the man was at a loss for words.

"...You're giving me all of this?" He asked, noticing it was more money he'd seen, but looked at him warily, wondering why a well dressed foreigner would be handing him this much money. "What's the catch?"

"No catch, nothing; I...you can have it all, I don't need it anymore."

"Thank you," the guy said, cautiously taking Tsukune's money and greedily stuffing it into his pockets. "Thank you brother, thank you!"

"Sure; let me help you up."

Tsukune gently helps him to his feet, and keeps him steady as he struggles to pull up his pants.

"You sure you're not gonna need any of the money?" The man asked. "These streets get mean without it, especially at around this hour."

"I'm sure."

"Name's Samuel," the marine introduced, offering his hand in friendship, "but most people call me Sam."

"Nice to meet you Sam," Tsukune said, shaking his hand, "Tsukune Aono."

"You from around here, brother?"

"No. You?"

"From Reno, actually; can't remember how I wound up here, heh, can't remember a whole lot of my shit, if you know what I mean?" Sam joked.

"Yeah," Tsukune chuckled. "So, you were a marine, huh?"

"Yep. Semper Fi; gotta tell ya, don't remember too much about that, though. Just...one giant blur, my whole life has been."

"I know the feeling...brother."

"Where'd you serve?"

"Excuse me?" Tsukune asked, puzzled by the question.

"I can see it in you, you look like a man who's seen combat not too long ago; normally can tell if a person has experienced the same hell I have. It's in the eyes, you see."

"Yeah?"

"So, were you a Jar Head like me brother, a grunt or...?"

Tsukune didn't know what to say, just that the truth was a non option at this point, and something he'd like to forget.

"I...It's...I..."

"It's cool, brother, it's cool. Not something you want to think about, I understand. To tell you the truth, sometimes guys like you and me wonder what it was all for, right?"

"...Right," he said with a heavy, bitterness in his breath.

"You go out to fight for your home, your family, to make the world safe for everybody you love and want to respect you, and what happens? They all chew you up and spit you out like you were nothing, but their bitch! That's one of the reasons why I don't remember a whole lot, because they treat me like some experiment to screw around with."

"I see."

"Well, anyway thanks for the cash, blood brother. Gonna go warm up with some hard liquor; care to join?"

"Really?" Tsukune asked.

"You gave me more than enough, I can buy four packs, two for the each of us!"

"...Why not, it sounds like fun. Hey, you happen to know where a guy can find a bed to sleep on for the night, would you?"

"Sure thing, brother, I know this great place, a homeless shelter downtown; be glad to take you there myself, just keep me steady after we get hammered because I get real tipsy afterward, but I'll show you the way."

After buying four packs of Jack Daniels with his new friend they find a secluded spot behind the liquor store and drown their sorrows in the booze, which having never been a heavy drinker, Tsukune showed some surprising fortitude, thanks in part to his vampire physiology, as he kept up with Sam's pace.

"That's how it is," Tsukune ranted, drunk after pollishing down his last bottle and mad as hell. "That's...that's the thanks you get for sacrificing everything!"

"I hear ya, brother, I hear ya," Sam cheered as if hearing a sermon.

"I...Was in a world full of monsters, you see."

"Monsters?"

"Yeah, monsters! Left behind my world by accident; see, my dad thought it was a normal school when he enrolled me in without even consulting me. Anyway, I go to this place and...and...and I actually thought about leaving."

"Yeah."

"Yeah; was real close to getting out. You want to know why I stayed? Y-You really want to know why I decided to tough it out...? For a girl; I did it for a girl."

"Of course," Sam agreed. "Girls...girls will...they will do that, I've met many an enlisted man who was in it for some chick...Nothing, but trouble!"

"I...I did everything...for her...Here, take a look at this!"

Tsukune opens up his shirt and shows Sam the huge, X shaped scar across his chest; Sam whistles in open admiration.

"Took one...right over the heart; nearly died, but I didn't. On that day I changed, I gave up being a human in favor of being more than just a man; and, it was all for her, too! But, she...thought I was nothing! She even told me, to my face that she NEVER needed me, that I needed her more than she needed me; do you believe that? Do you believe that? She makes me out to be the bad guy; you don't think I'm a bad guy, do you?"

"Nah, bro, nah. You're-You're a brave man; you deserve better, and that's the truth."

"I'm the bad guy, I'm wrong. That...that...I don't know man, maybe it's my fault, maybe I'm just plain stupid!"

Tsukune tries to finish that sentence, the feelings behind such words there, but unable to accurately fall out of his mouth. In his drunken stupor, as Tsukune regaled his "brother" with his sorrows, he felt that indescribable mix of emotion surging up from the depths of his heart, the same way he felt just before beating up Kurumu, only this Tsukune wound up vomiting off to the side.

"Whoa, don't let it all go to waste!" Sam joked. "That's medicene good for the soul!"

"Oh god," Tsukune muttered, a sliver of vomit cascading down his chin.

"The few, the proud, the whipped," Sam ranted in his drunken stupor.

"Yeah," Tsukune replied. "You said it."

"I mean, it's typical a guy like you would be screwed by the one person you love more than yourself, the same thing happened to me," Sam said, his voice taking on a forlorn, downtrodden tone that seemed appropriate for someone like him.

"...Yeah."

"...She took my kids, man!"

"...Your kids?" Tsukune asked, looking at him with shock.

"That's right, after I caught her banging some other, married douche while I was serving in Iraq! Just...decided I wasn't worth it, anymore I guess. She didn't even care about them, our kids, just took them to be a bitch! Can you believe that? She did wrong and I have to pay for it? Took my kids, man, took the house, took everything, even half my military pension; hell, that money barely covers my hospital expenses. Ain't that a bitch; I served my country, been to hell and back, and this is what I get for my touble?"

"...I'm sorry."

"I didn't have to enlist; ain't like we still got the draft! The government owes me, hell this whole country owes me and even that bitch owes me!"

"I'm sorry, Sam."

"Don't be, don't be, sorry don't make it right."

Tsukune and Sam sat in silence for awhile, trying to finish up their beers, lost deep in their bitter memories as they futilily hope the drunker they get, the easier it would be to forget.

"You know something?" Sam asked. "Every-everyone teaches you how to supposed to be a man from the first time you walk, to the time you pledge your undying loyalty to god, woman and country. Stay loyal, be righteous, always hold open doors, stand up straight, take a beating, take a bullet, speak up, all that John Wayne, Chuck Norris crap! And, if you whine about it like we are...me especially, then you're a pussy...a whiney, little punk ass pussy, but they never tell you how to deal with any of this, do they?"

"..."

"No, they don't! You're raised to believe all sorts of shit and that you'll be rewarded for your good deeds, that it all matters in the end and that love conquers all, it's all LIES!"

Sam stumbles to his feet, followed by Tsukune and they both waddle around to the front facing the Las Vegas strip with all their drunken anger.

"Wh-What're you doing?" Tsukune asked, holding on to him while Sam grabs his crotch and screams:

"FUCK...YOOOOOOUUUUU, BITCHEEEESSSS!"

"...You alright?"

"Hell no; ain't never been alright! Stupid parents, stupid country, stupid...you get my point, stupid everything! They can all go to hell! Come on brother, lets get out of this shit stank air! Smells like SHIT!"

"Sure thing, bro."

Walking unsteadily down the strip, arms wrapped around one another as they helped each other along, Sam leads Tsukune to a large catholic church where around to the back there was an opened doorway that lines of homeless men and women shifted through, and being greeted by a young nun that had the most welcoming smile Tsukune had ever seen since coming here.

"Hello again, Sam," the nun said in her slight, Irish accent.

"Yeah, what up Meg," he responded with little fanfare.

"We've been drinkin' again, I see."

"What're you, my mama?"

"And, who might your friend be?"

" Tsukune Aono," he answered, gingerly shaking her small hand.

"He's a fellow man of arms and we're hungry, so save your happy go lucky crap for someone else, okay?" Sam asked.

"Samuel, there's nothing wrong in having a cheery disposition, even in this world. Tsukune, you're welcome to spend the night here, we have warm food for dinner in the kitchen and plenty of coffee or tea to wash away the booze that Samuel, here exposed you to."

"That's fine, thanks."

"Samuel, would be so kind to show our new guest around?"

"Don't tell me what to do; come on, Tsukune I'll show you around."

"Thanks, Sam," she replied in a frank manner.

Walking in, Tsukune found the place to be warm and strangely relaxing after stumbling about the strip in the dead of night, with the sweet aroma of food began wafting around his nose.

"Here ya go," Meg said, handing the two of them some soap and blankets.

"It's a nice place," Tsukune commented.

"Why, thank you. Our goal here is to provide the very best living conditions for the less fortunate who come through our doors."

"Yeah, it'll be even better without the freaking nuns," said Sam.

"Now, Mr. Aono it's customary that we inform all new guests of the procedures here," Meg continued, ignoring Sam's rant. "Room and board is free, on the condition you attend mass after dinner and just before breakfast, and we also have confessional should you like to confess anything."

"Con-fessional?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Oh, for the love of...," Sam groaned.

"It's only customary..."

"You know its a written rule, Meg, nobody has to do that stuff if they don't want to; you don't have to, brother."

"It is equally important to feed one's soul as it is in feeding the body."

"Dammit, Meg."

"No, it's alright," Tsukune said. "Whatever it takes, I don't mind, so long as I don't have to get baptized right away or anything."

"If Meg has her way...," Sam muttered.

"That's fine, Mr. Aono. If you need to speak with Father Stephen, just keep straight down the hall there and take a left you'll find the worship hall and the Father will be with you, shortly."

"Stephen is okay," Sam said. "Unlike _some _people!"

"_You_ could use some confessional time yourself, Samuel."

"Shut up, Meg!"

XXX

"Mm, smell that?" Sam yelled, his glazed over eyes coming alive upon, hungrily eyeing the fresh cooked food that was being served as he and Tsukune waited in line. "That's good cooking!"

"Oh! Uh, yeah I guess it is."

"You guess? Brother, you're in for a treat!"

"Well, it _does_ smell good."

"Its better than good, see here they don't stuff your mouth with stale old leftovers from some fast food crap shack; here, volunteers come in and they cook everything so its warm and fresh!"

Tsukune looked around the cafeteria and noticed there were a lot of men and women that were dirty and unkempt, some looking worse than him; infact Tsukune wondered if he was too well dressed by comparission, that being his only concern. Nevertheless, they all milled about in line, patiently waiting with food trays as they slowly slid along while the nuns, who practiced the whole cleanliness of the body philosophy down to an art, poured portions of a thick broth of a steamy chicken and cornchowder soup into bowls for each to hand them over, careful to warn their hungry recipient of just hot the contents were. They also offered a saucer of cornbread, thick and golden with a slight glaze over it, and a cup of either apple juice, milk or coffee.

After getting their tray filled and ready to sit, Tsukune followed his "brother" around, where the marine soon led him to a crowded table where at the edge were three older gentlemen that appeared to offer very little room to sit.

"I'd like you to meet some of the guys," Sam introduced to Tsukune as they managed to wedge themselves in.

They were a ragtag group, one a mexican day laborour, the other a burly, elderly man with a grizzled fuzz of hair on his chin and a light tan from being out in the sun too long, and the third was a tall, ginger haired gentleman in his mid to late thirties.

"All these smucks have been in the service at one point or another," Sam explained, "that's why we hang out together when we're here. Now, this older cuss next to me, we call him Chuck, because he fought against Charlie in 'Nam."

"Oh really?" Tsukune asked.

"Yeah, but don't let that scare ya," said the Mexican laborour, "Mr. Plattoon here is actually much better in person."

"You wouldn't be cracking jokes about me if you'd serve your country, like us," Chuck responded.

"I was in the National Guard for two years in Iraq!"

"National Guard; pff!"

"C'mon, Chuck don't hate!" Sam mediated.

"Anyway, name's Rojas," the laborer introduced.

"Nice to meet you."

"And this ginger haired grunt next to me is Melvin."

"Yeah, yeah," Melvin grunted.

"Guys, this is my blood brother, Tsukune Aono," Sam introduced.

"So you went and found yourself another blood brother, huh?" Rojas asked.

"Another blood brother?" Tsukune wondered aloud.

"Yeah, the last one was this old, mangy haired german shepard named Petey. I gotta say, you're a step up!"

"Hey! Me and him were tight; show some respect!"

"A dog?" Tsukune asked. "What happened to him?"

"Got run over by a truck," said Chuck. "Sam took it pretty hard, gave him a military funeral at the park; we were all there at the service."

"Yeah, we even gave him a twenty one gun salute by popping some balloons that were being given away for free for the fourth of July ceremony."

"I'll always remember that dog, my brother," Sam said with remorse. "Tsukune here is my new blood brother, though; just so we're clear."

Tsukune grinned nervously, but accepts the sentiment.

"Well, 'blood brother', welcome to our band of brothers," Melvin retorted. "It may not be four star, but make yourself at home."

"Thanks," Tsukune said, a bit uneasy, but settles down in his new crowd.

It wasn't like eating in the school cafeteria of Yokai; the atmosphere was different than amongst these humans. Once upon a time, he had sat in a cafeteria full of monsters, an atmosphere that was suprisingly more upbeat and optimistic compared to this, but it may have had more to do with the fact that he was surrounded by his friends, and especially Moka. Though these people were poor and rejected by their human society, the very world he wanted his children to get to know at the cost of his happiness, these men around him however didn't complain all that much about their current position, as if sitting down and sinking their teeth into the meal was enough to make all their troubles forgotten; he envied them. Tsukune thought he should be enjoying the meal like his new company, not having eaten since his paltry dinner helping back at the castle. Infact, Tsukune couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed a full meal, and yet as he stared down at his warm meal there seemed to be little going on inside of him that wanted to eat.

"You're not going to eat?" Sam asked with a mouthful.

"Huh? Oh...no. I'm not hungry."

"You sure? Hope it ain't our eating habits! Melvin is pretty nasty in table manners!"

"Because if it is," joked a mexican laborer, sitting across from him, "then what I used to do is close your eyes while you eat and you may get a big surprise!"

"Dis-gusting, Rojas!" One of the guys rebuffed. "I'm eating here, I don't need to think about your dick!"

"Then stop talking about it," said Melvin.

"No, no, it's not that. I'm just not hungry. If anybody wants mine, you're welcomed to it."

"Well, if you insist," said Sam and helps himself to his food.

"Food isn't a priviledge to be taken lightly, son," Chuck said. "Whatever is eating away at you, be best you let it go before the prick winds up being the only one getting fed."

Tsukune averts his eyes and tries not to let on that the old man might know more about his situation than he was willing to let on.

"What do you mean?" Tsukune asked.

"I was shot down over Loas back in 68', spent the better part of three years in a Viet Cong POW camp before being released. Those bastards starved us good, we'd go weeks without eating just to be thinned out so they could add more. Sometimes...sometimes, we'd be so hungry that the guards would throw these tiny table scraps into our cells and we'd fight over it; they'd actually pull up some chairs to watch, too. They tried to break us, make us accept their ways in return for better treatment, and a few caved...but I never did, and they tortured me until it was all I knew. When I left home I weighed a good 370lbs., by the time I got back to the states I was under 98. That's people for you, kid; sometimes they take pleasure in knowing they turned you into a half starved animal. Don't grant them the satisfaction, son; they win if they know you're like this."

"Thanks for that trip down the Heart of Darkness, Chuck," Rojas said. "And, you all thought my jokes are bad."

The old man grumbled something under his breath, but ignored his young friend and continued eating. While the other guys carried on with a random conversation about sports and other things, Tsukune sat quietly, his thoughts and the conversations he had weighing him down like something bad he'd eaten.

"What does it mean to be human?" He suddenly asked.

"Come again, bro?" Sam asked.

"What does it mean...to be human?"

"What does it mean to be human?" Rojas asked, confused.

"...S-Someone once told me that humans, all humans were bigoted, small minded, and generally picked on those who were superior to them in every way," Tsukune responded, though his far away voice seemed to be directed elsewhere. "She...they thought it would be terrible if, for instance my children associated with people like us. I hear the old man's story, I see all of this, all of you living on the streets with hookers and pimps, and...I don't know. Is it right to be human or am I wrong? Am I stupid for thinking there's nothing wrong with humanity, that none of what I said is true?"

"This has to do with your old lady?" Sam asked, and inspite of his reluctance in letting anymore people into his private affairs, he told these myriad of strangers everything that happened to him within these last, whirlwind days leading up to now, careful to leave out the parts about monsters. It did very little to alleviate much of the unrest and tension however, uncertain if telling anyone about it as though would care might help, and it was getting even harder reliving that moment everytime rather than better with time. Whatever it was he needed to get off his chest before finding any kind of solace, talking about it was certainly not it. "That's heavy, bro."

"Yeah," Rojas coined in.

Tsukune couldn't think of anything more to say, but just nods in agreement.

"And, you're out here?" Rojas asked. "Figures."

"What's it mean to be human, you ask," Chuck said.

"Yes."

"...Son, don't think you're the only one in this world that hasn't asked that question at one point or another. After fifty years of dodging bullets, trying to survive in a jungle far from home, only to come back home and get a congratulatory spit to the face from my own countrymen, _especially_ from my 'friends', to milling about the streets with no job or a roof over my head, I still can't find an answer. After awhile, I just gave up trying to figure that one out."

"You know my story, bro," Sam said. "Rojas, tell him yours!"

"There's nothing to tell, really. Graduated high school with the highest grade point average in my class, and I really busted my ass too, never cheated once in my life. Later, after marrying my highschool sweetheart who was pregnant at the time, I joined the National Guard to pay for college and hopefully get a high paying career. My unit gets deployed to Iraq less than a month after I enlisted, and we're stationed in Falujah, the is before the battle took place. Anyway, while there I noticed two guys from my unit sneak over to an isolated tent, follow them and discover that they and a few others were in the midst of raping this 14 yr. old Iraqi girl they had 'picked up' from patrol. I go report it to my superiors, they discipline the men responsible and forced them to return the girl to her family, but that's not the issue. The punishment they gave them was far less than what they should've gotten and I made it clear to my superiors that fact. But, they don't want a scandal like this to get out, saying it would hurt the overall mission of bringing democracy to Iraq; apparently, raping a little girl isn't as 'big' as winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, or something like that, I dunno. So, I called them a bunch of bitch ass, tools to their faces, threatening to take this to the press, and wound up dishonorably discharged, effectively ended my military career. The pay I managed to get didn't help much with the bills and I had no money to go to college either, and with the resession starting I couldn't find any well paying work. I was so deep in debt and unable to buy a place to live, I had to move me and my family back in with my mom, stayed there until she had had enough of us and kicked us out! Currently live in a run down trailer big enough to be a storage space. What's it mean to be a human? I don't know, all I know is...I did the right thing, and all I have to show for it is living my life as a man who can't put food in his crying child's mouth some nights; that's a feeling you don't want, man."

"See that old lady sitting alone at the end of the table?" Chuck asked, pointing to an elderly bag lady in a heavy over coat. "Grandmother of four; had alot of money she inherited her husband's military life insurance after he passed away after of forty five years of marriage, money that would've gone to a college fund for her grandkids and provided better living for their kids as well as for herself, but lost it all in some ponzi scheme; to this day they still haven't caught the guy or recovered the money."

"Is she still in good with her family?" Tsukune asked.

"Don't know; all I know is she spends her days living in homeless shelters all along the strip."

"That's the justice system for ya," said Melvin, who takes a bite of his soup with a deep, pained grimmace about his face not towards the soup's taste, but of wrestling with his own, inner demons. "I was a family man once, had a beautiful, loving wife, no offense! And, most importantly, had the most wonderful baby girl you'd ever see, and after leaving the service I ran my own, home based business in repairs which afforded me plenty of time to spend with her. Then one night, two guys break into my home to rob us. I tried to stop them and took two in the chest, but was alive long enough to watch as one of them rapes and murders my wife infront of, and then...and then my little, excuse me; I guess he wanted to prove something to me, though what I don't know. They eventually catch the guys, but the one who did it, makes some plea bargain where he gets a reduced sentence in exchange for testifying against a low ranking mob boss. The police, the prosecutors, anybody who were about justice told me it was for the bigger picture and that my testimony was inadmissable anyway because of my mental state; as a bonus, though they execute his partner, even though he didn't do anything other than load my things into a bag the whole time, but I guess they wanted to show that the system works. To this day, the murderer is a free man after serving three years, and I get an empty house that I had to vacate because I was behind on my mortgage during the entire time I was in recovery and mourning. What does it mean to be human? I don't know, I don't have the answers to that question, I'm pretty sure no does, but then again, what I do know is that's life."

"Its a hard knock life, brother," Samuel said. "It would seem life would be a lot better as some other creature and we humans are the lowest ebb on the evolutionary ladder. But, to be honest I can't imagine life would be any better; say you're one of those...monsters teen girls read about. Sooner or later life's going to drop kick you in the balls, stand over ya and laugh and there won't be a damn thing you can do about it. Here's a question: where do guys like us fit in? All kinds of people who get a kick out of knocking a guy when he's down, we all know where they stand. They make it a point to let everyone know they deserve to be on top because of dog eat dog or have needs that trump yours and you're in the way of their happiness in watching you bleed; all that crap! So, where does that leave us?"

"...Know your place," Tsukune muttered.

"Yeah; just, where exactly is that? Don't let her get to you, brother. After tonight, you're gonna have plenty to worry about when we leave here."

"He's right," said Chuck. "Most men your age who live out on the streets are lucky if they get to be my age, and even then the streets are even more dangerous."

"Just stick with me, blood brother," said Sam. "We'll look out for each other, we have to, you and me are comrades in arms; you watch my back, and I watch yours."

And yet, sitting amongst these band of brothers, Tsukune felt a sense he hadn't felt before: that of comraderie in the face of a war raging outside against guys like him, and his brother. A long life on the streets, shuffling about aimlessly in this miserable human world like an undead corpse, was a sobering concept, but after sharing his experiences with theirs, he didn't feel too alone. Their stories were sad, each and everyone of them, made all the more untolerable by the fact that they, like him had sacrificed so much in the face of adversity, selflessly doing all they could and becoming so much more through hard won battles all for someone else, only to be cast aside by human avarice. Tsukune wondered where, indeed he truly belong, wondered if anybody out there was winning in all of this and though Sam's offer to stand by him was a noble sentiment, it did nothing in the way of bringing a relaxed spirit to him, who was uncertain if he even wanted to wait another two days as he was.

XXX

By mass, Tsukune was in no mood to listen to sermons, his disposition far past being jaded by the stories he'd heard. As he sat with his comrades, he didn't know if they felt the same way, though needless to say Sam's discontent in being made to attend was apparent. As for the worship hall itself, Tsukune was amazed at how spacious and gothic the interior looked, bringing back memories of his old Headmaster's office. It's emptiness and quiet atmosphere were reminiscent of Lord Issa Shuzen's grand hall, both memories he could do without, but it and all the crap that has recently taken place blocked his ears from really hearing the balding, middle aged priest's message. After the service, Tsukune remained in his seat, neither listening to his friends nor seeing anyone, just sitting so as to be alone for a while longer. He sat until eventually getting up and milled about this lonely atmosphere with no one in sight, pondering if there was plenty to pray or confess to, but wondered what good it would do.

He was by no means a religious person, having thought little of the concept. Being a vampire, a notion that deserved a dry laugh at, Tsukune had no idea if he should even be here on holy ground, let alone attending a sermon. The confessional booths infront of him stood with both doors hung opened like a gaping mouth enticing him to venture in, and whether it was curiosity or a desire to "confess" so he could at least leave this world with nothing holding him back, he warily steps into a booth, closes the door and waits.

"What am I doing here?" He asked aloud. "This is crazy! I shouldn't even be staying here for the night."

"Having second thoughts, are we?" Asked a voice in the adjacent booth through a small port. "I don't blame you. Still, as it is my duty as a priest, I'm obligated to ask: do you have any sins you wish to confess?"

Tsukune _was_ having second thoughts about all of this, but he had no answers to his own questions and was unsure of what else to do now, but do like he had been doing: go with the motions.

"...Father...Stephen, is it?"

"I am he? And you would be?"

"Aono...Just call me Aono."

"Aono; Aono-son, huh?"

"What?"

"Forgive me, it was a terrible pun on my part; thought I'd lighten the mood, it can be a bit somber, in case you haven't noticed."

"Yeah," Tsukune nervously replied.

"You mentioned something about this being a mistake?"

"...Uh...yes."

"How so?"

"...Look, father, I'm not a religous man, I don't belong to any church or faith that I know of, and I'm not interested in joining."

"You worried that I'm here to convert you? Did Sister Megan intimidate you? You needn't worry; we were trained to be witnesses or converts but, who's there to witness to?"

"You're awfully cynical for a priest."

"I've had a lot of experience. No, I'm not here to enlist you in the armies of God or anything like that, not if you want to. I mean, if you decide to become a catholic, then more power to you; I'm only a listener, nothing more."

"Really?"

"I learned a long time ago it is better to observe and listen than to speak and feel self-important. I think that's what confessionals were really supposed to be about, to offer a place where a person can speak whats troubling them and for someone to listen. But, if its not salvation you seek, then why are you here, talking to me?"

"...That is the question, isn't it?" Tsukune replied, quietly. "Why. Why am I here. It seems when I was younger...and the future appeared limitless, I had all the answers, but now I don't even know where to go. It's not...that I don't believe in a god, I think I had at one time, believed there was somene looking out for you whenever you felt trapped or alone. But, god won't fix anything; he hasn't now and I don't believe he will. I still believe in a god, just that I no longer believe he's on our side. I believe, to god we're nothing but pawns on a gameboard, and he moves us to certain places against our will, for no other reason than it fascinates him; does that make me sound like a...heathen or infidel or something?"

"No...it makes you sound human."

"Human," Tsukune scoffed, his voice so dry and cynical. "Being human is what put me in this situation. Being human is what my wife hated about me, most of all. Being human is what destroyed everything I believed in!"

"Tell me about it?" The priest asked, his interest peeked. "What would make you say all of that? What would make you hate humanity?"

"...Father...There are things about me...I can't tell you, and even if I did, you probably wouldn't even believe me, anyway."

"Then, how about you tell me the things you can say; see where that takes us?"

That feeling of reluctance remained within him, no longer from finding this to be pointless, but of a deep pain that he feared might rear its ugly head once again. He hurt his friend, after allowing that **her **to turn him into some kind of monster, and ultimately forced him out into the night where he witnessed things that would cause him to doubt his stance against her. Now, here he was, stuck in some booth, talking to a priest who was perhaps more human than the priest who presided over his old alma mater; the same alma mater where _she_ had run into him. And, for what? What had it been for, if she would wind up discarding him just because of his human past? What was it all for?

"You want to know what's bothering me?" Tsukune asked in a low, cold voice. "You ever spend a large part of your life fighting the good fight in the name of something or someone you felt at the time was well worth it, even sacrificing your very humanity in her name, only for her to show you how wrong you were? You ever had to witness the love of your life piss over everything you held dear to you one night and then blame it all on you? You ever wake up one night and find some other person, someone completely different, staring back at you from the mirror? My whole life I've thought and planned, even dreamt just where I was going with my life, but now...where do I go from here?"

"How about start from the beginning, when all this changed for you?"

"...My wife and I... got into this...heated, ugly arguement a while back over our children."

"Your children?"

"Our unborn children; she didn't like the plans I had for them."

"And those plans were?"

"To get them to know my parents, to know both our parents...I..."

"And, she had issue with that?"

"She had sex with another man over it!"

"Your wife cheated on you? Over whose parents your kids would get to know or not know? You must've been devestated when you found out."

A dry laugh, that was almost demented, escaped Tsukune's lips and quieting the priest, before he added:

"When I found out! I was at home when she brought him over, she kissed his lips...in-_front_ of me, and took him into our room and had sex with him!"

"My god," he heard Father Stephen mutter under his breath. "What did you do?"

"...That's probably the funniest thing about all of that; I did nothing. Stood outside the bedroom door, listening for an hour and fifteen minutes, thinking it was some bad joke they were playing. Could you believe that? I did nothing!"

"I don't think that's very funny."

"No shit, but you had to be there and witness everything that happened after. See, when she made...him open the door to see if I was still there, I ran like a pussy, don't know if saying that is allowed, but I ran; I ran and never looked back!"

"You must feel anger towards her?"

"I don't know, I don't know anymore. I would've taken the blame for her, once, but now I don't know if I should be mad at myself, her, or the world for making her this way!"

"What happened afterward; did anything else occur?"

"I sought refuge recently, with one of my friends and I...I wound up hurting her."

"Her? You hurt a friend, how?"

"...Tonight, or last night, I can't tell what time it was. I came out here to get away from my impending divorce; she owned this Gentleman's Club where she and her aunt work. I don't know why I bothered staying, I wasn't in the mood for whatever they wanted out of me. I...I freaked! I had woken up from this...and...she was...I can't believe I hurt her like that!"

"Calm down, son; now just collect your thoughts and tell me what happened?"

"I had this nightmare, it...it was her, my wife with the other guy, I...flipped out, in the dream I flipped and tried to kill her, only her, but when I woke up I found out I was trying to kill my friend. I had never done anything like that before, I never wanted to kill anyone, and yet I...I'd beat the crap out of someone who was only trying to help?"

"Aono?"

Tsukune was on the verge of flipping out once again, sitting in that darkened booth, fighting with all his might to hold back the tide as he remembered that night, and everyother sleepless night since. He vividly recalled beating up Moka, only to find it was Kurumu, instead, seeing her lying naked on the floor at his feet, bloodied, bruised beyond recognition, seeing the look on her face as if asking the man she looked up to and once called her "Destined One", why? Why did he hurt her, what was it that she'd done to deserve it? Why did he even lash out, like that? Regardless of who it was, savagely attacking anyone was not who he was.

"I fucked up," he whispered, hands shaking, heart racing as Tsukune did everything in his power to remain firm. "I know I fucked up!"

"What happened next?" Father Stephen asked. "You hurt your friend and then what, Aono?"

"I got out of there; I didn't want to hurt anyone ever again."

"So, that's how you came to be here with us? Tell me, what about your family? Did you bother to reach out to them before coming here? Are they still in the picture?"

"How can you ask me that? I can't ever look them in the eyes again, not after this?"

"They know what's going on?"

"My mom does."

"Then, why not talk to her, see if she'll help with what's troubling you."

"...Father Stephen, she called my apartment while I was away, when my wife and her boyfriend were still there; that's how she knows!"

"...Oh...I'm truly sorry...Talking about it must be difficult, but I'm sure she's worried about you."

"Talk about it? I haven't been home in weeks; I can't ever show my face around them, again!"

"Not even for your mother, who's worried sick about you? You're willing to let this seperate you from your own mother?"

"...What other choice do I have? It's my fault this happened; I never meant for her to find out like this, I should've done more to...Well, all I know is that I can't look her in the eyes, anymore. Not after what happened."

"Mr. Aono..."

"It'll only be a reminder of what a failure I am. Anyhow, it doesn't even matter; In three days, I won't burden anyone ever again."

"In three days?"

"Yes; in three days. That'll be the end of it. This time, I will do more than just stand around and do nothing! I hope she'll be happy!"

"Is that what you believe?"

"Yes, I do. But, it doesn't matter what you think, because I'm done; I'm just here to pass the time, and then I'll be going. Sorry, you wasted your time with me, Father; my mind's been made up."

"Have you, now?"

"Yes."

There was silence on the otherside; Tsukune didn't know what he was thinking or if was even still there, though it mattered little if it was the latter, assuming the "good listener" had had his fill of his whining.

"Whatever," Tsukune muttered, preparing to leave.

"Leaving already?" The priest asked, nearly startling him.

"You're still there?"

"Yeah, I'm not going anywhere; I was waiting to see if you were through already."

"What's more to tell; that's all I can offer."

"Because, now it's your turn to listen."

"I guess you're going to tell me to man up, right? You forget, you're talking to a coward."

"A coward?"

"Yes; it's what she thought of me, why she was afraid our children will become 'tainted'. It's what everyone thinks of me, and I proved it tonight; I am a coward, so why not take the coward's way out? Its kinda late to start telling me to be a man; that'll never happen, because I'm a cowardly _failure_!"

Tsukune's rant ended with such a yell that it echoed through the rafters, but the priest remained calm and patient.

"You don't know what I was going to say," he calmly replied. "Can you at least offer me a chance to say what's on my mind before you judge?"

"Fire away, father," he said, half expecting to hear some rant about how stupid or selfish he was, like Moka would probably say.

"...I got a kid killed," the father began, a response that even Tsukune hadn't expected to hear. "It was twelve years ago and I was this young, clear minded priest doing missionary work in Mozambique. Oh, I was full of the holy spirit, believing things have a purpose and that no evil could stand in my way with _Him_ backing me. I spread his divine word to the people of this village and they took it with all their hearts, especially this impressionable, young boy named Masa. He was only six, but he was so small, I swear you could hold him with one arm, but he was always so brave about learning everything he could from the world around him. And, he had this bright, joyous smile on him and this affectious laugh that would just stick with you...And then, there was this new warlord that came to power who practiced Islam and forced everyone to convert to his religion or, you get the picture. To prove their conversion, he dispatched soldiers to our village where one would go around and force the people to spit on a bible or be shot. Well, many people did spit, and I didn't blame them, but when it came time for Masa to spit, h-he refused...and they shot him, infront of everybody, including me. Oh, but he was just an example they had to make, they were going to kill someone, anyway, because they tortured the rest of us. I...Excuse me; when I was finally freed, I personally took what was left of his tiny, tiny body that the hyenas hadn't eaten...and gave him in a makeshift, christian buriel with my two hands."

It was Tsukune's turn to fill the air with uncomfortable silence.

"God is great, and I am still committed to the cloth and to my faith, but I don't think anyone, god or otherwise is worth another's life, especially one so young, and if I get sent to hell for saying that, then so be it. Aono, you're angry; no, I suppose mad wouldn't do you justice, I'd say you're enraged and you'd have every right in the world to be so. However, I hear confusion, conflict, and even doubt clouding up your rage and causing you to have such thoughts, maybe even living you with restless nights. Would you come join me outside?"

Granting his request, Tsukune meets the man in the flesh for the first time and was struck at how so much older he looked, what with a bald dome, weathered down features and an out of shape form, despite having such a youthful sounding voice.

"You look it," Father Stephen said.

"Huh?"

"Your face; you look like you've been through hell. Mr. Aono, would you care to guess how old you think I am?"

"What...Um, you look forty, maybe fifty."

"I'm thirty five."

"Thir-Thirty five!" Tsukune echoed with shock.

"I know, I must look like I qualify for a senior discount, but yes I am younger than I look. Mr. Aono, I just got through telling you a story that few people in this church even know about. But, please know I didn't tell you this just to make your problems seem insignificant or to get into some morbid competition over who's had it worse; far from it. I wanted you to know that...I do know where you're coming from, what you've been through. I have seen my share of evil, acts of cruelty, of inhumanity towards your fellow man, be it towards people who were like me or not; for whatever the reasons are, no one has that right, no one. Mr. Aono, I can tell you exactly where you're going and thats falling down a deep shaft with the bottom approaching fast."

Father Stephen reaches underneath his under shirt to pull out a crucifix with a small, bronze figure dangling from it and places it, firmly into Tsukune's hand.

"Here, hold on to this for dear life," he tells Tsukune.

"What's this?"

"More like who," Father Stephen corrected. "His name is St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. I've always carried him around with me since Mozambique, even to bed; never took him off until now. I...I think you should have it. You need it more than I do."

"What makes you say that; what does this have to do with me?"

"You asked me where to go from here? There's only one other direction to go once you hit the bottom; I think it should be obvious. In the meantime, you spoke of staying with a friend before walking through these doors, to escape from your troubles; maybe a strip club on the Vegas Strip isn't the best place to go in seeking solice, perhaps there are other places, other friends to stay with?"

"There are, but..."

"Maybe, when you're ready to leave here, this church not life, mind you, you might want to consider all your options first, before you make any big decisions. You still have friends, you still have a mother who I know loves you very much and thinks nothing else than to hear your voice, again. If nothing else, then you're welcomed here, I'm here whenever you need me."

"I still don't understand," Tsukune said. "If you know where I'm coming from, then why give me your crucifix? What does it mean, that you think I'm a lost cause?"

Father Stephen looks at him with pity in his eyes, not so much at Tsukune, but for the two of them in general.

"No," he replied.

"Then, why?"

"Because," he said, with a dry chuckle, "in this world, there's no greater lost cause than both love and hope. It was nice talking to you; try to get some sleep, your body and your mind will certainly thank you for it."

Pondering on his conversation with the padre, Tsukune pockets the crucifix and leaves, his fate uncertain let alone if there was even a future to consider.

XXX

There was a strict curfew that every homeless man and woman met at the shelter, and when it was lights out everyone found a bed to lie in. The room Tsukune and Sam shared was spaceous enough to hold over a dozen bunk beds, each one being moderate in comfort, but mattered little to the world weary who laid on them and were fast sleep. That is, all except Tsukune, who lying on a top bunk found it hard to close his eyes in the still darkness where only the occasional snoring or the sound of a blaring train going on by in the distance keeping him company, but it wasn't these things that bothered him. Staring at the ceiling, lost and confused, all he can think about is his conversation with the priest, as well as everything that had transpired ever since running away from Kurumu's. However, strange as it was, he didn't feel alone.

"Brother!" He heard Sam whisper from the bottom bunk across from his.

"...Yeah."

"You good?"

"Yeah. Just have a lot on my mind."

"I know the feeling, bro, I know the feeling."

"Sam..."

"Yeah, bro?"

"Thanks for...for everything. I needed to find someone who knew what I was going through; thanks man."

"No problem, brother! We're brothers in arms, gotta look out for each other, know what I'm saying?"

"...Yeah."

"Semper Fi!"

"Semper Fi."

Tsukune was grateful at the least, finding this shelter to be a far better alternative to sleeping on another park bench out in the cold. But, these people whom he has befriended, especially Sam were so much like him, Tsukune realized. Each one had it just as bad as him, if not worse; they've fought and sacrificed, bled and struggled for something so simple or intricate, but in return all that they received was a soul crushing disappointment. With these band of brothers, Tsukune had, indeed found a place amongst them, none more so than Sam, whose pain was almost similar to his own. He had only known the man for a few, short hours, but Tsukune already felt a kinship with this "blood brother", as it like it would be them against the world; he owed him for that.

Tsukune wondered if anybody was winning in this world by doing the right thing or did that honor belong only to a certain people; did one have to act a certain way in order to get any kind of just reward for living? Perhaps Gin had the right idea all along or perhaps _she _had the right idea. In all his time at Yokai, surrounded by a world full of monsters, he was foolish enough to believe that the world he left was a far better one, but now there was no denying on how much better those years were surrounded by those monsters; it was so much clearer, so much more radiant, hopeful even, and the love from Moka was far stronger than it is now. Is this what she was trying to tell him? Was she right about how wrong and flawed the human world is when compared to the world of the vampire? Had she done all of this just to show him this lesson in and awaited their own children?

_No! _He thought bitterly, punching his fist angrily into the air. _She isn't right, she can't be! And even if she was, she didn't have to do that to me! Damn it, why? WHY!_

His rage threatened to rear its ugly head again and it made him afraid to go back to sleep, lest he have another dream like before and unleash his demonic form upon all these people.

_She couldn't be right, _he thought as his weary mind drifted in and out of consciousness. _Am...I right?_

"Tsukune!" A woman's voice called down to the darkness around him, causing him to look; to his shock he found himself in a darkened tunnel, a narrow shaft above him, shinning down sunlight where at the top he could see a woman's shadowy form, shiloutted against the bright light. "Time to rise! Tsukune..."

"Psst, Tsukune!"

He felt a sharp nudge and groggily wakes. Alert, he panics that he's asleep and having another nightmare, but upon looking at the woman next to him, Tsukune sees a plum haired woman in a tight, low cut, mini skirt staring at him just inches from his face.

"Finally, I thought I'd have to kiss you awake, sleeping beauty," she said. "But, I almost forgot how you hate having a woman touching you, don't you?"

Tsukune blinks, and then blinks again, trying hard to see if this was all a dream, until he notices all the men in the room stirring awake and leering at her.

"Caro, you're...?" He asked, at first confused, but then suddenly sits up with a start. "Caro! Wh-Wha...How did you find me?"

"You weren't too hard to find," she said with a disapproving, smug look. "Your stink left a trail to here, and I have a few connections around town who said they saw a boy fitting your discription. The happy nuns were obliged to show me where you were sleeping. I gotta say, a homeless shelter seems rather appropriate. So, you thought you could up and run off without ever owning up to what you did; the way my niece went on about you, you'd think you were a real man."

He wanted to avert his eyes, to shy away in utter shame like the dog that he felt like, but Tsukune realized there was no point in avoiding it; his judgement had come and it was time to pay.

"How is Kurumu?" He asked quietly.

"She'll live," she replied, flatly.

"That's good," he said, slowly sitting up on the bed, ready to leave with her.

"We got ourselves a problem, don't we? What do you suppose we do about it, hm?"

"I tell ya what you should do," one of the men said, "is back that ass into my lap!"

"She's better coming than going!" Another one hollered.

"Where are you looking?" A guy asked in response. "Dat ass, man, dat ass! Oww!"

"Hey, brother, who's the legs here?" Sam asked, eyeing her up and down like a hungry dog staring at a slab of meat. "She with you? Hope so, because your bro could use a pick me up, and not the drinking kind, eh?"

Caro rolled her eyes and glared at them with utter disgust at their disrespect of her, clearly put off at being oggled like at by these men; it was a reaction that, above everything else, set Tsukune off.

"Stop that!" He snapped at her, jumping down from bed and staring her square in the eye; every voice in the room fell silent.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"You heard me dammit, don't you ever look down on them like you're better! You want to punish me, then fine here I am, you want to ridicule me then be my guest, but don't ever treat them like they're beneath you! These men had been through enough, how about you cut em' a break, if that's not too hard for you?"

The room erupted in applause as the men Tsukune stood up for, tired and beleagured, cheered him for his stance. Caro thought she should be mad, but gave a weary smile as he had made some sense, realizing she had very little to complain in comparision.

"Fair enough," she said calmly. "And, what about you? You've given yourself a break? I'm not here to punish you; granted you deserve it, but...come with me, there's someone outside who wants to talk with you."

"...Fine."

"Bro?" Sam asked.

"It won't take long, Sam."

Following Caro out onto the alleyway next to the building's entrance like she asked, Tsukune notices someone dressed in a black trench coat step into the spot light of a security light and is shocked to see that it is none other than Kurumu, still bruised, but coming forward to see him.

"Kurumu," he mouthed, but the words failed to escape his lips.

"Well, here he is," Caro said to her, but she barely acknowledged her aunt as pink eyes trained intently upon him.

"Leave us," she finally spoke, the voice, Tsukune noticed, that sparkling, cheery voice, now harsh and sincere.

"I don't think that's a good idea, what if..."

"I said, leave us!" Kurumu said a little more strictly.

"She's right," Tsukune said, walking towards Kurumu, whom he noticed grew tense the closer he got, and so went no further than but a few feet away.

Seeing her react to him like that was enough to make him shy his eyes away in shame, running a hand over his face and head as though trying to wipe away the filth that so frightened her.

"Kurumu, I...I know there's nothing I can say that'll make everything alright, again."

Tsukune had resigned himself to face the consequences; if he had to live by monster's law, like Moka so wanted, then he would die by their laws as well.

"If it's revenge you want, then take it," he said as he rips opens his shirt, exposing the X shaped scar across his chest and pointed. "Aim for the heart, it'll be quicker."

"Hm, how noble," Caro commented. "But, do you think you deserve such consideration after what you did."

"CARO SHUT UP!" Kurumu snapped, shocking her aunt.

"But, Mumu."

"I told you never to call me that!" She hissed. "And, don't you dare start acting like the concerned aunt, now! I told you this is between me and him, and so help me if you say anything negative about him or I find out you threatened him in anyway, I swear, no I _promise_ you I will kill you."

Both Caro and Tsukune were shocked at Kurumu's sudden turn towards this dark character, whose very aura, though invisible, could still choke the rats that scurried away. It was one thing to speak that way to a higher level monster such as Caro, but it was another to make such an open threat of a family member; Caro was beset by all of this, wondering what it was she had done to deserve this.

"Look," Caro says to her, "I am not the bad guy here. Y-Yes, I know what Tsukune has been through is rough, but that still doesn't make what he did okay or..."

"I won't tell you again," Kurumu threatened, her glare suggesting some primeveal challenge to the death with her 'beloved' aunt. "Leave..us, now!"

Despondent, Caro reluctantly agrees to her demand and at last leaves Tsukune alone with her, who was equally unnerved at what his former friend planned to do, but nevertheless, he had reached a point where it mattered to him anymore. So, wanting a release of his pain and to make this easier for her, being the very least he could do for her, kneels down and positions the back of his neck for decapitation.

"She is right," he said to her. "I'm not deserving of any consideration. Cut along the neck, there is a chance I'll linger a bit longer."

"...You idiot!" He heard her say and looked up to see Kurumu crying.

"Kuru..."

"Why, why didn't you tell me what she did to you?"

"You..."

It didn't take him long to figure out that Caro must've told her everything, but still it left him at a loss for words at what to say.

"Were you embarrassed?" She quizzed him. "Were you that ashamed around me to say anything or...do you still love her and you didn't want me to say anything bad about her?"

"Love her?" He asked, surprised by the accusation, and even more shocked that he would ever ask such a question in response. It was a question that deserved scrutiny in his heart, but all he knew was that it was over between them, for how can they survive this. "Kurumu, I...I...I don't know about anything anymore. I don't know why I didn't tell you, I didn't tell anyone, not even my parents, I...I'm sorry...I was the one who chose her over you, and then turned my anger against you all because of...I don't know what happened, I never should have come here. Shit! This...this is goddamned mess, I wish I'd never gone to that _fucking_ school and met all of you!"

Tsukune realized the dark words that flowed out of his mouth, unintentionally and covered said mouth with a hand, as if those words were not his, but came from some alien prescence from within.

"Tsukune," Kurumu whispered in shock and pain.

"It..I...That isn't what I meant, I...Look, what I'm trying to say is that your aunt is right about me, you _are_ better off never having known me!"

"Tsukune, look at me," she said as she boldly steps up and kneels down next to him to gently help him back up to his feet. "I love you, I'll always love you, even after losing you to her after all these years. Don't ever say those kinds of words again, because I have no regretts about how my life with you; it was empty before you came into the picture, my view of humans were no different than, well Moka's, but you showed me there was more to this world than that of monsters and if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a damn thing."

"Kurumu. Still, it's no excuse what I did to you; you need to know it had nothing to do with you, I was having a bad dream and I thought you were her and.."

"You're right Tsukune, there is no excuse," she said sternly. "You should've used all that rage on the real Moka, not me. You think you're the only person who's life she fucked up? You think you're the only one who doesn't dream about ripping her pretty, perfect little face clean off! I hate Moka, I hate her now more than ever, and nothing would make me happier than to see that princess get what she deserved. But, that doesn't mean we have to suffer for it. Tsukune, come back."

"You really want me back? After what I did?"

"Yes," she said firmly and smiling gently with her tender touch being so comforting to his weary bones, that it harkened back to when a woman's touch was so welcomed before that night changed everything; it caused him to inadvertantly shrink back, wondering if this was some ruse and worried he'd loose control of himself, again.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I can't."

"Seriously? Tsukune, it's me, you're my friend and after all this time you've become that jaded you can't recognize that, then you have more problems than you realize. Now, I meant what I said, I want you to comeback. If you want your own seperate place I'm sure I can arrange it."

"Thank you, but no."

"No? Tsukune...!"

"No, no, it's a very generous offer, its just that...being surrounded by all those women at the club, in the state I'm in, I don't think here is where I ought to be."

"Oh, I see."

"It isn't you, Kurumu, to be honest. It's that after what I'd done, there's no guarantee that it won't happen again. It's pretty clear that I need to get away, go to someplace quiet, someplace where I can be alone and think, and calm down. Vegas just isn't that place, at least not for me."

"...I understand. Then, where will you go?"

Tsukune thinks for awhile, but then remembers there is someone out there who could give him what needed, dearly.

"What about Mizore?"

"Mizore?"

"Yeah, does she still live with her people; do you know?"

"Sure, we still keep in touch every now and then. She has a family, I'm sure you know; doting husband, two little girls, twins if you can imagine that. The snow village is would the right atmosphere for you."

"Then I guess it's back to Japan," he said.

"Yeah, back to Japan," Kurumu replied and looks away to hide her forlorn disposition at the concept, which he was quick to pick up on and mentally beratted himself for creating even more pain for her.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't..."

"Tsukune, stop apologizing so damn much, it's fine, now come home so we can help you pack?"

"Pack? Now? But, I don't even have money for a plane."

"Don't worry about it, it's all on us, we'll arrange for a first class round trip travel."

"You don't have to."

"But, I insist!"

"Kurumu!"

"Tsukune, please let me do this. _IF_ you really want to make it up to me, then let me take care of you, for once, without you raising a fuss; okay?"

"...Fine," he kindly says.

"Now, that that's settled, how about we get the hell out of dodge here, this place gives me the..."

"Hey brother, what's going on?" Sam asked, sticking his head outside and butting into their conversation, where upon he notices Kurumu with her hands about Tsukune's shoulders and smiles. "Oh-ho, I see what's going on! Just don't fire your gun off too early, marine, they ain't too fond of early discharge."

"Huh?" Kurumu asked.

"Sam," he said, having nearly forgotten him for only a moment.

In his hazey depression and lucid reminscence with his old friend Kurumu, Tsukune had forgotten all about Sam and suddenly leaving Vegas seemed like an ill timed venture to consider. It felt wrong to just abandon him, now after the had bonded, and he had offered him the one bit of compassion few other people could offer up.

"Kurumu," Tsukune said.

"Yes, Tsukune?"

"You said I should let you help me, right?"

"Yeah, yeah I did, I still do. You have something else in mind?"

"Acutally, I do."

XXX

"Ohh," Sam groaned as he leaned back in his chair, relaxed and thoroughly satisfied, "baby girl, you know how to make a man feel welcomed."

"I'm glad you liked it," Kurumu replied, smiling with great pleasure. "Anything for a friend of Tsukune's."

"I gotta hand it to you bro, setting me up with this gorgeous, angel of a friend who treats a man like a king, boy I owe ya; if only Rojas and the others could be see me now.

Hey, you think you can set some of them up?"

"I'll see what I can do," she responded. "Would you like some more?"

Sam smiled, his grimy, yellow stained teeth expressing his eagerness that Kurumu was only, all too familiar with and yet as Tsukune had pointed out the man had been through alot so it was the least she could do.

"Here you go," she said as she places yet another helping of her sweet, home made cookies along with a slice of pizza before the eager young man. "Need anymore to drink, we've got another bottle of wine, if you'd like?"

"If you don't mind, angel. Blood brother, god must finally be smiling down on us. First, I get two hot meals at the shelter and now I'm being treated for a third meal like a king in your girlfriend's hotel suite; we must've died and gone to the big stripclub in the sky!"

"Um, we're not a couple or anything," Tsukune said nervously, trying not to let the comment divert him from packing his things. "I know we should have, but..."

"What he meant to say is that we're very good friends from highschool; right, Tsukune?" She asked with a wink.

"Uhh, yeah."

"Oh, well that's a real shame; an angel like you being single and all," Sam acknowledged.

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm an angel," she replied, blushing profusely.

"Okay kids," said Caro who walks into the hotel room, "the limo is prepped and ready. Tsukune, your flight leaves within the hour so you better get going if you're still plan on going."

"Thank you."

"Honey, I know you don't want to hear this, but I think you're making a huge mistake by running away."

"...Noted," he said, dryly. "And what about Sam?"

"He can stay here as long as he wants," Kurumu said, smiling warmly at the homeless man that Tsukune had offered refuge to, who looked at them wide eyed and in disbelief, his mouth food filled mouth held open before he quickly remembers his manners.

"...Seriously?" He asked. "Y-You're not...fucking with me, are ya?"

"No brother," Tsukune said smiling, "we're not fucking with you. Caro here has agreed to take you in and Kurumu is going to let you stay with her for as long as you want."

Kurumu nodded in agreement, but Caro was less than thrilled.

"Against my better judgement I might add," said Caro, "but then again it's not like my opinion matters. Hell, lets turn my establishment into a homeless shelter."

Samuel slowly stood up, his weary form like someone who had woken up into some dream and was afraid that one wrong move would cause it to end. However, when he realized this was real, his wonderment, perhaps fueled by years of hard living on the streets, turned into abject skepticism.

"There's a catch, right?" He asked. "There always is; what is it?"

"Well, we do need someone to work as a handyman around the club, if you're up to it," Kurumu said. "Isn't that right, auntie?"

"...Yes," she said. "It pays $7.00/hr., but you'd have to be on your best behavior around the girls and not drink or do something that'll make me regrett doing this! If I catch you being lewd with any of the women at establishment or find out you're stealing from me, you'll be out on your ass so fast you won't have a butt to crap out the food you just ate; we clear?"

"A job," Sam whispered, his brown eyes appearing worn, yet glad at the same time. "I hadn't worked in over eight, long years."

Sam looks to Tsukune and immediately embraces him in a strong, tight bear hug.

"THANK YOU, BROTHER!" He cried into his bosom. "You don't know how much this means to me; I thought I'd never find work since they ruled me to be crazy!"

"Oh great," Caro said.

"No problem, bro," Tsukune replied. "It's the least I can do."

"Oh, you've done more than I could for you, brother! I swear I'm going to be...I'm going to be...all that I can be at it!"

"How nice, an army pun," Caro retorted.

"Well, it ain't much of a pun, ma'am," Sam responded. "See, I'm a marine."

"Kurumu, I'm counting on you to look after him while I'm gone. Treat him like how you would treat me, okay?"

"You don't have to worry Tsukune, you can count on me; you could always count on me."

She hugs him strongly, putting aside what happened between them earlier as she had already forgiven and missed him. Tsukune, for his part, kept his hands away from her, not so much for her sake, but for his as well.

"I wish you weren't going," she whispered. "I wish you could stay."

"I think it's better if I didn't," he responded.

"...Yeah, yeah you're probably right," she said, wiping away tears.

"Don't worry brother, I'll look after things while you're away," Sam volunteered.

"Tsukune, the clock's ticking," Caro warned, impatiently. "If you're going to catch this flight, we need to go!"

"Right," he said, and looks back at Kurumu. "Well..."

"Yeah," she said, regrett heavy in her voice.

With a last, lingering look at both her and his newfound "brother", Tsukune prepares to depart when he felt a tug on his suitcase.

"Kurumu?" He asked, wondering why she was holding on to his bag.

"You won't be needing all of this; I'm sure Mizore has some fresh clothes over there. Your stuff will still be here when you get back so, don't be too long."

It was a last ditch effort to force Tsukune into doing something she wanted, but it was a harmless gesture like they've always been; that's the kind of person she was, that much he knew. With a smirk at her clever ploy, he indulges her and relenqueshes the luggage to her care as he walks out with passport and the clothes on his back, determined to return.

_Please, don't be gone long, _she silently prayed.

Now alone with Samuel, she dries her face and puts back on the face of a happy hostess for her new guest.

"So, Sam," she said while pouring him a bottle of wine, "how about you tell me about yourself."

"What do you want to know," he said with a mouthful of food and wine.

"Well, I..."

"Hmm?"

"What?" He asked, noticing her staring at him closely.

She suddenly became bothered by all the dirt, grime, and stringy, matted brown hair that covered him now that she was closer to him. It wasn't so much how unclean he looked, but how difficult it made for her to really get a good look at the man.

"When was the last time you had a hair cut?" She asked him, upon which he laughed.

"Angel, you can bet your fine ass it weren't until before the corps first chewed me up into it's meat grinder and spit me out! It's been growing ever since I got out, which was...Damn, damn near can remember when, ain't that a bitch! Why?"

"Would you mind if I cut your hair? It wouldn't have to be too much if you don't want, just enough to clean you up a little; maybe a nice crop."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah; how about it, angel?" She asked with a smile.


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

_I Drove All Night_

Ria stood bathed in the morning darkness as she surveyed the carnage all around, taking it all in with a perverted sense of appreciation for who ever did this. In the waning shadows she could still perfectly see the two, mangled bodies of her high ranking operatives, Rokuro and Kamiya lying at her feet, studying the scene like an investigator as she pieces together everything with careful precision and determined that it was clear Kamiya had managed to capture their quarry, managing to be in complete control of things, whereas none of her underlings able to. From there, they were in the midst of their success, when someone else entered the fray, someone that, judging by his scent, Ria deduced that it belonged to some powerful, S-class monster, one who made short work of her Fairy Tail soldiers for whatever reason, and to make matters even worse his pungent odor had now mixed in with _her's_, both of whom travelling by road.

"Mistress?" Asked one of her agents.

"Ready my limo," she ordered, her steely focus now directed on the current situation, lamenting on just how far out of hand than needed, it had gotten. "They couldn't have gotten very far. I want to be on the road five minutes ago!"

"Ma'am," he complied.

_Ugh, I never should've let these idiots handle this!_ She thought heatedly. _I should have handled her myself; but you won't escape, not this time._

XXX

As Ria made her plans, Koga's truck was already roaring down the lonely highway, its confused and troubled driver kept glancing over at his travelling companion, whose pink hair remained draped over in a frazzled form from her ordeal, yet tried her best to keep warm in his denim jacket.

"You've been awfully quiet, Koga," Moka said.

"Yeah, well you would be too if someone you thought you knew told a wild backstory like yours!" He chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, I mean I knew you couldn't remember any thing from your past, but I never thought..."

"Thought what? What's not to believe!"

"It's just...Oh boy. Where do I begin?"

"Koga, you have to believe me, I've never lied to you!"

"I almost wish you were lying to me! So, let me see if I get this straight, just to recap everything you told me in as abridged fashion as I can mind you, because the full version is...nevermind the full version. But, skipping all of the hidden school for monsters, maneating plant monsters and saving the world from Vamp-zilla, just so we stick with your current situation at hand; your name is Moka Akashiya, I got that, you fell in love with some human boy that you were..."

"Am," she corrects.

"Right, _are_ engaged to, named...Tsukune Aouno?"

"Aono."

"Aono, right; former human who got dumped accidentally at the same high school for monsters you went to, was turned into a vampire on account of you and fell in love with."

"That's right, we were about to get married when..."

"When, your evil step sister..."

"Half-sister."

"Half sister; step sister sounds much more menacing, but whatev. Anyway, when your half sister up and kidnaps you, replaces you with an evil clone, keeps you imprisoned for four years while your double walks around, wrecking your relationship with Mr. Right until you finally bust yourself out of jail, only to fall into the castle moat and that was how you lost your memory."

"That's it, yeah."

"And, you want me to take you to this guy's parents house?"

"Yes."

"Why? Shouldn't you want to go back to your parents and tell them what happened?"

"Ria, is my father's right-hand officer and is in charge of security because of it; she would never let me get to them and reveal everything she did. Besides, after what happened with Tsukune...I just have to see if he's alright!"

"...I don't know."

"Koga, please you have to help me! I need to find out what's happened to him, I need to get my life back, and my sister will stop at nothing to see that doesn't happen!Please, I know it's hard to comprehend, but..."

"Moka, it ain't the story that's the problem, its just that...for one guy...I can't go where these people live, the town you want me to take you to is way, way out of my itenerary and if I'm caught late in making another delivery it'll be my head, this time! Look, I can drop you off where I'm going, they have a bus stop up there, I'll pay for the expenses and you can get to where you need to be."

"No, I can't wait that long, I've been delayed long enough and I need to get back now! The town they live in is north from here, it won't take you long to get there and back, it's a single detour! You said I could always count on you, well I need to count on you right now! Please, I wouldn't ask this of you if there was another way!"

"...Anything else man, if it was anything else," he muttered.

"Koga, I never known you to be a liar or someone who was only out for himself! You were always reliable and a good friend when I needed you; don't turn your back on me, now."

"I wish could help ya, I really do, but I can't, not for some ex human ex boyfriend; I'm sorry."

"Is that what this is?" She asked, quietly. "You don't think some human is worth the trouble?"

He didn't answer that, instead they rode on in uncomfortable silence, Koga growing more and more restless with his indecision as the turn-off was drawing nearer, when he finally asks:

"What's so special about him, anyway? Some human, turned monster; didn't you say the guy went and married your clone; your clone! I'm sorry, but that doesn't sound like true love to me. I mean, if he really loved you, really, truly loved you, if he was the kind of man worth all this trouble, you'd think he know she was a fake right away. If you ask me, he got what was coming to him."

"...It's complicated," she said.

"Oh, it always is when it comes to love."

"I don't know, Koga. Maybe he didn't know and maybe he did. All I do know is...when..when _she_ had Gin open the door just to see if Tsukune was still outside, I could tell he wanted to kill them both, I know because I saw it in his eyes, saw everything they wanted to do and yet I pleaded with him not to. And, you know what he did? He backed down, at that moment he stopped because deep down I think he felt my pain in seeing him become this...angry monster, because he knew that was not the kind of man I love, not the man that he is. Look, I can't explain to you just how much I feel about him, but if you knew him like I did, knew of all the sacrifices he's made for me in the past and know that if the roles were reverse, if he was sitting here instead of me, I know he'd stop at nothing to get back to me; I at least have to try and do the same for him, and forgive him for what he did."

"He's really worth all that?"

"Yes; you might even say...he's _my_ winning hand," Moka said with a smile.

Moka glanced over at him, and her comment's clever wit permeated the tense atmosphere inside the cabin infecting Koga with a begrudging acceptance. With the turn off just infront of him, it was clear what he'd have to do.

"North, you said?" He laughed, and changing lanes from the outside to the inside, and moving on ahead. "I gotta see this fella. This winning hand better be a sure win, too because I'm gonna need it."

"_Thank you, thank you, thank you_!" Moka squealed and hugs him tight, causing Koga to nearly lose control of the wheel, but something in his rear view mirror distracted him from the pretty girl wrapped affectionately around his neck.

"Alright girl, better knock off the Hallmark moment, because it looks like we're about to test your winners luck!"

Moka directed her eyes to what he was looking at and almost immediately the color drained from her face as the headlights from a limo, a sight which would have been odd to see roaring down a highway seemed to be following them, meaning it could be only one person, someone whom, of all the people she's had to overcome during this whole ordeal, she clearly dread having to contend with now.

"It's her," she whispered, fear gripped tightly around her throat and tongue. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, either she's watched too much Knight Rider or is desperate as fuck, I don't think there's a whole lot she can do against an 8 ton truck travelling at speeds of..."

But, just then a shot rang out from a team of motorcycles that roared into view, obliterating the side view mirror on his side.

"On second thought, maybe she's both," he responds. "Hang on!"

"What are you doing?"

He intentionally slams the brakes, causing his truck to lurch a little and causing their persuers to veer off course.

"How's my driving, bitch?" He mocked as he glanced triumphantly in the rear view mirror.

"Uh, Koga!" Moka cried.

"I see them," he said, noticing the trio of motor bikes still racing up onto either side.

One takes out a gun and shoots the passenger side window, causing Moka to cry out as glass flew everywhere.

"Mutherfucker!" Koga yelled.

He waits patiently for the biker to drive up alongside, aiming his gun at Moka's head.

"Koga!" Moka cried.

With an evil grin, Koga jerks the wheel and rams his 8 ton truck into the bike, a slight bump being felt as they rolled along.

"Hey, hand me my thermos, I feel like some coffee," he requested.

"Your what?"

"My thermos!"

Confused that he would want coffee at a time like this, she nonetheless gives it to him, at which he rolls down his window, peers carefully outside at the biker pulling up from behind and, with careful aim, sends its steamy, hot contents out the window, splashing it in the goon's face and causing him to careen off his bike, only to be run over by the pursuing limo that had quickly rejoined their little race.

"_OHHH_, goddamn!" Koga hollers. "I'll say this much for your sister Moka, she don't let no one get in her way!"

"LOOK OUT!" Moka screamed as a biker races head long at the truck and leaps onto the hood just before his bike is plowed underneath.

"Holy!" Koga yelled. "Hang on!"

Koga tried swerving the truck to shake him off as well as the limo, but the guy hung on with uncanny tenactity and skill.

"Harder to shake off than ticks," Koga muttered.

Seeing Moka staring right at him, the Fairy Tale operative begins pounding away at her passenger side windshield, the force of his blows creating cracks that pissed Koga off to no end.

"Oh hell no!" He yelled. "Not my ride, you don't!"

"Do something!" She screamed.

"Take the wheel!"

"WHAT!"

"Take the wheel! I'm going to try to get him off!"

"How?"

Moka grabs the steering wheel, unsure of what Koga had in mind, let alone how she was supposed to handle driving a truck when she didn't even have a driver's permit.

"Keep her steady," she heard him say, and when she takes her eyes off the road and saw him begin to slide himself out the window, she very nearly lost control. "I said take it easy!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" She tried to ask, foolishly hoping he wasn't really doing what she saw him doing: climbing on to the hood of a speeding semi to do battle with a powerful thug.

"You fucked with the wrong man's truck, my friend!" Koga told him, coming face to face with the goon.

"This is none of your concern!" The man yelled.

"The hell it ain't, you guys are busting up my babe and attacking my friend; that makes it my business!"

The operative whips out a metal rod from his jacket sleeve and begins swinging it at Koga, who ducks and dodges carefully out of reach while trying to balance himself, all the while successfully landing a few jabs at his opponent, who however remained persistant and starts grappling with him, forcing the two to wrestle on the hood with Koga trying to defend himself.

"You were warned," the operative muttered under his breath after gaining the upper hand and began strangling Koga with the steel rod.

"Fuck you!" Koga grimmaced.

"Ack!"

Suddenly, a spray of water from the windshield blinded the operative, allowing Koga to turn the tables.

"Thanks!" He said to Moka, giving her a thumbs up and returns to fighting the intruder.

_I can't believe what he's doing! _Moka thought as she watches the battle going on infront of her, all the while trying to watch the road.

"AHHHH!" She screamed when the driver's side door opens and another operative begins grabbing at her, forcing her to drive erratically while she fights him off, bobbing and weeve about traffic, the unsteady motion causing Koga to lose his footing and for a moment everything seemed to move in slow motion for Moka as it appeared he would fall over at any minute. Seeing his opportunity, the Fairy Tale soldier raises his weapon and prepares to deliver a fatal blow that'll send him over, when:

"Psych!" Koga said with a smile, grabbing the rod and boldly swings the man over, his body crashing into his compatriot and go tumbling onto the road.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT!" She yells to him.

He gives her a thumbs up, but his celebration was belated when he observes the limo pull up from behind again, this time with more Fairy Tale operatives climbing up the side of his truck's trailer.

"W-Wait, Koga!" She calls, watching him jump up to the trailer's roof with incredible skill to confront the threat.

"Get-the-hell-off-my-_ride_!" He tells them, but they instead open fire upon him, forcing him to jump and cling to the side by his fingernails.

"Koga!" Moka cried, eyeing the limo that seemed to have more operatives pouring out of it's opened roof and firing at him, but determined that Ria would not hurt _this_ friend.

Moka decides to be a little daring herself, to catch her oh-so clever sister off guard for once and protect Koga. With a show of balls, she swirves the truck about so wildly, that it manages dislodge a few of the men ontop of the trailer.

"Look out!" One yells as a few go flying off, however some manage to hang on for dear life and return their attention to Koga, only to find him gone from his position.

"Where is he?" Another asked, finding only his claw marks as all that was left of him.

"Maybe he's road kill. Forget about him, get the girl!"

"AAAAAAHHH!" An operative close to the edge cries out as a hand yanks him over, replaced instead by Koga who comes leaping into full view and starts taking out the rest with impressive speed and precision until gunfire from the limo that still hung nearby forced him to take what little cover his spot could afford. Fortunately, Moka saw it and without hesitation, and determined to end Ria once and for all, swerves once again, turning hard into the right that forced the limo to pull back as the trailer was slow in making it, followed by another hard turn back to left that forced the trailer to sling shot into the right, and before Ria's limo could get beyond its shadow it caught the rear bumper, sending her personal limo cartwheeling off the road. Koga, who managed to hang on whereas his foes did not, cheered Moka on:

"WOOOH, HOOOO! Yeah, that's some fancy driving!"

However, someone else from the limo managed to leap from it just in time, landing triumphantly over Koga himself.

"Whoa!" He said, quickly jumping to his feet to face this new threat.

"I GOT HER!" Moka called out, over joyed that her sister was finally finished. "DID YOU SEE THAT? I finally got her, Koga!"

"Oh, I don't think so," he muttered, coming face to face with this tall, dark haired woman in a skin tight, fully covered black dress who so brazenly leapt on to his truck. At first he was impressed by her tenacity, not so much her appearance, and yet he knew better than to give this woman too little leeway, whom Koga could tell was hiding a lot more than she was showing.

"Oh me, oh my," Ria said, looking him over with her dark eyes.

_Oh me, oh my? _He wondered. _The fuck?_

"So, you're my sister's latest boytoy. I wish I can say I'm impressed, but..."

"And you must be her wicked sister, Ria," he responds casually, but staying onguard. "...Thought you'd be bigger?"

"Pardon?"

"Uh, don't get me wrong, I like a chick with fake boobs like the next guy, but if you're going to go silicone to 'boost' your ego like I hear so many women go on about when they try justifying it, then you might as well go bigger, babe. Besides, from what I've heard about you, I thought you'd be some kind of a playboy Bathory!"

"Oh, how cute, she found herself a comedian; well, I'll give her some credit in picking up a rugged, scraggily looking trucker. I mean, after Mr. Straight and Narrow and Slobberpuss, you are certainly an improvement! Has she banged you, yet? Probably not, knowing her; unfortunately for you, guys like you, with the roughed up, eye patch look like it's supposed to be badass, the messed up hair you consider to be 'rugged', and the very stench of someone who is so, obviously compensating for something are a dime a dozen at pretty much every truck stop, so no I wouldn't be interested in wasting my time with you on anything, even if it was to make her mad."

"Ouch, I got shot down by a high priced hooker with daddy issues."

"What did you say?" She asked, her normally caustic facade slipping in the face of his insult, in which he was keen to pick up on.

"Let me guess: neglectful father, slutty mother, little sister got all of daddy's love, which led you down a path of 'do what I want' attitude that included a seemingly endless parade of unsatisfied one night stands, and an outlook on life that left you rich with wordly experience and a shitload of crabs; that bout right, 'mistress'?"

Ria smiled, but it was not a happy one nor did it show she had any inclination of suffering this man any longer than she wanted.

"Oh me, oh my," she said, slowly reaching for her rosary seal. "I had no idea Dr. Phil was driving this truck; I don't know if I should feel honored or disgusted."

"Oh me, oh my, I can't believe you open with that and think I'm lame!" he retorted, but ready.

He didn't have long to wait, as with a noticeable _Ping_ the top of the truck was rocked by a violent energy that shuddered Moka's grip on the steering wheel.

"KOGA, WHAT'S GOING ON UP THERE!" She asked.

Koga, still hanging on, looks up to find Ria completely transformed into her full powered, vampiric form complete with red eyes staring fiendishly upon him; however, he hardly seemed phased.

"It would seem, sister dear, that your darling boy toy is about be broken," Ria said with a sickening smile.

"...I'll say this much," he said, standing up to face her.

"And, what would that be?"

"You're a vampire alright; all show, but no smarts. Guess that's why my kind can always punk you fanged chumps."

"Your kind?" She asked, looking at him with little regard or contempt. "You really _are_ funny! Oh, I know you're not human, I got that much from how you worked over my men, but whatever you are, you don't really believe you're any match for me?"

"We won't know until we try, now won't we?" He chuckled. "That big, round thing in the sky seems to think so."

She looks up at the full moon, shinning brilliantly in the night sky behind a sliver of clouds as it quickly dawned on her what she was dealing with.

"You're...?" She asked, but then bursts out laughing. "Oh me, oh my, you really are something else! Even if that was true, I've dealt with your kind before and besides, the moon is covered, you're practically powerless!"

While she laughs, however Koga calmly removes his eye patch, and suddenly the truck is once again rocked violently by a burst of energy from a transformation, one that caused Ria to stop laughing, and instead stares dumbfounded as this mere trucker's form begins to violently contort into some kind of hulking beast, his shirt ripped to pieces, hair growing out everywhere, limbs lengthening at odd angles, as he morphed into a gigantic, black wolf with gleaming red eyes that stared right back at her. At a mere 8ft. tall, with shaggy hair, 4 inch claws, razor sharp fangs inside of a long, lupine face, Koga's appearance was enough to bring this dark woman not amusement, but shock and awe; in fact, only his black vest and jeans managed to survive this wretched transformation, all that remained to indicate this creature of nightmares was the same smart mouthed trucker from before. Back in the cab, Moka could also feel this powerful energy and smelled that the scent of her friend had just been replaced with one of the very few creatures vampires dreaded the most: a werewolf.

"K-Koga?" Moka wondered aloud.

**He transformed, **Inner Moka spoke with surprise. **I had no idea about him; somehow, he was able to hide this well. We must be careful around him.**

"He's still our friend; isnt' he?"

"Oh me, oh my," Ria whispered. "I see you weren't bluffing. I get it, that eye patch is more than just decoration, isn't it?"

"_**You know me so well**_**," **he retorted. **"**_**So, how you wanna do this**_**?"**

"Oh me, oh my," she said with a slight chuckle. "Well, I _am_ curious to see have a nice little fight with you. You may prove to be amusing."

**"**_**Really? I wasn't aware you were that stupid; you usually come off as being shrewd, to a point**_**."**

"You misunderstand; you see I am surprised by this sudden transformation of yours, but then again it would explain how you were able to handle all of my top operatives single-handedly."

_**"I take it there's a point to this monologue?"**_

"Indeed there is; see, while I am surprised, as I said before you're not anything I haven't faced before, as I am an elder vampire and I have had fair share of run-ins with werewolves!"

_**"Heh, maybe, but you don't know a thing about me!" **_He yells and in a flash he attacks her, slashing away at her clothes and kicking the vampire with blinding flurries of movement that not even she could keep up with.

His movements were so quick that left Ria stymied, who lashed out wild kicks with her long legs and yet barely connects with him as he ducks and jumps out of reach. Speed was the one thing werewolves had over vampires, aside from a matching strength and power; their speed under the light of the full moon made them unmatched by any other monster in existence, and Koga, as old as he was, knew how to use it to his advantage. Indeed, he was doing good, sensing how frustrated she was getting, but at the same time he could sense this his attacks were not having a noticeable affect on her, physically. Ria's strength remained just as strong as before and for a moment he did start to worry until all of a sudden, in an inexplicable lapse in power, she manages to grab hold of his arms just as he was about to deliver a blow to her mid-section with his claws. He tried to pull free, but her grip was iron clad and being unable to move, was at her tender mercy, of what little she would give.

"Oh me, oh my," she said, a bit winded, but by no means weakened, "wondering where your speed went? Well, my werewolf lore may be a bit rusty, but it would seem a werewolf is quite dependent on the moon being visible, wouldn't you say?"

With how dark it had gotten, Koga figured the moon must've become enshrouded by some clouds, an act of nature that didn't bode well for his species during a fight, especially with an elder vampire. Koga knew, that in the time it took for the cloud cover to pass, a lot can happen to a werewolf; it was their achilles heel, which was why wolves of his age and experience learned long ago to always have a plan in motion rather than rely solely on his powers, a plan that right now he required perfect timing to have.

"I think it's time, little doggie" she continued to gloat, readying for a massive kick to his head that would surely kill him, "in the words of my dear sister, for you to know your place."

_**"Please," **_he replied and spat a thick loogie in her eye.

"AAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!" She screeched, grasping her face as if his spit was acid, inadvertently letting him go free as he quickly leaps out of distance from her.

_**"You really take me for some dumbass wolf pup, bitch; I'm insulted!" **_He remarked; this time it was his turn to gloat as she writhed in agony over his brazen, audacious act.

"_Uuurrrrggghhh, YOU!" _She growled, vigorously wiping her face, her eyes flaring red with anger and mouth hissing with a venomous hatred. "_I will kill you for you've did to me!"_

**"**_**First rule of Go**_**," **he explains while she's distracted, ** "**_**know your surroundings! Major rule of Art of War; know your enemy! I know this highway, driven down it many times, at this exact hour! I also took the time to get to know you and figured you be too full of yourself to see how I was merely playing for time with you losers!"**_

"Ggggggrrrrrrhhh, what are you babbling about!"

He glances over his shoulder and notices they were just about to go a cross bridge looking over the Kitakami River, while at the same time another truck, a much larger one running its usual route on this stretch of road at clock work was heading down the opposite lane towards them; it all brought a knowing smile on his face.

**"**_**Oh, just that there's nothing sadder than an egotistical vamp, and that one thing us wolves have over you bitches is coordination and...timing**_**."**

The timing had to be perfect, of both trucks crossing the bridge at the precise point where a drop would be at its steepest, at the exact moment where either vehicle would be parallel enough for Koga to hop against the side of its tall trailer as it passes by and with his lightening reflexes propells himself back just as he came within striking distance of his target and, with a hard kick, launches the dark haired vampiress off over the bridge. It all seemed impossible for even a vampire to accomplish, and yet after securing a perch back on the of his own trailer where Ria, not too long was standing, watched watched after it was all said and done as this same woman for all of her flawless presence, flail wildly in the air as she's sent screaming over the bridge; then again, it was mere child's play for the werewolf Koga.

**"**_**GOOOOOD-BYE**_**!"** He says, waiving bye bye as they roar on down the road.

Moka could sense that her sister was gone, but at the same time Koga's power level seemed to have also disapate and she began to worry if he'd died in the struggle.

"WHOA!" She cried, nearly loosing control of the wheel when a man opened the passenger side door and slid on in.

"Easy, it's me!" Koga said, back in his human form, eye patch and everything. "Its always good to stay a little jumpy at the wheel, just...don't get too jumpy."

"Koga! I thought...You...What happened out there?"

"Well, I would say you don't have to worry about your sister any time soon, unless you vamps really do fly."

"No, I mean...Are...Are a you a werewolf?"

"Oh, that. Guess, you found me out; guilty as charged. Yeah, I am, but not like most, though."

"That eyepatch of yours; it's a power seal like my rosary?"

"Yep, keeps my powers in check during full moon nights like this, that way I can carry on as I am and do my work any night of the week, you know? This...change anything about us or...?"

Moka smiled and said: "Nope. No, not at all. Are we good?"

"Oh me, oh my, yes!" He joked. "I do declare you are my best friend."

"Please don't do that," she laughed.

"I swear, one of these days that catchphrase is going to get someone beat up worse than Vampira back there. By the way, your driving was pretty impressive for noob."

"Yeah, I seem to be getting the hang of it."

"I'll say; you sure have a knack for grabbing stick, sure you haven't done it before?"

For his unintentional innuendo, Moka's face suddenly turned beet red and her composure slips as she starts swerving in and out of traffic.

"Whoa!" Koga cries out, trying to regain the wheel. "Easy, EASY! Whoa, stop! Watch out! Easy! Take it slow! SLOW!"

As the two continue on their journey, behind them on the river laid Ria, saved from a watery grave by a conveniently passing garbage scow. Lying amongst the refuse, motionless yet enraged by her current predicament, she couldn't help wonder how it was she found herself in this situation, of how one girl, her baby sister who was more princess than anything else, could successfully have engineered all of this. And, the real kicker, was the possibility that all of this maybe for _him_; never could Ria remember a woman, human or otherwise, going to such lengths just to reach one man, _any_ man; it was a notion that seemed so alien, so unnatural to her own world view of self gratification.

"Hey, you up there!" The boat's captain called from below, who trained his flashlight upon her. "Are you alright? How'd you get up there!"

Scaling herself down, but ignoring the man's question and dumbfounded stares, ripping her prized dress on a loose metal wire in the process, she looks around and asks:

"Where is this boat going?"

"Miss, you sure you're alright?" He asks again, shinning his light on her dirtied up face.

"Where!" She demands.

"To Kyoto, non stop; if you'd like we can drop you off at the nearest port."

"Turn this around," she demands.

"Look, lady we're on schedule, we can't just..."

But, Ria violently grabs the man by his neck and lifts him high into the air, her fangs snarling wet with siliva before his terrifed eyes.

"Turn-this-boat-a-round!" She reiterates.

"Hey, CaptainI!" The skipper calls from the boat's helm. "Is everything alright out there? You see what fell just now?"

"HEY, TAKESHIII!" He managed to scream. "TURN HER AROUND!"

"WHAT?"

"I SAID TURN HER AROUND, DON'T ARGUE WITH ME! W-Where ever you want to go, lady!"

"Good boy," Ria said with a dark smile.

XXX

The neighborhood was dark and quiet, with nary a soul out at so early an hour, and yet never had so desolate a place seem so familiar or so welcoming to Moka, as if having finally come home. Nevertheless, after so long an arduous journey, through all of her ordeals and obstacles, seeing the home of the Aono family only a few yards away, it was the reward she had been longing for.

"Is here good enough for you?" Koga asked, his truck parked along a curve facing the lane towards Tsukune's childhood home.

"This is good," she said, her voice soft and yet struggling to hold back the emotions.

"I gotta say, Moka you sure know how to liven up an morning."

She reaches over and hugs Koga again, trying to hide her tears in his shoulder. "Thankyou."

"Hey, think nothing of it. Just, do me a favor."

"Anything."

"...Next time you drive, stick with gear shift; I mean, you drive pretty good, it's just that you might do better in a hybrid or a sports car."

Moka laughed, her happy face flushed and a little red, but kisses him on the cheek anyway.

"Take care, kid," he says.

"You too," she replies and disembarks from the truck, running non stop towards the end of a trying gauntlet.

It was so long ago when she last saw this place, and yet it all felt like yesterday when this happened. Tsukune's voice, the aroma of his blood, and even his touch all suddenly came back to her as if they had never vanished, and in her euphoria could almost sense him near. But, what would be said upon seeing each other, now? How would he react after hearing what happened, what's been going on? How will they cope after his marrying an impostor? For that matter, would his parents, especially Mrs. Aono herself, even let her see him? It then dawned on her that in light of what her clone has done, no doubt the entire family would be aware of it and the last obstacle to reclaiming Tsukune just might be the very people who care about him just as much she does.

However, upon rounding the curve she sees Kyokou's house just next door and an idea came to mind: Kyokou, his cousin and her friend. Surely, she will help; she knows what Moka is and the world of monsters, and was trustworthy enough in keeping it all a secret. The lights were off at her home, save for both porch lights that remained on as if waiting for someone to come in, and not wanting to wake or alert Kasumi to her prescence, Moka decides to climb over a fence into Kyokou's yard and try to come in from the backdoor. She goes to knock on the door when suddenly a spray of water pelts her from behind, sending volts of agonizing pain shooting throughout her body.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Moka shrieked and collapsed into a fetal position in utter pain, trying feebly to ward off this unprovoked attack and wondering in the back of her mind who this new threat could be trying to stop her.

"I should have known," a voice, a familar voice muttered menacingly over her. "I should have known you'd try something. Trying to get back at me for messing up your stuff, but I didn't think you'd be so cowardly as to try breaking into my home late at night while I was sleeping!"

"K-Kyokou?" Moka asked, staring up in utter shock and disbelief at Tsukune's cousin, and once trusted friend, whom she could count on for anything, now standing over her with a running water hose, greeting her instead with murderous intent in her blue eyes.

**As I promised my chapters will be trimmed short and hopefully this chapter was, itself. But, before I continue on from here, let me take this time to explain to you what's going to happen. You are a dedicated audience and fully captivated, and yet there are fears some of you might not understand what will take place in the succeeding chapters; so, to keep from getting future hate emails let me set things in proper context. This last scene is an indicator of what our heroine is going to face from here on out, attacks not from her enemies, but by her friends. Their reactions upon seeing her will not be a welcoming one or a little more than simple confusion. What's going to happen is that they are going to rip into her, their responses hurtful, vindictive, and even a bit unfair. This isn't like on TV, in some contrived plot where a main character is replaced by an evil double who goes around creating utter chaos and when the real character shows back up everyone is like "Oh that makes sense", and are cool with it. You have to understand these people were all badly hurt by Moka, hurt so bad that they're going to be anything, but okay with seeing her again, regardless of whose the real one and who's the fake or whoever is really to blame for this. These characters are going to be least interested in resuming any kind of a relationship with her, and instead will be more interested in getting revenge for their pain, and **_**she**_** will find out, as will you that many of her friends had already begun to ask themselves: will their lives be better off without Moka in it, and that many have answered that question; whether this will include Tsukune I cannot say at the time. However, now our herione has to re-earn everyone's trust again if she ever wants things go back to normal, which will be an even greater ordeal than what she's been through up to this point, but one where even if is she does succeed, things must assuredly will never be the same again. As one Moka seemed to be the kind of person who doesn't care all that much about the opinions of others, the other one however does and it'll be her struggle to essentially clean up the mess left behind by her slutty twin. But, however you may feel about any of this, please know that its all part of her development over the course of this story, one that will further differentiate the two Mokas, and prove once and for all that love and hope isn't completely lost.**


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

_It Will Rain_

**This is the chapter where our Moka finally comes face to face with Tsukune's mother, Kazumi Aono, and even before writing out this scene way back in chapter one, I've thought long and hard on how best do this right. A while back I happened to read a near identical scene in "**_**Take What Is Yours**_**", the sequel to "**_**Get What You Want**_**" where in it the Moka of that story, accompanied by her mother, confronts Kazumi for the very first time and something about their meeting seemed off. It was almost as if the mother felt sorry for the woman who not only hurt her son, but had so rudely announced it to her over the phone. Now I'm not being critical of Mistress's work, and I'm sure her and her fans have their own POV about this subject or was attempting to reflect some unique Japanese custom, but I just can't see any mother behaving that way. However, I later watched an episode of **_**Burn Notice**_** where Michael Weston's mother finally confronts the man who murdered her son and his brother, and I took note of her reaction. Sharon Gless' performance was about as real and raw as any actress could have gotten to a **_**real **_**mother's pain. She was both calm, yet vividly in anguish; not some over the top, melodramatic reaction like in some poorly scripted TV show, but then again she wasn't offering the man tea, either. It was a perfect blend of sorrow, strained self-control, and smoldering rage that I think any mother who stares into the eyes of the man or woman who had hurt her child and irrevocably damage their family would have, as she literally asks: why? This is my take on Moka's meeting with Tsukune's mom; like it, hate it, whatever. Here it is.**

"K-Kyoko!" Moka stammered, soaking wet and in a lot of pain as she struggles to her feet and keep a safe distance from her former friend who now aimed the spray nozzle of the water hose like a loaded gun.

"You picked the wrong human to fuck with, bitch!" She spat at her, blue eyes electrified with a rage Moka had never seen in her before. "You thought humans were bad before, you ain't seen nothing!"

**She's lost her mind! **Inner Moka observed.

"Kyoko, it's me! It's Moka, I'm your friend, don't you remember!"

"Are serious? You seriously trying to pull the friend card on me, on _me_!"

She unleashes another blast of cold water, each droplet pelting her like red hot pellets from a shotgun, causing her to buckle under the pressure.

"First you betray my cousin's trust, then you betray mine by going on about us corrupting the precious children you wanted to have with that dawg you fucked, and now you talk about me remembering you as my friend?"

"I...I know what you must be thinking," Moka, after receiving a reprieve, tries to explain in her weakened state. "But...but, that wasn't me…It was..."

"Let me guess, your alter, 'super vampire' ego?" Kyoko mocks and rips into her with another blast of water.

"THAT WASN'T ME, IT WAS AN IMPOSTOR! AN IMPOSTOR! There's someone who looks like me!"

"SHUT UP!" Kyoko yells and sprays her again.

"...Kyoko," Moka wept, weakly.

"I hate you," she said vehemently, tears forming in her angry, blue eyes. "I hate all of you."

"...No, don't say that! I have never betrayed your trust, please."

"You were right, right about humans and monsters coexisting, about how stupid it all was, and to assume that the children you would have had with my cousin could ever survive in this world is a fool's dream! Better you push Tsukie away than make him have to choose between you and us, right?"

"No, you've got it all wrong, I'm here to see him, I'm here to make everything right!"

"Too late! He's gone! He's gone and it's all your fault! If you want to make things right, then DIE!"

She prepares to spray her again, but Koga swoops in at the last minute and wrestles the hose from Kyoko's grasp.

"Alright, girls that's enough!" He tells her. "Wet T-shirt contest is over!"

Scared for her very life, yet undaunted, Kyoko wrenches free from him and reaches for a nearby shovel where she swings it with all her might against his head like a club, dazing him a bit.

"Oww, lady!" He cried.

"Get away!" Kyoko screamed, brandishing her weapon at them both. "Get the hell away from me, you monsters!"

Moka stared at her in utter shock to see Kyoko, her closest human friend behave so terrified and violent towards them.

"Kyoko," Moka says, trying to get close, but Kyoko keeps her at bay, until Koga manages to grab a hold of her and forces the irate girl to relinquish the weapon.

"Take it easy, lady," he tells her. "We monsters aren't going anywhere until we meet the man of the house!"

"Please don't hurt her," Moka begs him.

"HELP!" Kyoko begins screaming. "HELP, SOMEBODY HELP MEEEE!"

She screamed so loud that Moka and Koga feared she might alert the whole neighborhood.

"Jesus!" Koga griped, covering her mouth with his hand, but it hardly calmed her down and she began kicking and even biting. "...You know, I just might turn human at this rate!"

"Kyoko, stop screaming, please would you stop screaming and just listen to me, okay, I didn't come here to fight!" Moka pleaded with her, but it did little to abate Tsukune's angry cousin. However, she then recalled something from the past of a nearly similar situation where she needed to gain Kyoko's trust in her, and looking back on it now, she hoped it would somehow reach out to her. "Kyoko, you love Tsukune, right?"

Kyoko stopped, as if hearing his name and those words seemed to click something in her brain.

"Do you remember when I asked you that question; on that day...when I took your hand, and you took mine? You remember when I said I loved him with all my head just as you did? I still do; I no you don't believe me when I say that, but I still love him with all my heart, too!"

With tears flowing down her cheeks, Moka stuck out her hand and added: "It may be natural for you to hate me now, but from one woman who loves Tsukune, to you who also love him...I'm asking you, please trust in me, now."

"You sure about this?" Koga asked, reluctantly loosening his hold on her, to which Moka nods.

"Please, Kyoko, if you want to hurt me afterwards, then I understand; all I ask is that you give me time to talk with you and Tsukune and explain everything."

Free of Koga's grip, but still glancing warily at the two intruders in her yard, she begrudgingly weighs her options and rationalize that there could be no harm in hearing what she had to say. Whether it was her words, haunting and familiar as they were, as well as strange being uttered by a woman who, not too long ago could barely remember them herself or it was the hope that this same woman, if it was the same one at all, might know something about her missing cousin, Kyoko relented.

"...Fine," Kyoko replied, crossing her arms firmly instead of taking Moka's outreached hand, as if signalling she still hadn't trusted her, yet. "But, if it's Tsukie you want to talk to, then you are barking up the wrong tree. We haven't seen or heard from him in weeks."

"You mean he isn't here?" She asked with genuine worry that unnerved the bitterly angry cousin. "Where is he then? What's happened to him? I thought he'd be here!"

"Well, since you asked for time to explain, then maybe you ought to start by telling _me_ what you know."

They sat in Kyoko's kitchen, Moka sitting across from her with only bra on after being forced to remove her soaking wet shirt and draped a dry towel that Koga brought, whom was nursing his sore head with a bag of ice, the blow from Kyoko's "shovel attack" not as damaging as it would be for most people, but still hurt, an accomplishment this rough necked werewolf had to admire.

"I gotta say, baby girl," he said with a smile, "you got a good arm on ya; you and my mom should play softball sometime."

All he got was an icy glare from the girl, which clued him into shutting up.

"So, this is the guy you decided to fuck behind my cousin's back, huh?" Kyoko asked.

"No, his name's Koga," Moka introduced. "He's a good friend who helped me get back here. Look, I didn't do what you think I did, I'm being set up!"

"Go ahead and explain, and please make it good."

Moka didn't mince words nor held back anything as she recounted all the events that led to this meeting, while Kyoko simply stared uncomfortably at the two monsters that had made themselves at home in her own house. It wasn't just that made her so uneasy and unnerved, but the wild story Moka was telling: of clones, secret lairs, abduction and amnesia, and pinning the blame of their current misery on an evil twin. When Moka finished, Kyoko still remained silent.

"...Kyoko, please say something."

"What do you want me to say?" Kyoko asked, her voice devoid of any hint of understanding.

"Say something!"

"You want me to believe that you were switched at school with a clone by your evil sister, who later married my cousin for the sole reason to fuck up our lives?"

"Yeah, I know how it sounds," Koga interjected. "But, believe me no matter how crazy this sounds…"

"First, you do this, then you come to my home with…_him_, whoever, and now you're telling me more lies like you still think that…"

"Please, Kyoko."

"That, because I'm a human, I'm still as stupid as when you fooled me and my cousin and our whole family!"

"Kyoko, I'm telling you the truth, I wouldn't lie to you!" Moka pleaded. "In all the time you've known me, does it really sound like I'd be capable of doing half the things you're accusing me of?"

"Over four years ago I would have said no, but now..."

"I still wouldn't!" Moka argued, but the look of anger in Kyoko's eyes wasn't reassuring at all.

"Tell me, how do you live with yourself?" Kyoko asked. "I know there are people like you who live off of this stuff the way you do, in fact I know your sister is like this."

"…What?" Moka asked, the very words offensive to her ears. "…I am _nothing_ like my sister."

"Could've fooled me. Do all vampires act like this? Does everyone in your family, like your mother?"

"Stop it."

"Is this how you vampires get your kicks, you know when you're not killing people and drinking blood. Do you spend your time fooling some hapless human or other monsters into being your playthings, fucking them and then tossing them aside like used toys and move onto the next person? Is _he_ your next boy-toy? Were you planning on using me next after you're done with him, is that why you're really here?"

"Ladies," Koga interjected. "C'mon, let's be civil."

"Do not compare me to her, Kyoko! I did not do _any_ of that stuff, I am a good person!"

"You know Moka, there was a time when I used to think all monsters were bad and should be hated. But, I met you and realized that not all monsters were like that; but, then you showed me that _that_ was all lie and I was right all along. Because, in the end you and your sister are the true face of monsters everywhere: lying, cheating, _slutty_, horny, animals."

"Kyoko, stop!" Moka warned, her voice raised, but Kyoko remained unfazed.

"It hurts, doesn't it?"

"What?"

"Hearing the truth. Knowing something awful in place of something you always thought was good and sweet and…"

"I am _still_ good!" Moka yelled, standing up before her in a fit of anger. "And I haven't betrayed you; I just told you everything that happened, it _is_ the truth!"

"What are you going to do Moka, what are you going to do!" Kyoko roared back, standing up to boldly face her. "You going to switch personalities and kill me, is that it? Go ahead!"

"W-What?" She asked, surprised to hear her say that, but equally surprised to see no hesitation in her eyes for that fate.

"Whoa, whoa, everybody needs to calm the fuck down!" Koga declares as he steps in between them."

"You heard me! You're an almighty vampire goddess, so why don't you prove it to me and kill me! Because, I'm not afraid of you, and you know it, so do it!"

Moka, still upset, backs down.

"What's the matter Moka, I thought you were an all-powerful vampire who does what she wants? I bet your high and mighty older sister wouldn't back down from putting me in my place!"

"I TOLD YOU DON'T COMPARE ME TO HER!" She screamed back at her.

"YOU ARE LIKE HER, YOU PROVED TO ME THAT YOU WERE!"

"That wasn't me, okay! I keep telling you that, it was not me who did all of this!"

"And, I'm supposed to believe you or else...?"

"No, just believe me. And, what you think of me isn't real and that it isn't like the real you to hate this way. Kyoko I knew would never be so hateful that she would be so willing to die just to defy me. This isn't the person I know, the faithful cousin to Tsukune."

"…Why the hell are you here?"

"To see Tsukune; I came all this way to see him again, to explain to him what happened, that the person who did all of this wasn't me! Please, _please_ tell me you at least believe some of it, that you do think it's possible I'm telling the truth!"

"Heh, doesn't matter what I believe, anyway. Tsukie is gone, and right now I don't know who to blame for this: you or...whomever _you_ were supposed to have been!"

"…Has Tsukune at least called?"

"No. Actually, Kazumi said someone called she thought might have been him, but he didn't make a lot of sense and hung up."

"Let me talk to her; maybe we can figure something out together."

The look Kyoko gave to her caused Moka to pause and ask: "What? Is there something wrong?"

"You can say that, there's a lot wrong," she remarked. "You really don't know, do you? Of course, you were away in prison somewhere when all this went down, weren't you?"

"Kyoko. What went down, tell me!"

"How much do you know? I like to believe you, that somewhere out there is a bitchier version of you and I'm talking to the 'good' Moka; I really do. But, after everything you said and did to Tsukie and me, wasn't half as fucked up as what you said to Kazumi."

"Mrs. Aono?" Moka asked with mild hesitation in finding out the next revelation.

"...She's going to be harder to convince," Kyoko added. "How much of your..._her's_ actions do you know?"

"I...I saw her sleep with Gin in front of him and then...Tsukune left. After that I couldn't look at anymore so I escaped."

"Well, there was more, a lot more."

Kyoko paused, her features, usually gentle and playful looking growing harder the more she looked at Moka while trying to put into words what she needed to say.

"Kyoko," Moka whispered. "W-What aren't you telling me? Is Kazumi okay?"

"...I don't know; how would you be if the woman you accepted as your daughter told you over the phone, virtually to your face that she was currently cheating on your only son and didn't care?"

The revelation was a little more than she was prepared for, causing her to blink and shudder uncontrollably as she tried to process what Kyoko had said.

"...W-What?" She asked.

"Yeah," Kyoko continued, "the very next morning after your slutty twin did the deed, aunt Kazumi called your apartment to speak with Tsukie, but old lover-boy answered the phone instead after having bathtub sex with 'you', and then you graciously proceeded to tell my aunt what was going on, that things weren't working out and for her to basically go fuck herself. Aunt Kazumi told you off before hanging up though, but that was the last time either of you spoke."

The silence was deafening as its story, so shocking that even Koga's mouth hung open, left her audience in quiet and overwhelmed reflection.

"Whoa," he managed to utter. "That's...Whoa!"

**That bitch! **Inner Moka responded, her jeweled prison radiating with anger over the sheer audacity that even a vampire had more class for. **Who the hell does she think she is? And with OUR name, she'd do this!**

Moka was beside herself; never did she think her very name would be dragged any deeper through the mud and slime, but this seemed too damaging, far too dirty and depraved that she felt ashamed to raise her head.

"It...It can't be," she whispered, her hush tone filled with an unending pain. "S-She wouldn't do that! She couldn't be capable of something like that!"

"I'd like to agree with you," Kyoko simply replies. "Assuming you are, who you say you are. I don't know, maybe your explanation will give you some leeway with her, but...don't count on it. In fact...In fact, if you are the real deal, and you truly do love my cousin...then go back to where ever it is you came from, because you're only going to cause more pain by going any further. Enough has been done, and Tsuki…Tsukune, where ever he is, needs to forget about you if he's ever going to come back from this; let him go."

As in pain Moka was feeling right now, the mere suggestion that she abandon her quest to get Tsukune back after all her struggles up to this point was one insult too many. She had to go meet his mother, now more than ever if it would help; retreat was not an option.

"...Take me to see his mother, now," she requested in a steely voiced whisper. "I'm going to tell her everything."

"You can try, but I don't think this story of yours will fly."

"No; I mean the whole truth, everything! What I am, where I'm from; it's time she knows."

Koga and Kyoko glanced at one another, surprised at this sudden decision.

"Um, Moka I know you're upset," said Koga, "I would be too if _my_ clone was out there shitting on everything in my life, but you sure about this? You know the penalty if a human..."

"Everything in my life is already shit!" Moka replied. "But, I need to know if Tsukune is okay and I want Kazumi by my side when I find out. I need her to be able to look me in the eye and trust me again; whatever it takes."

Kyoko could see the look of hard, cold resolve in Moka's emerald eyes, eyes that she remembered were always warm and relaxed. She could hear from that tingling, happy go lucky voice of hers a type of edge never heard from her lips before, and saw her delicate hands clench and unclench themselves in barely controlled anger. She couldn't remember a time when Moka was ever like this, even when she supposedly talked to the crazy version of her back in their apartment, but the mere mention of Tsukune's predicament, of Kazumi's dishonor and of being told to back away seemed to have unleashed a quality that made that Moka she encountered weeks ago seem like a cartoon caricature in comparison. This Moka was angry, not for herself, but for her friends, most especially the man she loved and it was being reinforced by an edge brought on by years of hardship through a hell and fire rarely experienced. Perhaps, Kyoko thought, there was some truth to what this woman was telling her; perhaps this strange woman before her was indeed the real Moka Akashiya.

The neighborhood never seemed so quiet before as it did right now; Moka Akishiya staring at the front door to Mr. and Mrs. Aono, their front porch light still shinning over the burgundy wooden door as if waiting, waiting ever so patiently to greet someone who has yet to show up. She could tell they were still up by the lights on inside, no doubt _she_ was still anxious about the fate of her son, causing a part of Moka to have slight reservations in doing this.

**What are you waiting for? ** Inner Moka asked. **Let****'****s get this over with!**

"You okay?" Koga asked.

"Yes," she replied, quickly dashing all doubts away as she had come too far to turn yellow and back down now. Determination now resonating in her heart, she calmly steps up to the door next to Kyoko ready to face Kazumi when she opens the door, who then asks: "You're sure?"

Looking at her as if mentally saying "Hell yes", Kyoko rings the doorbell, it's chime loud and clear, seemingly echoing throughout this two-story house, quickly being reciprocated by heavy footsteps from inside that rapidly approaches the door. Everything happened in slow motion for Moka, from the sound of her breath rising sharply within her chest at the sounds of locks clicking on the other side, to the door's whine as it opens with a whoosh of warm air blowing out. It had felt so surreal being in that moment, more so than anything she had experienced before, and yet as Moka stared into eyes that were wet with tears and worry, as she looked into the face of a middle aged woman, whom seemed to have aged more since last remembered, the world felt like it had ground to a forceful halt.

"...Kazumi!" Koji Aono called as he came up from behind. "Who is it; is it Tsu...?"

He quickly saw who it was and fell mute, his gaze quickly averted as though she were some foul thing that assaulted his eyes. All were quiet, no one moved, until it became almost unbearable for Kyoko who felt guilty having brought all of this onto her aunt and uncle, wanting to say something to clear the air.

"...Aunt Kazumi," she said. "...I can explain. W-Well, she…."

"M-Mrs. Aono," Moka spoke up in so meek a manner, humbly bowing before her to show humility. "I know that...I am the last person you want to see, b-but if you allow me to explain..."

She felt a hand gently touch her chin and kindly raised her up to eye level with Kazumi. For a split second she believed Mrs. Aono would show her the benefit of the doubt in spite of what happened, that perhaps her kindness and compassion that Moka so fondly remembered was far stronger than believed.

SMACK!

The slap was hard, open handed, and with the fingers spread as far as possible for maximum effect permitted sharp nails to leave their mark upon her pretty face, along with a stinging red hot welt, as the blow sent mighty Moka off her feet and into Kyoko's arms; needless to say it surprised her terribly.

"How dare you bring her here," Kazumi hissed cruelly to Kyoko, her voice so cold and merciless, as coarse as gravel scraping underneath a car, which hardly seemed like the kind, overly exaggerated, but motherly woman from before.

"Aunt Kazumi, I know how this looks, but you have to..."

"What are you doing with her anyway?" Koji asked. "Do you know what she did? How could you bring here like this, are you stupid? You know how we feel, what we agreed?"

"Guys, would you just listen to me!"

"Um, excuse me," said Koga, calmly stepping up. "I'm new here, but I've known the young lady you...basically beat the ever loving shit out of, pardon my french, and I have to say, what you think about her…you got it all wrong! See, she has an evil twin out there, and..."

"Get him...away from me!" Kazumi growled, then looked back down at Moka with wild ice cold eyes. "Is this the bastard you fucked in my son's bathtub, you bitch? It isn't enough you fuck around with this Gin person, but you have the gall to come here and bring him along with you, too and for what? You want to humiliate me, is that it?

"Huh? Oh-oh, no I'm not this Gin person; the name's Koga, I am...so far from being that pervert, believe me!"

"M-Mrs. Aono," Moka wept, "you've got it all wrong, I'm…!"

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY SON, YOU BITCH!" Kazumi screamed, lunging at her.

"Kazumi, stop!" Kyoko cried, holding her back.

"You don't get off my step by the time I count to three, I'm calling the police," she responded, ignoring their pleas and through listening.

"No!" Moka begged. "Please, I'm looking for him right now; you got to let me speak!"

"Fuck it. Koji, get on the phone, tell them she and her pimp are here!"

**Pimp? Who does she think she's talking to?**

However, Moka did not share her inner persona's wounded ego, breaking away from Kyoko and kneeling at Mrs. Aono's feet, clutching feverishly to her pants legs, face buried in the woman's crotch as she cried like a child, all in a desperate attempt to keep from being taken away before having a chance to talk.

"Please, please!" Moka wept. "I know how this looks, but you have to believe me I am innocent! I'm being set up, it isn't my fault, I swear! I want to find Tsukune too, just hear me out, hear what I have to say and if…if you still...if you still want me arrested or if you want me dead, then do what you have to, but I am not going anywhere!"

Her display was surprising, to say the least, and even her inner personality was a little awed by this daring show of humility, daring for a vampire to do before a "lowly human", but it hardly mattered so long as Moka got what she needed badly: a face to face audience with Tsukune's mom, who's newfound harshness seemed to sway in response.

"...Thirty minutes," Mrs. Aono replied, her icy demeanor hardly changed. "That's all you get. Come in."

It was a cozy atmosphere inside her home Koga noticed, a real TV sitcom place as it was so well kempt, yet it didn't feel all that welcoming as its caretaker sat down in a recliner, arms crossed and staring at Moka like an impatient queen ready to hear what some interloper about to have her head lopped off had to say. As Moka stood about the living room, she could smell his scent permeating throughout the house like some faint, year old house smell that had seeped its way into the walls some time ago. It both served as a good thing, as this was the first time in a long time her nostrils had inhaled the smell of his blood, but it was also an ill indicator of some ugly truth, for its weak potency only meant that he really hasn't been here recently all along.

"Well!" She snapped, almost startling Moka. "Say what you came here to say!"

"...Very well, I guess I better start with what I am, where I am from and…one of the reasons why my twin did all these terrible things to you."

"_What_ you are?" Koji repeated. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

She closed her eyes, mentally readying herself for this, and for a moment it looked to Mrs. Aono that Moka would flake and turn this into a giant waste of her time; however, she wasn't any kind of a fake who'd run when the going got tough and looked Kazumi dead in the eyes as she responded:

"...I'm a vampire."

"...A what?" Kazumi asked, unsure of what she heard.

"I'm a vampire; an S-class monster, and I have been ever since I was born. What you see before you isn't my true appearance, that's kept in checked by my rosary pendant you see around my neck that no one, save for your son Tsukune, could remove because if they did...I would turn into a scary monster."

Both Kazumi and Koji, mother and father to the man she came here to see, and both humans who tried to keep an open mind about things, looked at one another with confused looks before turning back to her.

"You came all this way to...tell us this?" Mrs. Aono asked. "Are you insane? Really, I mean if you're suffering from some mental illness then you better seek professional help, I'm not the one to help you."

"She's telling you the truth," Kyoko spoke up, flopping down into a recliner across from her aunt to try and steady own herself with what she's doing. "I've witnessed her transformations and seen her true form. I know how this looks."

"How this looks? Kyoko, you bring her here to our house with her gigolo boyfriend, whoever he is and instead of telling us where Tsukune is, she tells us she's some 'scary monster' or some nonsense! This was a mistake, I want her out, now!"

Without saying another word, Moka effortlessly lifts the recliner with Kyoko still in it by one hand, shocking Tsukune's cousin by this sudden display of power, as well as stunning Mr. and Mrs. Aono silent.

"Do you believe me now?" She asks and gently lowers Kyoko back down without waiting for a response. "I know you must have a lot of questions and I promise I'll answer as many as I'm able to. For years monsters like myself and Koga here have had to keep our identities a secret from your kind or risk severe penalties for both; I'm telling you all of this right now because...after everything that's happened, after everything that was said or done to you, I felt you shouldn't be kept in the dark any longer."

And so, Moka told a captivated Kazumi and Koji her whole story; from her life growing up as the middle child of a powerful, upper crust vampire family, through the tumultuous years at a human middle school that created an irrational hatred of humanity for a long time, to her fateful encounter with their son, the very first human she had ever befriended. From there she revealed to them every adventure the two of them had in as much detail as she could, recounting each time he saved her life, and when she saved his by ultimately turning him into the very being she herself is, all the way to when he proposed to her just shortly before she was abducted, replaced by a clone, kept prisoner by Ria for four years, her escape, the loss of her memory and her time spent at a half-way house, and the events that brought her before them, now.

All in all, she had gone well beyond her allotted thirty minutes, but that hardly seemed relevant as Kazumi and her husband remained glued to the entire narrative that would have span a series of books.

"And, that's it," Moka finished, her voice a little hoarse from the long winded bio she gave. "That's what's going on, that's why I came to see you."

"Wh-Wha...Th-That's…That's incredible!" Koji stammered. "I can't...How is any of this possible?"

"...You sent our son to a school for monsters?" Kazumi asked after a lengthy, shock and awed silence in which the only question that came to mind was the one thing that ought to have affected Koji the most; the one whose zealous desire to see their son entire a prestige school ultimately put all of these events into motion.

"N-No," he replied. "I...I couldn't have, I mean...!"

"How in the hell did you not know where you were sending him to?" Kazumi asked.

"I had no idea it was a school full of monsters! Kyoko, you knew and you didn't tell me?"

"What? Well, I..."

"I-I knew we should have investigated that school," Kazumi rants to herself. "If I had known..."

"Mr. and Mrs. Aono, I know how this looks," Moka tried to reason.

"You do?" Koji asked. "Because, I just sent my son to a place where he was almost killed more than once and was turned into a vampire, and I haven't a clue how this looks!"

"Hey, look calm down!" Koga told him.

"Don't tell me to calm down!"

"Mr. Aono, listen...," Moka tried to say.

"That Ria person, your sister, she's a vampire, too?" Kazumi asked.

"Uncle, aunt, I am so sorry!" Said Kyoko. "Some of this is my fault, I should have told you sooner, I should have said something the moment Tsukune went missing! I was just...too fooled by Moka into thinking monsters could be our friends."

"Laying it on pretty thick, don't you think?" Koga asked.

"Just calling it like I see it."

"You're damn right, Kyoko, you should have told!" Koji accused. "If you had, then we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"Whoa, wait a minute...!" She argued.

"Mrs. Aono, please know I didn't mean to upset you like this!" Moka continued, but at this point Kazumi's attention seemed to be hampered at the moment.

"Remember when I first noticed something strange was going on?" Kyoko asked.

"Oh, here we go!" Koga remarked.

"I was the only one who tried to get you two to listen, but noo you wouldn't, so I snuck into that academy, by myself!"

"Yes, and you decided to withhold this information from us, his parents!" Koji argued.

"And, whose idea was it to send his own son to a strange school he nothing about?" She retaliated. "All of this is on you! Tsukune never would have met Moka or gotten involved with any of this if it wasn't for you!"

"Will everyone, please be quiet!" Moka demanded. "It's what I've been saying all along, the Moka responsible was not me, it was the clone my sister made!"

"How could I forget; _your_ sister," Koji accused. "These are your problems, and you've dumped them all on us! Our lives were perfect before you came along, before you monsters revealed yourselves to us and lured us into your web!"

"What?" Moka replied, both deeply offended and surprised by his insensitive, racial barbs. "How dare you...That is _not _true, Mr. Aono!"

"You expect us to believe your clone is responsible, that you had nothing to do with any of this? Is that how you...whatever you are...trick us humans; is that it?"

"You don't know what you are talking about!" Moka retaliated. "You don't know about us or what it's like to be one of us!"

"So, you turn our son into one to get back at humans, is that it?"

"No!"

"No?"

"No, that's not it at all! I know you're angry and shocked, and betrayed that you weren't told the truth, and that's the only reason you're saying this now, but..."

"And when my son wouldn't play ball, you decide to cast him aside like an old toy, am I right?"

"You're wrong!"

"Am I?"

"Yes!"

"Am I, Moka Akashiya; I know your sister, know how she works, she used me the same way and very nearly destroy my family in the process!"

"...I'm sorry about that."

"Save your apologies you freak!"

"..._But_, that wasn't my fault!"

"You know what's funny, is that I tried to teach my son not to wind up like me, not to become a pawn to a woman like that, and that he was lucky to wind up with you; but it turned out I was looking out for the wrong sister, I should have been watching out for you and warning him about you, because sisters think alike, huh?"

"That wasn't my FAULT! I was in prison for four years, I had nothing to do with what happened to Tsukune; I keep telling all of you that!"

"But, you had nothing to do with any of it. Of course, you would say that; so, if you had nothing to do with what's going on, then why are you here telling us all of this now? Why wait after all these years to come clean? Why didn't you tell us anything about what you were and what your whole, slutty...evil family is like?"

"Alright!" Koga spoke up, having had enough of this. "I've heard all I can take from this; you want to know she didn't tell about herself to you, smart guy? I know she'll say it was to protect you, because as she said the penalty for maintaining our secret is, well bad!"

"Is there a point, Gin or whatever your name is?"

"Uh, like I said I'm not Gin," he said with a dry chuckle. "And, as I was trying to point out, I think the real reason she didn't say anything was because of this, the way you're acting, now! This...judgmental, holier than thou attitude you're adopting, right now is so old and been there by over dozens of small minded deuce bags like yourself in which Moka here, unfornately had to endure growing up, and is probably not handling this situation very well!"

"Tsukune didn't care," Moka commented. "He knew and he was accepting of who I was! I...I thought you'd be more like him, as you are his parents, the people who raised him to be the kind of man I fell in love with!"

"Yeah, and look where that got him," Koji argued.

"Koga is right; it's the reaction, this same irrational thinking that kept me from telling you and prevented your son from revealing the truth! In fact, since my clone was based off of me, she had that same irrational fear that I used to feel about humans and if she could see how you're acting now, how sad would that be for all of us if she was proven right!"

"Excuse me!" Kyoko remarked. "Huh; spoken just like the weird bitch I had to deal with to get my cousin's stuff back!"

"S-Shut up," Kazumi muttered under her breath, but Moka continued.

"Do not compare me to her! I never said I approved what she did, but if this is how you're going to act around monsters, then we might as well all say she was right about humans all along and right to have done what she did! And, personally I've had it up to here with the bitch, but I only hope you can put aside your hate long enough to..."

"SHUT UUUUUUUUUPPP!"

Mrs. Aono's sudden, ear drum busting yell was so loud and resonating that everyone, even mighty Koga fell silent before the woman who had borne Tsukune, raised him as a stay at home mother, lost him and had been openly insulted by his wife may or may not be standing before her, and now feared for his safety while all around these people continued to mouth off about matters that seemed so small, so very insignificant to her.

"...I don't care who...or what you are," she calmly added, while her tear soaked eyes staring daggers into Moka's skull. "I don't really care. If we came off as sounding...well bigoted, then I am sorry, that's not what we're about; we try to be more open minded around here."

"Mrs. Aono," Moka meekly tries to say, "I never said that..."

"I'm not finished!" Kazumi snapped, and continued. "I gave you time to talk, now you're going to shut up and listen to what I have to say!"

Her demand, regardless if she was human or not, seemed to be a brand of law thrown down at Moka's feet that she must obey, and both she and Koga now gave this headmistress, the queen of her household their undivided attention.

"That aside, how _dare_ you stand across from me in my home and say your actions were justifiable...You claim to know how we feel about all of this? You don't know shit how I feel about any of this, not you, not him, none of you! I just found out that the man I've been married to for many years, happily mind you, had been having an affair with your sister, and to top it all off, as if that wasn't enough, I find out in the most cruel, the most vicious way imaginable that you, the woman my son gave his heart to and I granted my blessing to marry, over the fucking phone, that not only were you cheating on him, but that you had chased him off and weren't even out looking for him...and to this day all I got of my child is one phone call from god knows where! My world is falling apart, my home is falling apart, my family is falling apart, and now you're just now telling me that all these years you have been LYING to me like I was some _idiot_; but, you claim to know how I'm feeling. You and your friend know more than us and have more of a right to be offended? You haven't a god damn clue, little girl! You're angry because your life wasn't perfect and you were bullied by us humans! What about my son? You said he knew what you were and yet he still married you; that wasn't enough for you? Your life was tough growing up; get over it! You're not the only one who's had it that rough, but I don't care if they chopped your right foot off or strapped you to a tree and gang raped you, I don't even care if they called you your version of the N-word, you do not have the right to go around hurting other people, especially those that had nothing to do with what happened to you! There is no justice in what you think is right!"

Moka chafed under her stinging accusations, but remained sullen and silent like a scolded child.

"Do you love your mother; I've met her and she seems like a nice person, human or not, but I want to know if your kind loves their mothers like we do?" Kazumi asked, to which Moka nodded again. "You do? Because, I wonder if this is what she teaches you, to treat other people like shit in order to so feel big and strong? So, let's look at it this way, say the shoe was on the other foot. What if instead..._my_ son had done what you did to him, and it so devastated you that it chased you away from your apartment where you wander around angry, and alone, and you go missing for days, and your mother calls to check up on you, but instead gets the bitch he's shagging up with and then eventually he tells her flat out that he was moving on away from her daughter and that he didn't give a shit about you; what if he did and said all of that to your own mother when _she_ didn't even know if you were alive! Would that make you proud that he's following in your example? Would you feel big and tough? Would you feel he was justified, would you be happy for him or would you rationalize that it wasn't his fault, but some evil look alike?"

"No," Moka said quietly, tears running down her flushed cheeks.

"My son wasn't the only person who loved you, he wasn't the only person you betrayed; I loved you like you were my own daughter, because you were honest, kind and so compassionate it was look like you came out of some happy dream. I took you into our home, granted my approval as my son's girlfriend and then wife, I treated you like you were part of the family. Did you think I would care what you were? You made my son so happy, he loved you, I could have cared less if you were from another planet, and this is how you repay us? Yet, here you are again, telling me that none of this was you, but of some clone...Whether that's true or not, one fact still remains and that's you have been lying to me after all these years and what's worse you got my son to lie for you, so you tell me why, in god's name, should I trust you now?"

There was an uncomfortable silence when Kazumi finished, her very words, far more harsh than any before, yet held some truth to it, struck a chord with all present. Moka had been through hell these last four years, but what Mrs. Aono has gone through in these few, short weeks must've been equally cruel, if not more so; it was a fact that she found unavoidable. If she was going to gain her help with these trying ordeals to come, if there was any way that they could find Tsukune and mend these fences together, then Moka knew Kazumi and everyone else had to see that she was not the enemy who set all of this in motion; to give her a reason to trust her again.

"...May I have some water, please?" Moka asked, solemnly.

"Come again?" Kazumi asked.

"A glass of water; it doesn't have to be cool, tap water would be fine."

"Say what?" Koga asked, and even Kyoko stared at her for her strange request.

Mrs. Aono looked at her, her expressionless face unchanged, but finally relents and orders Mr. Aono to: "Get this girl some water."

"Moka, girl, what's up?" Koga asked her again. "Water, are you crazy?"

**He's right? **Even her inner persona questioned. **Strange as it sounds, but that wolf has a point; what do you plan on doing with a glass of water, anyway?**

Moka remained quiet, her mind made up, her resolve like steel. She had done a lot of crazy, desperate things, things she never dreamed of doing, but Moka knew if it had to come to this, to prove her innocence and sincerity, then so be it. When Mr. Aono returned with a full glass of water, Moka holds out her right wrist while holding the glass over it, then gingerly pours water on it, causing a slight, but painful electric reaction that everyone could plainly see.

"Aaaaaaaannnnnggggghhhh!" She screamed, her body shuddering long after the initial shock and causing her to crouch in pain, a red welt visibly appearing on her pale skin. It actually felt more painful than ever before, and she realized that her body still hasn't fully recovered from Kyoko's attack, a fact Inner Moka was all too kin to point out.

**STOP IT! Our body can't handle anymore!**

"What's going on?" Kazumi asked, alarmed.

"Moka!" Koga yelled and rushed to help.

"Get back!" She snapped. "Let me do this!"

"What?"

Undaunted, Moka nonetheless pours on more until she collapses to her knees, holding herself to endure more pain.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kazumi asked, seeing how much pain the water was causing her. "What's wrong with the water?"

"...Mrs. Aono," Moka grimaced. "There's nothing wrong with your water; it's one of my people's many weaknesses. Water purifies our powers, causing us intense pain until it finally kills us! I just swam a moat, about 30ft. of water, that's why I had amnesia for several weeks! I almost died trying to swim it and you know why? Because, I wanted to see your son, again! I knew he was in trouble, and after I saw what happened...it drove me mad, and I broke myself out of my prison and swam a moat! Mrs. Aono, before I met your son…I was like her; I hated humans with every fiber of my being and would have done anything to hurt your kind. But, then he came into my life and, I don't know how to explain this to you, but he changed everything for the better. You have no idea how he's affected me. I'm sorry for lying to you, and I am sorry for everything that has happened to you; I'd sooner kill myself before I betrayed your trust or do anything to hurt Tsukune, but this isn't about you or me, it's about him! He is out there, somewhere, alone, angry, who knows what, and we have to find him before worst happens! And as a woman, who loves him just as much as I do, I do know that that is more important than casting blame! But, if that's still not enough, then if ask it, I will drink this whole...and take my own life."

In that moment, the mother and girlfriend of Tsukune Aono, the two most important women in his life, locked eyes with one another as the unthinkable was poised to happen, where one of them would bite it before anything significant would be done. Everyone looked on with fear and trepidation, even Kyoko held her breath in fear at Moka's self-mutilation, worried that she might go right ahead and do it.

_Th-This shouldn't be like this! _Kyoko thought. _We shouldn't be killing each other over this, not when a family member is missing and in trouble; why did it have to be like this?_

Kazumi Aono appeared to waiver as she looked into the desperate, yet determined eyes of this woman who, not too long ago made a mockery over the phone all her trust in her as Tsukune's beloved wife. Yet, here she was, on her knees holding an instrument of her own death and destruction, making it plain that only one person's fate was more important than either one of them. Had she made a mistake in judgment, yet again? Perhaps, what this woman said was the truth, as not too long ago the idea of vampires and other monsters being real was hardly believable. Moka waited for Mrs. Aono to say the word, any word, but seeing there was no further point except to honor her words and at least do what Kyoko suggested, Moka's shaking hands prepared for a drink.

**STOP IT! FOOL, STOP!**

_Tsukune, _Moka thought, mournfully. _Forgive me._

"NO!" Kazumi screamed, reaching forward to stop her, but Moka in her excitement accidentally shatters the glass all over her, water and shards everywhere getting into cuts. "Koji, get me a towel; hurry!"

Not waiting for him to return and seeing Moka slip into a state of shock, Kazumi takes the shirt off of her own back and wraps it around Moka's arms, pressing them together to make them warmer.

"Hold on, don't die on me," she told Moka. "Everything's okay, now."

"...Oh no, look at the mess I made to your carpet," Moka muttered as she looks down at the water stains, glass shards and her own blood.

"Hey, hey, just look at me!" She tells her. "Forget the carpet."

Moka looks at her, geen eyes in a daze, yet keeps them trained and focused.

"Mom," Moka muttered, and Kazumi hugs her tight, trying to keep her good and dry.

"I'm so sorry," Mrs. Aono says. "I shouldn't have made you do all of that. You're right, none of this matters, only finding him."

"...Tsukune," Moka whispers.

In no time, Mr. and Mrs. Aono, with Koga and Kyoko's help managed to dry off Moka with hardly any serious damage done to her. It would seem the Aono family had believed her and their family, save for one, was finally whole again.

"Th-Thankyou," Moka tells her.

"No, thankyou; I needed to wake up from my funk. Nothing's more important right now, than finding out where Tsukune is."

"We'll find him together; I give you my word, Mrs. Aono."

"Call me mom or Kazumi, which ever works."

Moka smiles and says: "Mom."

"Whew!" Koga sighs with relief. "What a rush."

"Welcome back, Moka," Kyoko said with tears in her eyes.

"Same here," said Koji with a smile as the tension seemed to have died down, but as Koga's ears were better than theirs, he could hear movement outside that could bring this happy atmosphere crashing in.

"Hey, I'd hate to break this Waltons moment, but it would seem like we have company!"

"I don't hear anything," Kyoko said and goes toward the door, only to be stopped by Koga who grabs her roughly by the arm. "Ow! What are you...?"

"It's best to stay clear from the door, Miss and stay close to me! Damn, I thought we'd lost them, too!"

"What's he talking about?" Mr. Aono asked Moka, and as she honed her senses further, she too could pick up their presence hovering just outside.

"Oh my god," she muttered, throat tight with fear. "They're here."

"What?"

"I have to get out of here!" Moka warned in a panic, leaping to her feet and trying to escape out the back, but Mrs. Aono held onto her, fast.

"What, what is going on?" She asked the frightened woman.

"Please, you have to let me get away from here and stay as far away from me as possible, before...!"

"Well, well, well; what a delightful little reunion we've got here!" Said a strange man in a black suit, sunglasses obscuring his ashen features, but by no means hiding the sickening smile on his face as he waltzes in from the back door. "Congratulations, it would seem you've accomplished what you set out to do: reach your friends after such a lengthy adventure escaping from us. But, it would seem this is as far as you go from here."

"Who the hell are you, what are you doing in my house!" Mr. Aono challenged, standing in between him and his family.

"Koji!" His wife called after him.

"Get out of here, now!" He threatened, walking boldly towards this unwanted guest.

Koga was ready to intervene, knowing full well this family man was no match for what this intruder really was, but suddenly the front door is kicked open and more armed strangers come bursting into the living room, surrounding everyone.

"Nah-uh, don't even try it wolf boy!" Threatened one, who had a Beretta pistol aimed at his face when he saw the trucker about to make a move. "Don't think we haven't learned from that little display you pulled, Mad Max, our guns are equipped with silver bullets as well; hollow point for full maximum!"

"Well, hooray for the sins of technological ingenuity!" Koga griped.

"What is this?" Mrs. Aono asked. "Who are you people, what do you want?"

"...They're Fairy Tale," Moka responded. "They work for my sister and they're here for me."

"Correct!" Said their leader. "And, Mistress Ria has become most perturbed by all this trouble you've caused her."

"Ria," Moka heard Mr. Aono mutter under his breath.

"Really," the leader continued. "Destroying her hideout in your, let's say _messy_ escape and eluding us for this long, causing so much duress; honestly, how unbecoming for a vampire."

"So, this is how this, Ria person rolls, huh?" Mrs. Aono openly remarked. "When spreading her legs doesn't give her what she wants, she sends in the goon squad and kidnaps innocent young women and tortures them, is that it?"

"Well put, ma'am," Koga interjected.

"I would expect nothing less from the woman who sired Master Tsukune Aono."

"Tsukune," Moka whispered.

"What do you know about my son?" Mrs. Aono asked. "Tell me!"

"That, because of this wayward Sojourner Truth here in your house, having now spilled everything that's going on, that the Mighty Vampire Aono will not only become single real soon, but is about to become an orphan."

"What?" Kyoko asked.

"Wait, wait a minute!" Moka spoke out. "You don't have to do this, okay? I give up, I surrender. I'll go back with you if you promise not to hurt my friends; they had nothing to do with this!"

"What the hell are you saying?" Mrs. Aono asked. "You can't seriously be thinking on going with them?"

"She's right," Mr. Aono responded, stepping up. "I'm not about to hand you over to them without a fight!"

"Koji!"

"You stay right there with Moka, dear!" He ordered his wife as she tried to stop him.

"You don't need to be a hero!"

"Kyoko was right, in a way I did help bring all of this about; at the very least, I can prevent my son's real, _true_ wife from getting abducted, even if it does mean my life!"

"Uncle Koji!" Kyoko cried, trying to rush to her uncle, but an armed thug trains a gun on her, keeping the girl put.

"Hey!" Koga yelled, stepping in between. "Don't point a gun at a lady!"

"Mr. Aono, no!" Moka screamed. "Don't do this on account of me! Look, just take me and don't lay hand on either of them, okay? Isn't that what Ria wants?"

"You know I'll never understand the courage of mortals; it is admirable, perhaps their one, true attribute, but all in all quite futile," the leader replied. "You see, what Ria wants is to make sure that no evidence of her activities, activities that would appear less than favorable in the eyes of her lord, remain unknown to him, and since you've already spilled the beans to these kind, brave people, well what Ria wants, Ria gets and I'm afraid we have no other choice."

"No!" Moka cried, but it did no one any good, the sounds of weapons clicking on the ready becoming a far more, terrifying sound to her ears than before.

"On the ready!" The leader called to his men.

Koji and Koga both tried to shield the woman, but it appeared hopeless for everyone, especially Moka Akashiya, who had come so far only to die along with these kind people whom she had both caused so much grief, and yet had also befriended.

"I'm so sorry," she muttered to Mrs. Aono, clinging to her shoulder. "I'm so sorry for everything."

"It's okay," Mrs. Aono replied, trying to sound brave.

But, as the leader was about to give the signal, the lights suddenly went out and cast everyone in a startled darkness, their shadows stretched every which way about their intended targets.

"What the hell?" The leader asked. "What's the matter, you people forget to pay your electric bill or something?"

"AAAHH!" A scream rang out.

"What was that?"

"Someone got, aaaaccckkk!"

One by one, something from the shadows was attacking the agents, remaining hidden from view. They tried to fire at their assailant, but it did them no good. Some tried to run, but what looked like a disembodied hand drags them into some void, as if their very own shadows were attacking them, with only their screams being left behind.

"Alright, WHERE ARE YOU!" The ringleader, with his composure torn to shreds as were all of his men, screamed into the darkness as he backed slowly away, ready to fight whoever it is that was attacking them, but also ready to leave.

"Right here," Moka heard someone whisper loudly, shortly before seeing a pair of pale hands brutally snap the guy's neck, and watched his limp body fall down, dead.

"...Okay," Koga was the first to say. "Who says there are no miracles?"

"Now what?" Kyoko asked, terrified to speculate.

Slowly, as quiet and as light as dark feathers falling onto the carpet, a pair of shoes stepped out of the shadows, stepping lightly over the slain agent, and finally came into the dim light to reveal to them their unlikely savior. However, what they saw might as well have been some kind of ghost, whose black outfit was so dark, and her grinning, ghost white of a face so stark in contrast, that she appeared as nothing more than an disembodied head.

"Hello my sister," the grinning face said, "it's been a long time."

"You happen to know this person, I take it?" Koga asked Moka. "Let me guess, she's the ghost of your long dead sister watching over you or something?"

As everyone stared at this apparition before them, their opinions of whether she was friend or foe seemed to vary. However, Moka Akashiya knew that this was no apparition any more than she was a friend, but that this fearful face, with that cold, cold grin straight from a nightmare long since passed, more likely belonged to a devil in perhaps its blackest form yet, that in the body of a sibling whose very name she spoke of only in fear.

"...Akua."


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

_Every Breath You Take (pt. 1)_

**I want to deeply apologize to anyone I may have offended with this story; see, it****'s**** come to my attention that two of my characters had inadvertently been named after characters from the TV show**_** Inuyasha**_** (a different anime show if you're not familiar with it) and that decision had seriously bothered certain folks; so to you I'm sorry. Please know it was a random decision, completely unintentional in any way, and not being a born weeboo, my knowledge of Japanese culture and names is limited so the names just came off the top of my head; fyi, one of the characters in question bears the last name of a character from the anime **_**Bleach**_**, but again it's no excuse. : ( **

**And, this faux paux would have gone unnoticed were it not for username: , a self-proclaimed "Bal-rog" whom he, or she****,**** is not a troll mind you, but is a flaming crusader against the Americanization of Japanese Anime everywhere and Obama's involvement in the Middle East (?); and who says the freaks come out at night, when they have internet at home? I would also like to give a nod to J. Hopkins U, not the university, but the well-spoken critic who showed genuine concern about my personal life (and, seriously that is a username), and with a name like that you can't go wrong in receiving the **_**very**_** best advice in lifestyle choices and a helpful critique of your work. Still, I suppose it really is my fault, I should've taken a refresher course in wapanese and been more "original" in pretty much the whole story, not to mention reevaluating my own, train-wreck of a life. **

**In case you haven't noticed by now I'm joking (about feeling sorry, not Captain Japan and his sidekick JHU, unfortunately). I'm really starting to miss ole' Willow and Pinker right about now, instead I get to deal with an online college graduate and a Ball-rog. In case any anti-america/obama haters out there who for some reason have been "keeping up" with this story are unaware, the sequence of events depicted don't happen in the order you may think or want, but are concurrent with one another; basically when Tsukune departs for Vegas is when Chapters 22 and 23 occur, unless you actually thought Moka had spent TWO DAYS nonstop on a bus ride to the Aono residence and are just that anxious for the story to end, in which case LOL you are in for an even bigger disappointment than when Mitt Romney lost the election and the first English dub of **_**One Piece**_**. In any case, we're taking a break from our heroine in this chapter to find out what's become of the other, less noble Moka and the fallout her faces, so try to keep your fiery panties cool or better yet get that looked at, it could be malignant.**

**Oh, and just to point out, for like the third time: No, Koga will **_**never**_** become Moka's new boyfriend! That settled, on with the story.**

This was not what she wanted.

She had everything she could have ever wanted once, and would have gotten more if she had played her cards right and not been so blind, but somewhere along the way this woman missed the mark, her consistent vigilance lapsed; now, things had gone in a totally different direction than expected. Now, she wondered where it had all gone wrong.

XXX

Kokoa Shuzen sat across from the door to her older sister's room, never moving so much as an inch since the pre-dawn hours, her sore knees propped up against her and inadvertently leaving an unobstructed up skirted view for anyone passing by; but then again, little else mattered. For, what dignity was there left for her, this baby sister whose idol, perhaps the most important person in the world, heard her sing the sexual praises of a man like Ginei Morioka: Gin.

**Five years ago...**

It was Kokoa's first year at Yokai Academy; a mere freshmen at this wretched institution where she was forced to hob nob with monster races beneath her station so she could one day "fit in" amongst the human race, all just to be close to Moka. To make matters worse, the older sister she had searched high and low for, had not only been forced to change into some pathetic shadow of her glorious self, but as Kokoa sat in the Newspaper Club's meeting room, eyeing her as she had fun with four other girls, worked diligently next to _him_, someone it soon became apparent had managed to catch her heart, a feat no other man save their own father had accomplished. It was most unsettling for her bare.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Asked a young man who brazenly sat next to her, brushing back his long dark hair and putting on a dapper smile as he wrapped an uncomfortable arm around the young, red head.

"What business is it of yours, wolf?" She brusquely and defensively asked, brushing his arm off.

"The name's Gin, by the way, but you can call me anything you want. Besides, you're sitting here, all alone, there's gotta be something on your back."

Kokoa wanted to ignore him; to her he was a pest, an insect to be squashed, something she seriously considered doing as she reflexively began squeezing the pet bat resting on her shoulder and magical weapon, Ko. However, it was this injustice of watching this boy coddle up to her sister that made Gin seem like an inconsequential nuisance.

"How can she stand him?" She asked. "Look at him! He's...He's..."

"Pathetic," Gin coined. "Weak, stupid...gay? I mean, look at the guy, with all those girls around him and he hasn't made a single move on one; heh!"

Kokoa glared at him, one of those girls still being her sister and everything, and he quickly bites his tongue.

"Hey, I agree with you, your sister can do better and needs to. So, why don't you try and break them up; you know, to help your sister."

"You don't think I've tried! She clings to him like glue. Mm, maybe it's his blood, I don't know. It is tasty, but still it's no excuse to be in love with him!"

"Don't let that stop you."

"…You really think I have a shot?"

"If you want someone, I say go for it. Keep at it, until they're yours!"

"Why are you so interested?" Kokoa asked with a wary glance. "Why do you care if I succeed in breaking up those two, anyway?"

Gin leans on over and whispers: "Well, because I don't want to see your sister get in trouble again like last time on account of him. See, between you and me, I hear Tsukune Aono is...a human; but, you didn't hear it from me."

"HE'S A WHAT!" Kokoa cried out, leaping up from her chair and drawing everyone's attention.

"Kokoa," said Tsukune, "everything okay?"

"Is Gin bothering you?" Moka asked.

"Huh, knowing him," Kurumu comments.

"Me!" He defended, casually cuffing Kokoa's mouth. "Guys, how could you think that I would do anything unseemly to your little sister, an underage student no less? We were just gossiping. C'mon, do I look like that kind of guy who would harm a hair on a first year student?"

The stares from his fellow club members didn't help reinforce his statement. Nevertheless, they continued on with their work and left the two conspirators to themselves.

"Why did you silence me?" Kokoa snapped, wrenching free of him. "Nobody silences me, nobody!"

"Because, if you blab this around school the Public Safety Committee guys are going to breathe down my neck again and hers, and believe me twice is enough!"

"So, that's why you're keeping this a secret?" She accused, her skin turning beet red with anger. "You allow my sister to cavort with a lowly human just to save your own neck! I will not let this slide!"

"Hey, I gave you this information so you'd work extra hard to break them up. What difference does it make if I care about myself, so long as you get what you want?"

"Really?"

"Yeah; hey, you can trust old Gin, your upper classman," he said with a cheesy smile, a smile she thought less highly of, like she did his integrity as a man.

XXX

Regardless of how she felt about him at that time, Kokoa nonetheless tried time and again to separate the two with his subtle aid, and then ultimately without him as his perverted antics around her made the young vampire sick. Eventually, though she gave up and begrudgingly accepted Tsukune's presence, but never Gin. Her disdain for the werewolf ran deep, her memories of his so-called "perfection" lacking, and yet the person she loved, who slept away soundly in the room across from her, sang his praises as if he was God's gift to women everywhere. After that display last night, after such a stinging betrayal, Kokoa's peace of mind was in the wind, her body experiencing a weariness that wasn't fatigue, but some form of restlessness never felt before. It felt like pure hell.

"Mistress Kokoa," the maid Ezumi quietly said to her.

"What?" She replied, her eyes never leaving the door.

"I was told to hand over a message for Master Shuzen and was going to give it to Mistress Sekitan, but I am unable to locate her" Ezumi answered, handing over a folded up piece of paper. "I b-believe it pertains to..."

Kokoa reads it, ascertaining that it indeed involved her sister, but her face remained expressionless.

"I'll give it to him," Kokoa responded.

As she got up, her limbs felt stiff from sitting on the floor for so long; yet, it felt aptly appropriate to her.

"Can I offer you any help?" Ezumi asked.

"No!" Kokoa rebuffs her and wearily heads toward her father to deliver the news, sore and all.

Inside her own chambers, Moka Aono herself could not rest as well, lying naked in bed, fully awake for hours straight without a single wink. At first, she tried to sleep, but after a fruitless hour she then started pacing methodically, maddeningly about her massive chambers, walking so much that her feet were numb and was forced to return to bed. By around 9:30 the sun's rays, as they crept their way into the room through the closed curtains, had become so bright that it was redundant to think there were any shadows left to hide in, and the princess of her own household, the scion of her people, who laid sprawled in bed and staring aimlessly at the bed's canopy that obscured the ceiling from her yearning eyes could do nothing. She was in her demure, pink haired alternate form this time, though even she would hesitate to call herself 'demure'; Gin had perverted her beyond repair, and as Moka laid in bed surrounded by so much luxury one question plagued herself again and again: "Where did it all go wrong?" It was something that baffled even her, for she had always been a stalwart girl, never prone to such reckless behavior. Her love for Tsukune was the one, constant thing that she felt both sides of her agreed on, and quite possibly still did, so how and why did it all fall apart?

**We did it for us, all of us! **Her inner persona kept arguing. **Him, our children; it was supposed to have been that way. He should have seen that. **

_But, he didn't, did he? _She would ask. _None of it happened the way you said it would, and now we may lose it all because of it__._

**Didn't he know how much we cared about him? If we truly despised him, if we only married him to cover some mistake in turning him into a vampire, the greatest creature to walk this planet, then how come he never asked himself why we even bothered doing it? All we've done is look out for him! And why? Because of our feelings for the fool!**

"It doesn't matter, anymore," she said aloud, a single tear sliding down her cheek. "He won't talk to us again; it's over."

**STOP THAT!** **Don't ever talk that, that's defeatist talk! We are strong, we are wives, bloodmates, and one day mothers! We will make him hear what we have to say!**

"You keep saying 'we', but all I ever hear is 'I', like you're more important."

**We do share the same bodies.**

"But, different minds. Do we even share the same heart?"

**Don't lay the blame on me. Did you forget, you willingly went along with this when you could've refused. You went along with this because you felt just as strongly about this as me, I only gave you the encouragement to see it through. We may have gone too far, that I will admit, but WE were in the right so you quit your whining, get up and go see Tsukune. He will listen to us, even if I have to beat some sense into him!**

It bothered her that she was still being barked at and ordered around, but then again she had to reason that this is what she wants. And, as she got up and looked at her naked body in the dressing mirror, still marked as Gin's "property", she focused instead on trying one more time to talk with Tsukune and how salvaging their relationship was right now the most important thing she could want. She decided to go as is, the cute, pink haired beauty he fell in love with all those years ago, and fervently hoped it would somehow remind him of just how much she meant to him. It would be an appropriate gesture on her part, one worth taking before he goes off to Vegas with that succubus.

**When you've got him alone and calm down, let me out so I can repay him for last night, **her inner persona reminded.

Rifling through her wardrobe, she couldn't help thinking about his shocking reaction the previous night; never had Tsukune so much raised his voice in anger towards her, let alone a fist. It made her worry, slightly that he might react that way again.

**Fine! Let me out and I'll go talk to him.**

"No," she said while slipping on a pink, silk robe, cinching it about her waist, tightly. "Let me talk to him, first. I want to talk to him, really I do."

She stops to check herself in the mirror again, wanting to make sure she doesn't look like a mess for her big meeting.

**Would you quit wasting time! I doubt it even matters how we look to him!**

"Just want him to find me pretty again," she replies, briskly fixing her hand with her fingers as quickly as she could. "You know, like he did before."

**Whatever, just hurry!**

"Alright, alright!"

Stepping outside in nothing but her robe, Moka wasted very little time and energy to find Tsukune, lightly running down hallways, flimsy robe failing to hide much as the wind blew up her bare legs in such a haste. However, modesty wasn't foremost in her mind right now as her attention was focused in picking up his blood's scent in order to find him, which seemed strangely faint in the castle's air, yet was still determined to find him herself instead of asking anyone's permission to be allowed to see her own husband. She hoped he would be in the dining room waiting for breakfast like before, but found no one there.

"Excuse me," she stopped a maid and asked, "have you seen my husband, I'd like to talk with him."

"No, I haven't mistress. Perhaps mistress Bloodriver would know."

"My mother?"

"Yes, she was last seen coming in and out of his room earlier this morning. She ordered a change of clothes for him."

She couldn't figure out what she was doing hovering around his room without her knowledge. Her mother had mentioned going to talk to him, but in the early morning hours?

Without so much as a thank you, she flies past the maid to find her mother, worried that she might have said or even done something to hinder her chances.

_You don't think...? _She wondered.

**Get such thoughts out of your head! You're talking about our mother, here. She'd no sooner betray us than...**

_Than we'd betray Tsukune?_

**We didn't betray him, we were trying to help him!**

_Then why was she visiting him this early? _

Her alternate personality didn't have an answer to that question, for once, but then Moka had little cause to worry as she saw her mother walking around down stairs in the foyer watering plants without a care in the world.

"Mother!" She called down to her.

"Oh, good morning, dear," she replied with a warm smile that did very little to appease her daughter's mood.

"What happened between you and Tsukune?" Moka immediately asked.

"Pardon?"

"You were last seen in his room with him earlier this morning. Did you talk to him?"

"...Yes," Akasha replied, the hesitation apparent upon her face and bringing Moka less ease. "We talked."

"You said you were going to talk to him last night. Why so early in the morning, though? Why hasn't he come seen me? Mother?"

Moka could tell something was eating away at her, the eyes, so green and shimmering as her own, hiding some dark secret that she feared to reveal; Moka still hated liars.

"Moka...he isn't here."

"What?" She asked incredulously.

"...Your...husband left this morning; I helped him get packed, that's why I was meeting with him this morning. I tried to persuade him to come see you first before leaving, but..."

Moka stood there before her mother, her ears disbelieving everything said. That Tsukune would just all of a sudden leave without at least letting her know first or saying goodbye; even now it seemed so unlike him.

"You're lying," she accused.

"Moka, I know it's difficult to believe, but...you're just going to have to face facts that..."

"I know my Tsukune; he wouldn't leave like that, he wouldn't! He wouldn't just leave things the way they are and go to who knows where to sleep with other women; that just isn't him!"

"Moka, dear in light of...everything that's happened...I know this isn't what you want, but maybe it's time you considered what he wants, right now. And, I think what he wants right now is to put some distance between the two of you; only for a while, only until this mess can be cleared up, which hopefully we can."

As helpful and advisable as she tried to make her words sound, all Moka could think of was how out of character Tsukune was, and how her own mother tried to hide this.

"Mother," she said, heavy with despair, "you didn't, did you?"

"What?"

"Don't what me; I know what happened between the two of you, I can sense it! You and my husband!"

"What?" Akasha asked with utter shock.

"Me and Tsukune have hit a rough patch in our marriage and yet you tell me he simply ran off just to get away from me when I know that's not the case!"

"You think I...? Oh, Moka!"

"It is the truth! I know Tsukune, and he wouldn't have left unless he had a good reason. You're wrong, mother, I think you're hiding the truth so you can spare me the pain of knowing my mother slept with my own husband!"

"You can't be serious? Moka, this is more than just a rough patch, Tsukune needed to get away! You didn't see his eyes like I did, if he stayed here any longer...!"

"I would've talked some sense into him, mother, you know I would! How dare you do this to me!"

"Moka, dear, listen to me! You are in denial, and believe me I wish it could be that easy to mend things, but it isn't, and now just isn't the time. Hopefully, by the time he returns he'll be well and stable enough for you to reason with."

**And let him sleep around with other women? **Inner Moka argued. **She must've lost it! I shall not tolerate our mate running around like this without us!**

"Mother, if he really is gone, then tell me where he is."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because, it's for the best that you don't know."

"He's my husband, my mate! I have a right to know where he's gone!"

"Moka, we have more pressing matters to deal with!"

"Huh?"

"I think you know what? Let's try to get through this first, and then we'll worry about when your mate finally comes back to you."

"That, I guarantee you, will not be happening!" Ria yelled, staggering in from the back, her black hair and skin tight black dress pelted with garbage stains with a banana peel dangling in-between her sizeable breasts as she reeked from head to toe. In many ways, her disposition matched the current state she was in and so happens to stumble upon an equally irate Moka Aono.

"Ohh," Akasha moaned, covering her nose from the stench Ria brought in with her. "Ria, what happened to you?"

"Ugh, you smell terrible!" Moka remarked, likewise doing the same.

Ria eyed them with murderous intent and a violent disdain she did not try to hide. Ever since riding home from the docks, her pride ached relentlessly from a deep pain nothing could remedy. She had been bested by an inferior being and humiliated, so much so that once back home, she had to slink back in through the kitchen doorway where the servants usually enter in from, and secretly prayed that someone would dare so much as look at her wrong, but unfortunately no one was so daring as to greet the sullen vampire. It wounded her so that she would have to go through the trouble of ordering a witless servant to be her punching bag, until she happened upon the dear mother and daughter team she so despised. Her pride wounded once already by one Moka, she was damned if she would be insulted again, by another one.

"And you, sister dear, look positively whorish. Tell me, how is brother Tsukune? Oh, that's right, you don't know, do you?"

Moka glared at her, the sting momentarily causing her to forget Ria's foul aura.

"Oh me, oh my, did I struck a nerve?"

"I don't know what your problem is," Moka started to say, careful to keep her hand over her nose and mouth, "...or what you've been into, but my mother and I were having a private conversation, so if you don't mind!"

"Don't mind?" Ria retorted. "Don't mind? My dear sister do you know whom you are speaking to; trying to order me away like some rank servant!"

"This is between mother and me, this has nothing to do with you!"

"Oh, but I think it does. It's about our sore, and deeply depressed brother Tsukune; the one you insulted by being impregnated by a stray dog, and for whom you threw him away, right?"

"...Don't say that," Moka shuddered with anger. "I did not insult Tsukune and I didn't throw him away!"

"Of course you didn't."

"Ria, please leave us," Akasha ordered, her voice raised sharply to announce authority over her, but Ria wasn't having any of it as she continued to goad Moka.

"So, where is your husband? I haven't seen him. Wasn't today the day he was to leave with that succubus to...god knows where?"

"Stop it," Moka muttered, her small hands balled into fists. "Stop talking."

"Ria, that's enough!"

"No, Lady Akasha, your daughter needs to hear this. Tsukune has left you again, this time for good."

"You're lying!" Moka yelled.

"I won't have you badgering my daughter any further, Ria!" Akasha threatened, forcefully stepping in between them. "Is that clear?"

"Oh, crystal Lady Akasha. Just stating the cold, hard facts for your daughter. Once Tsukune takes a sample of other fruit, it's most likely that he'll forget about you and find there are other, more supple tastes to be had."

Ria prepares to walk away, but not before proudly displaying her breasts, still ample and succulent despite being strewn with garbage, and flashed a knowing smile that infuriated Moka to no end.

"This...this is all your fault!" Moka yelled Ria. "If you hadn't gotten involved in our lives, none of this ever would have happened!"

"Moka, calm yourself!" Akasha tried to tell her daughter, but Moka was beyond consolable now, quickly stepping around her to confront Ria.

"No, I will not be calm, mother! She's been trying to ruin my relationship with Tsukune ever since she first found about us! She's the one who should be in trouble, not me!"

"Why, you arrogant, little bitch," Ria responded. "You couldn't hold on to your own man, so you blame me?"

"You're wrong! Tsukune loved me, he would've done anything to make me happy, no matter the cost to himself. But, all of that changed after you had him for that one night; you changed him into someone who wouldn't give me all the happiness I or our children ever wanted, and it was all because of you!"

"No, sister, it wasn't because of me, it was because of you. He's a man with needs; did you really think you could satisfy him forever? The plain, ugly truth of the matter is that you just couldn't please him, anymore. He got bored of you after he tasted me, and he started to notice how obnoxious you were making all of these asinine requests of yours, so what did you expect?"

With a clever smile, Ria attempts to walk away again, leaving a visibly irate Moka behind, who shook violently with an unrestrained anger boiling from inside, the jewel nestled within her rosary seal radiating as if alive by its own power.

"Moka, calm down, she's trying to agitate you, don't listen!" Her mother tried to say, but the damage was far too irreversible.

With a loud, and noticeable ping that secretly brought an even bigger smile to Ria's proud face, Moka's rosary seal had been broken and the house trembled with her fiery energy, her pink robe billowing above her waist as the pink hair melted into an icy white, made all the more icier by two, murderous red slit eyes.

"Oh, Moka stop!" Akasha pleaded to her daughter.

"RIA!" She yelled.

"Yes, sister dear," Ria simply replied.

"...For your insult to my pride as a vampire I challenge you!" she hissed.

"Moka!" Akasha tried to protest, but she knew her daughter's mind was made up, as was Ria's and looking on at the two wondered about the mess both had made for themselves, in this tawdry feud she had witnessed them wage over the years, warring over getting what they wanted at the other's expense. Was it over being a princess or something else, she wondered; something so lofty that it required inflicting pain like this? "...Very well, if you must do this Moka, then I at least implore you Ria to hold back your punches; my daughter has enough to deal with, today."

It was a foolish gesture on her part, thinking that Ria would honor the request from a mother, any more than Moka would respect her own mother's wishes when she had witnessed how much respect she was willing to show to someone else's mom; in some ways the two were looking more and more alike. Indeed, Akasha's woes were justified, for Ria wouldn't think of doing any such thing as hold back from her younger, half-sister, who was just as anxious to fight as she was.

"Challenge...accepted, bitch!" She said with a smile.

XXX

Elsewhere in the castle, Lord Issa Shuzen sat quietly in his study, a glass of wine and a nearby bottle in hand as he stared out into space, mind lost in the events of last night and what to expect today when a gentle knock came at his door.

"Enter," his gruff voice replied.

With a slight groan of the door, he half expected Ria to come in, bothering him with some meager situation that she couldn't deal with on her own, the right way, which she often abandons for unnecessary ruthlessness; however, he was surprise to hear the voice of his youngest daughter speak:

"Father, I didn't mean to disturb you, but I thought you would want to hear this."

"Kokoa? Why are you here? Where is your sister?"

"When last I saw of her, she was coming in from the back way."

"...Foolish little girl," he grumbled. "Sometimes I don't know why I tolerate her. What is it that has brought you?"

"Father, I have news for you."

"If it is concerning Tsukune then you needn't bother, I already know he'd left this morning; Akasha informed me so. Just as well."

"No, father. The...dark mage you requested has arrived. He's waiting in the den; shall I escort him to the lower levels?"

"...Yes," he replied, his adrenaline heightened at the significance of the meeting he had prepared himself for ever since requesting this person's skills last night. "No, I will direct him to where he needs to be. You, summon Moka to meet us in chamber 13."

"As you wish, father."

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes; we received a call from Barron Teppes, said a special meeting from the council is being planned for tonight."

"What?" He asked, turning around in his chair to look at her. "I never ordered a meeting, yet! How...? Oh, I see."

"Father?"

"Your mother," he growled. "It would seem she was really zealous in punishing your sister; I shall have a word with her."

"Yes father. I will go retrieve my sister, is there anything else you would like me to do?"

Being a busy man, he wasn't too jaded to notice something amiss about his daughters, though he would've liked to have been more observant with Moka. Granted, when it came to his daughters, especially both Moka and Ria, he admitted there were something that escaped his notice, however Kokoa was different. Compared to them she was an open book of emotions and there was very little she could get past anyone, and yet he noticed there was something off with her, today. The loud, boisterous attitude that, over the years had become hardened and even angrier, seemed extinguished like a bonfire running low on fuel, her very voice quiet and subdued.

"Kokoa?" He asked. "Is there something you would like to discuss with me?"

"...No, father," was her reply. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, I want you to accompany me today as I attend these two meetings, not your sister Ria."

"I don't understand. Ria is your lieutenant, surely she is..."

"Your sisters have begun to worry me," he continued. "It would seem I don't know them quite as well as wanted to believe, and though Ria has met her requirements as my Right Hand well, I trust you more. I failed with Ria, and it would seem that I failed with Moka, and your sister Kahlua…well. But, you are still young and have much to experience in your long life."

"...Yes, father," she replied through a pained, but well concealed tone

"Regardless of the outcome, I want you to bear witness to what happens here, I want you to see what happens when you abandon reason for self-indulgence and madness. When you cast aside common sense for petty, base desires. I want you to watch these proceedings and everything that happens thereafter up, to the very end; is that clear?"

"Yes father."

He looks at her, still puzzled by her odd behavior, and unnerved by the seeming inability to have a decent conversation between father and daughter, something humans appear to be perfectly adapted towards.

"...As you were, then."

With a humble bow, Kokoa quietly leaves, the pit in her stomach that formed after witnessing quite enough of her sister's betrayal, growing even heavier as she steels herself for what was to come.

XXX

With Gyokuro's blessing, and insisted attendance for this eagerly awaited battle, she and Akasha stood off to the side of the combat room as both combatants stood across the room from each other, with Moka on one side still in her robe, too hot under the collar to waste time changing and over confident she could best her sister regardless, whereas Ria stood at the opposite end, already standing triumphantly in her predictions of this fight's outcome; but then she does the unthinkable and disrobes down to her black underwear.

"I wasn't aware a fight like this required this level of tastelessness," Gyokuro commented.

"Oh me, oh my, don't get me wrong, it's what Lady Akasha likes to do when she's serious, isn't it my Lady?" Ria boasts. "Or, so I heard. Besides, these rank clothes were bothering me, I'll have the maids come collect them after I mop the floor with your daughter. Anyway, what better way to humiliate my baby sister further than displaying to her why her beloved chose to disobey her every whim, and what he still may get after all is said and done."

"Well, I suppose. It's certainly preferable to that smell."

Gyokuro's comment stung, and like some bee sting to the butt, it excited her further in humiliating Moka, who was hardly about to be out shown by the likes of her.

"Whore!" Moka spat and brazenly flings off her robe, determined to fight in the nude.

"Moka!" Her mother cried.

"You think he wants you, you contemptuous skank! He wants me! He needs me, he's always needed me, and that's because he's been attracted to this! Because, I'm the most beautiful person in this whole house! I represent purity and grace, while you...you reek of being used."

"Oooh," Gyokuro whispered like a child.

Ria vividly turned red and Moka could see the muscles tense up on the bare parts of her body, and were she not overcome by a pride that was wounded by all that has happened, her common sense may have given reason to worry. Nevertheless, Moka was determined to salvage her damaged reputation, even at the cost of her own life. Ria, likewise was suffering from a wounded pride, and pummeling her baby sister was the pick me up she desperately wanted; for it wasn't so much about fighting over a man, but the one thing that mattered most of all, their egos.

"You...," Ria growled. "Don't be so arrogant, sister dear. You are on borrowed time. Your marriage is done, finished! Your darling boy-toy for a husband won't even look at you anymore! Face it, he's grown tired of you! He finally woke up one morning and asked himself why he always wasted time jumping through hoops for a woman who'll bang some slobbering mutt just to get her way! By the way, your mutt wasn't even all that great in bed."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Moka asked, her eyes wide with shock at the mere suggestion of the unthinkable.

"Yeah, I fucked him, too."

"You...what?" Moka asked, her face livid.

"Deaf too? I-FUCKED-YOUR-DAWG! And, you know what else? He thought I was better than you."

Moka was speechless, her expression utterly priceless to Ria, while Akasha could only shake her head and Gyokuro smile.

"Oh me, oh my, would you look at yourself!" Ria laughed. "You-are-such a princess! I guess you think, only you can play with your boy-toys, but I can only imagine how much it hurts to know your pet thinks I'm better in bed than you. Yeah, I fucked Gin, but only to see if he was as 'wonderful' as you make him out to be; and frankly, my dear sister, a German Shepard would have been better, but then it does so how low of a creature you really are if you think Lassie's bastard brother is Don Juan in the sack!"

"You...you bitch!" Moka seethed.

"'Bitch'; hm, I'm pretty sure that's your title now, isn't it sister dear?" Ria asked, tilting her head and looking at Moka with a playful, mocking look to her.

"And what are you? You think you're so special?"

"Bitch, I know I am! You've lost _all_ your special privileges and are about to face the waste disposal like the trash you are."

"...Hmph, you would be an expert in what I should expect, wouldn't you? If I'm not mistaken, this was your mother's fate; why should it be mine when you're the daughter of that whore, aren't you, sister dear?"

With that remark, and in a blink of the eye, Ria launches a devastating kick to Moka's head, sending her flying into the wall only to crumble to the floor in a naked heap.

"Is that the best you can offer, sister!" Ria boasted over her. "Not showing yourself to be worthy of your mother's legacy, now aren't you, sister dear!"

Akasha wanted to move forward and protect her daughter, but Gyokuro grabbed her arm tightly, and physically barred her from moving forward.

"Don't be so hasty to jump to your child's defense," she whispered heatedly. "I intend to see a show."

"Get your arm off of me," Akasha threatened, her anger rising, in which a part of her felt shame for succumbing to Gyokuro's level.

"Believe me, nothing would thrill me more than to finally have it out with you, but until it's our turn, let's wait until the children have their little spat, shall we?"

"...A cheap shot!" Moka spat back, staggering to her feet, but she quickly loses her equilibrium.

"Back down now, and I _might_ spare you further humiliation."

"Never!" Moka hissed. "Know...know your place."

"What was that, I didn't hear you?" Ria asked, mockingly cupping a hand over her ear.

"I said, know-your-place!"

Moka lashes out with a wild, high kick to Ria's head, who catches her leg in midair and holds her in a precarious, and compromising position. She struggles to break free, using all of her strength in the process, but Ria's grip was iron solid, the pain of leaving her leg outstretched like that, coupled with her sister's piercing grasp, nowhere near as painful as being caught in this position in front of her own mother.

"Oh me, oh my, how you never learn," Ria gloated.

"Let...Let go, let go of my leg!"

"Tell me; well actually, tell both of us since your mother is here: is this the view Gin had of you, hmm?"

"Let me go!" Moka screamed louder, her face turning redder by the second.

"You know, I think we can both see where he penetrated you at; see, it's all swollen and wet. My Lady: are you able to see this from where you're standing?"

"Stop!" Moka yelled. "Stop it!"

"Oh, Akasha," Gyokuro points out, "it's all defiled and…eeww!"

"…Ria, stop this and let her go," Akasha ordered, hiding her humiliation as best she could. "This isn't sporting, I warned you to go easy!"

However, her demands fell on deaf ears as Ria wraps her arm around Moka's leg for better leverage so she can use her free hand to fondle around Moka's vagina. The sensation tickled uncomfortably as she was helplessly being sexually assaulted by her half-sister before her mother, unable to do anything about it; it brought back memories, ugly memories of Caro Shade at the wedding, yet this felt much worse, never once however considering this is what Tsukune must've endured.

"You know what," Ria added, splitting open Moka's labia to inspect it like some scientist, "I think I see the damage, oh um, I meant the place where Ginny boy left his mark. Oh me, oh my, he really wrecked that thing, didn't he?"

"I cannot believe you refuse to stop this!" Akasha whispered heatedly at Gyokuro.

"Oh, but why should I?" Gyokuro asked, loudly. "We all know your daughter's chastity is as good as spoiled, why not see just how much despoiling she allowed that mutt to do."

"Yes, well that mutt did quite a bit of despoiling here!" Ria replied. "Assuming dear sister gets to see another seedy motel room, she'd be lucky to give it up, again! I guess both Gin, and Tsukune are going to be hard pressed to having any kind of an evening with you, sis!"

Finally having enough of this indignity, drops down and kicks Ria hard in the face with her other leg, sending a slew of blood spewing from her small mouth, but as impressive as it was, it did little except anger the older sister. Moka kicked her again and again, but it didn't have the desired effect.

"You..." Ria growled and grabs Moka by the other leg, and begins spinning her around like a rag doll, purposefully hitting the wall while she did, and then letting her go sailing, headfirst into the armory wall.

"Oh my," Gyokuro says to Akasha, coughing from all the dust and debris this little catfight was creating, "I do hate it when the Sekitan girl loses herself. Look at her now, your daughter would be lucky if she kills her quickly."

Ria was all sweaty, and panting like crazy, and dark hair all disheveled as she gingerly fingers the blood from her lip and inspects it as if it seemed foreign, but then returns her attention to Moka, who crawled out of the rubble, cut up and wounded. Not waiting for her younger sister to get back up, Ria immediately races over and kicks her sharply, causing Moka to tumble wildly like a tumble weed. She then follows up with another kick, followed by a vicious jab to her bare chest, forcing blood to come spitting out, and then violently slams Moka's head into the floor. Wounded, but undaunted, Moka tries to kick her back, again, but Ria was just as quick before and this time she physically dislocates her thigh bone.

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" Moka screamed in agony, but no before her wind pipes were closed off by a solid grip about her neck.

"Oh me...oh my," Ria whispered as both her hands applied their pressure about Moka's thin neck. "What's the matter, huh sis; nnnngggh! Where is that self-righteousness you are always, always going on about! Where is it, huh? Where is it!"

Moka fought back the best she can, punching Ria in the face and then gouging her claw like nails into her tits that seemed to do little in slowing her down as Moka's strength began to wane.

"Give it up, you little fool! It's over, Tsukune will be threw with you, your marriage will end and so will you!"

"...You won't win," was all Moka could utter.

Angered, Ria picks her up with one hand and brutally slams her into the floor, creating an indentation in the process.

"You're pregnant with that mutt's puppies!" Ria ranted as she straddles over Moka's prone body. "Why in the hell would anyone want you?"

"Liar!" She argues, wearily trying to get up. "...I am not...p-pregnant! Have you lost your mind as well as your common sense, what would give you that idea?"

"You were with that dog for just that reason," Ria quickly counters.

"And, you've been with thousands of low level scum like him before and not one of them got you pregnant!"

"Stay down!" Ria snapped, sending the heel of her foot smashing down on Moka's head, and keeping it there. "Don't ever compare myself to you; I have class, but you...you're nothing but a lowly skank who's received undeserved respect for years, when you've belonged here, right here, underneath my heel. Now, admit your station in life and that I am right about you, and I'll let you walk away from here because if you don't, then I won't lose any sleep if I killed you, now."

Moka could feel her very skull radiating with so much pain that a very real fear came over that it might burst if Ria continued to apply more pressure.

_Concede! _Moka's subdued, outer persona screamed from within her sub consciousness. _We can't take anymore, she's just too strong!_

But, conceding now, especially to Ria's outrageous terms was highly unthinkable; her very image, her reputation and dignity, had been put on the line recently and she was damned if it would be shattered any further today.

_What are you waiting for? If she kills us now, then how will we make it to Tsukune? Isn't that more important?_

Nothing else mattered; neither mother, nor Tsukune or even life itself was so important to a proud and noble vampire such as herself. Never has there been a foe in which she conceded defeat or begged for assistance in besting against, and she continued to struggle feebily against this recent foe.

"It looks like this will be over, very soon," Gyokuro remarked, loudly while Akasha looked on, trying to remain as stoic as she could, but secretly praying that her only child would back down; pride certainly wasn't worth this.

"Very well, sister dear," Ria said with an evil grin. "Then so be it!"

"Enough!" Cried a voice, and though as much as Akasha wanted to intervene, it would hadn't been her; indeed, as everyone looked to its source, they were surprised to see it had been Kokoa.

"Kokoa, what is the meaning of this?" Her mother angrily asked. "Who gave you permission to interrupt this?"

"Father's orders, mother. I'm here to retrieve my sis...Moka."

Ria removes her foot from Moka's head, who gratefully rolled away, and had never been so glad for her meddling, younger sister to come breaking things up again, though she was loathed to reveal that.

"What...What is the meaning of this, Kokoa?" She asked, trying to sound calm, but annoyed in order to save face. "Couldn't you see, I was in the middle of a duel, here?"

"Father has requested your presence in the lower levels; I am to escort you, myself," Kokoa simply responds.

"And, why you?" Ria asked, winded from the fight, but by no means exhausted. "Why didn't he call for me to handle this, I handle all his affairs!"

"I don't know."

These sudden developments were indeed odd to everyone in the room, and even more unusual that such news would be delivered by scrawny, little Kokoa would become messenger for Lord Shuzen, however for Akasha, Issa's request had a foreboding meaning behind it as she almost instinctually knew that it was time to pay for their daughter's misdeeds.

"Moka," she orders, "you better do as she said."

Moka and Ria eyed one another, both tired and sweaty, their scantily clad bodies glistening in sweat and blood, while their once perfect hair appeared ragged with dirt. There was no mistake in her eyes that Ria wanted to continue, in fact every muscle in her body tensed as if anxious to totally disregard Kokoa and disobey their father just this once for one more minute, which would be all it took. However, she also knew, like Akasha, that this sudden summons only meant one thing and that Moka's fate would not be long in coming.

"Oh me, oh my, I think you've got a reprieve," Ria said with a smile, who as she gathers up her belongings, noticed a text message left on her phone and was momentarily distracted from enraging Moka further. "Very well, if father wishes for Kokoa to, temporarily handle such matters, then far be it to argue against his decisions; a pity that his favorite daughter could not do the same."

"If father wishes to see me, then I will go," Moka responds, holding her head up high while favoring her wounded thigh. "I may have made my mistakes, but father loves me no matter what and I will have the opportunity to explain my actions without your influence! Come Kokoa, I'll go by my chambers and..."

"Moka, your father requested your presence," Ria interrupted. "That means, he wants to see you now."

Gyokuro openly laughs.

"...I cannot go see him like this!"

"Put on your robe and go; beloved daughter or not, he is not to be kept waiting, especially at a time like this."

"On second thought, please take your time!" Gyokuro joked.

"Fine," Moka said.

"Here, let me help you," her mother offered, helping Moka steady herself as she slips on her robe in spite of a bum leg and bruises that had still strangely yet to heal up.

"Oh my, oh my; how I wish I could be there myself!" Ria boasts out loud for Akasha to hear, a hand placed triumphantly upon her right, sweaty hips.

Going off to a secluded corner to slip back on her dress, Ria feels her phone vibrating and answers it only to see a text message that reads: **GOT HER!** Immediately, she clicks on the link and, to her surprise sees a small photograph that couldn't have brought a bigger, lizard like smile.

"I can do this, mother!" She could hear Moka bickering with her mother, struggling to walk herself out with her head held high.

"Oh me, oh my," Ria says to herself, "this day could not get any better."

As she watched her daughter hobble out, Akasha could do nothing but prepare for what was coming, shaking uncontrollably and wishing she had been just a little more vigilant in the past.

XXX

As they stood outside a massive wooden, door its surface painted a blood red and strewn with black, rune-like inscriptions scratched into it while perched over its doorway was an iron inscription that read: Chamber 13. The pit in her stomach had reached to an agonizing level even for such a high level being as herself, growing seemingly lethal with each passing second. And yet, as she turns around and stares once again at the person to whom this meeting was meant for, who stood stoically as if her pain, if there were any at all, was hardly as difficult to live with as her own, Kokoa knew, and wanted badly, for this to take place, to ascertain the truth once and for all. Like Yukari, she has watched her sister constantly throughout her life, admiring the very ground she walked on; there wasn't anything Moka Akashiya, older sister and experienced fighter, could do wrong. She was her sister, her everything, and no one could change that, especially some human - turned vampire wannabe mate. However, like Yukari, these events have also affected her jealous adulation, when this paragon in her world would become sullied by a person like Gin, who was neither a man nor a monster on par with anyone in their family.

She had to know, there was no other way around it!

"Well?" Moka asked impatiently.

"Huh, oh," Kokoa replied, snapping to.

**What is this place? ** Moka wondered. **I've never seen this before.**

_Wh-What do you suppose father wants with us?_

"S-Sister," Kokoa very meekly says, her voice barely audible.

"What is it?"

Just before what was about to go down went down, Kokoa decided that she'd find out herself, to at least give Moka the benefit of the doubt that this was not of her making.

"...What did Gin have on you, to make you do what you did?" She asked.

"What?" Moka responded.

"Y-You can tell me. I mean, Gin did some stuff...with me too...he's scum; if he blackmailed you in anyway, then we can talk to father and together, we'll..."

"Kokoa," Moka said gently. "What happened..."

For a moment, Kokoa thought that she we would have the confidence in her sister that she so wanted, and the revelation of how what had been something awful wasn't what it seemed.

"...is of no concern of yours," her sister finished. "It was a mistake, that's all. Father is being difficult and so is my mother! If they let me just talk with Tsukune and fix everything...I don't even know everyone is so mad at me, I was only doing what all of you would have done if you were in my situation! I should be congratulated!"

Kokoa gently knocks on the door, her small hands creating loud thuds that reverberated throughout this dungeon-like atmosphere, an aptly appropriate sensation her own heart.

"Do you have any idea what father wants?" She asked Kokoa.

"Enter!" Kokoa heard their father answer from within, just before replying:

"Ask him."

Slowly, Kokoa pushes open the door, it creaking loudly from hinges long since rusted over, and standing in this mysterious room's center was their father and a strange, hooded figure whose very aura sent chills even down Moka's spine. Before them was a long, metal bed with which the hooded man quietly gestured for her to lie upon.

"What is this?" Moka asked unnerved. "Father?"

"You will lie here, daughter, and don't move," he replied coldly.

He had never referred to her as just "daughter", and the tone of his voice, as well as the unusual request unsettled her greatly.

"I demand to know what this is," she tells him. "Why am I being punished like this?"

"You will do as I say! Do not make this any harder for you, because it will be far more than for me!"

"I want to know where my husband has gone; where have you sent him, tell me!"

"Moka..." Kokoa prepared to respond, her resolve weakening in the face of this.

"DO NOT ANSWER!" Their father bellowed, and then returned his fierce gaze upon Moka's, furious to have to debate with one of his children. "Your soon to be ex-mate is the least of your worries. This person here was summoned by me for one purpose, and one purpose only: to ascertain whether or not you were successful in your plan!"

Moka stared at him, speechless for the first time, because the implication was too great to simply shrug off and continue fuming about Tsukune's whereabouts; her own father actually believes she would be impregnated by some random sex partner out of wedlock like a common whore.

"You...You don't mean that," she said in a low, stunned voice. "You do not seriously...!"

"This was your intention all along, was it not daughter? You plotted against me in having some other monster's babies and then fool me into believing they were my own grandchildren; I have every reason to suspect!"

"How could you think that?" Moka responded, her face red and eyes close to tears. "After everything I did to honor you, how could you?"

"Daughter," he growled, but she continued her rant.

"Have I not proven myself time and again that I could be trusted? So, I had sex with a fool, that's all he was to me, just a low-class fool!"

"Do not dare embarrass me in front of our visitor, you will take your place on this table!"

"How often have you coupled with women besides mother, and not once has the issue of shaming our family by getting them pregnant come up. Yet, I get caught doing the same thing and I must be punished for it? I do not deserve any of this!"

"Kokoa!" He ordered. "Restrain your sister and bring her to this table!"

Moka chose to remain defiant and obstinate even as her younger sister approached to their father's bidding, for she knew she hadn't the strength to physically force her to do anything. However, the instant Kokoa grabbed her arm and she started to resist, Moka quickly discovered that her baby sister had developed an incredible amount of strength since the last time they met. Tried as Moka resisted, there was no breaking free from Kokoa's grip, which felt like steel claws dragging her towards the metal table against her will. It also did not help that she was still recovering from the severe beating she received from her older sister, which made struggling a much more of an ordeal than Moka figured.

"Place her on the table!" Their father ordered.

"No!" Moka grimaced. "Let go of me! I have done nothing wrong! I was only thinking of our family, father!"

Despite her demands and arguments, she found herself on the cold, metallic table like father wanted.

"You cannot do this to me, I am your daughter and a proud...!" She ranted, trying to get back up, but suddenly strange hands shot forth from under the table, clasping about her wrists and ankles as they firmly restrained her movements, while a third pair ripped open her robe to leave her bare body exposed for her father to see, a naked body that still bore bruises not only from the battle held earlier, but the tell-tale marks left behind by Gin; it was a sight that secretly made Lord Shuzen want to scream in utter anger. "Father...please, let me go. Don't allow this to happen!"

"Moka," she heard her father say gently, calmly, the first time he referred to her that way and for a moment she believed he finally came around to seeing things her way. "I want you to know something before this happens."

She quietly looks up at him, waiting to hear some form of apology or at the most understanding for her actions. However, his soft eyes quickly turned cold, their red appearance staring daggers into her very retinas as he added:

"What this mage will do to you will not be pleasant, you will not feel comfort, you will not feel joy, and this will not be...'wonderful'. And yes, this will hurt you more than it will hurt me...For you have already been successful in that regard."

Moka glances over at Kokoa, perhaps searching for compassion or wondering if her father intends to humiliate her in front of Kokoa.

"Yes," he replied as though answering her mental query, "she will bear witness to this!"

"Shall I give her something to bite on, my lord?" The strange figure asked.

"She sees herself as a proud vampire in spite of all of this; no, it will not be necessary."

"Father," she tried to plead once more, "do not do this. You will one day regret you allowed this to happen when you see..."

Her father nods to the mage and immediately his hands turned into a black, vaporous cloud that swarmed over Moka's nude body, seeping through every pore, but large sums of it entering in through her mouth and up into her vagina. At first it felt weird, and mildly uncomfortable, but largely for this unsettling predicament she found herself in. But, then came a tickle in her womb, followed by an increased stimulation that she tried to fight against with unbearable effort on her part, however it then became a slight pinch within her womb that very rapidly increased itself into an agony unlike anything she has ever experienced before. Tears flowed down her cheeks that she had previously held back out of proud, but no longer in the face of this pain, pain that was like knives piercing her entire body from the inside out. Her screams split the air, frightening her younger sister, who has never heard such a sound come from Moka before, while their father watched on stoically, making neither an effort to stop this nor to calm down his other daughter. She tried to buck free, to free herself from this torment, fearing that this was what this was all along and her father no intention of stopping it anytime soon, but these mystical, otherworldly hands held on like iron clamps and she could do very little save pray that she'd pass out from the pain very soon, which fortunately came.

In the cloud of darkness, Moka drifted in and out of consciousness briefly, and certain words would pierce their way through, but with very little clarity.

"It's just as you feared," said one voice.

"Moka," she heard another say regretfully, whose voice she swore sounded like Tsukune's.

"Tsukune," Moka murmured. "Tsukune...wait. I..."

"Moka."

"...Tsukune?" She asked, and then thinking that it was him, at last come back to her, finds the renewed strength to throw off her binds and sit back up. "TSUKUNE!"

She glances around to find that this was not the room from before, or even her own room for that matter, but was instead resting on a small bed within a strange, small bedroom with a thin, rectangular window perched overhead where only a shaft of sunlight found its way in. Sitting at the far corner of this tiny, modest bed, which was bordering on insult for her to be caught lying in, was her mother who sat quietly observing her with a motherly, yet sad smile.

"I'm so glad you're up," she greets warmly. "I was worried that your father might have been too rough on you. How are you feeling?"

Moka wanted to get up and leave right away, but found there was no feeling in the waist down.

"What...what happened, I can't move, mother."

"That is to be expected; they said the procedure would injure your body somewhat, but it's temporary so long as you rest and regain your strength. They said you past out during the procedure and Kokoa had to carry you to a servant's quarters under your father's orders."

"Servant's quarters! What is going on? Why am I here in this room? The last I remembered was that...that _thing_ probing my body with his magic and father allowing it! If I ever get a hold of that creature, I will put him in his place for what he did. But for now, where is he mother, where is father, I want to talk to him!"

The look in her mother's eyes wasn't reassuring, like she was hiding something too painful to mention, but it hardly dissuaded her from inquiring.

"Mother; why am I not in my room? Why would father have me placed here?"

"Moka, dear, they found something that..."

"Found what?" Moka asked with foreboding fear mounting in her nude chest.

"...I'm so sorry...But…but it was confirmed."

Her mother was saying more, but Moka couldn't hear much, the sound of her own heart beating being the only thing audible.

"No," she muttered. "It…It isn't…"

"Honey," her mother tried to console.

"No, it's wrong."

"Moka, the test confirmed it, the mage was able to detect a life source developing within your womb; it'll become noticeable within a month. We need to get your affairs in order..."

"NOOOOOOOOO! This cannot be! Mother, this can't be happening to me, it's impossible!"

"...I need you to calm yourself, these things don't lie!"

"It...It must be Tsukune's, it has to be, it can't belong to _him_!"

"You and I both know that you...weren't with him after you slept with this Gin! There's no one else it could be as the father. Your father...was crushed by this. He ordered to have your privileges revoked for the time being, until your fate could be decided."

"It can't be," Moka repeated to herself, shaking her head with the hopes she'd wake from this nightmare.

"And, there's something else you should know; the elder council is convening tonight at this castle, says there's something urgent your father must see."

"The council is coming here?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"Yes; likely Gyokuro summoned them here without us knowing. We'll try to keep all of this a secret from them but, it doesn't seem likely. I'm sorry, Moka."

"...Mom!" She wailed, shaking uncontrollably as the this whole room started teetering all around, knowing full well these earth shaking news would most certainly spell her doom, if not the end of her status within this family, and like a frightened child turned to the one person who seemed like protection. "What's going to happen to me? What will they do when they find out? Don't let father cast me out, please!"

Akasha embraced her daughter, wanting to do everything a mother could to protect her child from any and all that threatens. However, even she, whose mighty status could make stronger monsters shake, felt powerless to hold back this mounting tide that would sweep her only daughter away.

"...I wish I knew," was all she could say.

"This isn't what I wanted," Moka wept.

"I know," Akasha replied as she slowly, and regrettably had to part from her daughter to do the best she could to run damage control.

"This isn't what I wanted!"

Alone once again, Moka flopped down in her unfamiliar bed, staring blankly at the ceiling with the world's weight bearing down hard.

_What are we going to do? You said everything we did was the right thing, that it would turn out okay and we'd be rewarded! _

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," Moka said aloud. "It wasn't supposed to be like this."

All her life, she always got what she wanted, be it from her family or even from Tsukune, and it reinforced the notion that her way was the right way. She had almost come to expect these people to behave a certain way without fail, and why not, for it was how she grew up to expect life outside the castle. However, everyone had been behaving in a way that was counter intuitive from what she expected, and now in a desperate bid to have things her way, matters had grown worse. It was like middle school once again for her, of how people beneath her station would act so cruelly or how her so-called friends abandoned her, and it all deteriorated into chaos.

Why hadn't her parents understood where she was coming from instead of leaving her at that accursed human school all those years ago? If they had realized what they were doing or even avoided sending her there in the first place, then none of this would be happening. Why hadn't Tsukune just given her what she wanted? He always had before, there was nothing he'd refuse her so why was this one request, which would have benefitted both her and their children refused? If he had said yes, if he agreed rather than fight her so doggedly that it would force her to resort to such extreme measures, then she wouldn't be lying here, outcast and alone. And, if Gin hadn't gone through with his part of the plan with so much enthusiasm, tempting her every step of the way, then she wouldn't be pregnant to begin with and in so much trouble. All of this ran through Moka's mind as she tried to sort out the course her life has taken, now powerless to change anything about it at all.

_"We have gathered on this day for the joining of two houses," _echoed her father's words when he presided that hollowed and happy day over the ceremony thought saw she and Tsukune joined as Bloodmates before their vampire brethren_. "The House of Aono and the House of Shuzen. Lord Aono, you know what is offered to you, you know what is expected, do you accept Moka Akashiya, daughter of the House of Shuzen to be your mate for all of eternity?"_

_"I accept, my lord," _came Tsukune's answer, unwaveringly and fully committed to her happiness.

She remembered him drinking from the chalice that contained a mixture of their blood, and then handing it over to her, its rich texture still fresh on her lips after all these years.

_"It is finished, then. From this day forth, Moka Akashiya is no more, there is now only Moka Aono, Bloodmate of my son and my heir, Tsukune Aono!"_

"_Very good, daughter, I'm so proud of you_!" Said her mother after learning of their betrothal. "_I know these years with me gone have been the hardest on you. I regret all the times I've missed out. I knew one day you'd find someone who would always be there with you through all the tough moments, and for you when I could not. I'm proud you were able to find that someone, I really am, Moka."_

_"...And I remembered how much it meant to you and with it being so limited and all, I decided...what the hell," _Tsukune had said when he bought her the expensive perfume she wanted so badly for her birthday. _"It wasn't easy though, I had to work double shifts to be able to afford it, but it was worth it if I could make this birthday a memorable one and make up to you for it not being...you know, spectacular."_

There was nothing that he'd refuse her back then, and she knew she'd found the guy who would make her parents so proud. But, then...

_"That isn't what's bothering me Tsukune, I want to have kids, it's the thought of them being around your human family that concerns me."_

The day at the ice cream parlor, that miserable, wretched day where she was reminded once again of the cruelty of humans, and the fear their kids might face it.

_"My family?" He asked, puzzled. "What's wrong with my family, I don't understand. I thought you liked..."_

_"Tsukune...I don't want our children to be raised anywhere near them or humans, period!"_

_"W-What? You...you can't be serious, Moka? Where did this come from, all of a sudden?"_

_"I want you to trust me on this, Tsukune..."_

_"Trust you?"_

She could not believe he had asked that; this same man who would give his right arm for her if it would make her happy, and yet where had his unwavering trust gone?

_"Yes, trust me, trust that I know what I'm doing, that I know what's best for our family; I do not want our children growing up around or near humans, I don't want them to have any contact with them; that's just how I feel about this?"_

"_I thought we were going to raise them around both our families, like an extended family? W-Why are you being so antagonistic towards humans all of a sudden?"_

_"You know my past, what they did to me, how can you ask me that? How can you assume that your family, your former family could ever be the equal of ours? I won't put my children through the same thing I went through, of being held back by human beliefs and be picked on by inferior human children and suffer for it!"_

_"I-I thought you got past all of that?"_

_"Well, I haven't, now that's the end of it! I will not allow it, Tsukune, not my kids!"_

_"Have you forgotten that I'm human, too and they'd be my kids, too!"_

_"Then how could you, their father expose your children to this world knowing what kind of people you'll be surrounding them with? And, don't forget you're not a human anymore! It would be better for all of us if you accept that and move us away from humanity altogether!"_

_"That includes my family, especially my cousin who knows about you and has accepted you?"_

_"Yes, especially her; it won't be for long, we'll allow them to get to know our kids the moment they are old enough and start Yokai Academy, at least by then they'll be strong enough to defend themselves, but until then I don't want them exposed to a human lifestyle. We'll teach them to live the life of a proper vampire, strong and feared, the way it was supposed to be and you will help me do it!"_

_"Moka...I know you've had it rough growing up around human children..."_

_"Do you, because if you did we wouldn't be having this argument!"_

_"And, I know when you look around you might see the past; maybe you're still scared...!"_

_"I am not scared; I'm concerned for our children, Tsukune!"_

_"But, even if they run into trouble, they'll still have us to count on and I will take care of you and them, you have my word, Moka! Isolating them away from all humans and raising them around only vampires is not the way to ensure their safety."_

_"You arrogant fool! You still seek to defy me!"_

_"I'm not trying to defy you, Moka! You're acting like I'm one of your servants; I'm your husband, Moka! Your Bloodmate! And, I just cannot, will not agree with what you want!...Let's just forget about all of this!"_

_"I WILL NOT FORGET ABOUT IT! Not when this concerns our offspring, our future, and my standing as your mate! As my mate, you will acquiesce or else!"_

_"...Or else, what?" He challenged. _

_"Or else...I'll seek someone else to father my child."_

_"I...I didn't just hear that?" He asked, the shock and dismay clearly evident in the sound of his voice._

_"You did; apparently you're still clinging on to your human background, and if you will not grant me this for me, for our family, and since I cannot force you to see things my way, then I'll cow you into submission by taking in the seed of some other __**man**__."_

She'd thought she had him, had found his pride's Achilles heel, but it was never her intention to literally go through with the threat. Even on that fateful night, when she had Gin's arms wrapped around her waist, even after kissing him on the lips in front of him, and then leading that other man into their bedroom, flashing her husband and mate one, last lingering look to please come to his senses, to prevent what was about to happen happen.

"_This is your last chance, Tsukune_!" Moka called back to him just before leading a horny, drooling Gin into their bedroom. "_Agree with me or let this happen!"_

"_I may not be human, anymore_," he responded, his voice soft and gravelly, "_but I know that doesn't mean all humans see monsters the way you think, I thought you know that once, but I guess I was wrong. I won't deny them what has made me the man I am today, the person you fell in love with, I'd be lying to myself and them."_

The fool; why did he continue to resist? Couldn't he see that she wanted him to stop this? Why didn't he just stop it; but, instead his response had been:

"_However, Moka this is your last chance! If you take Gin into our bedroom, then we're through. You and me finished, we will no longer be mates!"_

"_You wouldn't_," she mouthed.

It was not what she wanted him to say.

_"...I've asked you, begged you, don't do this, now I'm telling you to stop! For godsake you're about to cheat on me over a discussion about children we don't even have yet, Moka it's not worth it!"_

_"But it is worth it, we're talking about our children's future, and you won't even take it seriously!"_

_"Then let's talk about it, but not like this!"_

_"There's nothing more to talk about, Tsukune you either agree with me or..."_

_"You either stop, Moka or we're through!"_

_"I...I don't believe you," _she said to Tsukune_. "You wouldn't leave me."_

And, why would she have believed him then? She'd always assumed he needed her far more than she needed him, and besides it was cheap sex with an even cheaper partner, surely he wouldn't abandon everything they had for that or so she thought.

"_You're not leaving much of a choice, Moka_," he pleaded. "_Would you please, please think about what you're doing_?"

"..._I am_."

She returns back to Gin after having wiped the tears from her eyes and pretends that Tsukune's threat was as shallow as her breath.

"_Gin, lets go. Help me put an end to a decision we can not come to grips with_."

"_Sure thing, love_," Gin cooed softly as she led him into their room.

One thing led to another, and Tsukune, the man she thought would sacrifice everything for her, wound up sacrificing their marriage to uphold his pride, a pride he erroneously believed she set out to destroy when it was only to help the two of them. And for that, for her efforts, he repaid with a vicious hit to the face.

SMACK!

_**H-He put his hand on us**__! _ She thought with utter shock after Tsukune dared put his hand to her, a sensation that still throbbed and had not been forgotten.

"_Tsukune…" _her voice trembled, touching her cheek where her husband hit her and looking up into his fiery eyes, eyes that burned with a hatred she had never before seen; Moka had awakened something within him, something neither ghoul, vampire or even human, but a force of abject anger.

"_**Get**__...away from me_!"

Leaving her on the floor, stunned beyond words, Tsukune turns and walks away, his brooding form melting into the darkness, and had since left her in it. Now, she's pregnant with a fool's child, the man she loved disappeared, and probably never coming back, and now her own family has disowned her.

"This isn't what I wanted," she muttered aloud.

XXX

Down below on the first floor, Akasha went about her usual rounds of watering and grooming plants situated about the house, a practice that was more a habit really, especially when there were troubling events afoot in which the best she could do was find something to calm herself so as to figure out a solution. However, all the plants and horticulture techniques could not bring any calm easy or simple answer to everything that was happening, assuming there was an answer to be found at all.

"I hope you're not planning on drowning those dahlias there?" Asked a familiar voice from behind, which wakes her up from her haze in time to realize she had been watering these plants far too long.

"Oh! Thank you...Mikogami?"

"Yes," said the mysterious exorcist and Headmaster, who smiled whimsically at his old friend.

"I thought you'd left by now!" She said, warmly hugging him tightly, her strong arms bringing no joy to his old frame.

"I may never, if you don't let go!"

"It's so good to have a friend right now, when you need them," she says, releasing him to his delight.

"Speaking of which, I have been in touch of Tohofuahi; I told him nothing of what has transpired, but he nonetheless sends his condolescences. The rest of his family, however, were less than concerned about your daughter."

"They know?"

"Yes; somehow he and his entire clan are privy, no doubt by care of Ageha, who was last seen living with them before coming here. I blame myself for sending her there in the first place."

Akasha should be mad; her daughter's business was not something she wanted broadcasted around the world, this news certainly being the proverbial last straw to these torrid events, but the flower upkeep has had its desired effect and she quickly returns to it with a weary, yet indifferent shrug.

"I suppose it was bound to happen; we knew eventually my daughter's actions wouldn't be kept a family secret for long...By the way, how is Ageha doing? I wanted to ask about her daughter, Kurumu but the opportunity never arose."

"The girl is doing well as to be expected; I have kept a careful watch on her over the years and learned she's working at her aunt's gentlemen's club with little fanfare."

"Hm; I send Ageha flowers every year, blue ones that match her daughter's hair, thought she might enjoy them, I hope she's been receiving them."

"Her mother has. She has sent them back, though."

"...And, what of Yukari?" Akasha asked, solemnly.

"Her prognosis has not changed...I am told that...the ordeal with your daughter has left more damage to the girl than just physical, and her parents' believe it may be connected."

"I want you to carry back with you some flowers I have, they're beautiful violets that match the girl's beautiful eyes whenever she smiled...I'd like for her parents to have them."

Akasha gently caresses the pearly white dahlias before her, their silken petals like fine hair brushing up against her fingertips with barely a sensation. She wanted to stand there, stroking them, caring for them, and most importantly watching them closely and protectively as if afraid that they would be lost if she took no more than a second away.

"These dahlias are so beautiful," she whispered to Mikogami, but more to herself. "I've cared for them myself, after all these years. They're strong, my children, having grown up under my care and become so...independent, it would seem. And, yet they're so fragile at the same time, that if I stopped caring for them for any amount of time...they'll whither, and my babies...won't be my babies anymore, they won't even look it."

"...I know all of this is not what you want to hear, especially now."

"...Why not? This has affected not just my daughter, who is without a doubt suffering for all that she has done, but it affects everyone completely. I cannot forget those who have been hurt by all of this, but aren't here to voice their opinions. Mikogami, I blame myself."

"Don't."

"Why not."

"Because, it isn't true. None of this is your fault. You couldn't have foreseen any of this, you're not god."

Akasha smiles tenderly, but shakes her head.

"You're sweet," she replies. "But, it is my fault. A mother, a real mother, is responsible for her child's actions. I was supposed to watch her, Mikogami, and I did. I never took my eyes off of her, even while I was away, my eyes never really left her. Yet...I don't know, somehow I slipped up; I missed where she was going and she went away from me, only to come back as someone...who isn't the same little child I used to watch. I shouldn't have taught her how to remove the rosary on her own, that was a stupid mistake. I shouldn't have never allowed her to go to a school where she was picked on so much, I'll always regret that. But, most importantly, I should never have left in the first place, and if I had to do it all over again, I'd do things differently, I swear it!"

"Akasha...I'm sorry."

Akasha turned around, deeply reluctant to do so, but the emotions proved to be far stronger than her paranoia, and whirls around to collapse into Mikogami's arms.

"...My baby!" She wept. "I've lost her! She's lost her man, I've lost a son, and now she's lost everything! I don't know what to do!"

Mikogami could do nothing but hold her, for he too was at a loss, for once.

_And you, young man_, he thought as his thoughts turned to Tsukune, somewhere out there, _how have you been taking all of this, one has to wonder._

XXX

On her way back to her room, Ria stops in a darkened hallway to check up on Tsukune's situation, a big smile still plastered on her face that could have glowed ominously under any shadow.

"So, what do you have to report?" She asks.

"Lord Aono has just landed in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mistress," the agent reports. "The succubus is still with him, but..."

"But? I don't like 'buts', I only care about his at the moment."

"That's what I'd like to report, his mood hasn't changed since he left, especially after spending a limo ride and a flight with Caro Shade; it doesn't look like he'll be having sex with anyone, ma'am."

"Well, I don't pay you for your opinions, but that is good. Continue keeping an eye on him, and in case he does appear to be getting lucky with one of the local whores there, then make sure the lucky lady has an accident; wouldn't want my future Bloodmate sullying himself with the soiled doves."

"As you wish," he replied and hung up.

Smiling to herself, Ria dishes out the photo she had saved from earlier and makes it her phone's new screensaver, a move, coupled by the two recent news caused the vampiress to giggle gleefully to herself.

"Mrs. Ria Aono; I can't wait. You're as good as mine, brother!"

_(To be continued)_


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

_I'll Be Missing You (pt. 2)_

The monster bat, Ko watched from the sidelines with worry as his master trained like a possessed beast in the combat room since morning, going well into dusk without a single second of rest, assaulting her body with a torturous regimen that tore through clothing and brought out bleeding sores, for even a vampire's body has its limits. Indeed, their bodies, as perfect as they themselves perceived them, was far from everlasting aside from being tougher. However, over the years, Kokoa has endured herself through pain few her age would have been acquainted with, thanks in no part to a certain individual.

**Seven years ago...**

Kokoa was forced against her will to attend P.E. with the other girls of the first year class, though she would hardly lump these weak girls within _her_ class. The game, dodge ball, and as head captain her team jostled with their rival team across from each other as they chucked hard volleyballs at one another. Many were hit brutally while others tried dodging them, and during this intense activity their tiny bloomer shorts kept getting bunched up, as well their regulatory white T-shirts becoming soaked with sweat. Indeed, they would have been a sight for horny eyes if any guy was present, watching them, but fortunately for them the gym was closed off to onlookers and perverts alike; that is all except one who had managed to drill a small peep hole from underneath the floorboards and had an ant's eyed view of the action. There was one in particular his lustful eye homed in on, who straddled over the peep hole unawares, too caught up in eager anticipation of the ball, her glistening legs directing his eye up toward her sweaty crotch, in which his superior sense of smell brought him untold delight. Kokoa, however was oblivious to his presence as she was only concerned with catching the ball and severely hammering it into another hapless, weak fool. She crouched ready, her mind keen, hands on her knees as green eyes trained intensely on the opponent just like father had trained, for nothing else mattered than your opponent. The other girl whom caught her eye was a cocky orc in the guise of a tall, raven haired girl with olive skin and a sporty body; she appeared to be very athletic and Kokoa viewed her as an adversary worthy enough to train upon. Their eyes locked for she too was anxious to smash the ball square into the vampire's face and as the game grew more heated, Kokoa could feel a slight rise in this girl's demonic aura, which excited her the way battle lust would excite any warrior. Beneath her, a different kind of lust had gripped her admirer as he noticed what this physical intensity was doing to her body. The girl wound up the ball, putting as much energy into it as she could and launches it at Kokoa, who poised ready, caught the ball with a slight grunt, the force of impact causing her to slide back just a little, but otherwise unhurt.

"IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT!?" Kokoa yelled back in defiance and battle ready, rears back to return the ball with every intention of leveling her head with it, but in her zest she loses her footing and falls into a split, causing the ball to soar rather weakly towards her target. "Damn it!"

"Tee-hee!" She heard someone giggle, and it was then that she felt underneath her a hole. She peers under her crotch, which felt like it had slipped through some crack and discovers to her dismay that there was a hole, with someone's eye peering back.

"What the...?" She mouthed.

"HEY VAMPIRE!" She heard the other girl yell, and looks up late to see the ball soaring towards her, followed by a blinding white light.

**Now...**

"EeeeeeaaAAAHH!" Kokoa roared as she drove a battle axe straight into a wall so hard it caused a sizeable fissure to form.

Undaunted, she rips the weapon out in a single breath and wheels around to swing it again, this time nearly taking her sister Kahlua's head off.

"Whoa!" She yelled, luckily catching the blade in between her fingers. "Sister, that isn't how you swing an axe. If you wanted to train, then all you had to do was come ask me, I would have..."

She looks at her younger sister, who was so sweaty that her face looked as if it was made of wax and melting. The growl that escaped Kokoa's lips as she bared her fangs at her, fangs that were partially strewn with loose strands of her soaked, red hair that matted itself almost her entire head, while muscles rippled underneath all that was left of a black, corset dress worried even Kahlua.

"Sister, is everything okay?"

"What do you want?" Kokoa asked, her voice menacing and disconcerting, as she rips the axe from her sister's grip with little difficulty.

"I just...wanted to see what you were doing, is all."

Kokoa goes to dry her face off, barely considering her sister's presence, and prepares to leave

"Where are you going?" Kahlua asked.

"To do my job, what's it to you?"

"Well, I thought you should know that some people were coming. I don't know who they are, and since big sis isn't around, I thought you'd..."

"Fine, I'll go down and take them to father."

"Would you like any help?" Kahlua asked with a friendly smile, to which Kokoa simply replies:

"Do whatever you want."

The bat looked on sadly, but relieved to see that Kahlua finally stopped her from abusing herself, and yet for all the power she possessed underneath, she couldn't detect something very important to him: that Kokoa was deteriorating from within and it seemed oblivious to all.

They came at sunset; not one by one as would be expected, but in a long procession of black cars and limousines, as though this was some important party they would have been loathed to miss. However, this undoubtedly a trial wherein the sire of their lord would be placed before them and judged, and it was something the vampire council appeared to be eager in witnessing. Kokoa and Kahlua stood on opposite ends of the stairway's landing, while Akasha stood by the opened doorway looking out at their approaching guests, which she could not only identify by sight, but their scent in the chilly evening breeze that preceded each one like an ill omen, and amongst them were familiar foes who stood to gain from this misery. Issa Shuzen had his frenemies in the ruling council, amongst them a wizened old, eastern European vampire who went by the name of Barron Teppes. This decrepit old pervert was the first to emerge and who, as he stepped out of his white, stretched limo with tinted windows had in tow with him an elegant looking, blonde mistress wearing a very revealing, green sea-foam gown comfortably hugged her curvaceous and lily white frame; by all appearances it looked like they were attending a fancy ball. Regardless, Akasha knew that as lecherous he was, even Teppes regarded her with some respect despite not being a council member herself, for it was not he she worried about. She, too had her share of enemies amongst the council, including one in particular who had eyed Issa first to be a love interest, for political gain, but had lost her and whose shiny black limo came quickly up behind Teppes now; a British vampire by the name of Maria Bruensted.

_Why her? _She wondered to herself, recognizing her car and smelling her familiar, pungent scent of cigarette smoke and roses that was this vampire's signature aroma.

"Is there someone amongst this throng that troubles you?" Mikogami asked, standing by her side to offer her support.

"You might say that," she replied, her hopes of their daughter getting some manner of reprieve effectively going out the window.

"The hour is late, my lady!" The decrepit old vampire, Teppes greeted first. "And yet you still look as lovely as when you first graced our presence. How have you been?"

"Charming as always, Barron," Akasha greeted in kind, momentarily distracted from her approaching rival as the two embraced one another. "You've met my friend, Mikogami?"

"Ah yes, the priest who runs that little school. Tell me, are you in good with that Tohofuhai character?"

"I am," Mikogami replies.

"Excellent, because I am in need of some more of that...hen-tai? I think that's what it's called; anyway, I was wondering if he had anymore school girls and octopus monster stories? My Helena and I enjoy it, and she likes it when we act out some of the scenes, don't you Helena?"

"Yes dear," his escort replies, tenderly.

"Akasha, have you met my newest acquisition? Akasha Bloodriver, I'd like you to meet my mistress, the ever lovely Helena, maiden of the elven race."

"It is an honor to meet you, kind lady of the house," Helena greeted with a modest curtsey.

"The honor is all mine," Akasha reciprocated. "The Baron speaks very highly of you."

"As well he should, no woman has treated him with the respect he deserves, isn't that right my love?"

"Indeed," he replies with a loving smile and amorous gaze upon his woman. "An elegant people those elves, and highly sensual. Isn't that right, my dear?"

"Yes dear," she said with a happy smile.

"I didn't think you would be bringing her here for this," said Akasha.

"I never leave home without her, she keeps me company; and besides, we have sex in the car," the Barron whispers, lightly pinching Helena's buttocks, who lets out a slight squeal. "You like it when I sex you up in the car don't you?"

"Yes dear!" She giggled.

"Don't mind him, he always treats these hearings like a frat party, especially since getting her," said a woman with blood red hair stepping up behind him, someone who made Akasha's blood turn cold. "Give it up, old man, it doesn't matter how much younger they get, they can't make you any younger than you are, now."

"Greetings Maria," Akasha tried to cordially greet, but her best smile couldn't hide the disdain she felt in her mouth. "May I have Kokoa or Kahlua escort you to a guest room?"

"Please, dispense with the pleasantries, concubine," Maria responded, "I haven't the stomach for it, especially now. Looking at your pink head is reminding me of vomit after what I've discovered."

"Then, might I ask why are you here? I wasn't aware there was going to be any hearing today."

"Why, if it isn't Maria Bruensted!" Gyokuro called from the staircase and eagerly goes up to hug the young woman. "And, how is my dear friend doing? We haven't talked in ages!"

"Not since the lord of the manner went and knocked up his whore," Maria said. "The consequences of which have finally come home to roost."

"Excuse me!" Akasha intervened.

"Speak of the devil," Gyokuro whispered.

"If this hearing has anything to do with my daughter, then I'd like to know about it. I wasn't aware she had done anything that you would warrant your attention."

"Honestly, Gyokuro do you let this trash speak openly to all your guests?" Maria asked.

"You'd do well to treat me with respect!" Akasha threatened.

"Ladies, ladies, please," Barron Teppes intervened. "I just had sex in the car, I'm all tapped out. But, Helena doesn't mind, does she?"

"No dear," she replied.

"Hm, brash and stupid!" Maria challenged.

"The only stupid one I see is you," Akasha argued.

"I have been dealing with that one for years, but as for her daughter...well, I'm not allowed to say," said Gyokuro.

"No need; that _is _why we're here."

Akasha looks at Mikogami, confused and then back at Maria, who reveled in her obvious lack of understanding.

"Oh, come now," Maria gloats, "you didn't think we'd find out about her affair with a werewolf."

"How did...?"

"Oh my, you mean you really don't know?" Maria asked with a look of shock that gradually turned into mocking laughter. "Hey, where is the older daughter, Ria? I want her to hear about this!"

"Maria!" Akasha snapped. "What do you know about my daughter, and why are you here, unannounced?"

"Oh, do tell us, she is never going to give us a moment of peace," Gyokuro insisted. "In fact, I'm curious myself; this certainly isn't a social visit."

"Well okay, I'm done messing with her head anyway!" She replies with a joking smile, before adding: "And again, you are right, this isn't a social visit, in fact I had wanted to wait until everyone was assembled to show you so as to surprise the proud parents of their daughter's many accomplishments amongst the lower species"

"I...I don't understand."

She fishes out an iPad from her small purse, works with it and then hands it to Akasha where she sees a small vid playing on it.

"It's been circulating all over the web so I'm surprised you haven't seen it. Now, this is just a sneak peak, I'm saving the rest for the hearing tonight, which after this is shown to the good lord I'm pretty sure there will be a hearing, as sure as I am that the girl in this web feed is enjoying herself!"

Akasha looks on, and Maria smiles when the color drains from her pretty, emerald eyes.

"Please, hurry up and give it back," Maria said. "I'd like for Gyokuro to take a look."

XXX

Moka had not moved since this morning, since her mom had delivered the news, that terrible news which she had been accused of wanting, when in reality all she had ever wanted was to have a strong, proud family with the man chosen by herself to be her mate for all time. Silvery white hair laid splayed about the bed, soaked in uncomfortable sweat that made her feel sticky and unkempt; far from the elegant beauty she had been so proud of once.

_What are we going to do now? _A tiny, frightened voice inside her head kept asking; a part of her soul she continued shutting away so she could think. _How are we going to get out of this? Our marriage is ruined and now father doesn't want us anymore. It's hopeless!_

A knock at the door brought welcomed relief to her beleaguered mind, becoming mildly irked in the process when the door opened without her say so.

"Moka," said the maid Ezumi, her shadow boldly standing in the doorway.

Moka noticed how she didn't even bother to correct herself or be humble about it after the faux-paux of referring to her by first name; it would seem father's removal of her status and privileges had spread to the staff.

"What is it?" Moka asked.

"Lord Shuzen has requested your immediate presence in the throne room, said it was urgent. He's had me draw a bath for you and I am to escort you to your new bathroom at once."

"My new bathroom?"

"That is right; you are no longer allowed to use the family's bath, you're instead being given the one used by the staff. From there, Mistress Shuzen will escort you to the throne room."

"...I'll be dressed."

"I'll be waiting," the maid said, who gave Moka a look as she slowly closed the door, a look that greatly annoyed the vampiress.

**Who the hell does that worm think she's looking at? **She angrily thought. **I may no longer hold my status, but I'm still well within my right to eviscerate her!**

Still sore and wounded from the agonizing ordeal in ascertaining her pregnancy, that pained paled in comparison to the disgrace she felt in being stripped of everything and reduced to that of a lowly commoner all over the mistake of sleeping with some common fool. A fool, however, whose prowess in bed she still remembered and caused undo stress in thinking about it now, of all times.

_Really? Are we really thinking about that, now!_

"Shut up!" She snapped at herself as she painfully struggles to her feet, which felt good to feel that she can still assert dominance over her alter ego as there was relative peace until sitting down in the cramped, porcelain tub to take a meager bath. "Degrading! A servant's bath!"

Sitting in the bathtub, the lukewarm herbal water that very quickly became warm and then cool as she languishes away in her new lot in life was degrading. It was a small space, this bathroom was, devoid of windows or anything of luxury, with the stench of mold and mildew heavy in the air, a single, cracked mirror over a leaky sink, and on the door was the outfit she had to wear: a ragged looking white dress. It felt like prison, a lonely, isolated prison where nary a friend could visit, assuming there were any left.

"What do I need friends for, anyway?" She asked herself, morosely. "I am a vampire, a supreme monster and beautiful in every way; what do I need with friends? Whom do I need at all?"

_We need Tsukune. _

But, she would not say that, admitting that she needed anyone was still degrading for her. It nonetheless angered her deeply that he would abandon her, _he_ whom she cared for deeply. Then, she thought about Gin, about how the only good thing about him was sex, and became even more angry that Tsukune couldn't have been any better or more of a monster than him. If he had, this wouldn't have happened, and Gin would have been pummeled close to death by her mate's superior might, which she knew he had.

"Oh, why Tsukune?" She whispered softly to herself.

At long last, the loneliness had finally caught up to her, piercing its talons through her tough skin into vital organs. It was the one thing she detested above all else, ever since her accursed time at middle school when all of this started; it would have been her fate were it not for Tsukune. He's timely arrival into her life made it seem like a distant feeling, no longer the constant companion it once was, and as such he provided the perfect incentive to move up in station and become heiress within her family.

Now, she was alone again, and she hated being alone. She didn't want to be alone, she needed someone to talk to, to keep her company, anyone!

_Tsukune, I want Tsukune!_

"Shut up!" She said to herself, wearily.

Her body still aching, Moka weakly gets out and walks over to the mirror, slowly coming to grips with the reality of her situation; she never should have planned any of this. Here she was, a vampire princess, supreme entity above all and she worried that her own brood would become fodder for lesser beings; and why? Because she witnessed some bratty kids fighting one day? Because, she herself was intimidated by the mere cubs of lowly dogs when she was a child? And then, there was also him, Gin; even now the mere thought of him conjured up feelings that made her feel great shame.

_Why do we feel this way? Why does it hurt? Tsukune belongs to us, so why does it feel like we belong to Gin when we don't even love him? I wish we never heard of him!_

Growing weary of her other persona's nagging, Moka slips on her rosary pendant and gradually reverts back to her weaker, pink haired self, in which during the course of the transformation she's left feeling drained by it and begins to fall back, only to quickly grab hold of the counter to steady herself. She realized she would have to start doing that from now on, relying on herself to keep from falling during these transformations instead of counting on someone to be there to catch her; that or stay in one form forever. It was a sobering fact to face, of effectively removing a personality all because she cast aside that special someone she'd grown used to being behind her, for even if reconciliation was possible, how and why would he want her back after learning about the baby, a baby that was not even his?

And, of course there was the baby, and only now has it dawned on her that she would be alone in raising it. Tsukune would not want it, but she wondered if Gin will help, as it was his to begin with. Yes, they had agreed that should he impregnate her, he would have no part in its rearing; but, then again the very thought of it at the time had seemed impossible and was meant to be an empty threat. In fact, the whole affair was an empty threat to lure her true love into action, with no thought on the consequences.

"What is the point in thinking about it, now?" She heard a bitter voice asked, and wiped the misty mirror clear to see her other self, speaking to her again. "It's done. All there is left now is to face whatever it is father has for us."

And yet, even now, after all was said and done, especially in the face of how wrong she had been about everything and was letting her face the music alone, her so-called stronger and "true" persona was still barking orders. If Moka could, she would split herself into two, separate bodies, in fact it was fast becoming a dream of hers right now, one where they would both be free to do what they wanted and be with whoever they wanted as it became increasingly clear that _she_ felt nothing for Tsukune the way she, herself did. To outer-Moka, he was the man who gave her meaning to live again and had captured her heart, someone she dearly wanted to be with ever since their first meeting, as well as with all their friends. She never wanted to be with Gin, Gin was incapable of granting her what she wanted most: love and a sense of belonging. Inner Moka on the other hand, the brutal, caustic, silvery haired persona who represented her "true" persona cared for no one other than her own satisfaction and who always viewed people like Tsukune as property. It was made clear that he and their friends were just a pacifier for her outer persona, as though she were a baby. More and more, she found herself despising her other self and the choices she made, choices that seemed to became painfully obvious had little do with the welfare of children, be they from Tsukune, or Gin. But, one thing she knew without a shadow of doubt is that, were they ever split into two people, she would not miss her.

XXX

Issa Shuzen sat in his chair with the weight of the world suddenly bearing down upon his broad shoulders. Sitting to his left, of course was Gyokuro who's say in these proceedings were limited while in her husband's presence, and yet she commanded a healthy dose of respect all her own. Akasha could not be here, as in spite of her prowess and stature, she was not a council member and could say nothing in her daughter's defense; that would have to be deferred to Issa, assuming he was willing at all to still defend Moka. All around him sat the council, twelve vampire elders in all, each sitting in his or her own furnished chair brought to this meeting for this special occasion, yet he saw nor acknowledged any of them, as his focused was buried in something being held within the palm of his hand, something that pretty much sealed the fate of she who now stood in the center of this room.

Moka Aono looked about nervously, dressed in this hand-me down dress laid out for her, and feeling naked and vulnerable for all of them to leer at. Secretly, she wished her pink hair could shield her face as she could feel their stares, accusing and judgmental, as though they had been made privy to her actions. She tried not to let them see her quake with fear, for even now pride took center stage within the confines of her mind; she was a vampire after all, a daughter of the House of Shuzen, and in spite of everything it still meant something to her. Fortunately Kokoa, who stood behind her stoically, was the only companion here she felt she still had and never before had her hovering presence felt so secure than now, yet this zealous cheerleader was especially cold today, as cold as anyone else in the room and had Moka been so observant, she'd know there was no one having her back.

"I have...come as you requested, father," Moka declared, trying to sound strong and dignified despite the mounting fear she felt. "Might I...inquire why I have been summoned to this meeting?"

"My, she's an arrogant one," said a dark haired, female vampire.

"That is Moka Akashiya Aono," Maria introduced. "They don't get any more arrogant than she."

"This is...an ill time to be met," Issa Shuzen finally started off, his red eyes reluctantly pulling away from what he was holding to stare, ever so intently at his own, formerly beloved daughter. "There were certain things I wanted to reserve for a later date; but, it would seem fate has other plans for us, do you not agree...Moka?"

_Oh father, _Moka thought sadly, lamenting at how he stopped calling her simply daughter.

"...M-May I be allowed to speak?" She meekly asked.

"No you may not," came his reply.

"Don't silence the accused," said Maria, "allow this celebrity to voice her opinion; about how awesome it felt doing the things a princess wouldn't normally be allowed to do."

"I think her actions speak for themselves," said Baron Teppes.

She looked at them with visible confusion, originally believing that this was about her misdeeds, but now thinking that she was on trial for something else.

"Don't be modest," Maria said with a smile. "You're quite the rebellious, _brave_ little princess, doing whatever you want and expecting the world to applaud you for it; that was your _true_ intent, wasn't it?"

"I don't understand," Moka replied.

"What is there to understand, surely you and you alone can sort out your own mess," Baron Teppes commented.

"...M-My mess?"

"Do you not admit that you, of your own volition, did conspire to have carnal relations, repeatedly I might add until you were impregnated by a man who was not your bloodmate and thus pass said offspring as your father's grandchild and possible heir?"

Moka stared at him in utter shock and disbelief, and then turned her gaze at Gyokuro, thinking it was her doing that word had gotten out about what she had done. And yet, all eyes were on her, eyes that would determine her fate and any pretense that she had done everything for the good of family and honor seemed so irrelevant in the face of utter survival.

"It's...uh, n-n-no, it isn't how it looks," she stammered. "What I meant was, it isn't how it happened and it was never my intention to..."

"So, you deny the whole thing happened?" Maria asked.

"Yes, I-I mean no, just not the way you heard!"

"Oh Moka," Gyokuro spoke up, "are you really going to lie to the council? You, this so called paragon of honesty and integrity? During her confession, well it was more like a video montage of her torrid, sad little trip down memory lane, she had all but admitted that she did everything for the pride of vampires."

"No! N-No, it was a mistake, a slip of the tongue! My husband had angered me, and...and...!"

"She called this Gin person 'wonderful'!"

"It was to hurt Tsukune, that was all! I don't find Gin to be wonderful at all, I swear!"

"And, how would you know this werewolf wasn't at all wonderful, as you said?" Maria asked.

Moka looked around for someone to stand up for her, even wishing her own little sister would step forward, yet she did nothing except stand stoically behind her, whose solemn expression had changed little.

"Well?" An older gentleman asked. "I believe we demand an answer! Did you not cavort with this wolf boy in a sexual relationship?"

"I..."

"Stop!" Lord Shuzen ordered, his word law, and a great relief for Moka who thought her father would not abandon her now. "This is pointless; you all have the answers to your questions, you're just stating the obvious for your own meager amusement. Moka, are you aware of a website called Wolfman's Den?"

"Wolfman's...?" She asked, and though the name did conjure up a sickening feeling, she nonetheless tried to play dumb.

"Kokoa," he ordered, holding out the iPad he had watched earlier. "Hand this device over to the accused."

"...As you wish father."

**Accused? ** Her inner persona thought, as even she felt the sting of those words being used by her father in reference to herself.

Kokoa hands the iPad to Moka as ordered, and looks to she sees a web vid called The Wolfman's Den waiting to be played. Curious, she clicks play and begins to watch the program play out, curious as to its contents as its sounds, though small, were loud and apparent in this cavernous room with Gin's familiar, arrogant voice playing before a captive audience. It was some kind of a porn site, she soon realized, and judging by the date of its broadcast it wasn't too long ago, which made Moka's sickening feeling turn sour.

**What is going on? **Inner Moka asked, her unease nearly as intense as her outer persona's. **What is this, what are we being made to look at?**

Gin mentioned Moka, which made her heart sink as she knew without a doubt it was about her, and while he droned on about how he was superior in every way to Tsukune and how _she_ preferred him instead, it brought forth a new level of anger and frustration. Here she was, trying to reconcile things with Tsukune, all the while this idiot was bragging on his website to the world how she wanted to be with him and jeopardize everything. But, as Moka realized, that wasn't what her father wanted her to see, as Gin, the wolfman, the man whose sexual performance she has pointed out was unlike anything she had with Tsukune, eventually bragged of recording one of their sexcapades on camera.

"Oh god no," she muttered. "Gin."

There was a link to it on the upper right hand corner, beckoning and teasing her, though the better part of her mind reasoned that she shouldn't, she clicks on it anyway. What came after, with its tawdriness and utter betrayal, filled her with an indescribable feeling of shock and anger, its sounds, _her_ sounds lifting in the air like nauseous fumes. She recognized that moment, that night in question, the first night she had sex with Gin in his club and participated in a three way with those other girls at his urging; and he promised no one would know about it.

"Who's your daddy?" Gin asked as Moka gave him a blowjob on all fours like a dog, while she was being fucked from the rear with a strap on dick by one of the girl's as the other stood over her kissing him. "Say it!"

Moka appeared to hesitate, but the pressure coming from behind causing her to cum, and Gin's forcing his dick deep in her mouth, making her swallow his cum and becoming lost in the moment, she had little choice but to say:

"You are."

"You are, what?"

"You are my daddy, baby! You are!"

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! **Inner Moka roared, furiously.

Outer Moka however, could barely say a word, with only tiny gasps of air escaping her opened lips. Her legs shook so bad that if it was a cartoon they'd be knocking; something she would have preferred, knowing it would drown out the sounds of ecstasy gone awry in her favor. In fact, she began shaking all over, her body no longer in control, with bowels loosening much to her shame and her grip on the iPad crumbling until it fell to the floor, while she still grips at nothing. She looked frantically about the place, no longer certain of where she was or what to do, only quiver in fear and shame like a frightened child caught in the nude, with the feel of a trickle of warm urine cascading down her legs, which oddly enough felt the same way Gin's semen had.

Why would he do this? Did he really care for no one, but himself, and by doing so his actions only helped deepen his involvement with her.

**That IDIOT! I will rend his skin from his body; that lowly, fowl smelling DOG!**

"So?" Issa asked. "Speak!"

Moka could do nothing, nothing at all, but breakdown before everyone, a reaction that made her seem even more pathetic rather than garner sympathy to all who witnessed it.

"I was set up!" She wept. "Forced! I didn't do this of my own free will, I was tricked!"

"Tricked by whom?" The Baron asked.

"By...By..."

"By Gin?" Gyokuro asked.

"No, I..."

"She doesn't even know," said Maria with a shake of her head. "That or she's lying through her teeth like a common..."

"Let her answer!" Issa barked. "I want to hear...her explain this! You, Moka had a lot to say earlier today in defense of your actions, that you are not what people say you are, but are a proud vampire. WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT?"

His outburst caused Moka to drop to her knees, knowing full well that it was all over, now.

"Well, we can't call her a vampire, anymore," Maria pointed out. "A werewolf's bitch is more appropriate."

"Oh, here, here," Gyokuro agreed.

"Please, you all have to understand," Moka tried to explain, "...I-I was sent to a human school...where they picked on me every day, I even went to sleep dreading going back each night; it was hell! So, when I knew my own children would go the same thing, I tried to do what any mother would do!"

"By getting into a three way with a pimp and his whores?" The Baron asked. "You might make me proud, but I'm not sure what your children will think."

"She's the daughter of a whore," Gyokuro spoke up. "What do you think the children of a whore's daughter would feel?"

"_Please, _I need you to understand!" Moka went on. "I tried to do the right thing! It didn't start out this way, it's just that...everything got out of control!"

"How so?" Her father asked, his eyes unflinching in the face of her show. "Did you dare expect your Bloodmate would bend to your ridiculous requests?"

"He was supposed to..."

"No! Again, you misunderstand everything; he wasn't supposed to do anything to honor any request you force upon him."

"But, h-he's my Bloodmate!"

"And, you are his. It is your duty to honor him in whatever the two of you do; the fact that you chose to debase yourself is not only an affront to him, but an affront to this house and our culture! Now, the whole world knows that you've dishonored yourself! This cannot go unanswered, you know this. You must be punished."

To hear those four words uttered so loudly and so clear was the very kind of dread that penetrated itself through the very heart of her soul more than losing Tsukune, her parents or living alone; she knew exactly what kind of punishment would be suitable for this disgrace. Nevertheless, she shook violently, uncontrollably and unashamedly as this feeling was new to her and she was uncertain on how to cope with it.

"What will you do, my good lord?" Maria inquired. "Will you actually go through with it? She is your beloved daughter, after all."

"Do you wish to make your point plainly or dull us with your sarcastic wit, Maria Brunested?" Issa asked with little grace and civility.

"Do not be so cross with her, my lord," said another council member. "She is only saying what we're all thinking: will you agree with what we've already decided for your daughter?"

"And besides," said the Baron, "it isn't slander to say that Moka here is your favorite; we all know that."

"Save your solidarity, I know very well that Maria Brunested's only interest is to hurt me," Issa argued. "Still so bitter, that you'd jump at the chance to discredit me through my daughter the moment you saw this web feed rather than consult with me first!"

"Oh come off of it!" She snapped. "I'm not the villain here, and neither is your beloved daughter. The one who took the chance to discredit you was you, my lord! You took that whore, Akasha as a consort and, well what did you think was going to be the result: a daughter who is noble in every way? You settle for trash and all you get is trash!"

"You speak boldly, Maria!" Issa growled.

"I speak the truth."

Gyokuro wanted to show her support for that statement, but she knew her place as only Issa represented their household; still, she couldn't hold back an approved smile.

**Say something! **Inner Moka badgered. **We must speak up, clear our name, don't let this tarnish our family's name!**

However, Moka was inconsolable, remaining rooted to the spot and looking up at the big wigs like a scared animal.

"Enough of this!" Said Baron Teppes. "I got a Kim K. porno coming up and I'd rather not sit around here and miss it, no offense Moka Akashiya; shall we bring this to a vote?"

"I agree," Maria replied. "All those in favor of death: aye!"

"Aye," the Baron answered.

The word "aye" went around the room it encircled Moka like a whirlpool of water, sinking her deeper and deeper, the darkness rising up all around while a coldness swept over her. Not even her inner persona, who is always so vocal with her opinions, especially when she's being held safely within her rosary seal, uttered one word as even this mighty amazon felt helpless against all of this. When the vote finally came to her father, both father and daughter locked eyes on each other, one cold and emotionless, the very epitome of what being a vampire was all about, the other pleading and yearning, desperately hoping for compassion or leniency.

Moka found it strange; those same virtues that she thought made humans weak, those same virtues and more she desperately enough went to such crazed lengths to spare her children from, turned out to be the same she hoped would save her, now.

"Aye."

Alas, in the end it was her people's virtues, the ones she so desperately wanted her children to instill, even going through all of this to make sure that happened, that ultimately allowed her own father, the man she loved more than Tsukune himself, to sign her own death warrant. She fell to her knees in despair, heart nearly stopped at the sound of those words, and tears of pain and sadness overtook her, as it all seemed lost now.

"You understand the sentence laid upon you?" He asked with little remorse. "Your few remaining privileges are here by revoked, and you will be confined until the day of your execution. Is that clear?"

"...Yes," she said through an emotion choked voice. "...May I...May I be allowed to see Tsukune, one last time, to say goodbye?"

"No you may not."

"Not even to say goodbye?"

"Just let him see your porn, I'm sure your raw and exposed ass can do that for you," Maria said.

"...And, what of Gin? What will happen to him?"

"And why should you care?" Issa asked, a hint of anger rising sharply in his voice at the mere thought that she's worried about him, even now.

"Do you believe that?" Maria asked. "Concern for her dog; she truly is his bitch!"

"Are you mentally unbalanced?" Gyokuro asked. "Or, do you truly love him? How sorry I feel for you. I only had hate for you before, but now..."

"Is this true?" He asked her. "Do you feel any love for him?"

"Father, I..."

"She does, she does!" Maria exclaimed.

"I didn't say that!"

"...Then it will give you some comfort to know that I don't intend to make a move on him," Issa said, though through a heated breath that belied extreme anger.

"So, I take it we're going to do nothing about this person, then?" Gyokuro asked.

"No, my daughter's lover will not face prosecution from me or anyone else here, is that understood? As far as I am concerned, he doesn't exist. Moka Akashiya will bear not only his child, but the father's sins as she alone will face the sentence."

"Hm, how appropriate and yet it's strangely romantic; like 'A Tale of Two Cities'."

"More like a Tale of Titties," the Baron joked. "In this case the lovely maiden bravely sacrifices her life and that of her unborn child so that her true love may live to bone some other, hapless girl happily ever after."

"...The baby," Moka answered, her voice now hollow and already empty of life. "This is about the baby; if the baby is his..."

"If?" One of the council members asked.

"...If, the baby is his...and by that, I mean...is, he must be allowed to take care of it...when I'm gone."

"He is not taking care of that child," Issa Shuzen flat out replied. "No one will. You are dead to me now, and so is your brood. Kokoa, take her back to her quarters."

Quietly, Kokoa roughly helps her sister up, who walked away in a maudlin exposure, passing by the council members on her way out like a dead woman walking.

"Well, so much for that mess," Maria commented, not even waiting until Moka was safely out of hearing distance. "And by mess, I do mean the pink slut with the even pinker cooch."

"Your mouth is as poisonous as I remembered, Maria Brunested," Issa remarked, heatedly.

"Oh come on, this is not my fault! And, when are you going to stop being so formal with me; none of this would have happened if you had heeded my advice about Akasha Bloodriver. I'm only trying to be a friend."

"Save your vanity and pretenses for another lord, and don't any of you be so quick to presume a judgment has been passed tonight; all rulings must be unanimous and we are in a deadlock."

"What do you mean: deadlock?" Maria angrily asked. "We all voted, all of us, even you!"

"She's right!" Gyokuro confirmed. "There isn't one of us here who didn't feel that if I were allowed to vote, that I'd side with the council!"

"As usual, you are wrong, my dear mate, for there is still one who has yet to vote, and isn't present at the moment to make this crucial decision as I have sent him away for the time being."

"...Tsukune Aono!" Gyokuro uttered out loud, clarifying the mystery to everyone else, and only raising greater frustration. "Are you mad? He isn't a council member, he's just your heir!"

"One of these days he will sit in my chair, but as for now he is a junior member of this council and as Moka's Bloodmate it is his right in accordance of our laws to decide the fate of his unfaithful partner. His decision will be final."

"You're going to place the sanctity of our people in the hands of your hapless son in law?" Maria asked. "Do you honestly think he is in every way ruthless enough to fill your shoes? Or, are you hoping he's naive enough to believe that she still loves him, much like how her mother fooled you into thinking that and fathering her child? He just might be stupid enough to pardon her and even raise her bastard child as his own!"

"I would tread carefully the words you use around me," he warned. "I've tolerated it only because it would be difficult to find someone to replace you on your chair since you allowed your only son and heir to die foolishly."

"Then why don't you get your new son to sit in it; you seem to have him placed handily upon our council without our knowledge."

"Hm, well played," the Baron commented. "Who knew you were such a card shark. So, I take it we won't have long to await his decision."

"Tsukune Aono is right now spending three, full days deciding on the status of his union with Moka, and on the morning of the fourth he will be here to reveal our next course of action. Until that day, I suggest you make yourselves comfortable. Meeting adjourned."

"You cannot do this!" Maria growled as he got up to leave. "I came all this way to see that bastard daughter of yours suffer; I want to see her pay!"

"Oh Maria Brunsted, poor, poor Maria Brunsted, I feel sorrow for foolish girls like yourself; you never seem to understand that this world isn't just about you," Issa said and brazenly turns her back to Maria before she could even say anything in return.

XXX

Within her newly assigned room, which felt increasingly like a dungeon than a room, and aptly appropriate, Moka sat silently before the dressing mirror as she slowly brushed her hair. Oddly enough, she felt a kind of calm, as though resigned to her impending fate, while locked in some limbo like state, wallowing in her predicament rather than flipping out into hysterics.

**I cannot believe...this is happening! **Inner Moka very quietly expressed to herself.

Both wanted answers as to whether any of this was really happening. All those nights ago when they took Gin into the bed she and Tsukune shared seemed like a hazy dream, for neither could have imagined all of this. When she had first called Gin up to make this insane proposal, both sides of her thought deep down it wouldn't come to it, even as Gin stuck his dick into her body that this was all surreal and would wake up next to her husband in bed. And yet, neither had an answer for the other, just reeling in the fact that this _was_ truly the end of everything; Inner Moka had finally come to terms that their motives were far too weak to have justified what was done, and that Tsukune's advice of simply forgetting about it was sage, after all.

"Here," a comforting voice said as she felt gentle hands take hold of her brush and begins running it through her hair. "I remember doing this when you were little; do you remember those days?"

Moka didn't respond to her mother, her mind now gone, and still Akasha carried on like a dutiful mother should.

"You were so small back then, I could carry you in one arm; well, probably still could, you're not that big which I suppose is a good thing, depending on how you look at it."

As she pulls back the brush, she notices a white strand come loose with the pink ones, a most peculiar and puzzling find. Indeed, a vampire would have to live thousands upon thousands of years before their hair color would show any age to them, and yet to see this on one who was still so young was indeed disturbing, thinking that this whole situation taken an extremely serious toll.

"Mother," she finally spoke.

"Yes, dear."

"...Am I filthy?"

"What? No, no you're not."

"But, I am. I'm a filthy person…who couldn't even be a good partner to my husband; I screwed up everything!"

Akasha reached down and hugged her warmly and protectively, doing all she can for her girl who trembled frighteningly.

"...Dear," Akasha began to say, but wondered on what could she say that'll bring her daughter any happiness again, even if it was for a brief moment. "We all make mistakes, some worse than others. Mine, was...not being here when you needed me, of being more of a warrior than just a parent and raising you near such a dangerous environment. Perhaps if I had been around more, I would have noticed how unhappy you were at that school and gotten you out; who knows. Just know that no matter how bad things seem, that sometimes its darkest just before the dawn, and that you have to be brave. You're still our daughter; no matter what happens, you'll always be that."

She gives her a gentle kiss and begrudgingly leaves, sadly looking on as she goes and wondering if talking to her had helped anything at all. Alone again, Moka sat in front of the mirror for almost an hour, never moving, breathing only slightly. In the mirror she could see her inner persona staring back at her, her pride gone, the fire extinguished in those red eyes, now worn out and haggard, for there was no hiding from the axe nor anything to be gained as the future either of them had dreamt of was now gone.

"...Have to make this right," her reflection muttered. "You know what has to be done."

As if motivated by some inert desire that had taken root, she goes and picks up her cell phone and dials a number, his number. She wondered, with baited breath if he'll pick up, literally crossing her fingers in the hopes his voice will answer on the other side.

"Hello," came his voice on the other line.

**Seven years ago...**

It was half through the first year for Kokoa Shuzen, who walked down the lonely dirt trail towards school, ready for another morning at this mundane place for lower than dirt people, while up ahead she saw her sister happily chatting it up with him: Tsukune Aono. What had once been an angry bitterness, has now strangely become one of sadness and confusion. For so long, she had tried to get in between them, to somehow get her sister back from him, and yet as she looked at the boy and remembered some of the things he's done for them both, even Kokoa had to begrudgingly accept that there may be a place for him in their lives, which depressed her greatly.

Was he right for her? Is it possible that this human, who pretended to be like them could be a potential mate for her sister and, even for herself?

She shook her head violently, trying to wipe away these insane notions, for she had no intention of becoming another hapless member of his harem.

_What am I doing? _She wondered as she felt a smile come on. _Stop that! He's weak and pathetic! Blah!_

A slight breeze blew, causing her to clutch the hem of her tiny mini skirt to keep from billowing. It was yet another thing she hated going to this school, the dress code which forced the girls in wearing such short and flimsy attire that gave the boys there, pervert or not, a good glimpse of their panties.

"Looking good, sweet stuff!" She heard a voice call out, drawing her to some bushes nearby that were accompanied by the sounds of a camera clicking. "How about you show us some more of those strawberries!"

**Now...**

"Gin!" She said with a start, waking up from a nap and quickly gathering her bearings. She had taken a nap during another one of her vigils outside of Moka's chambers; a dream of a point in time that felt strangely soothing and comforting compared to right now.

Tsukune Aono, that human boy who fell in love with her sister, the one who caused all of this to befall her family by refusing Moka's requests. She remembered watching the two of them together, seeing how happy he made her sister, even when she changed forms, and all the adventures they'd had with him, dawned on her that this "human" had brought them closer together than ever. There were even moments when he had saved her life, a mere human; it caused her to feel shame in knowing that as well as to question her own feelings. Was he so bad when compared to Gin? Gin thought of no one, but himself; he was the enemy of all women, which was something she knew all too well. And worst of all, he did something to Moka that wound up tearing them apart over him, and now her sister will be gone forever.

All of a sudden came a rustling of the chamber's door and a slight creak as it opened. Not wishing to talk to her, Kokoa pretended to sleep and listened as Moka, dressed in the best, most appealing outfit she could find, began to quietly walk pass her. Curious, she follows after to find out where or whom she going to.

XXX

"And, you should have seen it!" Maria said to Ria, as she sat in her room drinking a bloody Mary. "Your sister was so pathetic; bawling like the little baby she always was! I tell you, I wish you had been there, you would have loved it!"

"Oh me, oh my, I can't say I never would have seen that coming," Ria joked, lounging in a chair in her black underwear while looking at her cell phone. "I take it you ripped her a new one, of course."

"There was no need, her boyfriend beat me to it."

The two looked at one another for a brief second and then burst out laughing.

"But, you should have seen the look on her face when she learned that he wouldn't be punished, that she and her child will bear his punishment for him like a sacrificial pig that she is, and then I said it was like A Tale of Two Titties!"

"Seriously? Oh me, oh my, that was priceless, did you come up with that?"

"I did. That would have been that if not for your father deciding it should be left up with his son-in-law heir; what a cop out. Anyway, what is the status on the boy in question, I heard he was taken a global sexcapade."

"Oh, he is, and I assure you he is anything, but a boy."

"You speak highly of the...man! Perhaps you have feelings for him?"

"By feelings do you me he's felt me up, and I felt him? Then, yes I have."

"He's that good?"

"That good; if you like, I'll loan him out when he becomes my bloodmate."

"Hmm," Maria responded as if interested in the prospect.

"I know he seems green, but that's to be expected after being with baby sister for most of his life and never knowing a real woman."

Ria stares intently at the picture on her cell phone, that of a woman's head, blood strewn in her disheveled pink hair, and emerald green eyes staring lifelessly and blank back at her. It was all that was left of a problem that had caused the mighty Ria no end of grief for quite a long time, far longer than she would have wanted, and at the same time represented a future that was sure to come; for this reason she kept this pic as a symbol of things finally going her way.

"And, you're confident he'll leave his girl and come be with...?"

Ria's phone rang, disrupting her peaceful fantasizing and wondered irritably what other news there was about to come her way.

"Expecting someone?" Maria inquired. "A recent male conquest who can't take no for an answer?"

"Not quite," she replies. "Hello."

"Mistress," one of her agents in Las Vegas responds on the other end.

"Now isn't a good time."

"I just thought I'd let you know what your future husband has been up to with the women. The succubus whore had managed to coerce her buxom niece to lure him into a room not too long ago."

"I thought I told you to make sure he didn't?" She asked heatedly, irritated to hear anything about Caro and her skanky family.

"That's what I wanted to tell you, we were about to intervene when the unthinkable happened: he hauled off and beat the little slut half to death."

"Really?" She asked with a huge smile spreading across her face. "Do tell."

"I don't know, something about having a nightmare, but he nearly killed the girl and has since fled into the city."

"Hm, my boy."

"I thought you'd be proud; shall we follow after him?"

"Yes, but give him some distance, I don't think I have to worry about him after all?"

"Well, something has got you in a good mood," Maria remarks, noticing how happy Ria looked after she ended the call. "I take it that was about your Tsukune?"

"Oh me, oh my; are you implying that I'm spying on him? As if he would ever need spying on; he's a big boy, after all, he can certainly take care of himself."

"Oh, I wouldn't presume anything of the sort, you always get your man. It's just that, ever since you two were young, darling Moka has always taken away your playthings and then ruined them for you. What makes you so sure this will be any different?"

She next receives another text message, this one from Kokoa exposing the fact that Moka has fled from the castle, news that she will undoubtedly and delightedly reveal to Lady Akasha with.

"Oh, you know me," Ria replies with a pleased and satisfied smile, "once I see something I want, I always get it."

XXX

The cab pulls up to a seedy motel in the eastern part of town, causing Kokoa undo concern as to why her sister would even bother coming here.

"Keep the change," Kokoa tells the driver.

"Sure thing, lady," the driver said, having already noticed how odd his passenger looked and fueling wild speculations at arriving at this place after she had him tail another cab to.

Kokoa, however held little concern for his thoughts, as the object of her obsession was rapidly approaching a single, crimson red door while constantly looking over her shoulder to see if she had been followed and forcing the younger sister to take cover.

Moka knocks on the door, waits around patiently and before long the door swings open, revealing to Kokoa's eyes a sight that she'd never thought to see again, especially now.

"Him!" She mutters to herself in a shocked, hushed tone.

"Well, Moka this is a surprise after how we left things, but boy am I glad to see you, again!" Gin said with his big, cheesy smile.


	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

_Runnin' With the Devil_

Mrs. Kazumi Aono couldn't tell if this strange Chinese woman, dressed all in black, who seemed to have made herself at home by sitting in their recliner and was sipping her tea was something to fear or be comfortable around. Though she did save all their lives, it certainly didn't help things that this "Akua" person, as she was known by had just eviscerated several men in their home, spilling their blood and intestines all over her carpet that just last spring she had worked so hard to clean, last spring when her family's world was in one piece, last spring that felt like many years ago from all of this. Now, her marriage was destroyed, her son missing and betrayed by a woman they had both trusted, and here were these strange people in her home: a trucker who showed up out of nowhere, a sinister looking woman who, with a single call had brought in even more strange people into their house to clean up the murder scene, and finally this pink haired stranger sitting on their couch who was supposed to have been married to her son only to be usurped by a clone, a clone that had turned their world upside down, now rubbing her eyes clear.

"Does it still hurt?" Akua asked.

"Yes," Moka Akashiya replied. "I still can't see out of my right eye!"

"I do apologize; iodine can be unpleasant to the eyes, but we had to make it look convincing to fool our sister. Mrs. Aono, this is wonderful tea, by the way."

Kazumi, who protectively held the serving tray, as even in these distressing moments she tried to maintain traditional Japanese decorum, didn't pay much attention to the compliment, her focus on the men doing a very thorough, and surprisingly better job at cleaning than she. In no time, did they completely erase all traces of carnage; it was flawless.

"Oh, Mrs. Aono?" Akua calls. "Well, it looks like she's impressed with the craftsmanship."

"Kazumi," her husband asked, trying to reach out to her and offer a comforting hand, but she looks at him with eyes full of uncertainty as though she didn't recognize him, and he sadly takes the hint.

"You alright?" Koga asked Kyoko, kindly wrapping a blanket around her.

She flinches a little, still uncertain herself about this monster in human disguise, but considering his defense of her earlier, she was willing to be a little accommodating.

"I'm fine," she tells him, trying to keep herself from shaking.

"Mr. Ibari," Akua says to him. "As payment for helping my beloved sister through all of this, I figured you'd be happy to know that I've arranged for my associates to speak with your bosses and have cleared up any and all infractions on your 'distinguished' record, _and_ have given an extended, paid vacation."

"Thanks," Koga replies. "Guess I better play the Good Samaritan more often. Don't mind me asking, but is there a catch to this wellspring of goodwill you're offering me?"

"...All in due time," she says with a smile.

"How long are these men going to be...?" Kazumi asks.

"...They normally don't take very long," Akua replies after finishing up her tea. "Yakuza are very thorough at their job, but fast at removing damning evidence."

Not too long after saying that, the Yakuza members begin to file out, the place spotless in their wake.

"It is done," one officer said to Mrs. Aono, with a humble bow.

"It is; what happened to the bodies?"

"They are gone," he simply replies.

"Everything taken care of, then?" Akua asks him.

"Indeed."

"Thank you for your assistance. I am indebted to you."

The soldier bows to her, and then turns back to Mrs. Aono: "Ma'am, if you require any further assistance with your dilemma, say for instance retaliation against the woman responsible for bringing dishonor upon your family, summon us and we will gladly do so for free."

He hands the confused and frazzled woman a card as though he was soliciting a business.

"I'd take them up on their offer; you can't go wrong with Yakuza at your beckon call," Akua suggests.

"...Um, thanks," Kazumi says and nervously takes the card.

With a humble bow, the soldier leaves and closes the door on a sparkling, pristine house that even smelled of lilacs. To Kazumi's surprise, by all appearances it was as if a few minutes ago never happened.

"I can't...I..," Kyoko stammered, looking around in utter amazement.

"Yeah, Yakuza guys don't play," Koga casually explains. "I once saw them clean up a night club full of bodies after a shootout over in Edo before the cops came; cleaned the place up just like that!"

Kyoko stares at him, and he realizes how inappropriate his words were.

"...Um, so I had heard," he corrects himself.

"What is going on?" Moka demands. "Why are you here, all of a sudden?"

"To help you, of course," she responds with genuine confusion. "I'm your big sis, after all."

"Stop it! I know you. I haven't forgotten what you did to me and my friends! So, why are you helping me, now?"

"Baby sister, I've been helping you for quite some time. It's because of me that you're alive; you don't remember, do you?"

"What?"

"I'm not surprised, you did suffer from severe amnesia; but, you wouldn't be here if not for me."

"How? W-Were you spying on me this whole time?"

"What a silly question; of course I have. I've been spying on all of you."

"But, I thought you were...they said you had..."

"Died? Sis, don't believe everything you hear; news of my demise has been greatly exaggerated. I have been very much alive, in hiding for the past four years and keeping careful watch on you and the Aono's."

"You've been watching us?" Koji asked. "From where?

She points behind herself and says: "You know that property across the street, the house that's been abandoned for some time?"

"...You...You've been across the street this entire time?" Kyoko asked, stunned.

"Yeah," Akua simply replies.

"What!" Moka yelled.

"Yes; see after Ria literally stabbed me in the back and tried to dispose of me, I thought it best to lay low and let her and everyone think she did me in, and secretly moved next door across from the Aono residence. I figured it would be the last place anyone would expect to find me, and I could keep an eye on all of you."

"Wh-What do you mean keep an eye on us?" Kazumi asked.

"I mean, I've been watching your house for four years, keeping detailed account of all that's been occurring, while at the same time I've pulled some of my underworld connections and various other in-place resources to keep surveillance on Tsukune and you, sister. Yes, I knew what was happening to you, of how Ria had you imprisoned and tortured for four years and believe me, it angered me at some of things she got away with."

"If you knew what was happening...why didn't you do anything?" Moka stammered in disbelief.

"Don't get me wrong, I wanted to, dearly, but my men were under my orders to watch the castle you were being held in the entire time, waiting for the right moment to move, which hinged entirely on your actions, which you didn't disappoint."

She went on to explain, piecing together the missing parts of Moka's memory of the moment when she jumped into the cold waters of the castle moat and sank beneath its rippling waves. Darkness had enveloped her, and it surely would have been the end of her were it not for a hand that plunged through like a symbol of salvation, yanking Moka's seemingly lifeless body up.

A Yakuza soldier had gotten hold of her, being told to act just in the nick of time as he swam with her in tow to join his comrades on the bank.

"Any signs of life?" One of them asked.

"I do not know," her rescuer replies, listening to her chest to for a heartbeat. "Stand back!"

He applies pressure to her chest, pumping water out and blowing warm air in to grant her a breath of life. Surely enough, she began spitting out water and starts gyrating with all the signs of renewed life.

"Quick, get her out of those wet clothes before she gets cold," one of them suggests. "Get a blanket!"

But, before they could wrap up her nude body, gunfire erupts from out of the shadows.

"I THINK I HEAR SOMETHING OVER THERE!" A man yelled, and before long Fairy Tale agents were converging on their location.

The two sides exchanged gunfire back and forth, neither one letting up, all the while a dazed Moka, confused about her surroundings, gets up and starts to wander away from the excitement. After stumbling onto the highway, she doesn't go very far before a patrol car's headlights find her.

"When they told me you were picked up by the police," Akua continues. "I, of course was furious, but then I quickly realized that this could work in our favor."

"_Our_ 'favor'?" Moka asked, increasingly livid. "You let me suffer alone for four years and spend the next several weeks with amnesia when you alone could have stopped all of this, and you say it worked in our favor?"

"Don't say it like that, sis. Did you not enjoy your time amongst all those humans at the Halfway House? Did you not a lot of friends and learned many, invaluable lessons while there?"

"DON'T DODGE THE ISSUE!" Moka screamed at her. "YOU LEFT ME TO DIE!"

"I'd like to know why all of this is happening," Kazumi demanded. "Not just for me, but to my family and to Moka! Wh-who are you and what is going on around here? I think we're all entitled to a little explanation from someone!"

"She's right," Moka jumped in. "As a matter of fact, how about you start from the beginning; all our lives are being turned upside down, and you know why, don't you?"

"You're all full of questions, I know," Akua responds after finishing up her tea, calmly. "And, after this length of time, I'd say you _are_ entitled to answers, I mean that's only fair. Mr. and Mrs. Aono, sister, you all know by now that there's a bit of an identity crisis that, more or less, has started this whole ordeal you and your loved ones are putting up with as we speak. Well, a part of that is my fault; I take full responsibility for that. You see, years ago after my defeat at the hands of the honorable Tsukune Aono and my sister and their erstwhile Newspaper Club, I laid low for a while and began digging around my old operations to pass the time when I stumbled across the records of a Dr. Aleaster Faust."

"Aleaster Faust?" Kyoko asked.

"Yes, you may or may not remember him, sister, but he was the same physician who delivered you when you were born. He was both a brilliant, and mad alchemist and all around sadist who just after my sister's birth had developed a flawless, identical clone, a twin sister of hers from DNA samples he'd gathered all for the sole purpose of owning a vampire with the fabled shinso blood coursing through her veins, among other things. But, by the time I got there, he had already not only successfully bred her, but raised her to full maturity. The only downside to her was that she was a blank slate, but that was how he liked them, I suppose. In his research, he also gathered Intel on your son and your family."

"What?" Kazumi asked.

"That's right, everything about the Aono family from ancestry to blood types, birth records, maiden names, as well every member of your family including your distant relatives like the ones living in Juno, Alaska. It had to do with your son's blood type, see he knew there was something about your son that, well excited dear Moka."

Moka blushed.

"Wait a minute!" Koji said. "Some psychotic freak, whoever he is, is out there right now with files on _my_ family?"

"Oh, don't worry, he's dead, I saw to that," Akua responds.

"She killed him, okay sure nothing to worry then," he mutters.

"There's plenty to worry; see, after the good doctor passed away I was left in my possession his clone, as well as his wealth of knowledge, all of which passed its way to Ria upon my untimely 'death'. Regrettably, it was because of me that the great whore in question even knew of your existence and set loose this chain of events you all find yourselves in, today. It was because of this, that Ria devised her plan to preyed upon you and your family all just to get to your son."

"What do you mean by that?" Koji asked. "What do you know about her?"

"...Oh, Mr. Koji Aono, sir, you have no idea how much your son has had to endure, silently to protect all of you from her."

"...What?" Kazumi asked, staring at her estranged husband. "What is she talking about? What has Tsukune had to do?"

"I don't know!" He says. "I don't know what she's talking about, I swear!"

"What I have to reveal may be shocking."

"What?" Kazumi asked.

"Know that what I wanted to tell you about, honorable Mrs. Aono, somewhat involves your husband's extramarital affair with my, darling, sister."

Kazumi looks at her husband, and suddenly he felt the weight of all his sins crush his very body, thinking that he may have done something else to make this situation worse.

"Akua," Moka warned.

"Mr. Aono, please tell us how you wound up in bed with my sister?"

"...W-What does that have to...?" He asked.

"Humor us."

"No."

"Is there something else you're not telling?" Kazumi asked.

"No, nothing!"

"Don't you lie to me, again! What does this have to do with Tsukune, Koji?"

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing, he doesn't know about the affair!"

"On the contrary, Mr. Aono, not only was he made aware of it, but..."

"But, what?" Kazumi asked, then looked back at her husband with a fiery anger in her chestnut eyes, eyes that were determined to get to the very bottom of everything.

"Akua!" Moka yelled. "You..."

"I swear, Koji…" Kazumi warned her husband.

"Look, what happened was exactly how I told it!" He explained. "It was after that big promotion I got! I found out she had something to do with it, said it was because we were going to be family soon. Hell, I didn't care; wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth so long as I had more money to support you! Later, she took me and my coworkers out to celebrate and..."

"And, you slept with her."

"I didn't...The last thing I remembered was drinking with her, and before I knew it I was in bed with her, naked, but I swear had no memory of ever sleeping with her. When she woke, she told me I got drunk and took advantage of her. I hadn't a clue what I had done, but when I suggested we forget it, she threatened to tell you if I ever decide to end the affair! That's it!"

"Stay your gaze, Madam Aono," Akua assures her. "I can tell you right now, your beloved husband did not have sex with my sister that day."

Everyone stared at her with confusion, all but Koga, who thought of this as damn fine entertainment.

"It's simple, really."

"How can any of this be simple?" Kyoko asked.

"Mr. Aono, you don't remember anything that happened, because you were drugged."

"Drugged?" He asked.

"Yes; no doubt to put you in an uncompromising situation for blackmail. I highly doubt she had sex with you as that would have been redundant. She manipulated you into willingly entering an extramarital affair by faking one that did not exist in the first place."

Koji was speechless at first, his mouth hung open like a trout, before his face became beet red with anger.

"...Why?" He managed to hiss through his teeth.

"She ruined our marriage, and forced my husband to enter into an affair with her for...what?" Kazumi asked, her feelings of anger just as roiling. "What reason was there, we didn't have a lot of money, what could she possibly have gotten out of us?"

"Your son," she replied. "It was for leverage to use against your son."

"Why our son?" She asked. "What the hell does any of this have to do with Tsukune?"

"I'm getting to that."

"Akua, don't!" Moka tells her.

"Don't what?" Kazumi asked, growing frantic. "What is someone not telling me about my son?"

"Kazumi Aono," Moka replies. "This isn't something you want to..."

"Don't call me by that name, it's Ms. Aono! Is that clear?"

"Of course, honorable Ms. Aono."

"And, I'll tell you what I want: I want you to TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON! What happened to my son, what is no one telling me?"

"Very well; she, Ria, had raped your son," Akua came right out and said. "Numerous times."

"...W-What?"

The room grew quiet, the atmosphere cold, and every Aono, including their guests, were chalk white.

"The fuck?" Koga whispered.

"Well, rape is such a strong word, and knowing my slutty sister's warped thinking, she would call it causal sex, but we're not going to beat around the bush now are we?"

"S-She had...with my son?" Kazumi asked.

"You should know, Mrs. Aono, you were there when she absconded with him for their first rendezvous."

"What are...?"

The look of sudden, gut wrenching remembrance flashed in her eyes of that day, that very day when this whore first set foot in her home; of the scene at the breakfast table, busily baking and having such a lovely chat with this "woman" who sat next to Tsukune and thinking how cute it all was. She began to wonder, deep in her troubled heart, was there any tell-tale signs of what was about to happen? Did her son, perhaps too ashamed to say anything right before she allowed that person to make off with her baby boy try to leave any subtle hint that he needed help, a hint that she missed? The look on his face, the words he said, anything, and yet she was blind to it all; she let him go.

"I knew there was something off about that...," she heard Kyoko mutter.

"Oh yes, there was," Akua continued.

"It was her," Moka spoke up, grabbing Kazumi's attention. "It was that...fake's fault! Ria blackmailed her into letting Tsukune sleep with her. He thought he was doing it for me, when really...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Kazumi was speechless; not only had she been blind to one intruder in her home, one threat to her family that she allowed to harm a hair on the child she gave birth to, but two?

How could she have allowed this?

"Kazumi," Koji tried to comfort, but she rebuffed him.

"Don't touch me!" She whispered. "What...What, does this have to do with...Koji?"

"I'm getting to that. See, your son wasn't a wimp or a pussy about it, pardon my language; if anything he made it abundantly clear that he would not pursue a relationship with her and that after that one encounter she would have no further hold over him. Unfortunately my sister has never been one to take no for answer, so she went and give him another incentive to bang her."

All eyes turned back to Koji again, the very weight of this ugly, unspoken truth crushing whatever innocence remained in their humble home.

"You can't...," he stammered. "No. He would..."

"Wouldn't do something like that? To protect his family, to protect you or you, sister, the love of his life, he wouldn't go to such extremes if there was another way? Yes, he did, a lot; he did her just to keep her away from all of you, to keep you all safe."

"Oh god," Kazumi wept, collapsing to the floor, head buried in her hands in both shame, regret, disgust and pity.

Moka was silent, as she was already aware of his actions, yet it didn't lessen the pain of this situation any. Kyoko buried her face into Koga's arms, who didn't rebuff her, while Koji stood alone, stunned and ashamed.

"Wh-Why would he do something like that?" He asked. "Why the hell didn't he ever...I mean, he should've told..."

"Told you he was fucking the woman you were duped into having an affair with so that your wife wouldn't find out?"

"STOP IT!" She yelled. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE!"

"Kazumi," Moka says, trying to comfort her.

"Don't _touch_ me!" She snapped. "This is all your fault, get away from me!"

"Mrs. Aono," Moka replied, stunned and in tears.

"I'm...I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I want my son back, I want our lives back! Why the hell is this happening to us?"

Moka didn't know what to say, looking at Tsukune's mother crying and wishing things could go back to the way they were, herself. For four years, she had thought this same thing while locked up in that hell hole, and yet it never dawned on her how much all of this had affected the people she knew and loved. That these past years weren't just a living nightmare for her, but for everyone, and in some way she thought that her showing up like this now, may have made things that much worse.

"Don't go blaming yourself," Akua said to Moka. "This would have come out, eventually. It was only a matter of time."

"Don't you talk to me you bitch!" Moka snapped at her.

"Sister?"

"No! Not sister, not anymore! If you were really a loving, caring sister, then why didn't you help my friends when they needed it, huh? Why didn't you help me when I needed it, then I would have come back sooner and none of this would have ever happened! I would have exposed the fake for who she was, I would have stopped Tsukune from going with Ria, and I would have kept him from marrying that whore of an impostor! So, why are you here now, and what do you want?"

"I'm here now, because it was the right time for it," Akua simply replies.

"Right time?"

"Oh sister, do you really know nothing about me? I have waited patiently for these couple of years for the right time to make my move, for if I had acted a day sooner or a day late, it would have been disastrous not just for you, but for everyone you hold dear, including our beloved Tsukune."

"Wh-Wha...?" Moka stammered, unable to follow a word she was trying to get at, but fortunately Koga, who has been listening was able to understand Akua's strange motive.

"Either you follow Art of War or you play Go?" He asked.

"It's good to see a fellow student of Tsun Tzu."

"I play Go when the mood moves me," he said with a smile.

"Sister, I didn't intervene because things had to fall into place without my help, and the lynch pin had to be how you would put things into motion. Everything you've experienced, the people you've met, what you had to do and how much you've learned along the way will all come in handy for both you and our families. I knew your twin would do what she did and that Ria would gloat about it to you, and I knew it would prompt you to break out of prison and fight your way here, to me. Running into Koga and those people at the Halfway House was an added bonus, so to speak; in any case, it all happened the way I expected it to. I know you don't understand it now, but you will when this is over, and honorable Madam Aono, despite how you feel, you need her now more than ever."

"I still don't understand," Kyoko said. "And, why should we trust you?"

"Because, the enemy of mine enemy, is my friend, and like you I have no love for Ria."

"Then, why act now? What makes right now so special?"

"Because the time to act is nigh. Sis, Ria thinks you're dead, she thinks she's won, and ever the avid chess player, she thinks the board has been cleared and is no doubt focused on a new game; now is as good a time as any to make our move."

"Against her?" Koga asked. "I don't know, she claims to be an elder vampire, and after surviving our little game of 'bridge', I'm starting to believe that."

"Elder!" Akua commented with derision. "These so-called higher ups of the vampire world, bah! Even large tigers have been known to fall to packs of dogs. These elders are like tigers, big and over confident in their own superiority."

"Are we speaking from experience?" Koga asked.

"Is this supposed to help us?" Koji asked.

"Yes, and yes," said Akua. "Do any of you know why I am indebted to the Yakuza and Triads? It's because I fear them. Yes, a healthy respect to these gangs of humans, for yet even they are formidable; you humans are not as weak as you would have us to believe."

"As 'we' would have you believe?" Kyoko asked.

"There's a point I'm trying to make; real vampire hunters, or monster hunters for that matter, aren't two dudes driving around in a beat up Impala. No, they tend to be a lot deadlier than the prey they stalk, they have to be basically, and their most effective weapon is by making their prey believe that they do not exist as a threat. That's why there are so much vampire propaganda being spewed out into the public. That's why some act meek in my people's presence. That is why humanity's shortcomings are so widely broadcasted for even my kind to take notice."

"Lull your enemy into a false sense of security...," Koga said.

"Then strike. That is why the weak, every so often, overcomes the powerful."

"A tiger will kill a bunch of dogs before they can take it down," Kyoko points out.

"True, the cost will be great, but the beast will fall as the strongest always does. Those who are powerful are vain, stupid and overconfident; they let their guard down almost every day, whereas the weak are smart, resourceful all because they have to in order to survive, and most importantly they eye the strong with envy and contempt, enough of which encourages them to strategize, emboldens them, and become more cunning so they will make their foe fall down hard. You, sis, know this better than anyone that even the strongest of vampires can be taken down so easily."

As Moka saw her sister's knowing smile, it made her even angrier to hear Akua speak, because she did know what she was talking about. It was like yesterday, but years ago when Moka was a child, this fiend had lured her down into the lower levels of the castle where the monster Alucard rested. Her mother arrived just in time before Akua could awaken him, and the two engaged in a pitch battle where it appeared the black robed villainess was against the ropes, no match for Akasha's might, when suddenly and quite foolishly, Moka called out to her mother. The moment she was distracted, the very moment she took her eyes off of the fight, Akua came up from behind and literally slices Akasha in two with a powerful swipe. Had Akasha been any other vampire, the blow might have killed her, but fortunately her shinso blood, unique as it was, made survival and regeneration an option for the Hell Lord, though it did neither mother and daughter any good as Alucard was awakened, leading to a horrific conclusion that resulted in a chain of events which brought Moka to here.

"Yes, I know," she said to her. "I can never forget or forgive you. But,..."

"But, you need me. You all need me, if you are to gain the revenge you want."

"I don't care about revenge," Kazumi replied, softly. "I just want my son."

"Indeed, Tsukune is valuable to everything, but make no mistake you-do-want-revenge. Honorable Mr. and Mrs. Aono; sister, you all just found out Tsukune, the one person you share in common, has not only been hurt, horribly, by a fake woman who claimed to be his wife, but that he was used and raped by the sister of this person, who tricked you, Mr. Aono into having an affair that destroyed your marriage all just to hang this over your son's head so that she may continue having sex with him. By now, he is most certainly messed up by all of this and is out there right now, alone, lost, and confused while you all mourn what's happening. Trust me, as sure as I am breathing, you want revenge. Revenge against the women who brought dishonor to you and devastated everything you hold dear."

"And, you're the person who'll guarantee revenge?" Moka asked. "Why should we accept your help?"

"Because, sister, you're not just dealing with a couple of white trash whores, you're dealing with vampires; and so, in a situation like this, the only course to take is to make a deal with the devil," Akua replies with a broad, icy cold grin, a grin that would make any baby cry, and yet.

Kazumi Aono, homemaker, housewife, and mother, looked at this strange person before her and realized that she could no longer call herself any of those things again. And, in lew of this cold epiphany, to see what has become of the life she once called hers, it only made sense to accept this offer. Akua was right, she did want revenge, deep in her heart it was a desire that she wanted to get through any means necessary, even it meant selling her soul to the devil herself.

"...What would like us to do, then?" Kazumi asked, which surprised Moka and Koji, but then neither of them had any other alternatives, as they too had a burning desire to see these two sluts get what was coming to that soon matched up with their need to find Tsukune. "I mean, I'll do whatever you need to get this done, so long as I know what became of my son."

"Actually, learning of his whereabouts is the next course of action to take, for he is part of this scheme we've got going. But, I take it everyone is on board?"

"...Count me in," Moka said, reluctantly, feeling an old shame in siding with her mother's enemy, but seeing no other option.

"Me too," Koji said, looking longingly at his wife, who still refused to share meaningful glance, yet let it known that she would tolerate him in this endeavor.

"I'm in, too," said Kyoko.

"Koga?"

Koga looked around, all eyes wondering if this stranger, who has already involved himself in more than he bargained for, will involve himself even further.

"You don't have to, Koga," Moka said. "You've already done enough."

"...That's nice, but...What the hell, you got me invested in this anyway, I'm kinda interested to see where this goes. Besides, your sister manage to get me a paid vacation where I work, might as well put it to good use!"

"Splendid," Akua responded.

"Yes it is, but we still don't know where Tsukune is," Moka pointed out. "What good is our plan if we don't know where to start looking?"

"Now, think about it," Akua replied. "You said neither of you have been able to reach him by phone, am I correct?"

"Yes," Kazumi replied.

"Am, I correct to assume there was trouble in getting good reception, then?"

"You're right, at first that was the problem. It was as if he was in some kind of dead zone or something. When he did call, he wouldn't tell us where he was, but I could tell he was back in the country, at least. What does any of that mean?"

Akua looked over at Moka and asked: "Now, think sis; he's hurt, too ashamed to even come home to his mother who's worried sick, obviously he's someone who wants to disappear and to drop all contact with the outside world, so what is the one place in the world where that you know he can go do just that?"

At first Moka looked genuinely confused that Akua would imply she'd know the answer to that, but very quickly such an answer did present itself as it was, indeed so obvious a conclusion that she felt like slapping herself.

"Yokai," she said.

"The academy?" Kyoko asked, likewise confused, but like Moka she too felt stupid for not thinking of it sooner. "The academy!"

"What?" Koji asked.

"Tsukune went back to the academy!" Moka replied.

"W-Would they...Would they even allow him to come back?" Kazumi asked.

"Yes; we must still have friends who work there. I'm sure that's where he went!"

"What are we waiting for you?" Kazumi asked.

"Wait a minute, we can't all go," Koji pointed out. "Some of us has to remain behind in case he shows up!"

"No!" Kazumi responded, emphatically. "I am not gonna wait around here and be kept in the dark, without knowing what is going on; _my_ son is out there and I'm going with you or without you!"

"You heard the lady," Akua said.

"I'm coming too," Kyoko coined in.

"...Fine," Koji said with a heavy sigh. "But, I'm going along with all of you, just so I can make things right from my family."

"Well, that's great," Koga said. "Your friend is sequestered at a top secret school out in the middle of nowhere and we're all in route to; I sure hope you remember how to get there?"

"I do," Moka said. "The very last thing I remembered before being kidnapped was there. Come on."

Without much discussion, the family along their strange guests immediately got up to go, with Kazumi writing a note for Tsukune to read in case he returned while they were out, and as they left Koga took special notice of a small portrait of what he assumed was the man in question, and couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with this person, as though the memories carried some special significance.

"Koga!" Moka called.

"Yeah, I'm coming!" He replied and quickly rejoins his group.

By the time they stepped out, the morning sky was already awash with the sun's golden rays, indicating to Moka that school will no doubt be in session and make their mission difficult.

"Are we ready, everyone?" Akua asked.

"Just a minute!" Kazumi responded, closing the door behind them and taping a folded up note that contained a brief message and their cell number for Tsukune to contact them. "Okay."

"We can take my car," Koji suggested.

"That thing!" Kyoko exclaimed. "No, uncle it'll never fit all of us!"

"We can ask the neighbors, they have an SUV we can borrow," Kazumi suggests.

"I've got a better idea," said Koga, and leads them all to his truck parked just down the street. "Behold, my Miyazaki Express! It's a little dinged up, but as my recent passenger can attest, it's one tough bitch!"

"You drive in that thing?" Kyoko asked.

"I know, she's a beaut isn't she? Pile in!"

"A...truck?" Kazumi asked nervously.

"Don't worry, it's very reliable," said Moka.

When they did pile in, they faced the problem of space as it wasn't accustomed for quite so many passengers, so Moka was squished in the middle with Kyoko pressed snuggly against Koga and Koji had to sit against the passenger side window while holding both his wife and Akua upon his lap; needlessly to say it was an even more difficult situation for the guy than his wife, who was in enough trouble.

"Comfortable?" Akua asked, smiling playfully.

The ride didn't make it any less bearable, as the cab rocked back and forth, forcing some to be careful who they bumped into, and causing Koji to inadvertently squeeze the two women he had with him, making things far from comfortable.

"Okay, so how far until we get there?" Koji asked.

"Not far; the tunnel that leads to the place..."

"A tunnel?"

"Yes, just head down the freeway and you'll see it on your left."

"Whoo, a darkened tunnel to a school full of monsters; that's something!" Koga remarked, and felt a slight bump from the small woman leaning up against him. "You okay there, ma'am?"

"Oh, yeah. S-Sorry."

"Don't worry about it, I know it's a bit crowded in here, but..."

"No, not that," Kyoko says. "I mean, earlier for...you know, with the shovel and everything."

"Oh that? Nah, it didn't hurt that much. To be honest, I've gone through worse. You don't need to worry about this lunk head!"

Kyoko laughs and so did he.

"So, you're a werewolf?" She asks.

"Last time I checked," he joked.

"Anything like Gin?"

"Nooo ma'am, I ain't anything remotely close. Whoever this Gin is, he sounds like a lone wolf, and my kind don't associate with loners; wouldn't be caught dead!"

"So, you have a pack?"

"Just me, my older sister, and our mom; you'd like her, you look just like her."

"Oh my," she said, nervously. "Well, what about your father?"

His demeanor changed and for her benefit he tried not to let her see it, but the question was personal for him.

"Uhh, he died," was all he said.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I'm over it. Shit happens, am I right?"

"There it is!" Moka pointed out to the tunnel up ahead. "Get in the outside lane, once we're inside you're going to make a hard right."

"A right?" Koga asked. "In there?"

"Trust me."

He does as he's told, and everyone waited with baited breath the very instant their entire world went inside this cavernous maw.

"Best hold on tight, Mr. Aono," Akua jokingly suggested, but neither he nor his wife were in the same mood of seeing the brighter side of things, largely because they were about to collide right into a wall going 50 mph on the words of a pink haired girl.

"Hang on!" Koga said.

All save for Moka and Kyoko, half expected a rough collision with granite, but instead the truck itself no longer felt like it was on solid ground anymore. For a split moment it felt, and looked like they were sailing in midair through some black hole that mysteriously opened up around them, only to be spat out the other side in some strange land filled with jack o lantern headed scarecrows looking over a steep drop that led to a red ocean.

"Why...why is the ocean that color?" Kazumi asked.

"Damn!" Said Koga. "What a ride!"

"Look, I can see it!" Kyoko called out, pointing to a dark grey spire that rose over the barren forest in the distance.

"Yokai Academy," Moka muttered to herself, having not forgotten this place after all this time, its very appearance deeply significant.

Koga drove down the dark, deserted dirt path where she first met Tsukune, unchanged as she remembered it, and so close were they to the school that Moka could've sworn to have heard its giant bell banging the sounds of class beginning.

_We're finally here, _she thought.

**Yes, but we mustn't forget **_**why**_** we're here, **her inner persona reminded. **This isn't the time for sightseeing.**

_I am aware, I am aware._

Before too long, they were driving in the shadow of the school itself, Mr. and Mrs. Aono gawking at this gothic structure that had all the foreboding energy of a hungry dragon, and yet what appeared to be students filing into it like today wasn't any different.

"You had Tsukune go here?" She asked her husband.

"Wasn't what the application implied," he muttered.

They came to a stop near its entrance, the front gate still opened to let in stragglers, who gawked at this strange vehicle parked onto school premises. Koga gently helps Kyoko down and then Moka, while Koji tried to do the same, which Akua accepts, but Kazumi was more determined to disembark on her own, and stood ready to see what this place held in store.

"So, this Yokai Academy?" Koga asked. "Damn!"

"What?" Kyoko asked.

"Wish I hadn't dropped out of middle school, could have wound up going here instead."

"It certainly has an...atmosphere to it," said Kazumi.

Moka, both caught up in memories and an eagerness to resolve things, ran in first.

"Moka, wait up!" Kyoko yelled, but she couldn't hear them as after setting foot on school grounds since her kidnapping, had been pulled out of the current reality of where she was.

She looked up at the towering building, letting it's familiar air and very presence wash over her, feeling that things haven't changed all that much, after all.

"Tsuku...!" She began to say, but suddenly the air from her windpipe was cut off as something sharp wrapped around her larynx and was lifted high into the air.

Moka glances back and was shocked to see that what had a violent grip on her were feathers, morphed and contorted into garroted wires, attached to a pair of black, crow like wings.

"I knew you were proud of yourself Moka, but I didn't think your pride would make you this stupid to show your slutty face here!" A bitter, yet familiar sounding voice, oozing with contempt and vengeance, declared from below her.

"..._R..uby?_" Moka managed to gasp as she tried in vain to loosen the feathers that had already sunk within the skin of her neck.

"Let's see how you like being strangled from behind, bitch!" Ruby said, with a deadly fire in her violent, violet colored eyes.


	28. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

_I Need A Hero_

**Four years ago...**

Midnight at a random dockyards a washed in shadow, the overhead lights doing very little to brighten up the scene and yet it seemed perfect to do business in for some, whom were of a less than savory type, and amongst these individuals was a fellow rogue who waited impatiently for his associates to finish gathering up crates that belonged to a company that they did not work for or was associated with: Fairy Tale.

"You think you guys could work any slower?" The guy asked, with arms crossed impatiently. "I think I feel mold growing on my arms!"

"Don't get your panties in a wad, Koga!" Barked a large, bald man was leading this operation.

"They ain't my panties, buddy, I got them from your girlfriend! Said you weren't doing a good enough job taking them off, and judging by how slow you work, I...sort of get her point!"

The other guys laughed, but their leader was far from appeased.

"Yeah, keep jawin'!" He responded. "You and me can go right now, if it'll shut your mouth."

"And, get your ass handed to for even trying to shut me up, when you can be getting this job done, _now_! Maybe you want to hang around let those freaks that work for this company catch us in the act!"

"Hey, if you were really in such a hurry to leave you'd be gone now and we'd rake in the cash this'll give us!"

"Fucking shitheads," Koga muttered. "Should have known better than to go into business with you. I already got three strikes with the law ripping off businesses, and that's assuming I don't run into Fairy Tale's secret police!"

"Quit whining like some little bitch! Besides, you know why you're doing this!"

"Because I just smoked seven blunts?"

"Nah, because you're not as dumb as you look! You know there's money to be made in ripping off Fairy Tale. High grade weapons, a fucking arsenal, and some of the most expensive shit you'll ever see; we're talking about shit anyone with a Swiss bank account will be glad to pay for, more than the cheap crap you normally get from the crap you fleece. C'mon, where's your balls, man?"

"Keep your thoughts about my nads to yourself!" Koga retorts. "Look, just hurry so we can leave and be rolling in dough, I'm missing performance night at Caro's in Vegas."

"Caro, eh? Hey, that don't sound too bad, maybe I'll join ya when this is over!"

Koga walks behind a cargo crate, ignoring his associates invite and wanting to smoke away his aggravation, weary of watching these guys drag their feet with the stuff, when his desired moment of relaxation is cut short when he hears a commotion start up from the men.

"HEY, BOSS WE GOT COMPANY!" Someone yelled.

"The hell?" The ringleader asked.

Koga glances around the corner and sees two, oddly dressed people slowly approaching. One was a tall, statuesque woman with long, dark hair whose curved body was poured into an equally dark, full bodied dress while her male companion looked like a dapper dressed young man in his late teens with brown, cropped hair and wearing a dinner suit. They were vampires, Koga could tell by their scent and aura of smug supremacy, but their red eyes sort of glinted in the dim light and there was no doubt they were here about their illegal activities.

"Great," he muttered. "Told those guys to hurry."

"Nothing to worry, boys!" The ringleader declared, boastfully. "Hey, you guys lost? What's the matter, need directions to some fancy nightclub you trying to get to? Heh, need help trying to get to the ball?"

They all laughed, but only Koga could sense the danger they were in and with there being no full moon tonight, he was less than willing to tangle with a vampire, let alone two.

"AAAAAHHHH!" One of the men screamed after he tried to feel the woman up, only to have his hand squeezed and twisted painfully, and then kicked sharply into some crates.

"Kashii!" His friend yelled, and tried to attack them with a crowbar raised. "You muthafuc..."

But, this time the boy intervened, grabbing both hand and bar, and then with a sickening crack, dislocated the man's hand, causing him to drop his only weapon.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" He screamed. "HELP! THESE GUYS AIN'T NORMAL!"

"What the hell?" His boss muttered.

The woman smiled, flashing her glittering fangs under the spot lights, and Koga knew there would be blood.

"GET 'EM!" The ringleader shouted as they all converged, only to all be effortlessly defeated by them both.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," the boy said, pleased with what they accomplished and acting strangely naive in thinking it was all over. "So, we tie these guys up and leave them for the..."

"RAAAAARRRRGGGG!" Went the woman who immediately began to savagely bite one guy in the neck, drinking some of his blood from it and then snapping it.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" The boy asked, but the woman, her mouth and hands bloodied yet unsatisfied, leisurely went over to the next to repeat the gruesome process.

"This is what we're here for," she replied. "To send a message to these vermin about what happens when you steal from our father!"

Koga watched as she violently, brutally slaughtered each unconscious man, one after the other, while he noticed her companion rooted to the spot in abject horror watching this unfold and finding it odd that he would behave this way. The woman then noticed the ringleader, who had regained consciousness, and was trying to quietly crawl away.

"Oh me, oh my," she said, leaping on top of him in a flash.

"Please, please!" He begged. "You don't have to kill me, I'll leave, I promise, you'll never have to deal with me, again! Just please...!"

"R-Ri...STOP!" Her companion tried to plead, snapping out of his frozen shock and moving forward to stop her.

"What?" She asked. "You should have been helping me instead of standing there like you lost your damn puppy!"

"You...I can't believe...just...j-just let him go. You don't have to do thi..."

But, she had already snapped the man's neck and began ripping open his throat.

"No!" He cried. "H-He was begging for his life! What the hell is wrong with you...How could you..?"

"What's wrong with me?" She asked, blood still caked around her mouth. "Damn it, bother dear, if you're going to be the heir to this family, then you're gonna have to.."

Koga had seen and heard enough, already familiar with how vampires take care of business all too well and decided it was best to leave, when he accidentally knocks over some boxes, their crash being loud enough to wake up the world at this hour, and enough to sink his heart as it silenced the loud debate they were having.

_Shit! _He thought to himself, hoping they hadn't heard.

He nervously glances over his shoulder, and from where he stood, could see them looking over his way.

"Fuck me," he muttered.

"Oh me, oh my, it seems we have more."

The woman began to move toward where Koga was hiding, and he decided to get ready for what would come next, when an unexpected thing happened.

"ENOUGH!" The young man yelled, roughly grabbing a hold of her arm. "I'm not going to let you kill again, we're through here, you've proven your...!"

Instead of heeding his advice, the woman elbowed him in the stomach and violently kicks him high into the air, causing the vampire male and "heir" to land in a pile of crates nearby. Koga didn't bother sticking around, sensing his opportunity to escape, which he was all, too eager to take and using what part of his werewolf speed he had on hand to make a lightening dash for it. Reaching his truck parked far away, he hurriedly hops in and drives like a bat out of hell, a bat who would live and fleece another day, by the way. However, forever after Koga wouldn't be able to forget just how he was able to escape this latest grace with death; in all his life dealing with vampires and learning what he knew from his vampire-hunting mother, he'd never known a single one to plead for the mercy of their victims, let alone take it upon himself to defend one's escape. And, even though it was a long time ago, every so often he wondered about that one guy, whose name he never got, and what became of him as a vampire who dared show any weakness and compassion, traits that would definitely fair less in his world or any world for that matter. That was until...

**Today...**

It was all those years ago that he encountered this strange person who went unnamed in his mind, and though he saw him from a distance, recently it felt as though he had seen him once again.

Was this Tsukune person, him?

He didn't know, but right now all he cared about was Moka's survival, who was being suspended in the air by a woman with feathers coming out of her back.

"HEY!" He called out. "LET HER GO!"

He ran to put a stop to this, but instantly found himself surrounded by strange figures in black trench coats, one of them a small, red headed girl with a bo-staff aimed at him.

"Nah-uh," she said with a creepy, but cheerful smile, "I'm afraid you can't go onto campus without a permission slip. Looks like you'll have to die."

"The hell?"

"Who's that?" Ruby asked Moka. "Another John you picked up?"

_She's going to kill me? _Moka thought.

**That witch has lost her mind; you've got to break free! **Her inner persona ranted**. Dammit, what the hell is she doing, and if only that Tsukune would show up to remove this seal, we'd put this bitch in her place!**

"Ruby...don't!" Moka stammered, her breath running out as Ruby's feathers intertwined beneath her skin so tightly that they practically sank beneath the folds.

"Pleading for mercy; you?" Ruby asked. "But, that's a human emotion, isn't that right? I thought you didn't want to be 'tainted' by human emotions?"

"...I-Is that what you...?" She asked. "Ruby, there's been a mistake; I'm not the person you think!"

Outside Yokai's gates, the Aono family watched in horror at these monsters fighting with abilities far beyond their understanding.

"Th-There is a woman with...things coming out of her back!" Kasumi stammered.

Koji looks over at Akua and asks: "Well, aren't you going to do something?"

"It would appear she already is," she responds, pointing to Kyoko who was already running towards the action.

"KYOKO!" Kasumi cried.

"RUBY!" Kyoko yelled. "Stop, there's been a misunderstanding!"

"Hold it, right there!" Barked a tall man, with long blonde hair, suddenly barring the girl's path and had his cold, white gloved hands clasped around her small neck. "We have an explicit policy of no humans on our campus, by penalty of death to you and all those who infract upon that law!"

"Kyoko!" Kasumi cried, she and the others following through the gates after her.

"LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU BASTARD!" Koga cried.

"More?" The man asked. "Fine; if you insist, then I will be glad to indulge your desire to die, and whipe you from this patch of earth!"

He raised his hand where a ball of flames suddenly ignited and appeared poised to unleash it upon them when Ruby calls out:

"Kyou, stop!"

"What?" He asked. "Are you mad, I'm not going to tolerate any more uninvited guests!"

"That's an order!" She barked and stared at the two women as if uncertain is they were real. "Kyoko? What are...?"

Reluctantly, Kyou does as told and releases Kyoko.

"Ruby, please put Moka down!" She cried.

"Ruby?" Kasumi asked. "Y-You're one of my son's friends, right?"

"Mrs. Aono?" Ruby asked, not believing she was even here, let alone that both she and Kyoko would plead for Moka's life. "Kyoko, you brought your aunt and uncle here; you know the laws."

"I don't care, please we all came here to see Tsukune; just let Moka go!"

"Please; Ruby, is it?" Kasumi asked. "Do as she says."

"What? Let her go? Do you have any idea what this...this _whore_ has done? What she's done to your son and to all of us?"

"We think the person responsible isn't her, it's someone else!" Kasumi replied.

"She's telling the truth!" Kyoko confirmed.

"And her?" Ruby asked, referring to Akua who stood calmly by the gates.

"She's with us!" Kasumi replied. "Please, just let her go, we only want to see Tsukune first and then we'll explain everything, I swear it!"

Ruby looks at them, and then back at her victim dangling in mid air and losing consciousness, all with complete confusion and utter frustration in her violet eyes, but anxious in getting to the truth she reluctantly releases Moka, letting the girl drop callously to the ground. The rush of oxygen into her sore throat felt partially soothing, but the relief from such intense pressure caused her to cough up blood; at least she was alive. Her relief was short lived though, as Ruby's menacing shadow washed overhead.

"I don't know..._what _it is you said to fool them," Ruby said heatedly to Moka. "But, I would love to see how you worm your out of the two people you hurt the most."

"..._You have the wrong person," _Moka tried to say, glaring back at her.

"Ruby!" Kyou yelled. "Ms. Touhou! You may be the Headmaster's personal assistant, but I am still Head of School security! Now, if you don't want this lot destroyed right now, then what, pre-tell, are we to do with them? Nurse maid them? Offer them a spot of tea?"

Ruby simply gestures to have them escorted inside, her fiery eyes never drawing away from Moka, who likewise kept her green eyes trained with equal intensity.

"We'll see," Ruby says to her.

XXX

Ruby gave her plenty to see, more than Moka was ready for as she stared down at the prone body of her youngest friend and staunchest supporter, Yukari Sendo; lying motionless in bed from a brutal kick to the head that "she" allegedly gave.

"Oh my god," Moka whispered as she tenderly rested a hand upon the younger woman's sweaty brow.

"She hasn't made any effort to respond to us," Mrs. Sendo said, who all the while kept making curious glances over at the young woman as though something strange about her drew her attention.

"Yukari's...our baby girl…has given up on all hope. We have to assume the worst."

"No!" Moka wept. "Yukari, you can't give up! Please wake up! It's me, Moka! You know I wouldn't do all those things to you! Please, wake up!"

While Moka hovered over Yukari like a weeping angel, Kyoko and the others had just finished relaying everything they learned to Ruby, Ageha, and anyone else who was invested in this situation.

The enigmatic Bus driver whistled his astonishment and said: "I believe that!"

"You do?" Kyou asked.

"Yeah; after all the weird shit we've experienced, are you surprised?"

"The shit we deal with here, I can believe," he replied. "But, vampire clones? Please!"

"Well, that's a surprise, but then I'd expect nothing less coming from the man who tried to burn dear Tsukune alive for being a human because of his all too close minded outlook on things!"

"He what!" Koji exclaimed, standing up to confront Kyou. "Y-You tried to burn our son alive? I ought to..."

"You ought to what?" Kyou asked, stepping forward to openly challenge the irate father by towering over him, menacingly which prompted the concerned parent to quickly sit down.

"Look, we didn't believe it either," said Kyoko. "I mean, given what I saw when I first set foot here at this school I thought I heard and seen everything and yet these goons, these scary guy showed up and they were set to kill all of us had Akua not shown up."

"I did do the hero thing," she casually proclaims.

"She's right," Koga coined in. "I mean, I have seen some weird stuff before! Dealt with everything from zombie henchmen to dark priestesses and yet all of this seemed far out there until their older sister confronted me about it, right before she took a drink in the east river. "

"So, she's dead then?" Ageha asked.

"Oh no, she's still very much alive," Akua said. "And, about as dumb as she's ever been now that she thinks _we're_ dead."

"Guess that's better than nothing," she responds.

"And, since its Ria we're talking about," Kyoko added, "then there has to be some truth."

"I don't care if that fake chested bitch is involved," Ageha said, her angry, bitter eyes trained ever so heatedly on the pink haired girl standing next to Yukari. "Little Miss Princess over there did some shitty things herself without her big sister's help; but, naturally there has to be some rational explanation behind it, so of course we blame it on some evil twin. Convenient, don't you think?"

"There's nothing convenient about it," Moka argued. "My 'big sister' just abducted me, stole my life and now, someone out there has is trying to ruin me...and hurt the people I care for."

Mrs. Sendo rejoins her husband in the group and the two look at one another, and then back at Moka as if sharing something between them that only they were privy to.

"Oh please!" Ageha ranted. "A vampire clone? I have heard of some strange stuff concerning clones; yeah, there have been cloned monsters before, and I've even heard of cloning sheep, but cloning a vampire and setting it loose to wreak havoc? Are we really supposed to believe all of this?"

"If it's done by one of us, then yes it's fairly possible," Mr. Sendo answers. "Cloning any creature for us is not so hard to do, but in our circles we like to refer to these clones as homunculi or homunculus."

"Ho-munculus?" Moka asked.

"Yes; a perfect or near perfect being created through artificial means, usually with biological tissue of an already living specimen."

"And, you...What are you, again?" Kasumi asked.

"Witches," Mrs. Sendo replied.

"Oh! Uh, thankyou. And, you..._witches_, usually clone vampires?"

"We're not in the habit of cloning anymore; the practice ruled forbidden," Mrs. Sendo replied. "A homunculus can become very...unbalanced, if not dangerous; sort to speak."

"So, I swapped places with a...homunculus?" Moka asked.

"Open-minded now?" The Bus driver asked Kyou.

"This is ridiculous," growled Keito. "Kyou, you're not seriously listening to all of this? She, this…vampire princess has over the years humiliated our committee, she's even humiliated you, and now that she's finally been knocked off of her lofty perch, you're going to listen to them defend her with this half baked story?"

"Don't be so quick to presume anything about me," he warned her with a steely glare that quickly put the spider woman in her place. "I'm more interested in why these humans have brought this unnecessary drama to our door."

"I still don't understand any of this," said Kasumi. "Who's responsible for all of this? Who is this Dr. Faust?"

"Dr. Faust?" Mr. Sendo asked. "As in Aleister Faust?"

"Yes," Akua replied. "He is the genius who deserves credit for our 'homunculus' dilemma."

"You've heard of this freak?" Koji asked. "Uhh, not that I'm implying any of you are...ahem!"

"Dr. Aleister Faust was once a brilliant, yet heretical alchemist of the highest order; it was rumored he owned the fable philosopher's stone."

"Philosopher's stone?" Asked Ageha.

"Roughly translated, it's a powerful, but rare gem with the power to grant anyone with magical abilities to do anything," Mrs. Sendo added. "See, it all began many years ago when he was just a young apprentice where, during meditation, he came into contact with what is known as a Harbinger."

"A Harbinger?" Kasumi asked.

"Explaining it in detail would be beyond your comprehension," Kyou responded.

"Basically, they're the great granddaddies and grand mamas of monsters, and humans," the Bus driver revealed. "But, they'd look like a mixture of gargoyles and dragons to you; real old creatures."

"Thanks," Kasumi replied with an ashen, yet confused look to her, "that helps."

" Anyway," Mr. Sendo picked up," it's unknown what transpired between them, but since then he became obsessed with experimenting on the development of organisms, particularly, so it was said, vampires. His research came to ahead when, according to legend that while working with the Nazi Party's occult based Thule Society in the late 20s, early 30s, he encountered a young man who was allegedly from an alternate reality and from him learned the secrets on how to create a genuine philosopher's stone. With such in his possession he was able to further in his research, his skills becoming so impressive that he was sought after by many high ranking families in the monster world. We, magi and alchemists alike always thought of him as being mad and distanced ourselves from him, but since learning about all of this it would seem the rumors were true, as no one _but_ Faust could create a perfect double of a vampire from scratch."

"And, this...person," Kasumi tried to say. "This, whoever, was able to somehow gather information on my family?"

"I wouldn't put it pass him. He kept extensive files are extensive on all his subjects, living or dead."

"Okay, Dr. Strangelove aside; this clone he made wouldn't be hard to figure out, right?" Ageha asked.

"The clone is perfect in appearance, but it doesn't mean there aren't tell-tale signs that it's a fake."

"Alright, thank you," Kasumi said, still confused, but weary by all of this.

"I agree," Ruby said, having patiently listened to everything. "I think we've all learned what we need."

"But, the real reason is to find my son; can anyone tell me how to find Tsukune?"

"She's right," Moka said to Ruby, glaring at the woman who responded the same. "We're here because we wanted to see him. So, if you don't mind, could you bring him down here, tell him his family came to see him, and…that I want to see him."

"...He isn't here," Ruby replied.

"What do you mean, he isn't here?" Kasumi asked.

"That's a lie," said Moka. "He is here, I can smell his scent."

"His scent?" Kasumi asked with unease. "…Um, look we don't want any trouble, we just thought..."

"He _was_ here," Ruby replied. "He showed up about a week ago with Ria; we gave him asylum."

"With Ria?" Koji asked. "Why in the hell was he with her?"

"I don't know; what I do know was that he had just left his 'wife' behind with her new lover," Ruby responded, eyeing Moka heatedly.

"That wasn't me!" Moka said. "And, despite what you may think, I'd never be with Gin."

"Excuse me," she responds, cattily. "Anyway, he stayed here for a few days while he waited to meet with his father in law."

"H-He wanted to meet with my father, why?" Moka asked.

"To seek his permission; that's where we just came from, by the way, me and Yukari that is."

"Permission for what?" Moka asked.

"Permission for some separation procedure; apparently in vampire culture, you need your in-laws permission to get a divorce."

The words felt as though they had siphoned all the air out of Moka just now, causing her heart to fluctuate excitedly for dear life, doing anything to keep from passing out.

**W-W-WHAT? **Her inner persona asked, the words, the implication that Tsukune would do this too much for even her stalwart pride to accept.

"S-Seperation?" She asked. "He…H-He wants to separate from _me_!?"

"He doesn't want to separate, he did separate from you, I mean her," Ruby corrected. "At the very least it's still in the works, your father and mother seemed to come up with some bogus conditioning that you two undergo some trial separation first."

"N-NO!" Moka yelled. "H-He wouldn't…no!"

"What do you mean trial separation?" Kyoko asked.

"It means they want the two of them to see other people first, to see if they really mean to divorce," Kasumi replied. "It's a practice we do with our spouses, though I still can't see the logic in it."

"Tsukune wouldn't do that!" Moka ranted. "He wouldn't, it's a lie!"

" We, Yukari and I, had escorted him there ourselves. We figured that...'Moka' would be there to cause trouble so we went along as support. Yukari, your, or should I say, _her_, fan paid for it, as you can see. And Tsukune, your father, and everyone else there found out every sordid detail that went on. Tsukune was more than happy to say 'Yes' to separation."

Moka sort of staggered about the room in what could only be called a stunned daze. She never, ever in her wildest dreams believed Tsukune would become so mad with her that he'd intentionally try to sever any bond they had, after everything they've been through together. He's been mad with her before, seen him get upset be it over little things like her being absent minded or not explaining certain, little idiosyncrasies very clearly, but he was always so forgiving. And, with all the punishment he took on a daily basis just to make her happy, Moka figured nothing so big could between them, so major to make Tsukune upset with her, that it would make him want to genuinely leave her.

"...Tsu-Tsukune wouldn't...He couldn't."

"He did. In fact, he was so mad that he hauled off and punched you, I mean her, in the face."

That shocked Moka even more.

_Hitting "me"? What happened to my Tsukune? _She wondered. _This…this isn't him, this isn't my Tsukune!_

"To tell you the truth, after everything I witnessed, I'd never been more proud of him than then," Ruby added, prompting an irate look from Moka.

"And, I'd say he did a good job of it too," Ageha said.

"My son doesn't hit women!" Kasumi responded with disgust. "I don't know all that happened or why, but my son wouldn't stoop so low as to abandon the principals we tried to teach him!"

"That's because you _don't_ know all that happened, with all due respect, Mrs. Aono," Ageha argued. "If he was my son, which he might, and considering everything we all witnessed, can you blame him for breaking ONE taboo? Just one?"

"Tsukune would never leave me!" Moka made clear. "Maybe her, this...homunculus, because she's a fake, but...but he wouldn't stop loving me! I know he wouldn't!"

"I don't know," Koga said. "The writing is already on the wall. Hate to break it, but it's over. It sounds like this guy doesn't want anything to do with you."

"He's right," said Ageha. "Throw in the towel, your double has gone and showed the man you claim to love just how nasty you can be, and Tsukune would be damned if he wants to spend another eight years with you, fake or no fake!"

"Okay, so he's over there with this Mr. Akashiya?" Kasumi asked. "Do we need to go there?"

"It's Lord Shuzen actually, Mother Aono," Ageha replied. "And no, he's not there anymore."

"Excuse me, Miss...?"

"Call me Ageha Kurono, succubus mother of one and a delightful admirer of your son. Well, hopefully our son one day."

"Our son?" Kasumi asked.

"Yes. You've met my daughter haven't you? Kurumu?"

"You mean, that blue haired girl with the..."

Kasumi places her hands in front of her chest to emphasize well endowed breasts, upon which Ageha nodded proudly.

"That's her," Ageha said with a smile.

"What do you mean by, our son."

"Ageha," Ruby warned, "I really don't think now is the..."

"Well, if I was worried what you thought, I wouldn't be here, now would I."

"And, what exactly is a succubus?" Koji asked, in which Ageha moves in closer to him and rubs her massive breasts, uncomfortably against his arm like a cat.

"Why, we're the demons of all your sexual fantasies, brother in law," she purred into his ear.

"...A-a sex demon?" Kasumi asked, frantically. "You're supposed to be some kind of sex demon?"

"Indeed, sister. And, you can be rest assured that your son is being well taken care of."

"By your daughter?"

"Of course. And, as per the conditions of his separation, he's going to be spending some well deserved recuperation from this 'Moka mess'!"

"Conditions, what conditions?" Kyoko asked who looked at Koga for clarification. "I don't understand, I thought the divorce was final."

"Beats me," he replied. "These vamps are always funny like that."

"No," Moka said as she dropped to her knees, her voice low and monotone as though she had acquiesced to defeat like Koga suggested. "Oh Tsukune, no. Please, tell me you didn't."

"She's right," said Ruby. "Lord Shuzen laid down some crazy stipulation for Tsukune to follow."

"What do you mean?" Kasumi asked.

"It means," Akua jumped in, "that Ria's gameplan is being set."

"What does that woman have to do with anything?" Kasumi asked. "She wasn't even married to my son, so what's she got to do with it?"

"According to our tradition," Akua began to explain, "one doesn't simply sign some papers and dissolves the marriage so finite! In our world, marriage means a lot more than just two people and its dissolution means even more than who gets the Bentley and the kids. When we marry, it becomes a political move for both families, especially if one of the families gains more from it, and when that marriage fails, something else must be gained for both parties to part, amicably. Now, since your Tsukune came from you then, no offense, he had nothing that my father could gain from, except...his gender; our father has always needed a male heir, one powerful enough to carry on the family line and maintain all of his holdings as well as add more to make our household even stronger. Your son fit that role nicely. However, when he opted out of his marriage to Moka, there was a fear that father would lose his only heir, quite possibly to another family with no male heir. And, so in order for Tsukune to finalize his 'divorce' he would've been given an ultimatum."

"Which is?" Kasumi asked.

"No!" Moka wailed.

"...He has to marry one of my sisters," Moka answered.

"What?"

"Well, typically any girl inside our family," Akua responded. "To keep him within the family, you understand."

"No, I don't understand. None of this makes any sense! It's over and my son shouldn't have to be lollygagging around with...s-sex monsters; no offense!"

"Whether you understand or not, those are our rules; when your son became a vampire, he became bound to our laws, and as such he must obey them now more than ever, if he's going to be divorced."

"So, he now has to marry Ria?" Kyoko asked. "Why her? Weren't there other sisters? I don't get why..."

"Well, think about it, isn't it obvious? Our baby sister Kokoa doesn't like him and adores Moka, so she's out of the question; and our dear, simple-minded sister, Kahlua? Hmph! And, with no suitable cousins available that just leaves Tsukune with one, and I mean _only _one option to get out of this mess of a marriage; and, when Ria marries him, which as sure as I am talking to, she will if not stopped, she'll be betrothed to the next in line to our father's throne."

"Hm, so that explains why she was so eager to help," Ruby said, thoughtfully. "I thought there was more she was hiding; she's some piece of..."

"NO!" Moka yelled. "No, this isn't going to happen!"

"Oh yes, it will happen," Akua replied. "You can bank on that, sister."

"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!" Koji exclaimed. "There is no way he would do this; I don't care what's at stake!"

"He's right; what if he doesn't choose, then?" Kasumi asked, defiantly. "What if he decides not to marry any of these women?"

"Then he dies, and so do all of you. But, you don't need to worry about that, because he wants out of this marriage, one way or another. As your son sees it, Ria is his only choice to being separated from Moka."

"He...he wouldn't," said Moka. "Not her! Not with her! It isn't right and it isn't fair...!"

"Moka," Koga tries to say, "it just don't seem like the guy has much of a choice, if he's serious about leaving, well, 'you', then...

"MY TSUKUNE WOULD NEVER PICK HER! My Tsukune would...!"

"Find another way, sister?" Akua asked. "Or rather, die, as your alternate choice? You still think this is the same Tsukune you left behind all those years ago. The same lovey-dovey boy you used to stare longing into his owe-so soft, brown eyes and vice versa? The same boy who would allow you to bite his neck both out of hunger, pardon Mrs. Aono, and love? The same boy who would defy the amorous attention of some big-breasted woman, of a monstrous father and family, and even hell itself to come to your aid? Well, you keep forgetting that these last four years have been just as transformative as it has been for you."

Confident she has their undivided attention, including the unconscious girl in the room; Akua continues her analysis of Tsukune's situation.

"He has had to do a lot of sick crap lately, just to keep happy a woman who turned around and betrayed him with his best 'friend', a woman he thought, and I'm sure believed and asked himself the girl he knew would have never have done the things she'd done," she says, eyeing Moka as the assertion that _she _was the one responsible, only adding to the emotional devastation. "Even that one, for all his nobility and stalwart courage has his limits. And, judging how the ever so noble, forgiving, and dutifully faithful Tsukune assaulted Moka tells me that he found out more things about his blushing bride, didn't he, Ruby, Miss Kurono?"

They both nodded and glared daggers at the pink haired girl standing next to them.

"However, Moka that wasn't what bothered you the most, was it? I saw your reaction when you learned that he wanted separation from 'you'. Even though it wasn't you-you, per se he was divorcing, what really shocked you was the realization that he would even think about leaving you, voluntarily. Him marrying your twin wasn't by choice; he was fooled, you pretty much all were, but _this_, this separation, this dissolution of the bond you once thought was unshakeable whether or not it was all your the fault, was something you'd never imagined the ever forgiving Tsukune would seek. I hate to break it to you, but your golden boy boyfriend, and son Mrs. Aono, and I'm sure...even she has found out that even that one has a breaking point. You're all to blame."

"Us?" Ageha asked. "It's pinkie's fault over there, what did we have to do with it?"

"You of all people should have known, those of who claimed to love and care for him, proclaiming that you know him more than he knew himself; his parents telling him stuff about being man that wound up doing little in prepare him for this, and yet his mother seems to think him turning violent on the whore who did worse to him is so out of character."

"W-What; see here I raised a good boy and I always...!"

"YOU always brow beat him into being the perfect son, not a son."

"You saying I was a bad mother...?"

"No, I'm saying you were clueless; you didn't even know he was in trouble until the morning you talked to his soon to be ex wife, the woman you ascertain didn't deserve a beating. What would you have done?"

"I...I was not a bad...I love my son!"

"Then why didn't he come straight home to you when he needed someone; perhaps he felt he couldn't find anyone to be there for him at home; how sad."

"Alright, that's enough," Koji said, coming to his wife's defense. "We didn't come all this way to hear you slander our parenting skills.

"Parenting skills; why Mr. Aono, how good of you to speak up. Yes, his father, a paragon of manly virtues in the eyes of your son, until his hero was duped into having an affair, and so consumed by his guilt in having an affair, he never knew that his son had to man up in order to fix his now failing marriage."

"Look, I never even knew he did all of that! I never asked him, nor would I..."

"Like you never knew that you sent him to a school where upon discovery his humanity he would be both tortured and or die? Never asked him to be the man you taught him to be, by taking one for the team, that team being family, right? And Ruby."

"What about me?" She asked, getting defensively. "You calling me a bad influence on him or something, after everything I did to help him."

"You mean everything he did to help you? You and the other girls always hounded him, making him choose which one or putting him in uncomfortable situations, all the while having to bear the responsibility of maintaining the peace between your witch faction and humans."

"I never...," Ruby tried to argue, flabbergasted at the accusation. "How dare you insinu..."

"Ms. Kurono, you were and your sister were always trying to fix him up with your daughter, even going so far as to make him feel guilty for breaking her heart; but, so long as you get what you want, am I right?"

"Don't go painting me out to be the bad guy!" Ageha defended, turning red as Mrs. Aono stared daggers at her. "It's not how you think, he's a wonderful boy and we're always thought that he and my daughter would be right for each other and...W-What about you, Akua, what makes you so holier than thou?"

"I'm not trying to pretend I'm his friend or family member. Moka, sister, I think out of everyone here, you were the most demanding and perhaps damaging of his so-called friends. Even now, you don't understand the scars he bore because of you. But, you never intended for it to get so bad, just like it was never my intention to lie and say I'm here because I have some deep seated feelings for him, in all honesty my feelings for him are somewhere between lust and curiosity; but I respect him too much to say that I think he wouldn't do anything crazy after being pushed so because I claim to know him. You, you all let your assumptions about him and well structured your relationship with him blindly take advantage of him, each one of you, in some small way having a hand in placing so much shit upon his shoulders over the years until it became a mountain, and never thinking he would break. This bitchier, sluttier Moka and her erstwhile lover, Gin only succeeded in toppling it over on him, and the way I see it, if he's gone to these lengths to end what you had, then he's desperate enough to do anything, and I mean anything to put some distance between you, even if it means running into the open legs of someone like Ria; pardon my French, Mrs. Aono."

"...Miss...Kurono, is it?" Kasumi asked after a long, unnerved pause. "Please, tell me where my son is."

"...He's in the United States in Las Vegas Nevada; he's there right now with my daughter and sister," she responds with great reluctance.

"K-Kurumu?" Moka asked. "He's with Kurumu right now in Las Vegas, why?"

"You don't know? Oh, that's right; I guess it was all your evil homunculus clone's fault, huh? I suppose I shouldn't be thanking the 'wrong' princess for not only almost getting my baby girl killed, but in having her exiled from Japan, her home!"

"...E-Exiled?" Moka asked, horrified to hear of her friend's fate. "How? When?"

"As someone who had nothing to do with any of this, I doubt it's any of your business, now is it? All you need to know is that her only crime was confessing her love, _real_ love, to the man that you 'supposedly' cast aside like a used toy. Now, my daughter is forced to live in some far away country at your whim, with only my sister, Caro to look after her."

"Caro?" Koga asked. "Caro Shade?"

"Yes, that's her."

"You know this person?" Kyoko asked.

"Do I? Caro Shade and me go way back, she is only _the_ greatest arch succubus there ever lived!"

"Arch succubus?"

"Yeah, it's like the elder vampire of the succubus world, more or less."

"You mean...my son right now is with an even more powerful sex monster?" Kasumi asked, nervously.

"That's right," said Ageha, affectionately hugging Mrs. Aono, "and with my daughter too; count your blessings, they may have already given us grandchildren! Isn't that great?"

Kasumi looked close to passing out.

"Okay, so what are we waiting for, lets book a flight and get to where he is before he goes ahead with this divorce/wedding crap!" Koji suggests.

"That would be ill advised right now," said Akua.

"And, why is that?"

"If he's there, then, knowing my chess playing sister, she no doubt has him under constant surveillance with an untold number of Fairy Tale agents incognito; we all show up there now, she'll spot us and have us all killled, even you, his family just to keep her actions under the radar. The move on our part is patience."

"Patience?" Koji asked. "Lady, my son has had to do a lot of messed up shit on account of us. Now he is half a world away, deciding if he should marry that whore and you suggest patience?"

"She's right, Mr. Aono," Mrs. Sendo spoke out. "As much as I hate to admit it, she's actually the only one here making any sense."

"I know what you're going through, Mr. Aono," said Mr. Sendou. "Being a parent, standing by helplessly while your only child suffers, and you want to go out and make those who hurt your family pay for it, but for their sake, as a father, you must keep your head cool and calm at a time like this."

"...Then, what are supposed to do?" Koji asked, taking Mr. Sendo's sage advice.

"If those Fairy Tale creeps are skulking around my daughter," said Ageha, "then the best time would be to go is late at night when it's at its darkest; we could go in and out undetected."

"That sounds like a plan," Akua agreed.

"Then it's settled," said Kasumi. "We leave after dusk, I guess. What do we do in the mean time?"

"I suggest, sister," Ageha said, squeezing Kasumi's small head, tightly against her enormous breasts, "that we get to know each other!"

"Why do you keep calling me sister?"

"You can all settle down here for awhile," Ruby suggests. "So long as you don't interfere with the school's activities or let anyone know you're human. I'll have the Public Safety Commission chaperone all of you at all times."

"What!" Kyou ranted. "My soldiers are not your personal babysitting club! Who gave you the right to bark such ludicrous orders to me?"

"The Headmaster, unless you're forgetting! And, while he's not here, you'll follow my orders, got it?"

"The Headmaster?" Koji asked himself. "And, where is this...Headmaster, anyway?"

"He's away on business, but I'm sure he won't mind you staying here, given the circumstances."

"Fine," Kasumi said, breaking free of Ageha's monstrous grasp and seeking solace from Ruby, the one person there who looks and feels more human than any of the strange people around them. "Then, while we wait, could you at least show me around this school, I'd like to know everything my son did here while as a student."

"Sure, I'd be glad to."

"One question though."

"Yeah."

"I've noticed the school uniforms here," she whispers, "and I just need to know...do the skirts here have to be so short?"

_Seriously? _ Koga wondered. _She's in a school full of monsters that she just found out her human son went to by accident, and that's her very first question; the skirt length?_

Ruby laughed and replied: "Yes, I admit the skirt length leaves much to be desired, and I did try to fix that by extending it, but...it sort of blew up in my face; but don't worry, Tsukune took full responsibility for that."

"Responsibility for what?" Koji asked.

"For seeing my panties by accident," Ruby replied, blushing as it is funny to laugh at now, though the parents were less than amused and more floored with shock.

"W-W-What?" A very ecstatic Kasumi asked.

"Come, I'll explain many, many things about your son's time here."

Kasumi looked ready to break down and cry, and Koji had to hold on to her just so she could bear it as they followed after Ruby, whose very appearance to the distraught mother had become less than comforting.

"She looks like a stripper!" Kasumi whispered.

"Kasumi, don't be rude to the nice...witch," said Koji.

"Our son was friends with her? What did she mean 'took responsibility'? How did he take responsibility?"

"Don't be long, sister," said Ageha. "Come around soon so that I can tell you how strong your son's hands felt on my girls; my daughter was a bit modest about it, though!"

Kasumi lets out a short wail.

"This is madness," Kyou growled. "The nerve of that witch!"

"Well, Kyou, what would you like us to do next?" Keito asked.

"Follow them; I'll tend with these here."

"Really, honorable fox demon," Akua very graciously says to him, "I would think swallowing your xenophobia just this once would be essential to this game."

"Game? My school has been turned upside down ever since this began!"

"Its a game we need to play to win, nevertheless."

"What do you mean 'we'?"

"I think she means we have some part to play, be it as pawns or rooks," said the Bus driver, calmly inhaling a cigar. "Personally, I prefer to be a knight."

"A dark knight, I would suppose; care to show this fellow dark being where to get a drink?" Akua asked, to which the bus driver gives her courteous nod.

"Ugh, this is so beneath me!" Kyou growled and stormed off.

Everyone had gone their way, with Kyoko having disappeared with Koga to go explore the grounds, while the Sendos returned to their mental vigil over their daughter and it would seem, with someone in particular, everyone's lives had purpose, all but Moka who stood alone at the end of Yukari's bed, watching over her like an angel that had just been exiled from paradise, an angel whose very grace laid scattered all around in even greater pieces than she had imagined, now shunned by all, heaven and earth.

XXX

Preferring to do this alone, Ruby graciously arraigned for a separate tour of the school for the troubled mother, ordering the diminutive Deshiko to take Koji over to visit with Tsukune's math teacher instead while she and Kasumi continued on with Keito keeping a watchful eye on the two.

"I mean no disrespect," Kasumi said, "Ms...?"

"Call me Ruby."

"Ruby, but...it's just that its unnerving to think that my son went to a place like this for four years."

"Well...if your son heard you say that, I'm afraid he'd be the one insulted."

"I don't understand?"

Ruby smiled thoughtfully to herself, recalling everything to mind she had saved in her heart about their son, yet feeling a strange bit of remorse upon hearing Akua's assertion that she took advantage of him, a claim she fought to deny.

"...Mrs. Aono, your son has done _so _much for this school and everyone he's met here; I don't think this school would be standing here today, carrying on our Headmaster's dream of peaceful coexistence with mankind if not for him. Many of **us **wouldn't be here if it weren't for him; in fact I wouldn't be here...or either of you for that matter."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kasumi asked.

"I'm saying your son is real hero; that's what I believe anyway, but that's just me."

The mother looked genuinely surprised, wondering if she was talking about the same Tsukune or someone different, for as much as she loved their son, he hardly ever did anything heroic when they knew him.

"I'd say what he did with Ria ought to be proof enough," Ruby said solemnly, quickly reminding them that their son has more than proven his sacrifices to them.

"We don't doubt what he's done for others," Kasumi responded. "I've always been proud of him, I just wished he'd been more open about...the things he has had to do."

"I'm sure, if he were here, that he'd say he didn't want you to worry. And, there were several such examples; cases in which even our two worlds were in danger and he made the difference. One that comes to mind was during his freshman year, when an anarchist group called Anti-thesis, led by a very disturbed human turned monster threatened to...erase the barrier that shields this world from yours that would have unleashed massive amounts of demonic energy into your that would have surely started Armageddon."

"And, you couldn't stop this person on your own?" Kasumi asked.

"We tried, but he somehow incapacitated us, and our Headmaster was severely wounded, while the great was Moka missing, we presumed kidnapped but...there was no one to stop him, no one except Tsukune. The leader was strong, far stronger than Tsukune, but he stood his ground, even while he worried about Moka's safety, he wouldn't let up until Moka showed up just in time

and we broke free. Eventually though, the leader had managed to turn off the barrier, and while your son and...her fought him off, we all tried to seal it back up, but the process sapped all of our strength. Not even Moka could seal it back up. However, Tsukune managed to convince our enemy that his plan of exposing our two worlds was wrong and together they sealed it back up."

"...Our son?" Kasumi asked.

"That's right. Your son, and your son alone, saved us all."

"...And, what about Moka? Didn't she...I mean...?"

"Ha! And, what about Moka? Let me tell you about her. She came away from that incident with nary a scratch on her. I guess that would leave one feeling superior. Did you know that not once, in her entire life, did she ever say thank you? It is us who bleed when battling powerful foes who threaten the people we love, especially your son and almost always for her, while she struts in with her awesome power and delivers a finishing blow that ends the battle, and after it's done she walks away with hardly a care. Not once did she acknowledge what we do. Not once, has she ever shown any show of gratefulness that your son was there to make that difference possible!"

Kasumi stays silent as she took note of the heated anger in Ruby's eyes after talking about Moka, and wonders if they are even thinking of the same person.

"Forgive me, Mrs. Aono; I was...I just had a lot on my mind. It's been a crazy day. Oh, here we are."

"Here we are? Where's here?"

"This was his homeroom; his teacher, Ms. Nekonome is still here and she's a very nice lady."

"Ms. Neko-nome?" Kasumi asked, peering into the classroom from the doorway and taking sight of her son's strange, and tail wagging former teacher, who's catlike ears, bi-spectacled catlike eyes and catlike tail really called into question of just how nice this odd individual must be.

"Uhh."

"She is a really nice teacher," Ruby repeated with a smile. "Trust me."

"Oh, I'm sure, it's just that...is a very interesting...tail, uh, I mean topic she's teaching," Kasumi comments. "She's awfully...young for a homeroom teacher, and does her skirt have to be so...revealing."

"Want to ask about the tail?" Ruby asked.

"Oh no! Well, yes."

After class, Ms. Nekonome was more than happy to talk with her about what she remembered fondly about Tsukune.

"Let me just say again, how wonderful it is to finally meet you!" The young teacher happily greeted her catlike tail whipping about in excitement. "You don't know how much I've wanted to talk to you about your son!"

"Oh, was there any problems with him?" Kasumi asked. "Other than being..., um..."

"Human? Its okay, you're with friends here. But, other than that there was no problem I can think of. In fact, your son was...well, quite a rarity around here; uh, not because he was human, I mean. To be honest, I have nothing against humans, I think you are a very kind and caring people and some of my humans are best friends!"

"Um, thanks," Kasumi nervously replied.

"Listen to me, I'm rambling aren't I?" Nekonome asked. "Anyway, Tsukune was a model student, always completed assignments, never late for class, and he was a member of my Newspaper Club where he exposed some of the corrupt dealings at the school; helped bring about great change around here. In the beginning, however he did have trouble at first with a certain bully trouble he experienced."

"Bully trouble?" Kasumi asked with worry. "What kind of bully; what kind of trouble."

Ms. Nekonome looked at her seriously behind her specs and said: "_Trouble_, trouble; the kind of trouble that students at the schools you're from don't normally deal with. For instance, there was this one kid I had named Komiya who stalked one of the other students in my class, Moka Akashiya, and from what I heard he was about to rape her in the woods were it not for your son standing up to him."

"Goodness!"

"Then there was Ishigami."

"Ishigami? Who is...?"

"She was the art teacher, uh, former art teacher, and who was really a gorgon; you know, the monsters who turn people into stone? Well, she had been responsible for many of her students 'disappearing', and would've done the same to Moka had your son not, once again saved her and exposed Ishigami for what she'd done."

"Oh my god."

"He was also Student President, campaigned to have a special phone in the dormitories so students could call home, organized the School Festival, and even saved this school on many occasions."

"Ruby here told me about that."

"Good, because to be honest there are just too many examples to name; basically, your son was blessing in disguise for this school, he basically changed everything almost overnight! I really miss him. You have no idea what a hero he is around here, well...at least to me."

While Kasumi listened to Ms Nekonome's testament to her son's heroics, Koji was currently in the grips of Tsukune's, erstwhile math teacher, Ms. Kagome who, while in between classes was thrilled in entertaining only Mr. Aono.

"Is it really necessary to speak with me alone and not with, you know my wife, the mother of our son present?" He asked, sitting nervously on a stool while looking around her rather macabre office.

"Of course it is," replied the bi-spectacled, yet curvaceous and deeply amorous woman whose tight, white jacked hugged her ample form, sitting seductively on a stool across from him with her skin tight, leather mini skirt hiding very little to the imagination. "I believe discussions about the son are best handled with their fathers instead."

She crosses and uncrosses her legs, giving the uncomfortable father and husband, who was in enough trouble, a show of her well manicured pussy region.

"Okay, stop that!" He said, threatening to get up. "I am a happily married man, and right now I'm going through something with my wife, so could you please just stick to telling me about my son!"

"There's nothing much to tell, really; he was a _magnificent_ student, with a big, _succulent_, brain and a strong _grasp _on the subject matter," she purred, licking her small, pouty lips and behaving with all the restrained intensity of a cat in heat.

_What the hell kind of school did I send him too? _Koji wondered.

"Tsukune Aono could have become the greatest of all my pupils, had it not been for her!"

"You mean, Moka Akashiya?" He asked.

"That's right; what a waste."

"You're wasting your time, you know?" Ruby asked Keito after arriving in her quarters. "You know following us around is redundant."

"We're only following orders," Keito said, snobbishly.

"Fine, I was just about to explain to her how her son weakened your influence in the school by exposing your corrupt dealings and humiliated you, badly; like to hear how I tell her what he did to embarrass you?"

"Did something happen between the two of them?" Kasumi asked.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it."

"She doesn't need to know how that whore of his humiliated me," Keito said.

"Oh, I'm not talking about that. C'mon, Keito, it's so obvious you had feelings for him and he turned you down!"

"What! N-No, that is not true!"

"Really?" Kasumi asked.

"Really."

"No!"

"What would Kyou say when he hears about this?"

Keito appeared aggravated and perturbed; her face flushed with anger, but kept her distance and remained outside.

"She really didn't," Ruby whispered, "but then, she's not the only one who can manipulate minds."

"So, Tsukune really has done a lot for this school," Kasumi remarked as she glanced around Ruby's strange, yet exotic room.

"In more ways than one," Ruby replied, thoughtfully.

"I haven't heard your story, though. How did you come to meet him?"

"There I was," Ms. Ruriko began, unbuttoning her white jacket and revealing her black bra, "having finished a lecture to another mundane class when your son asked if I could tutor him; well, I was flattered, of course, but he had such a strong 'aura' about him that I knew there was something special about him."

"There I was," Ruby continued with her story, "about to do my master's bidding and lay waste to all of your kind, when he showed up. I was wary of him, given my hatred for humans and how he was interfering with my goals, but...he was so strong in defending little Yukari, and the other girls, even though they were all different from him."

"What are you doing?" Koji asked as Ms. Ruriko, now only in her bra and leather skirt brings out a whip and held it between her hands. "You see he was so mindful about Moka, wanting to spend far too much time with her and her little grab bag of slutty friends that I feared it would tear him away from his math studies, so I had to whip him into shape."

She cracks the whip and caused Koji to jump to attention.

"My master was very mad," Ruby continued with her story, opening up a mini-fridge and grabbing an unopened can of expired soda, the very same soda Tsukune had given as a peace offering all those years ago when they first met. Not once had she drank from it, confused at first of what to make of it, but now holds onto it as something sacred, a touching memento to someone she held most dear. "She would beat me, chastised me, told me I was a fool for letting him get in my head and that I should remember how much his kind has taken away from me and my kind. And, we stood out there, me and her, in the sunflower fields, ready to wash your city in flames when he and the others confronted us. The funny thing was they weren't there to stop us; they, or rather _he _had come to save me...from myself."

"I was so, so mad," Ruriko moaned as she rode Mr. Aono like a horse, rubbing her soft breasts against his back; he could feel her tits sharpening. "That bitch had not only beat me and humiliated me, but managed to distract your son from my control."

"W-Why are you on top of me?" He wept, trying so hard to keep his composure and not freak.

"But, she wouldn't back down, even though I was a teacher and she, she a lowly student. So, I had to resort to more drastic measures."

Koji heard clothing rip and saw her hold up a rip pair of purple panties in front of him as he felt her very weight seemingly increase drastically, and when he turned to look was terrified to see that she had morphed into some kind of snake woman with what looked to be a Venus flytrap at the end.

"W-What, the hell?" He cried.

"Oh my god!" Kasumi whispered.

"Here was this human boy, no powers, all flesh and blood, and yet willing to sacrifice himself to have me freed from all of this hate, to stop my master's rampage and bring peace," Ruby said, tears in her violate eyes. "They wouldn't have been successful if I hadn't decided right then and there to help them stop her, but I wouldn't be here if he hadn't done what he did."

"I had him in the palm of my hands!" Ruriko ranted on. "Shaping him, molding him into the very pinnacle of his being, but she was always on his mind, no matter how much knowledge I poured into him!"

"I believe you!" Koji yelled, trying to hold back against the gaping maw at the end of her tail that wanted to clamp itself about his head.

"I would have gladly finished her off too, to free him from her malicious hold, but the unthinkable happened!"

"At the end, the very end of her life," Ruby said, "I think my master changed at the last moment, and used her powers to protect me the explosion so I might survive. I believe he had something to do with it. He saved my life; heh, he saved all of our lives, and I don't think he ever knew it."

"He broke free of my, ever protective hold over him the moment that skanky, delinquent cried out for help; can you believe that?" Ruriko asked.

"Please, I'll believe whatever you say!" Koji pleaded. "Just stop!"

"He ran to _her_, he wouldn't even respond to my demands, it was like she had him in a trance that forced him to do whatever she want, and she made him help her to transform and hurt me, terribly! Oh, I felt like such a failure! Promise that you will carry what I tell you today and relay this to him if you see him. Tell your son that I still think about him, that I still worry over his predicament, and that I-will-always-have-my-door-open!"

"Okay, okay!" Koji yelled.

"And, what happened next?" Koga asked while he and Kyoko walked about the school grounds after having ditched Kyou's guards.

"Well, what could I do? There was Moka, I mean, the two Mokas lying pretty much powerless while Lilith kept shooting them with this...weird kind of energy from the mirror and I was scared, and I mean scared, like shitless! I wanted to do something to help her beat after all she did for me, but I didn't know what to do. Then, my cousin showed up with the rest of the girls behind him."

"Wait a minute; I thought they were all under her spell? How'd they kick that?"

"That's the amazing part; see, they _were _under her control, and I'm pretty sure some of them still were for the most part; they were all so focused on 'being' with Tsukie that they didn't realize how much danger they were in, but...my cousin, I don't know how, made them realize just how special they all were to him, that not one could replace the other in his life."

"You've got to be kidding?" Koga asked.

"I know, it sounds cheesy when you hear it now, but back then...it was enough to pull the girls together in time to stop Lilith's rampage and save the school," Kyoko explained, smiling thoughtfully. "That's how it was with them. No matter what the situation was, my Tsukie always managed to pull everyone together at the last minute and get the job done; in guess he was always like that, like the glue that holds a group together."

"He sounds like the man, your cousin."

"He is."

"...Then that must've been him," Koga muttered to himself.

"Huh? You say something?"

"Oh! Oh, nothing, it's just something I was thinking about...It's nothing."

"Oh," Kyoko replied, and then smiled bashfully to herself. "You know, to be perfectly honest...you're kinda like him; my cousin, I mean."

"Me? No! I'm no hero!"

"Sure you are; you helped all of us back at our house."

"Ah, anybody could have done that. But, I'm not the kind of guy your parents would..."

"Okay class!" They heard the Home Ec. teacher, Ms. Asparas instruct her students near some woods. "Today, we are going to learn how to make Heart Fruit pie!"

"Hello!" Koga exclaimed.

"Heart Fruit pie; what is that?" Kyoko asked.

"Aw, don't make that face, its the best thing to eat on a rainy day. I remember my folks used to make it when I was just a pup; man it's good!"

"Really?"

"Well, it's probably not too well received by humans, but monsters like them. Although, I do remember there's some bit of effort made in preparing it."

"Like?"

"ON YOUR MARK!" Ms. Asparas yelled.

"The most important thing about making it is...," he replied.

"GET SET!"

"That you have to catch the fruit."

"Catch the...?"

"GO!"

And, with that Kyoko watched as something small and green dashed into the woods with a stampede of students running after it.

"Yeah, the Heart Fruit has legs and can run like a road runner," Koga laughed, but looked eager to join the chase. "First one catches it, gets to bake the pie. Hey, if I catch it and cook it, think you'd be interested?"

"Well, I..."

"Good! Catch you in awhile!"

"Wait!" Kyoko called after him, but he was already leaping and ducking through the trees after his prey. While he did that, up above Moka Akashiya watched the entire proceedings from her old perch on the school's roof, a perch she used to share with Tsukune, whom she could smell faintly by his old scent in the wind, had been there previously.

She could remember the time, all those years ago, when the two of them took part in that race; she had been so eager to bake Tsukune a pie so that they could eat it together in some romantic moment. The pie, however, made him horrendously sick, and yet he smiled and ate it nonetheless, not so much for her sake, but that he enjoyed every moment they spent together.

When did it all change?

Perhaps, she thought in the deepest depths of her heart that maybe, just maybe she took for granted that he would always be in her life, regardless of what happened, but it wasn't so much her arrogance than simply knowing the man. Whether it was some monster that stood in his way, or even her own alternate self being coy and dodgy with him or something she did, he was always there for her and he'd always remain a constant pillar of unconditional support. She could never see him breaking like that, regardless of what Akua said. It was something she couldn't understand; why this, of all things would cause this pillar to break? Why or how could he, who had gone through hell itself to be with her, again, would voluntarily seek to abandon her now, even by becoming the mate of their shared enemy?

**I cannot believe it, **Inner Moka grumbled. **How could he do a thing like this? Didn't he know how much he meant to us? Didn't he know what this would do to us if he ever decided to abandon us?**

_Is that all you can think about? _She thought. _Tsukune wants to be away from us!_

**I care about that! I also care that our sister is going to capitalize on this, and that he has undergone some psychotic break if plans on welcoming her as his new mate! I knew this was bad, that what that fake had done was gut wrenching; it nearly made me want to vomit when I saw that...thing, with our face and body doing all of that, but it never made us lose our senses, once! The very least he could have done was keep it together and be the Tsukune we've always come to rely on! I never knew he'd break.**

"Tsukune," she said to herself, ignoring her inner persona's rant, and allowing salty tears to stream down into the corners of her mouth, its bitter taste like some sullen punishment, when Moka's tongue had once known a far sweeter taste, now even further out of reach than she realized. "What has happened to us? How did it come to this?"

"That's funny," Ruby said from behind, standing patiently with hands behind her back, while they clutched defensively her own wand. "Tsukune was standing right there on that spot, asking himself that same question."

"...He said that?" She respond.

"Not that you'd care."

Moka looked up with offense, extremely offended that her old friend would even say that, and off put by the strange attitude she's giving.

"I'm sorry my highness," Ruby corrected, "I mistook you for..."

"What is your problem?" Moka asked heatedly. "What happened wasn't my fault, we told you everything!"

"Yes, I remember. About how you were kidnapped years ago and replaced by an evil twin; yeah, I got that!"

"Then what is your problem? You're blaming me for something that I had nothing to do with, I am the one who was..."

"STOP right there!" Ruby barked. "'I'. When it comes down to it, its all about you, isn't it?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Did you know why Tsukune wanted to dissolve your marriage, do you know why he hit 'you'? Do you have any idea what went down at the separation hearing?"

"No," Moka replied. "What did happen?"

"Would you care, would you even matter to you to know?"

"Yes! I think I have a right to know what was said between Tsukune and my father!"

"Your right? If memory serves correctly, he married your twin, not you; what right do you have?"

"Its my family, Ruby! And, Tsukune is..."

"Nothing, to you, but a possession."

"How dare you. You know me better than that."

"Oh no, no, no, I thought I knew you, but now..."

"Damn it, Ruby, I'm not her, alright? I was kidnapped, I was held for four years without anyone of you, my own friends, coming for me! None of you have any idea how difficult this is for me!"

"So what? Are you blaming us for not knowing sooner that you weren't you and didn't come to your rescue with Tsukune leading the charge, like always? You sanctimonious bitch!"

"How dare you call me that!"

"How dare I?"

"HOW DARE YOU CALL ME THAT!"

"Why, why are you so pissed that we didn't come to your rescue; aren't you a vampire? A beautiful, S-class being who doesn't need anyone having her back? I bet you could take of your hellish problem?"

"Ruby," Moka growled. "I have gone through so much just to get back here! And, for your information I did have to take care of getting out, on my own!"

"What are you going to do, Moka? Douse yourself with water? Because, you can drown yourself in the pool for all I care."

"I thought I was coming back to friends?"

"I think I recall you saying didn't have friends, not too long ago."

"THAT WASN'T MEE! I keep telling you that! What do I have to do to prove it?"

"You certainly proved my point many, many times over."

"What?"

"Oh yes, down there in the school I told Kasumi all about you and your alter ego; about how you always took credit for your so-called 'victories' against powerful foes like some smug cunt. You didn't care how much we hurt trying to help you, you never even showed compassion!"

"W-Wha-W...I saved your lives every time, how is that not showing you mean everything to me?"

"You fought to save face! To prove you're still this cold, remorseless beast who had NO use for friends! You revealed all of what you truly felt the night of the separation hearing!"

"THAT WAS NOT ME!"

"Why isn't she you?"

"What?"

"You conveniently deaf, my highness? I said, why _isn't _she you? You said it yourself, she's a perfect copy of you, right down to your personality and memories; so, how exactly is she different from you?"

"She just is!"

"Really? That's all you got?"

"Yes, really. Obviously, she's very unstable; I am not!"

"So, you're saying if your sister hadn't done what she did and that you were never kidnapped and got to marry Tsukune like you wanted...you never would've tried to destroy him both physically and mentally?"

"No!"

"How do I know that? How do you know that?"

"I just wouldn't, that...twin, whatever is unbalanced, I am different!"

"Different? So, you were never plagued by how the human children were so mean to you and all that crap?"

"...N-No," Moka stammered, though she could tell Ruby noticed her hesitate. "Okay, so I did have some hang ups over the years, it still doesn't prove..."

"Doesn't prove that, after witnessing a random act of bullying, you wouldn't fly off the handle about letting your hypothetical children go to a human school?"

Moka couldn't respond to that, as the thought had been furthest from her mind, especially with all that has gone on recently.

"And," Ruby continued, "upon realizing that Tsukune would refuse your insane request to abandon his family and his human background for you, you wouldn't..."

"I would never ask him to do that!" Moka argued.

"So, humans don't bother you that much?"

"N-No."

"N-No?"

"Well, not anymore. I've learned not to let my past dominate me, and besides nothing, and I mean nothing would ever make me hurt Tsukune like that, much less sleep with Gin!"

"Then, why am I not convinced?"

"If you're not convinced, then that's your problem, not mine!"

"No, it is my problem because you're trying to see my friend, and that's the very last thing he wants, right now; so you better think again, your highness."

"Will you, please stop calling me that!"

"What? Your Highness; I thought that's what you wanted, to be treated like the royalty you fancy yourself. That's why you did what you did, right, because you can."

"That wasn't ME!" She screamed, her face turning as pink as the hair that surrounded her.

"You still insist on using that as your defense?"

"Yes, because it is the truth; I was switched during my senior year with a clone, who is out there right now with my face and name doing god knows what, and instead of dealing with her, my friend is attacking me!"

"Really? Can you go down stairs, look the girl that your fake, your flawless double, put into coma after she cruelly laughed at the pain she caused while wearing your face, and tell everything you telling me?"

"What happened to Yukari...it was terrible, but it..."

"No, save it! I don't care about your pitiful little arguments! Oh, it's our fault for not noticing you were kidnapped sooner so that absolves you of any responsibility in fixing this! This is our punishment?"

"Ruby," Moka said wearily, "I don't know what you want me to say."

"So, we deserve _all _of this because we didn't come to your rescue?"

"No. I'm just saying..."

"You're a bitch, Moka."

"...You have no right to stand there...call me that," Moka muttered, her face turning beet red, now. "You have NO RIGHT TO CALL ME THAT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I WENT THROUGH? DO YOU? I endured hell these past four years in that prison, and when I couldn't endure anymore I literally had to kick myself free from my cell, fought my way to freedom through _thousands _of Ria's guards and even swam through 40ft. of icy cold water in the dead of night only to risk amnesia, just to get back to Tsukune and everyone else; you don't ever get to call me a bitch, _not_ ever!"

The two stared at one another in cold silence, with Ruby appearing to be grappling with Moka's outburst, and for a moment Moka assumed she had managed to get her point across to the bitterly angry witch.

You know, it's funny," Ruby finally replies.

"What?" Moka asked impatiently.

"Love; how relationships usually work between a man and a woman, as if there's some kind of unspoken code to follow. Couples say they love each other, but every so often, for whatever reason, they break their love for someone else. When a guy is the cheater and is caught, he must do everything in his power to make up for it and win back his lover. But, when a woman is the cheater...all I hear are excuses, lies, and no effort at reconciliation."

"Are you implying that I have to be the one to reconcile with Tsukune? I don't have to reconcile for anything, because it wasn't my fault!"

"...Tell me something, do you think Tsukune owes you anything?"

"What?"

"Just answer the question: does he owe you for all the times you 'saved' his life. And know, that I'm asking the both of you, you, and her."

"No."

"Really? Not once? You're speaking for both of you?"

"What is...Look, what my inner persona thinks is..."

"I thought so."

"Ruby."

"During the proceedings, you, that is your double's inner persona who came out on her own and was going on about how justified she was for own shit, but doesn't reflect upon you, kept going on about how Tsukune owed her for all the times she saved his life, and that was why he had no right to leave you."

"...She said that?" Moka asked, those very words she had heard once before.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was that appropriate to mention in your presence? Did it bother you to hear those words being uttered; after all, you have been through enough and you don't deserve to be treated like this."

Ruby continued to play hard, but she could tell with her witch's cunning that it had triggered something in Moka, causing the vampire to think back to an earlier incident involving Suzaku, and his abusive mother.

"_You little, how dare you leave me, you owe me_...!" She remembered the bitch saying.

"But," Ruby added, "you don't feel that way, at least _you _don't, do you?"

"No," Moka said, absentmindedly. "I...I never thought that."

"Unfortunately, we can't know what she thinks, but you do realize how awfully presumptuous and...excuse the phrase, petty it would be to think that way."

"What do you mean?"

"Seriously? So, you really _do _think he owes you for saving his life, then?"

"No."

"No?"

"No. Yes, I saved him, and all of you many times over, but I never held it over his head."

"All of us? So, we all owe you, then? That's what gives you the right to bark at me, to talk down to me, to act so superior to me and everyone else?"

"No, I never said all of that! You're twisting my words and painting me as the bad guy, when I'm really the victim here, Ruby!"

"But, we owe you; including Tsukune?"

"I don't care about any of that, okay? I'm not the girl who hurt you!"

Moka, overcome by the argument, appeared on the verge of crying, but Ruby never relented.

"But, we do, don't we?"

Moka sighed, growing more and more exasperated with this conversation and then Ruby mentioned:

"Saizo Komiya; does that name ring a bell?"

"...Saizo? Y-Yes, it does. Why'd you...?"

"You remember that name, and yet you still think you, and you alone saved the day?"

"Ruby, I..."

"I'M NOT FINISHED!" Ruby barked, this time taking the high ground and angrily taking a step toward her. "Answer me this, my victim/hero, who stopped him from raping you that day? ANSWER ME!"

"...Ts-Tsukune; but, I in turn saved him from Komiya so we both saved each other."

"_After _Tsukune removed your rosary seal that sealed your powers were you able, at all to carry the day on your elegant legs or are you going to stand here and lie like the petty, _bitch _that you are that you had everything under control that day! You were going to let him rape you, and then you would have struck back?"

"...Well...," Moka stammered, not having once thought of it like that, even though she loved Tsukune very much.

"Who has always been there to make sure that _you _carried the day? Who was responsible for every-single-victory you've had ever since setting foot on this academy? You?"

"I...I...I am not diminishing his importance, I'm just saying I was always there to make sure he was safe and sound, too; if anything we owe each other."

"You did nothing. Please, you couldn't handle my plant creatures on your own power; but he, he a mere human, when you were in danger, fought his way through all of my monsters to rescue you, to give you the strength to fight free! That was always the case, wasn't it? You couldn't draw from your own power because the seal around your neck, so that made you virtually helpless to every monster that challenged you! It was him, it was always him, Tsukune Aono, the man you claim you owe no reconciliation whatsoever to, who saved you! And, yet you think he owes you? No, if anything, you owe him, you owe him for everything, you owe him for being here talking to me just as I owe him!"

"No! I wasn't saying like he owes me and I owe him nothing! And...I don't know about the other me, but she's the one who owes him an apology."

"Oh we both know what she thinks, don't we? Even now, I can hear her complain, saying how she's the most powerful one, who's defeated monster after monster."

"That doesn't speak for me. I never said anything like that."

"But, your inner persona represents the real you, am I right? How many times has she uttered those very words at one point or another?"

"Ruby...," Moka tried to say, but was too exasperated to think of anything left to say, for she knew it was not the truth.

"Vampires are strong, amazing creatures that can do everything except make the sun rise every morning, but knowing you, the real you, you'd probably say that was beneath you to do, much less attempt in order to prove to me that you could. Your strength and power..."

"Move out of my way," Moka said, trying to leave, but Ruby wouldn't let her.

"Or what? You'll unleash your violent side and show me my place!"

"I don't want to, but if you continue to..."

Ruby shoves her back, violently, causing Moka to want to react in kind, but Ruby takes out her wand appeared ready to fight, refusing to show any fear or regret.

"Don't push me," Moka warned.

"Or what? You want to hurt me, go ahead, it's what you're best at."

"Stop talking! I am not your enemy, I am not the one responsible for all this pain!"

"And, you're not the one who deserves to move heaven and hell to reconcile. Go ahead, Moka, hurt me, beat me up, show your dominance as an S-class monster! DO IT!"

Ruby stepped up closer, daring Moka to respond, forcing her back against the railing with so much daring audacity that it almost stymied the vampire.

"You don't get it," Ruby continued. "Your power doesn't make others respect you; we pity your kind. For all your power and pride, you know no fear, which makes you weak!"

She saw something in Moka stiffen at the word "weak".

"That bothers you, doesn't it?"

"What?" Moka asked.

"Being called weak."

"No, it doesn't."

"You claim to hate liars, but all you've done is lie to me."

"I'm not lying, I didn't say it bothered me."

"Because you are, you are weak, all you vampires are weak. You will never, never know what it's like to be afraid, to have doubt in your heart, to face something so terrifying and insurmountable that it threatens to sap away your will. The rest of us experience fear every day, humans like Tsukune especially; that's why they have this word called 'courage'. The ability to face your fears because you have to, because there's something important that calls for you to overcome it. He stood up for you in some of the scariest of moments in his _life_, he fought through his fear, his doubt all because you were important to him! But you...you'll never know what that's like because you're in capable of it; you're weak!"

"That isn't true; I told you what I had to go through just to see him again!"

"How do I know that; all I have is your word! And, even if that is true, how do I know it was for him?"

"What?"

"You said it yourself, you don't owe him any effort at reconcile, how do I know you didn't do all of this because you were mad at him and wanted to get even with him? How do I know it wasn't for you?"

"It's enough that you call me a liar and a coward, but now you question my intentions for escaping that hellhole? I _did _fight my way to freedom just for him, I didn't do it for revenge!"

"So you say. You said you don't deserve to reconcile with him."

"Because, I didn't do anything to him; it was someone else, I keep telling you that!"

"No, no, no, no, I want you to please tell me why are you trying to meet up with him again? Tell me that?"

"W-_Why_?" Moka asked, confused and surprised that Ruby of all people would ask her that question. "I think you of all people should know the answer to that?"

"No I don't. How am I supposed to know what's going through that apple shaped head of yours."

"Dammit Ruby, stop challenging me like this! You know me!"

"Challenge? Well, if that isn't your inner persona talking, now ist it?"

"You know me, you know how I feel about him!"

"Wrong, I thought I knew you! Why are you trying to see him? C'mon, you can tell me!"

"...Because, I love him, I care about him, deeply; you happy?"

"No, why are you trying to see him? The truth, this time!"

"W-Wha...that is the truth, what the hell are you...?"

"No, no it isn't! You're lying to me; tell me why you want to see him? Is it revenge, to get even with him for not saving you for the umteenth time? What is it?"

"This is insane, you know I love him with all my heart!"

"No you don't!"

"Yes, I do...!"

"That's what you claim, but how can I know that's true or if that's always been the truth?"

_"It is the truth_! It's always been the truth, from the first day I met him; I care deeply about Tsukune,..."

"You liar; you don't care about anyone, but yourself."

"...And I don't have to prove myself to you to know that! What matters is how I feel and how he knows I feel!"

"You're lying!"

"I'm not lying!"

"You are!"

"No, I'm not, I love him, that's why I'm trying to find him..."

"I don't believe you."

"That's why I kicked and kicked my way out of prison when I saw a recording of that..._affair_!"

"I don't believe you."

"That's why I fought my way past Ria's guards..."

"I don't believe you."

"That's why I swam through freezing water, suffered amnesia, and hitchhiked my way to get here, because I LOVE TSUKUNE!"

"What woman, who thinks so highly of herself would go through all of that for one man? You tell me, and I want you to be completely honest."

"Ruby...I don't know what you want me to say. Please, I'm tired, I've been through a lot, if you don't believe me, then just leave me al..."

"What do you think of Gin?"

The question stopped Moka in her train of thought, as if someone had asked her a highly, inappropriate question and the sheer shock of it was a burden to shrug off.

"W-What did you just ask me?" She asked Ruby.

"Did...did you like it when he used to peek up your skirts back in high school?" Ruby whispered in her ear like a gossiping school girl, and smiling. "I bet it used to excite you, didn't it? Oh yeah, it must make you wet just thinking about it. I bet you would get jealous when his eye would wander up some other girls' skirts; I bet it did."

"Fuck you," Moka muttered and sneered.

"You don't have to hide it, I mean we used to be friends, afterall. And, besides I've done some pretty 'questionable' stuff myself back in the day; you can tell me."

"Fuck you! HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT TO ME! You think I'm that bitch! Is that what you want to believe, that I would ever, _ever _whore myself like that!"

"I don't know, you tell me?"

"...It..was..not me! IT...WAS...NOT ME! The entire that fake, that impostor was running around like a common slut, I was in a prison, a dungeon for four years! I come back and all of a sudden _I'm _the bad guy? It's my fault this person is doing this, that it's _my _responsibility? I'm sorry for what happened to Tsukune and Yukari and everyone of you, but I'm the victim here in all of this! It's my life that was destroyed!"

"Its not all about you, Moka!" Ruby snapped. "When are you going to get it through that princess dairies you call a brain; you think your pain is the only thing that matters, and we should be damned for mocking it?"

"No! I'm just saying I shouldn't have to be blamed for all of this, I deserve the benefit of the doubt, not made into the villain?"

"Princess Moka; I am _real _sorry these last four years have been so hard on your delicate frame of mind, I really am. I only wish we weren't so preoccupied with our own pain to take pause and notice how terrible this all has been for you. Poor, poor, princess."

Ruby noticed the jewel in Moka's rosary shimmer brilliantly as though some angry spirit was responding to her negative comments.

"Oh, what's the matter, my Highness?" Ruby mocked. "Did I offend thee? Have I dared question your purity?I know you hoes like to use guys like tissue and throw 'em away when you get tired of them, yet prefer everyone to still respect you as a lady rather than what you really are."

Moka strikes her across the face, but Ruby takes it in stride as though it hadn't happened at all.

"Why be so mad, it's the truth, isn't it?"

"Don't ever call me a hoe!" Moka hissed.

"If I'm so wrong, then what is Tsukune to you?"

"He's the man I love! What is he to you, since you have the answer? I know how you and the others were always after his attention, jealous that he loved me more than any of you! What is he to you, the one who got away, huh?"

"He's family!" Ruby replied. "He's my brother, you self-centered bitch! He, Yukari, Kurumu, Mizore, and even your own little sister; they were the only family I had. I...I'm forced to admit that your sister was on to something, maybe I should've noticed what was going on with him, how much burden was placed on him...perhaps even recognised the warning signs when it came to you! And yet, before I knew it you...you got rid of two of my sisters, and I'll be damned if I'll let you destroy the only brother I have ever had; so, you tell me now, right here, and I want the truth this time, WHY DO WANT TO SEE TSUKUNE!"

"I told you why," Moka said heatedly, "I love him!"

"I don't believe you!"

"It's the truth!"

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!"

"IT'S THE TRUTH!"

"LIAR!"

"Dammit Ruby, it is the truth, I LOVE HIM, I LOVE TSUKUNE!"

"Every word that comes out of your mouth is a lie! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO FIND HIM!"

"BECAUSE I LOVE HIM, I LOVE HIM, I LOVE HIM!"

"Try again," Ruby continuned to badger. "Stop lying and tell me the truth!"

Moka, tired of this arguement, tries to leave, but Ruby refuses to move.

"Get out of my way," Moka threatened.

"No."

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

"Or what, you'll put me in my place?"

"Don't tempt me; now move."

"Not until you tell me the truth or are you really, truly a coward? Too afraid to speak your mind to a witch! Are you too afraid that I'll reveal your true intentions to his family downstairs, who belive your story, is that it?"

"I don't have to prove myself you or anyone; just him."

"Why?"

"...You..know..why. You KNOW WHY I WANT TO SEE HIM, NOW MOVE!"

"No."

"...Ruby."

"Tell me the truth; why are you trying to find him? It's not because you care about him, no woman is that selfless before her own pride, especially a vampire. It's not his blood, you can get enough from someone else, maybe even that trucker you brought with you, so tell me what's the real reason? Why are you so keen to find Tsukune?"

Moka buries her face into her hands in a futile attempt to escape this latest tormentor.

"What is it, Moka?" Ruby hummed in her ear. "Why do you recoil, it can't be that hard to come clean; you can tell me why are you so interested in finding Tsukune?"

"Stop," Moka begged.

"Just tell me, you can whisper it in my ear, it won't hurt. I know your heritage has always prided on honesty above anything else, so it can't be this difficult, right? Its out of revenge, isn't it? You really are pissed he didn't realize what happened to you sooner, so you thought you would get back at him for that, but learned that he isn't here, so now you have to wait until you found him; all you have to do is fool all of us into thinking that you love him, when really you never did."

"...I don't know what you want from me," she wept. "Just tell me what you want me to say...I can't deal with this, anymore!"

"Look, if its that embarrassing then I'll tell you what I'll do; tell me the truth and I'll let leave here under cover of darkness while I'll explain to everyone that something came up and you had to go, I'll make them understand."

Moka didn't respond, so Ruby continued:

"Okay, say that it was all a ruse to get back at your dad, because he made you go to a school that you didn't want to or he always lorded over you. Say 'I never intended to get so out of hand', that 'I never wanted to marry him! My feelings were fake, because I never loved anyone else, not mother, not father, certainly not my sisters or any of my friends and I definetly don't love Tsukune; the only person...I ever, truly loved was me'. That's all I want to hear from you."

"That's your truth, it isn't mine."

"Really?"

"You're twisted! You're insane if you think I'll say anything like that! You claim you loved Tsukune like a brother; I love him too!"

"No you don't! Princessess don't love other people, its never been their fashion! It's not your style!"

"...Then maybe I'm not a princess."

"Wow; here I thought you were a terrible liar, but now I see you're a pro. And why not, you've been doing it for the last eight years."

"...Say whatever you want; you will not get me to say that crap."

"That's sad, really it is, because lesser girls would have by now, and we both know you're way above everyone else! Fine, whatever you lying bitch, I'm done with you."

Ruby looks at her with an indifferent smirk and steps out of the way to let Moka leave. But, before Moka hurriedly takes her leave, Ruby grabs her roughly by the arm.

"Let me go!"

"Something to remember you bitch!" Ruby tells her, spinning her around violently. "Before you belive for a moment you have free pass to do whatever it is you intend to do, know this: if you proving yourself to me is this painful, what's going to happen when you do see him again? You think he's going to come wrap his loving arms around you after everything that's happened? Ask yourself that before you go ahead with your plans. And, I give you my word, I swear by a witch's oath I'll stop you myself before you hurt him again, so you best remember that."

She lets Moka go whom, visibly shaken by this heated exchange flies down stairs to get away from the roof, its sacred place in her heart now tainted by harsh words and an even harsher reality. Whatever she thought of her, Moka did have to wonder how would Tsukune react towards seeing her again? Roaming the halls, everywhere she went she smelled his scent, as faint in the wind as a distant memory, adding fuel to her troubled soul, and in seeking solace retreated in the girls restroom, parking herself over a sink as if to vomit, yet trying to keep her emotions steady.

**Who does she think she is? **Her inner persona growled, her very silvery haired visage appearing in the mirror before, startling an already frazzled Moka. **The nerve of that witch to be so...obstinate, so insulting, so indignant and ungrateful, a-a-and after all the times we saved her worthless hide! W-Who is she to look down at us, anyway? As if her worhtless existence was so perfect when compared to that of a vampire! Border species! **

"Tsukune," she muttered. "Ts-Tsukune."

**And Tsukune. How could he opt out of our bond like this, and humiliate us in the process? Didn't he know how we felt about him? Were we not always there to protect him whenever he was in danger? We chose him to be our mate because he was strong, and a vampire always recognizes strength in a potential mate. So, how could he just...seperate from us like this? The mate he left was not his true mate; couldn't that fool tell she was a fake from the beginnign? As if we'd ever, in our immortal lives stoop to such a low-breeding act. Rather he disgraced that impostor as she is deservig of it, but his actions left it implied he wanted to leave us! I never imagined he'd ever do something like this, that he would be so weak.**

"Don't call him weak!" She snapped at the reflection. "He isn't weak! It's not weakness to be hurt, to feel pain and to want to get away from it!"

**I never meant for it like that; of course he's no weakling, only his decision was a sign of weakness, and the two of us intend to bring him back to his senses and show him the folly of his choices!** **That is why we're doing this, because he is ours!**

"NO!" She yelled. "He's mine! He..."

**Why are you being so hostile towards me; without me, you wouldn't even...**

Moka hears some giggling approaching and clams up as a two girls come walking in. She figured they were probably skipping class and coming in to hide out while class is going on, yet indifferent to her presence.

"I got P.E. next period," one of the girls complained.

"Yeah," said her companion. "Bet old Hokubo is gonna try and do something lewd with you; he's such a perv!"

"He'll probably do it with Mai, she's the whore; everybody knows that."

"Hey, do you see her?"

"Yeah, what about her? You scared she's some teacher; just some whacked out bitch in a tacky, trucker outfit, bet she's butch and everying, she ain't gonna do anything, fuck her!"

"Nah, I mean that hair; how often you see someone with pink? It reminds me of this woman that Ayumi was talking about in P.E.; Moka, something."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that, where there's this thing on the internet about her; I heard she used to go to this school, her and the wolfman."

_The internet? _She wondered. _Oh god, what now?_

"No shit! Wow, who knew you could aspire to greatness around here."

"Yeah, in the porn industry."

They both laughed.

"I heard what made her want to cheat on her husband in the first place was after watching some kids fighting."

"Seriously? Eww, what a freak! He used to go here too, right? The husband, I mean."

"Soon to be ex husband, you mean. Yeah, he went here; the head of the school newspaper club. He was even once framed for being a pervert by the guy she wound up screwing with, when it turned out to be him all along."

"Really, and yet she wound up with the pervert? What did he see in her; clearly she's some kind of pedophile/sick pervert fetish or something."

"I don't know, but the husband must've been some tool, I mean even heard she once loaned him out to her sister so she could keep some kind of secret from the in-laws."

"_Ssslut_!"

"I know, right. If my sister ever so much as looks at my boyfriend, I would literally rip the hair all out of her head; that'll make her keep whatever secret I had!"

"True dat!"

Moka had heard enough, heard all she wanted to hear about them dissing her name, all because of the actions of this "person", this so-called twin who is disrupting _her _life, a life that had rightfully belonged to her. She fled from the bathroom, desperately seeking refuge elsewhere in the school halls, but a familiar face barred her way.

"Well-well-well," said Ms. Ririko, standing statuesquely before her with all the smug superiority of someone with plenty to lord over. "If it isn't the prodigal darling, come home at last. Or, rather sent back because life as an adult in the human world was proving too hard for you to handle."

"Leave me alone," Moka warned her, trying to get by without a confrontation, but Ms. Ririko denied her even that request.

"It is that lack of respect, little girl, that has made you into the dirty little slut that you are now! I just had a conversation with his father, you know? I told him everyting about you, about how you were always trying to wrap that poor little boy in your filthy, semen stained fingers! Of how, so much happier he would have been if he had chosen to remain with me and become my greatest of pupils. I made sure Mr. Aono knew what kind of an influence you were on his son and how remaining with a soiled dove like you will be..."

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Moka roared as she grabs Kagome by her neck and lifts the woman into the air, slamming her hard into the wall. "I tried to ask everyone nice to leave me alone, but no more! I've had all I can take from people today, blaming me for something that was not my fault, but if you insist on testing me, you of all people who treats her 'pupils' with the same respect you give to a cockroach, then I swear I'll...!"

"Will, what?" She heard an ominous voice from behind, and looked to see Kuyou and his PSC officers, accompanied by a group of onlookers gawking at the the scene unfolding. "Your lineage aside, Akashiya, this is my domain and you have no right to threaten anyone here; I don't care what your reason. Take whatever self control you have left and put your pride in line, before I do it for you!"

Moka glanced around at all the faces staring at her, including Ruby who had just come down from the roof in time to see this, and then back up at Ms. Ririko who smiled confidently at her, all of them waiting to see what the whore of Yokai might do next.

**Who cares what they threaten to do, **her inner persona said, defiantly. **Do not stand here and suffer these insults to our honor, any longer!**

"Do it," Ms. Ririko whispered, her chiding cutting through Moka's clarity like a loud hiss. "Prove to everyone here that you are still, and always will be, a princess with a chip on her shoulder."

Disgusted with all of this, Moka instead pushes herself away from her and retreats to find another place of refuge, no longer feeling welcomed in these old, hallowed halls.

"Leaving us, so soon?" Keito asked. "I would have thought the woman who yanked me by my own webbing and soundly put me in my place would have a little more bite than this. What? No clever song? No chime from that wonderful singing voice of yours?"

"Ooh, careful Keito," said Deshiko, "you may incur her wrath!"

"Ladies, don't aggrivate her any further," Kuyo warned. "The last thing I need for this school to deal with is her fucking it up."

Moka heard giggles all around her, as if his comment was a carefully veiled, yet well timed joke at her expense.

"That would be an issue," said Keito, "assuming her protector shows up and in ever the dramatic fashion releases her seal. Oh, but wait! He's not here; aww!"

"I don't need him to kick your ass," Moka snapped back at him. "That goes for all of you! If you want to fight me, then go ahead!"

_I...I can't believe I said that! _Moka wondered.

"Belive us, we would," said Kuyou.

"Its just that...we've all had our shots and don't want to catch what Gin gave you," Deshiko said with a big smile.

"Besides," Kuyo added as he and the others began to disperse, "we know you don't need him to fight your battles; when have you ever needed anyone, but yourself to have your back?"

Everyone walked by, looking and laughing, with nary a friend in sight and Kuyo's cathardic words ringing in her head; it felt as though she was dangerously close to falling back into the bitter past.

**Don't listen to them, their opinions matter nothing to us!**

Her alternate's words and opinions were what meant nothing to her, as Moka ran from the school.

**What do they know? They know nothing of what we've been through to find Tsukune! To fix the mess started by that fake! Don't let this cloud our objective!**

"STOP IT!" She screamed. "STOP TALKING! I do need him, why would I have said that if what Ruby said wasn't true?"

"HEY, MOKA!" Someone called out. "YOU TALKING TO YOURSELF NOW?"

She stops and looks over by the outdoor pool to see Tamoe and her friends staring at her.

"...What do you want, now?" Moka asked.

"You looking for Tsukune?" Tamoe asked.

"Y-Yes," she replied, teary eyed. "You know how I can get to him?"

"Yes, come here," Tamoe suggested and Moka comes nearer to the cage seperating the two.

"You...you really can help me find him?"

"Yeah, just a little closer. NOW!"

Tamoe and her girls turned into mermaids and with their fins began splashing water at her, each droplet stinging Moka's skin like acid being thrown.

"AAAAAHHHH!" Moka screamed and ran from the girls, who laughed ever so cruelly, yet were each proud of their little revenge.

"WHAT'S THE MATTER, MIGHTY VAMPIRE?" Tamoe yelled. "YOU COULDN'T FIND YOUR MATE IN THE POOL, THIS TIME? AWWW, TOO BAD! MAYBE YOU CAN GET BACK AT US WHEN YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO PULL THAT CHAIN OFF YA ON YOUR OWN! LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO FROM NOW ON, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

_This is a nightmare! _She thought as she ran into the surrounding forest. _It's a nightmare! I never should have come back! _

**Those animals! How dare they! When we find Tsukune have him remove this rosary, I will come back and put them in their...**

"STOP, STOP!" She shrieked at herself. "We're never gonna find him! How can I convince him it wasn't my fault when no one else will believe me?"

**He will believe, and he'll accept us back! We are talking about Tsukune Aono, the boy we chose to be our mate! Never has he let us down; Ruby and those others were only trying to get into your head for their own selfish reason. He isn't too sick in the head to listen to us, he'll never abandon us!**

In her flight, Moka trips and falls down an embankment, landing hard onto a dirt road. Groggy from the fall, she was reminded of just how long it's been since she'd had her daily intake of Tsukune's delicious blood, her anemia taking affect. It was then that she smelled...him, his scent, just as faint as before, but a clear indicator that he'd been there, lying in the dirt. She couldn't figure out why he stopped here to lie down, until it dawned on her that this was the spot where they first met.

"...Tsukune," she muttered, half conscious and lying down in the exact spot he had been in earlier, where Moka soon became so lost in the moment, that it was almost as if his ghost was looking right at her, his forlorn face being all that greeted her, ravaged by some cruel force that plagued them both. "I miss you. I miss you so much. It wasn't my fault! You've got to believe me, everything wasn't...it wasn't...my fault."

While still half asleep, she felt someone holding her in the air and then gently laying her down on a soft surface.

"Ts-Tsukune?" She asked without looking to see if it was really him, dreaming that he had finally come to her aid and bringing her wornout body to bed.

"Lie still," his soothing voice said as he pulled the covers over her.

"Hm, I'm hungry," she said, but was too tired to reach up and bite him.

Looking down, Koji shake his head with sadness and worry as he and his wife stood in the infirmary, watching over this weary, young woman.

"Poor thing," she said. "And, you said you found her like this?"

"Yeah, passed out on the trail; looked like she fell. When Ms. Nekonome told me what had happened in the school, I went out after her and found her."

Kasumi gently brushes strands of her pink hair from her sweaty brow, trying to use all the motherly skills she could muster to provide some care.

"Tsukune," Moka continued to mutter.

"She keeps calling his name," Koji said. "She really does care for him, doesn't she?"

"Mm. These kids; just children. No doubt her parents are just as worried about her as we are of him. How could any of this have happened? How could we let it?"

"I don't know; but, we'll find him and a way to make things right again, you'll see."

Kasumi looked up at him, her forlorn eyes showing a glimmer of compassion and love for him, a glimmer he hasn't seen in a long time.

"...Appreciate you doing this for her," Kasumi tells him, softly.

"Yeah, well...I am still be a parent, every now and then. ...Look, Kasumi..."

"Please, not now."

"No, now; if not, when? We can't put this off forever; what I did was wrong, I admit that..."

"I just got a lot to process now! I'm not mad at you anymore, I just...I don't know how I should feel. Right now, lets both agree that we need to focus on looking for our son and fix the mess they're in."

"And, once that's taken care of, what happens to us? I love you, Kasumi. If anything else were to happen and we don't get to see each other again, I...I at least wanted you to know that."

Koji turns and walks away, and Kasumi wanted desperately to say something to keep him from going or at least say she loved him back, but a fear brought on by all of this turmoil continued to hold dominion.

"These are difficult times we're living in; tis best to say what you feel before his words prove prophetic."

"Oh! Mrs. Sendo, is it?"

The witch mother knodded after she and Ageha returned with fresh linens.

"Mrs. Aono, I missed you!" Ageha said. "I wanted to tell you how I successfully wooed your son into me and my daughter's, um, 'graces'."

"She means bosom," Mrs. Sendo.

"...You know, I liked it better when you couldn't speak," said Ageha.

"Uhh, thanks," Kasumi replied.

Kasumi watches Mrs. Sendo gently lay the towels next to her daughter, who continued resting peacefully nearby.

"For what its worth," she says to her, "he is right. It's just that I'm so confused right now, with everything that's happened in a short amount of time, I don't know whats real or what makes sense anymore. Ms. Kooronno-ha?"

"Korono, but you can call me Ageha, dear," she responds. "You and me are practically sisters, anyway."

"Uh, sure. So, Ageha, you said your own daughter is with my son, right now; that the reason for this was she was exiled from our country?"

"...That is right," Ageha said, her cheerful demeanor turning bitter. "All because someone's princess decreed it so."

"You blame Akasha, then?" Kasumi asked.

"...No. Actually, I don't, I only blame the princess."

"I'm sorry. My problems must seem small in comparison."

"Of course it isn't. I at least know mine is safe; but your child is M.I.A for all you know. Yours, however was hurt and betrayed by the same person, and now he's a world away; trust me we're in the same boat, sister. Makes me so mad, to see the things that this..._person _did, this so-called leader of a woman's right to be a celebrated slut, her words, and to hear her indifference to the suffering she caused while she practically gets away with a-a spanking!"

"'See'?" Kasumi asked, curious about her choice of words. "You _saw _what she did? How?"

Mrs. Sendo and Ageha glanced knowingly at one another, expressions that left Kasumi at unease.

"What?"

Kasumi then notices what looks to be demonic tail sort of slither out from underneath Ageha's dress.

"Umm, A-Ageha," Kasumi whispers nervously, "there's a...a...thing coming out..."

"I ask you to remain still; please," she tells her.

"Why?"

"You're going to see...You are going to see what I saw, what your son knows, and then maybe you'll understand just how dark this bitch really is!" Ageha said heatedly, staring daggers down at the sleeping, pink haired girl behind Kasumi. "Clone or no clone."

"What are you...?" Kasumi asked, wanting to protest as the tail's point drew closer and closer to her forehead, but whether it was out of fear of the unknown or fear of being left in the dark once again, she didn't resist its sharp touch. What flowed into her mind felt like a rush of emotions and memories, memories that showed her son, the vampire family, and this woman who was so arrogant of herself that it practically destroyed all who was there to bear witness to this person's animalistic depravity. When the show was over, Kasumi nearly keeled over from the overwhelming experience, not only for what she saw, but what she felt through her son and _her_, who had lacked any remorse other than having been caught in the act. "..._Oh my god_!"

"Are you okay?" Ageha asked as she gently tries to help her up. "Memory transferrence can be an overwhelming sensation; I'm sorry."

"How...how could she...?" Kasumi stammered, eyes wild with emotion as she looked back at Moka's sleeping form, and wondering what if.

"There's no rhyme or reason for what she did; she's a whore pure and simple, I see how they work."

"I know what you must be thinking," Mrs. Sendo says. "However, you must not direct your passion towards the wrong person as it'll do nothing for she who deserves it!"

"...R-Right, of course," Kasumi said, and begins to break down. "Oh god, my son."

Ageha hugs her, the grieving mother providing another a shoulder to cry on.

"Okay, how do you suggest we take out our frustrations?" Ageha asks Mrs. Sendo. "Both our children are victims of this bitch, and your daughter is...! You see what she did. We can't get to the 'Moka' responsible for all of this, whatever the hell she is, so why not take it out on this Moka?"

"Because, we're going to need _this _Moka if we're to make a victim out of the other."

Her words grabbed Kasumi's attention and looked at the young witch mother with a show of keen interest, while Ageha remained in the dark.

"What are you talking about?" Ageha asked.

"From what I heard about Moka's past, this person was motivated by forces that more or less set her on the path of destruction that she's on right now. Now, it is tragic, anyone can almost understand where she's coming from."

"So, you're saying she's in the right by hurting our children?" Ageha accused.

"I'm not saying that; please let me finish! Regardless of what happened to her in the past, her actions have hurt the ones we loved, people who had nothing to do with her pain. The fact that she went ahead and took action against them in retaliation on others shows that this is a person who does not care who gets hurt, so long as she herself is satisfied. I suggest, we respond in a fashion that she is unfamiliar with, and catch her off guard to gain our own satisfaction."

Mrs. Sendo pauses and looks at the sleeping girl, who remained blissfully unaware.

"She, ladies has offered us that solution."

"Correction," Akua said, showing up suddenly out of nowhere, "_I _have delivered that solution, and has been waiting patiently for the Angry Mother's Club to come up with the plan."

"Wait a minute!" Ageha said. "So, we're supposed to trust this villain here, how do we know she won't double cross us?"

"Excuse me?" Akua asked.

"My daughter told me what kind of person you are and that you almost tried to kill her and her friends! Why should we trust you?"

"My dear, succubus mother, I am just as affected by all of this as you, and besides, just as I said to my human friend here, the enemy of mine enemy is my friend."

"...What do you have in mind?" Kasumi asked, uninterested in the banter and more focused on this plan. "I'm willing to listen."

"Kasumi!" Said Ageha. "Didn't they just tell you what a fiend she is? She tried to my daughter, she even tried to kill your son and very nearly did that had he not..."

"Please!" Kasumi snapped. "...It's better than sitting around worrying and trying to forget what's going on."

"She, our Moka, wants to be reunited with your son, right?" Akua asked.

"She is right," Mrs. Sendo replied. "If this act of revenge is to work, then we'll need all the help we can get. Mrs. Aono, all you need to do is do what you can for our Moka in meeting up with your son, while you, Ageha must not encourage your daughter to persue a relationship with Tsukune."

"What!" Ageha cried. "Are you crazy? Let me guess, Tsurara put you up to this, didn't she that frosty bi..."

"Your daughter is going to meet someone else tonight, I've seen it in myself."

"I don't think you understand, Ms. Fortunteller. Tsukune isn't just someone else to her, he is her Destined One; do you have any idea what that means for my people? Do you? It's the matter of life and death, and yet you think she'll move on with some random guy?"

"Ageha," Mrs. Sendo tries to say, but Ageha was inconsolable.

"The nerve of you! These last years have had me worry that any day might be my girl's last; she was not well! Don't chalk it up to a broken heart, she needs her Destined One."

"Your daughter will meet her Destined One as a result of her relationship with Tsukune!" Mrs. Sendo responded.

"What?" Ageha asked.

"In ancient times, your kind would rely on a trusted intermediary to guide their Destined Ones to them, rather than rely on their powers of seduction as love and lust were considered two very different things. These intermediaries would arrange it to where the succubus would have a strong chance of winning over their lover's heart. However, much like how vampires became consumed in their own opulance, your species would later abandon the practice as you felt it was beneath you to rely on wooing someone's heart when you could simply use your own abilities to land a man through more aggressive, seductive tactics! The reason your kind is doing so poorly in reproduction, the reason so many die the way you say is because she-demons like you are too proud to admit that this way is doomed to fail. Your daughter has abandoned this practice, and in reverting back to the old way in winning Tsukune's heart, she inadvertantly selected him to be her intermediary without even realizing it."

"You're lying," Ageha argued.

"I'm not, you're just too proud, you've always been too proud in yourself to see that your way is not _the _way."

"Damn you witch! Don't presume you know anything about our ways!"

"Damn your pride! Ageha; your daughter will meet her Destined One, I swear by my daughter's life she will, but it is not Tsukune...my dear Yukari knew this, it was one of the reasons why she always kept Kurumu at bay. I ask that you and your sister do nothing to impede Tsukune meeting with our Moka, and if need be arrange for the two of them to have some privacy."

"...A-And, I should agree to all of this, why?"

"There can be no greater shame to befall a vampire than being replaced as ones mate. A whore she is, Ms. Kurono, Mrs. Aono, but she is still a vampire, and unlike the whores you're probably familiar with, nothing is worse than the disolution of her blood bond, while bearing the child out of wed lock because she was replaced, even if that other turns out to be..."

"Its all about pride," said Akua. "Pride means more to a vampire than her own life; and this will be the heaviest blow to her."

"So, we play this out like it's some kind of game?" Kasumi asked.

"These are our children you're talking about!" Ageha said. "They aren't game pieces to one up some bitch!"

"For godsake, act like a vengeful mother, would ya," said Akua.

"Don't start with me, vampire," Ageha growled, her claws bared and wings unfurled, and had Kasumi not been so absorbed by this audacious scheme, she might be more terrified than momentarily startled.

"Awe, there it is!" Akua said with a creepy smile. "Good, now use that for what the good witch has in store."

"My husband and I were talking amongst ourselves," Mrs. Sendo continued. "And, its best that you all know what we know, but first I need to know if you're in."

"...I'm in," said Kasumi. "Ageha?"

The blue haired, large chested woman, decked out in a black fur jacked and bedazzled in jewelry had all the appearance of a diva, and yet in the end she was still a mom in whose concern, which rivaled her breast size, had always been the happiness of her daughter as well as the propagation of their species. Tsukune was always the means to both, and yet now she was supposed to go by the word of a witch that that happiness would come from someone else, half a world away at midnight, while getting into bed with an unsavory character like Akua, all in the name of vengenence.

"Damn me," she muttered, for venegence seemed to be the only thing she had left, and the one thing that bound these three mothers together. "I'm in. So, what do we need to do? What is it that we're supposed to know?"

As the women huddled up, being made privy to the witch's knowledge and hearing her strategy, with no one else any the wiser save for a comatose girl, unbeknownst to them all however, Yukari's eyes began to twitch underneath her eyelids, with a slight spasm of her tiny fingers.

XXX

As Moka slept, her blood deprived brain produced a very strange nightmare of her having two, identical heads and chasing after Tsukune through the nearby forest. One head was of her usual self, both kind and beautiful to behold, while the other was very slutty looking with what looks to be dried semen down either side of her chin.

"Tsukune," they both said at once as soon as he was backed into a corner, "it's me, Moka. Why are you so afraid?"

"I'm not afraid, Moka" he responded. "I'm...Look at you! Do you have any idea how hideous you look?"

"What?"

"LOOK AT YOURSELF!"

Both heads looked at the other, and upon the normal looking head seeing the hideously, depraved looking one, Moka then asked: "Tsukune, you don't need to worry about that one; forget about her."

"Me?" The other head asked. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Oh, with your sweet and wholesome look; ha!"

"At least I don't have semen running down my chin!"

"Yeah, but at least he can see what kind of person I am. You, however, you're so, so...fake!"

"How dare you!"

"Look," Tsukune said, his voice weary from the chase, "j-just let me go, please. I've had enough and I want to go my own way!"

"But, Tsukune!" They both pleaded and whined in unison, their simulataneous echo causing him mental anguish. "I love you!"

"Stop."

"'I love you'?" The prettier head asked the uglier one. "What do you mean, I love you? You love yourself, you're a mess; just look at you! You'd love anyone!"

"I may not be perfect, like you," the other one argued, "but at least I'm honest with myself! How can he be sure you mean what you say!"

"STOP!"

"No, Tsukune!"

"Enough!" Said a third voice that violently grabbed Tsukune by the throat and began squeezing the very blood from him. "He belongs to both of us!"

The two Mokas turn around, and instead notices a tall, white haired woman that strongly bore a resemblence of her true, inner self, who now had a strangle hold of Tsukune. Gone were the two headed Moka, now she saw herself as this white haired demon who was choking Tsukune half to death, preventing him from leaving.

"Ts-Tsukune," she tried to begged, tried everything in her power to stop, "I'm...I'm not doing this! You have to belive me. I-I can't stop! Help me!" But, instead all she heard coming out of her mouth was a very sultry, yet callous voice that said: "Tsukune, you're making me do this! You tried to leave me? And, after everything I've done for you. Bad boy!"

Suddenly, Moka wakes up, drenched in a cold sweat, wondering how she managed to get into the infirmary. Upon looking around and noticing the windows were dark, it soon dawns on her that she slept the whole day away.

_It's night! _She thought, rising with a start and remembering what was at stake, but still shaken by the dream.

"Oh my god," she muttered into her hands; it was now or never.

She didn't hear nor sense her alter ego, figuring that even she must be asleep herself, which felt strangely appealing.

_What if they're right? _She wondered. _Maybe, maybe I am a threat to Tsukune. How can I convince him I'm not to blame for all of this?_

"..._H-ey_," she heard a faint voice pierce the quiet air, and glancing over beheld a most welcoming, and miraculous sight. "..._You...c-can't give up_."

Stumbling out of bed, Moka frantically races over to Yukari's side as her green eyes finally, after so many years, locked eyes onto a pair of purple irises, just as wide eyed and wonderful as she had remembered them to be.

"...Y-Yukari?" She asked as if uncertain the girl still remembers her.

The girl stares back, her face blank for a brief moment, but only for a brief moment as pretty soon her familiar, infectious and sorely missed smile returned.

"I know who you are," Yukari reasurred.

"YUKARI!" Moka wailed, grasping the young witch in a tight embrace as she cried and cried into her slender arms.

"Wow," Yukari grimmaced, "...so this is what heaven feels like."

"I've missed you so much! I'm so sorry what happened, I am!"

"It's okay, everything's alright. I knew it, I knew it all along. There's no mistake."

"Yukari?"

"I believe in you; I knew you weren't responsible for all those bad things."

Moka smiled and Yukari, perhaps overcome with emotion or wanting to show that she's not too weak to show it, reaches up to embrace Moka in what she mistook for a hug, only to be stymied by the young witch burying her face into her breasts.

"Oh!" She squealed, rubbing her face roughly between Moka's perky breasts. "I've missed this so much!"

Just as the two girls became reaccuanted, Yukari's father and Koji walk in, enjoying a drink together and getting to know one another.

"That's fascinating!" Koji said. "Who knew you could aquate marriage with carpentry."

"You like that," said Mr. Sendo, "I got a million of..."

"DADDY!" Yukari squealed, her face still half buried in Moka's cleavage.

"Yukari," he whispered, dropping his soda in shock. "Yukari!"

"And, look who's here?" She asked, hinting at the equally overjoyed, yet sweating bullets Moka.

"Uhh, why is she rubbing her face in Moka's breasts?" Koji asked.

"By the gods; Koji, go find the others, tell them my daughter's awake!" Mr. Sendo told him, too overcome by his daughter's sudden awakening to care what she was doing right now.

Elsewhere, Koga and Kyoko were in the empty Home Ec class, he dirty from chasing the animated fruit about the forest and then battling it once it attacked, and she having just polished off the pie with him that had been made from his capture.

"Whoa, you really wolfed that down!" He joked.

"Oh!" She responded, bashfully. "I'm sorry, I must look like a pig!"

"Nah, here," he said and takes a paper towel to her face. "Its just that I've never known humans to like this stuff, usually it made them sick; you sure you're not an elf?"

"What; no!" She said, blushing. "What would make you say that?"

"Nothing," he replied with a smile.

"...For what its worth, I think you don't give us humans enough credit."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, really. You'd be surprised what some of us can tolerate."

Koga laughed.

"So, you said your parents used to eat this pie together?" She asked.

"Yeah; couples generally like to eat this on anniversaries or something like that, but anybody can eat it like whenever, it doesn't have to be romantic or anything."

"Cool. So, what's she like?"

"Hm?"

"Your mother; you said I looked like her."

"Yeah, the appearance _is _uncanny except her hair is longer, and it could stand to have some work done to it; uh, her hair, I mean, not yours."

"That's not very nice to say about your mother," Kyoko laughed.

"Oh, I say worse to her and she says worse to me, and _does _worse to me."

"Really?"

"Trust me, you do not want to make her mad."

"Is she scary?"

"Her? Yeah, but only to vampires, usually not to everyone else."

"Vampires?"

"My mom is an alpha, the 'elder vampire' of the were community, the forerunners of are species, descendants to the Wolf God Fenris."

"Fenris?"

"You know, son of Loki, devourer of Gods, bringer of ragnorak."

"I know Loki, I mean I saw the films."

"Good thing they didn't show Fenris because they never would've gotten him down right."

"Now, are these the harbingers you were talking about; Fenris I mean?"

"Hm, oh no, harbingers are like...well, all of that is kinda complicated."

"How complicated?"

"Like Age of Conan/History of Middle Earth complicated, I mean Fenris is in that group, but...yeah complicated; basically my mom comes from some of that old, hyborian age stuff. Alphas, unlike traditional werewolves don't need to rely on the full moon quite so much; even if it's cloudy, so long as there's a moon they're going to be killing somebody with fangs, that's for sure. Elder vampires fear them the most, including someone like Ria, even if they are too proud and dumb to realize it, which time and again they tend to be. So basically, she's one tough bitch."

"Really?"

"She's even got this necklace made out of bronze vampire fangs she's collected while moonlighting as a vampire hunter. Vampire hunters, those with connections, will usually hire them to take care of business, but other than that they keep to themselves and get drunk on Saturdays."

"She sounds tough."

"They're not as scary as they might sound. My mom's true form is this big, white wolf with shimmering blue eyes, and is real beautiful; that's how most look, brown, red, grey, black, and one I know is even spotted. But, while her human form is pretty nice looking too, she could stand to take better care of herself and get a bath every once and awhile!"

Kyoko laughed.

"So, what about your father? Was he an alpha or something?"

Koga's expression then turns cold and forlorn, though for her sake he tried to maintain a controlled demeanor.

"He was a...common werewolf, but he died long ago."

"Oh."

"We don't like to talk about it, much."

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, tt's the past, I'm all about right now! No worries, no fuss!"

"That sounds pretty wise."

"It's always helped me in the past."

"But, I thought we weren't talking about the past?" She joked.

"Oh. Did I say that?"

"You did."

" I said don't worry about the past, and I mentioned its helped me in the past, then..."

"Stop, stop!" She laughed. "Forget it, forget I said anything!"

"Ah, now you get it!"

"I think I do."

Suddenly, Koji comes running in and frantically says: "She's up, she's up!"

"Who?" Kyoko asked.

"The, um, Sendo girl; Yukari! Everybody is already meeting in the infirmary, so you better come quick!"

"Who?" Koga asked.

"The girl who was...nevermind, c'mon," Kyoko responds.

She inadvertently grabs his hand, causing the two to stare uncomfortably at each other, before quickly releasing each other's grip.

"Um," she muttered.

"Yeah; so let's go," he said, shrugging it off.

As he and his newfound companion prepared to throw away their dishes and hurry to where everyone was gathering, Koga couldn't help, but have a sinking feeling that things were finally about to move forward after a long, yet peaceful respite and it worried him a little to think what they might find.

"Everything okay?" He asked smiling, noticing how nervous looked.

"Huh, oh!" She said, blushing again. "Nothing, its just...suddenly got to thinking about the future, that's all."

"...It's gonna be okay," he said, boldly taking her hand into his. "It's gonna be okay."

"Thanks," she said, holding on tight to his, and allowed him to lead her through the shadowy hallway towards where everybody else was sure to be.


	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

_Song of the Lonely Mountain_

**Wanted to once again offer my thanks to your continued support and to apologize for the long wait; I had promised to be more abrupt with my writing, and yet somehow getting Chapter 27 out and ready took so long. Since writing, I have been inundated with suggestions and possible ideas for my story, some bad, but others quite good. Indeed, many of you out there have some truly amazing talent all your own, and I know you all have your ideas in what direction this story would or should go, some pretty damn good, but this story's direction I already have mapped out in detail; in all honesty the ending is pretty much decided right now. I'm like an artist, I already has had everything drawn or sculpted in my mind and as such anything new added, however impressive it may be, would have to be added in small snippets, at best. Your intentions are good and appreciated, but right now I'm just trying to get through, and God willing, if I make a sequel after this, (I've been doing this since 2011, and I'm still writing), I would most certainly be using these ideas for that. **

**It's funny, but in some way it feels I helped create a phenomena of sorts within the R+V universe that, I would hope the original creator be pleased, all seems to have started with Land of Fire's story some years ago, carried on by Mistress Winowyll and has since sprung forth in all these parallel tales by different authors, each with their own sequence of events, sequels, and their own unique characters and crossovers; why, one could stand out and see them as being one big saga, and I'm proud to say I helped contribute.**

**As for Ruby's harsh treatment of Moka in the last chapter, you do understand where she was coming from? She didn't do it just to be a bitch, in fact as I pointed out earlier these events run concurrently with one another, with Chapter 27 takes place right after Chapter 18. Essentially, Ruby and Ageha had just come back, so they're still plenty sore after that, at which point neither will be able to discern our heroine from our antagonist. As for those who thought her harsh assessment when it came to bestowing gratitude for Moka's many contributions in combat was unwarranted, it did seem like a valid argument when I wrote it. I wanted to open Chapter 27 with dialogue from the movie Troy where Achilles debated with Agamemnon on the merits of monarchs (Moka) gaining the glories of battle when it was the soldiers who die or are wounded; Ruby's rant to Kasumi sort of mirrored that message. But, there was method to her madness as she did make it clear that if **_**she **_**reacted to seeing our heroine so harshly and unfairly, then how would Tsukune act? Btw, if you thought Ruby was rough, wait until Kurumu meets up with her.**

The nights in Japan had never seemed so dark or so cold for Tsukune Aono, but upon returning to his home country so soon after having left it, the fact he never felt completely at home made the frosty temperatures abundantly clear, with only a smoldering heat radiating deep within his soul, a heat that at times threatened to engulf him while stumbling about this crowded airport. He had been back for less than a minute and yet wasted very little time in finding a bus transport to take him to his destination: near to the northern mountains where Mizore's village lay. So consumed was he in this ever present fire and need to find much needed sanctuary that he never even considered contacting Yokai Academy to ask his bus driving well-wisher for a free ride; the thought of going back to a place filled with evil apparitions of a time long past that has long since been "tainted" was beyond considering. Instead, Tsukune used what money he had left to buy the cheapest bus ride he can find, taking him immediately out of town, but whose destination was limited; it was better than nothing.

The small bus was jam-packed with screaming children, heavy smokers, and fat passengers, making it impossible for him to find a comfortable seat and instead getting a tiny sliver at the edge of a seat that, while wide enough for three, was being hogged by two guys for some selfish reasons. He wanted a seat by the window, would have preferred to rest his weary head against a cool pane of fogged up glass, but it appeared grimy and pot marked with wadded up gum; nevertheless what gave these two filthy, gin soaked bastards the right to afford him so little courtesy?

_**What are you going to do?**_A voice in his head asked. _**Kill them? Transform, reveal your strength, your powers, your true self and murder all these people over a seat? Why not? You're not human anymore; what can they do about anything? Or, is she right about you? Perhaps you are weak and far too tainted by your human background to have a backbone.**_

Tsukune shook his head clear, trying to rid of dark thoughts that hounded him ever since Vegas, but he didn't know what to do, the answers seemed so unavailable now when years ago they were plain and simple. And so, for the next three hours Tsukune rode squashed from all sides in this dingy aisle of a wretched cattle car on wheels, being made to stand up whenever someone wanted to go by, his butt inadvertently touching his less than accommodating passenger and catching a crude comment in the process, while having to deal with children being allowed to run around, as their mothers hardly seemed interested. All of this helped increase his anger, and the demon inside that so badly wanted to unleash itself on them all just like it had on Kurumu, all to assert his dominance and rights as a superior being to ride the rest of the way at his leisure. In all of this, Tsukune tried to keep himself in check, biting down on his tongue so hard that the resulting pain afforded him a distraction from everything around, worried that he might lose what little remained of his sanity and praying to reach the way station to the north. However, he bit down so hard and so intensely that his tongue began to bleed without him paying attention to it and filled his mouth with blood, prompting him to cover his mouth.

"DISEMBARK!" The portly driver, a far cry from Tsukune's mysterious chauffeur, called when the bus finally stopped, words like a beacon of land for an ocean weary traveler.

He wasted no time getting off in a hurry and was pretty soon left standing in a tiny breeze way, coughing up blood. Tsukune hadn't bother to pack any warm clothing, just the clothes he had after leaving the Shuzen residence, but it quickly dawned on him that he let the bus drive off with his belongings.

"Shit; now what?" He asked aloud.

Seeing no other choice, he enters the lodge and was immediately greeted by the warm and spacious atmosphere of a simple, two story abode strewn with novelty, mounted animal heads and a roaring fire within a stone chimney.

_This seems nice, _he thought to himself, it being by far the calmest atmosphere he's felt since ever.

There were no strippers, nor heartache or depravity, and best of all it was devoid of any painful reminders of "her".

"Hello!" He called out, partially smiling that this was perhaps the best idea for him.

"Coming!" A British woman called back, and in came a blonde woman in her late thirties from the back who hurried over to the counter. "I do apologize."

"That's okay," he replied.

"We don't normally get a lot of customers around here, the buses usually stop, but no one disembarks."

"ARE YOU GETTING THAT OR JUST LOLLIGAGGING AROUND!?" Roared a man's voice from somewhere upstairs, his harsh words and hostile demeanor piercing the calm like a gunshot.

"I've got it!" The woman responded.

"Who was...?" Tsukune asked.

"Oh! N-Nothing, it's nothing really, just a...So, I'm Carol, I'll be your hostess; simply sign your name and I'll see to what accommodations I can afford. Will you be staying long?"

"Uh, no, not too long. I'm on my way to visit a friend, but I don't have any money with me, I left most of my stuff on the bus just now. If it's not too much trouble, can I wait here, at least until I can hitch a ride on up; if need be I can work for my stay."

"Well, Tsu-kune...A-o-nn-o?"

"Aono; but if it helps, you can call me Tsukune."

"I do apologize; as you can tell, I'm still trying to get a grasp on the Japanese language. But, anyway, in answer to your question, sure; trucks stop by here from time to time and they're always taking on strangers who need a lift, so in the meantime it's no problem to offer you at least a warm meal and some coffee on the house, it does get cold up on the mountain, far colder than you're dressed for, and besides, you look like you need it. Just park yourself by the fire, I'll get a soup going."

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry; m-maybe some coffee would do."

"How about some hot cocoa to warm your bones?"

"That sounds fine, thank you."

"Okay, shouldn't hurt, being a little worse for wears and all."

The comment caught him off guard.

"What makes you say that?"

"Oh, I meant no offense, you just seem like a man who's seen it all. Stop me if I'm being nosy, but is there any special reason for you to come all this way to see a friend alone without a coat, and leave your belongings on a bus?"

"...Personal reasons," he replied, brusquely.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I meant no..."

"It's okay; let's just say it's something you don't want to hear."

"Hm. Well, make yourself comfortable, I'll see to your accommodations in just a second."

"Sure," he replied, watching her disappear up the stairs, and once alone helps himself to wandering about the place, trying to discern all that he could from his benefactor.

By all appearances it looked like one of those family run winter lodges, in fact Tsukune could make out on the mantle overlooking the fireplace framed, color portraits of a family on vacation: a man, woman, and their young daughter. From the looks of the people, he theorized these must be Carol as a child, together with her parents; they were happy, so content, and seemingly unaware to the cruelties of this world going on around them that it made him bitter inside his cold heart.

"She doesn't want them to be tainted," he muttered, her words still fresh in his mind as he noticed how happy the people in these pictures were, even though they were humans and it was these that his wife was so afraid they would infect their children with whatever disease she believed they carried, that she resorted to destroying everything their marriage.

Looking up at them, a part of Tsukune wanted to smash these portraits to the floor, bitterness coalescing into envy, their smiles mocking everything he had been taught by Moka. However, a deep longing soon took hold, a sorrow of what could have been had instead emerged, as he picked up one and held it in his hand, looking at this small family with nostalgia and a piercing sadness. The man, her father, appeared to be having the time of his life playing with his daughter, posing together with her in goofy poses, and thought, in another time, in another life, this could have been him. Looking at these pictures, he soon found himself staring at himself, Moka, and their daughter, along with imagined moments at some far away theme park along with their friends, whom were kind enough to take pictures of them. He would have had a daughter just like the one in the photo, they both would together. Oh, the time the three of them would have had; he could almost hear Moka's cheerful voice suggesting that he and their child stand in the picture together in front of some park attraction, scolding him for posing stupidly as she took it, and their child's laughter, echo clearly in his mind.

"It looks nice," he muttered softly to himself, lost in this fantasy.

However, as he looked closely at the photos, what he did find odd was how the mother in each had her face blurred. He thought it was a picture error, though they were all like that; needless to say Tsukune found it a bit unsettling, yet it didn't deter the good feeling he felt. There was little mistaking it: this was the life he wanted. What was so wrong in it? Why was it okay for them, and not for him? Was it because they were human and he was not; not anymore? Was it asking too much of his vampire wife to have a life similar to this? It was something he could not answer.

"Here's your cocoa," Carol said later after setting before him a steamy mug at the dining table.

"Thanks," he said and sips it, noticing she put marshmallows without his asking. "It's good."

"Oh, thank you."

"I really like the marshmallows."

"Huh?"

"The marshmallows; I see you put in marshmallows."

"Oh, bugger! Did you ask for any? Oh no."

"No, it's okay, really? If it's a money issue, then..."

"It isn't that, it's an old habit of mine back when I was kid; anyway, I'm glad you like it. Oh, before I forget, you'll be pleased to know I heard on the CB radio that a trucker will be here shortly, so it looks as though you'll be getting your ride up the mountain, after all."

"Thanks. You're…you're a good person, I really appreciate everything you're doing for me; heh, you know, you kind of remind me of another blonde that I know. She's works as a maid and is a bit nervous, but she's good people."

"That's good to hear, and it's no problem; enjoy your drink and let me know if you need anything," she says and was about to leave when Tsukune, still overcome by the down home feel of this place, as well as Carol's childhood pictures, says:

"Actually, there is something you can do."

"Like what?"

"...This is stupid," he grimaced, feeling forlorn and confused as to why he even wanted this from her.

"Anything you'd like; just say it."

Where to begin; a part of him was still reluctant to tell her anything, thinking it was unbecoming of a man to just talk about his troubles and that there wasn't anything she could do about it, anyway. Maybe, it was because this atmosphere reminded him so much of home, his home, where mother and father no doubt worried for him, that he felt lost about what to do.

"Did you want to talk?" She asked, as if she somehow reading his mind, like the role of a mother was almost innate within this stranger. "It's alright; whatever is on your mind, I'd be glad to hear it, as you can see I've got nothing else going on!"

"Er, um, I just wanted to say that...this place is the nicest I've been in."

"It is?" She chuckled. "This dreary place? It's nice, but it could use some improvements!"

"It's nicer than what I've been to. It...It almost reminds me of home."

"Oh," she replied, taking note of the strong, yet bridled emotion in his voice. "Well, we try to maintain a wholesome abode for weary travelers like yourself."

"'We'?"

"Hm, my father and I; this is a family business, we own it. Well, actually he owns it, I just manage it on a day to day basis."

"Oh, so isn't just you, then?"

"No...No."

"He looks like he's a nice guy."

"Pardon?"

"Er, your father. See, I sort of..."

Tsukune glances over at the fireplace toward the family portraits placed overhead, and noticed her rosy face turn pale, for some reason.

"Oh," she said quietly, a note of forlorn and regret hidden underneath. "Those."

"I didn't mean to pry, they were just…"

"Oh no, see when father built this place, he thought they would bring a certain ambience; but, I really should take those down. I know a company that supplies family portraits of random people, those would be more appropriate."

"Well, if you don't mind me saying: you have a great family. Have no idea how lucky you've got it."

"...Thanks," she quietly replied; Tsukune assumed it was out of a shy, modesty on her part.

"...For the record," he continued to say, "I am glad I stopped by here."

"You...you needn't say all of that," she replied softly. "Really, it's all..."

"CAROL!" Roared a loud, angry voice that pierced the solitude of the moment. "What the blue hell are you doing down there! Flirting with another guest as usual, as if anyone would want ya!"

Looking up the stairs, Tsukune could see the source of all that foul screaming hobbling down to join them and beheld what looked to be a fat, decrepit old man hunched over his walking cane whose balding visage glistened against the firelight with some clear, oozing sweat, and a fiery glint in his blue eyes, which ignited with anger on the setting.

"Why aren't you busy fixing my meal like I ordered you to!?" The angry old man raved.

"I have already put it on the fire, it'll take time," she very calmly, yet forcefully replied.

"Could have fooled me by the way you were standing there, making idle chit-chat with another witless vagrant! Get in that kitchen you hideous, female ape and don't let me see you again until I get my damned food!"

"Hey!" Tsukune intervened, standing up to confront this irate guest. "Don't talk to her like that, she said your food was cooking, so wait!"

The old man looked at Carol with a wry look that bordered on unsettling.

"Imagine that," the wretched miser said, "you have some gallant oaf to fight your battles for ya, now eh? I say oaf because he doesn't appear to have much going on in that head of his or else he'd know he weren't defending no princess!"

"I'm going to get your food right, now!" Carol tells him. "Just, please calm down while I bring it out."

"DON'T TELL ME TO REMAIN CALM!" The man bellowed, stamping his cane down hard on the steps as if making his word final. "NOW GET MY FOOD AND IT HAD BETTER BE COOKED PROPERLY!"

Tsukune wondered who this person was that would dare interrupt the peace he felt, the first peace in so long, and come barking orders at this nice lady as though he owned her. He wondered why does she put up with it; put up with someone who is so abusive, when she can easily kick him out? It baffled him at how this small, weak human would have an ego that rivaled Moka, his own bitch of an ex-wife, and were it not for his advanced age and handicapped status, Tsukune would use Carol's brief absence to forcefully evict this fool before he threatened his solitude, any further.

**Weak, **a voice in his head insulted, making him feel shame for allowing this man's age to be an issue.

"So?" The old man asked, hobbling his way towards him.

_Do not come to me, _Tsukune secretly warned, but this troll-like man couldn't read the warning etched across his face and helped himself in front of him.

"What pre tell is your story?" He asked Tsukune, smiling with a sickening swagger. "What would bring your sorry carcass to this run-down, rambling shack? Was it to romance _her_? Ha! You'd be better off with a jackal, assuming there are any on this waste you peoples call a nation!"

"What I do is none of your business, _old man_!" Tsukune spat back, a response that surprised him a little bit, as it was beyond his usual nature to respond with that much hostility.

"Oh my," the old man said, whose expression, which was of a mock astonishment that seemed so vaguely familiar, that he could have been the spiritual double of another, vile person he knew, "well, Carol has finally found herself a tiger! Tell me, have the two of you done it yet? Ar-are you every bit the tiger in bed? Hehehehehehe!"

**Kill him, **a voice said in his head.

"...I'm just trying to enjoy my drink until I can hitch a ride," Tsukune said through great control on his part, but some inner level of pride and anger, seething to come out to check this fool, made him feel more ashamed than in control. "I would appreciate it if you left me alone to my business."

"Hitch a ride, well why didn't you say so sooner, I can take you to where you need to go! Give me a sec, I'll hitch up old Carol to my carriage and we'll get you there in no time!"

"You son of a…!" Tsukune yelled, almost leaping to his feet, ready to unleash his vampiric side upon him, but his common sense, threatened to desperately to reign him back in, a reminder that this person wasn't worth it, any more than Moka and Gin had been.

"Sit yourself down you worn out, sorry excuse for a man," the old man nonchalantly warns, "she ain't worth being sent to the lethal injection chamber for attempted murder, which is what you will surely face if these jap-asians follow common law out here!"

"Look, I know you this may not have been the best vacation for you, but what gives you the right?" Tsukune asked. "What gives you the right to barge in here and start abusing everyone else here like they're your own servants? You're a guest here; a _guest_! This isn't your place and you don't own her!"

"...What gives me the right?" The old man asked, visibly astonished to be asked that question by the likes of him. "What give _me_ the right? I built this place you sorry son of a bitch; I own the damn place, and I own her!"

Tsukune was confused at first, wondering what this old man was saying or if he was delirious and confused. But, upon seeing the vicious conviction in his eyes after making that statement, the revelation suddenly hits Tsukune like something violently and sick, immediately turning his shocked eyes to look at the photos again, then back at him; her father.

"…H-Her father?" He asked, but more to himself.

_It can't be! _ Tsukune thought, for how could this cold, evil old man who would call his own daughter an ape, be the same one in the pictures.

"What did she tell you, that I was dead?" Her father asked. "Hmph; vulture! The whole reason she stays here and torments me so is to wait until I die so she can inherit the insurance on me and on this place! JACKAL! YOU CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I BUY IT, CAN YOU, YOU SICK WORM! WHERE'S MY DINNER; YOU PROBABLY POISONED THAT, TOO!"

"...I don't under...," Tsukune stammered, still overwhelmed, but fortunately Carol hurriedly returns with her father's steaming broth.

"I'm here, I'm here!" She replied. "Take your meal!"

"Eat it!" He demands.

"Pardon?"

"You heard me or are you becoming conveniently deaf in your increasing age!"

"For god's sake, there is nothing wrong with your food, you're being irrational!"

"Am I?" He asked and casually slaps the bowl from her hands, making it spill all over the floor.

Tsukune snaps from his shock and stands up, threatening to intervene, but Carol stops him.

"It's alright," she says.

"No, by all means, let your dupe jump in and finish the job of offing me just so he may plow into your skirts and share in the spoils you two plan to reap from my passing; I've lost my appetite! Oh, I find you carousing about downstairs with every suspicious looking stranger that stumbles along like a common harlot, forget to mention you have a father, instead puts on a show of this distressed damsel, playing host to a crazy, old man who happens to have a lot of money invested in this dump and I'm not supposed to believe there's some sinister purpose going on that I shouldn't be aware of?"

"Are you mad?" Carol asked, kneeling down to clean up the mess he made. "There's no more money to be had in this place or with you and you know that."

"I was mad to have created you."

"S-Stop it," Tsukune muttered, but the old man continued.

"Mad for having stuck around to be your father all for the sake of that harpy you call a mother; look at you, on the floor, on your knees just like her. Pathetic form of life! All you'll ever be is just like her: a whore!"

"That's enough!" Tsukune said aloud. "Go."

Her father, scoffing in derision and feeling self-righteous in having put his conniving daughter in her place, hobbles back upstairs, but not before repeating loud enough for her to hear:

"That's all you'll ever be! Just a whore!"

Unable to find the words for what he just saw and heard, Tsukune tries to help Carol clean up, whom tried to hide her embarrassment and scarred pain from him.

"...You're probably wondering," she began to say, picking up the pieces of her ceramic bowl, careful not to touch the scalding hot soup with her bare hands. "I know you are, I can see it in your face: what happened to that picturesque family you saw on the fireplace?"

"...I wasn't going to say anything," he muttered.

"But, you wanted to; they always do."

Tsukune stops what he's doing, looks up and asks: "….Your _father_?"

"I…Um…H-He wasn't always like this, there was a time when he was a very, very different man. He was kind, warm, loving and a hard worker; every time I saw him he'd smile, like he was happy to see me, but it seemed like ages ago. He moved us out here to Japan when I was 12 as part of some dream he had with running a Japanese Inn after spending a summer out here one time. You should have seen him, the big dreamer, it was so funny looking at him back then. But, we were happy."

"Then how? What about your mother?"

For a moment, he could've swore he saw what looked to be anger, and venomous hatred in the shadow she tried to maintain over her face until she was finally able to walk away from him. It filled him with dread, hoping it was something other than that, even going so far as to hope she had died and he was dealing with the loss.

"...One day," she began, "this Burt Reynolds wannabe stopped by, and she never looked back. Oh, but you must understand that she _was_ happy, she'd found her dream man: a cheap, Burt Reynolds knock-off or so he tried to be. If that wasn't bad enough, she helped him make off with half the money father had invested in this place and left us high and dry."

"Sorry," he said in a gravelly voice, sighing heavily, wearily as he slowly brought the remaining shards to her. "I've been there."

"At first he blamed himself for her leaving," she continued without pause. "He thought that if had been a better husband to her, a better lover, if he had been this or that and everything she would wanted in a man then she wouldn't have left. I don't know to be honest, I don't know what would've kept her from going, but...it certainly wasn't either of us."

"CAROL!" He boomed downstairs again. "YOU BETTER GET TO WORK ON THAT BROTH, YOU LIZARD WOMAN!"

"You don't have to put up with this," Tsukune muttered to her.

"He tried to kill himself once," she continued. "Caught him trying to down a bottle of pills; they were able to save his life, but the damage was severe, that's why he uses a cane. Since then he's grown more and more hostile towards me; he's convinced that I am the source of all his miseries, my mother's daughter; at least he no longer blames himself. I can't leave him, Tsukune. Despite how he treats me, his hatred of me keeps him going. You said you've been where I am, then you surely you understand why I can't leave him?"

"But, you don't deserve this."

"You're right," she said with firm conviction, "I don't.

Suddenly the atmosphere, which had once been warm and comforting, became so unbearable that to Tsukune it suddenly had become indistinguishable from outside.

"Brrrrr!" Said a short haired, blonde woman, bundled up in a jacket and jeans having just shown up out of the blue. "Must be close to 30 degrees, Carol. Got my mug ready? Got the meter running and I'm on schedule, can't stay too long to chat, truck's running and everything!"

"Oh Anko, here," Carol responds, handing her a silver mug.

"Put it on the company tab," Anko replies and prepares to leave.

"Wait, Anko this is Tsukune Aono, he's looking for a ride up the mountain; I told him you were going that way."

"Up the mountain, huh? Where to?"

"Yuki Pass," he replied, but the very name itself seemed to send a frostier chill through the room.

"You want me to take you through there, kid?"

"Just where the road divides; I'll hike the rest of the way."

"You do know it's a dead end, I mean no one comes back from there."

"I can make it. Do I have a ride or not?"

"Okay, let's go. Thanks for the coffee Carol."

"Sure. And, Tsukune...I wish you luck."

"Yeah," he grumbled.

"CAROL!" Her father's voice came thundering down the stairs, reminding Tsukune that he was still here, and always would be.

"You better get going," Carol suggested. "Anko doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Tsukune looks at Carol, his eyes as dejected as they once were, his feelings unclear, but far from levity.

"Don't blame him for how he is," she quietly says to him with a thinly veiled bitterness that sounded alien to a woman whose voice had always sounded upbeat. "I don't. I don't blame him at all."

"CAROL!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Carol called back and quickly disappears back upstairs, leaving Tsukune alone in the lobby, staring, just staring after her, never once forgetting the man in those photographs sitting atop their fireplace, and how he felt.

A sharp horn blast from Anko's truck gradually brought him out of his stupor and he hurriedly hops into her truck. The brief exposure into the deepening cold did little to affect him except bring a welcomed relief from that "cozy" atmosphere he was in, and once in the truck's cab, with its heater and comforting seats, it felt like nothing to him.

"You got anything warmer than that?" Anko asked.

"No," he replied.

"You should have asked Carol for a coat, I'm sure she would have loaned you one, folks leave their coats here all the time."

"It's okay, I'll manage."

"You sure? Carol won't mind if you ask her, she's a nice lady, though for the life of me, I don't know why she puts up with that father of hers. I guess I'll never understand a relationship like that, know what I mean?"

Tsukune doesn't respond or makes any effort to go back, instead remains in his seat and tries, in vain to relax for the long, cold journey.

**Two Hours Earlier...**

After Yukari's miraculous recovery, everyone had gathered around in awe and affection, most especially the two women who mattered almost as much to her as her own mother, Ruby and Moka Akashiya. Once everyone had calmed down, and with Yukari's full recovery now guaranteed, they went to prepare for the long trip over to the U.S., to reunite with their remaining missing piece to their puzzle. Yukari, sitting comfortably in bed with her puppy resting loyally on top of her, was reading a magazine as though nothing had happened, all while Mr and Mrs. Sendo continued to look on in astonishment, but concern.

"I still can't believe how well she's taking," Mr. Sendo whispered.

"Indeed," his wife replied. "I wonder. Yukari, is everything okay?"

"Mm-hm," she replied. "Mama, I think little Yuki oughta to go home with you."

"Yuki?"

"My dog; remember?" Yukari replied, holding him up and then looking at them like they're the ones who are acting strange. "Guys, I'm alright."

"You sure?" Her father asked. "I mean, you did just come out of a coma."

"Read my mind; you can tell!"

"We want to hear it from you," said her mother. "It shames me to admit, but we found out that you've advanced yourself so far in your skills that you can resist even our efforts."

"Oh...Sorry."

"No, it's okay," her father laughed. "Actually, we couldn't be more proud. You've become quite strong."

"Thanks. Mother?"

"Yes dear."

Yukari puts down the magazine, her usually playful face now serious, and hands over Yuki to her dad, before flat out saying:

"I know what you're planning."

The witch couple glances at one another.

"I don't know what you mean?"

"C'mon, mom I wasn't born yesterday! I overheard what you were planning with Ms. Kurono and Mrs. Aono."

"…Dear, I know this...Moka is your friend and all, but she must..."

"Pardon my French, but dammit mother, I'm not stupid!" Yukari responds.

"Excuse me?" Her mother asked.

"Yukari!" Said her father.

"It's like you guys said, I've gotten stronger in my abilities and while I was unconscious, I was still able to read _her_ mind when she was standing over me; I know, I know what you two know!"

The couple glances at one another again.

"What are you trying to say?" Her mother asked.

"What I'm saying is that...I know what has to be done, but you can't go through with this...It has to be me who does it."

"...Pumpkin," her father whispered. "You know what you're saying?"

"Moka and Tsukune are my friends, I know them better than either of you! And...what happened to me kinda makes it personal."

"Yes, but Yukari," her mother pleads, "you just woke up, you're a little weak, I don't think you should be undertaking this mission."

"Mama, papa, I'm fine! Really, I am! To be honest, I've gotten tired of lying in bed for the last couple of days, what with everything going on; I'm ready to go, again! Besides, I've been working with potions and I know how to get certain items to make this work!"

"I don't know."

"Mama, papa...let me do this. I know the plan, and I can see to it that it's done down to the letter. You can trust me."

The couple glances at one another, and then back at their daughter, whose gaze remained unwavering in her conviction.

As this small family of conjurers debated amongst themselves, elsewhere Kasumi Aono waited nervously and impatiently on the front steps, the cool, night air becoming a strangely welcoming atmosphere for her mood, as on the eve of departure her shoulders bore more than she had brought into this school with.

"Oh; Mrs. Aono!" Moka said upon coming outside. "I didn't know you were...I'm sorry."

"Please, you can call me Kasumi; really, I don't mind."

"Thank you."

"...You look different," she remarked, noticing Moka fixed up her long, pink hair into lengthy pony tail. "You change your hair?"

"You like it? I wanted to look different if we're going to meet Tsukune and that...I thought I should look decent. It's too much; I should change."

"No, no, no! You look fine. I think my son will be very happy to see you, no matter how you look."

"Thanks."

The two women sat on the steps together in uncomfortable silence, nervously wondering, and hoping that what lies ahead will work out for all of them.

"Mrs...Kasumi?"

"Yes."

"...What does it mean to have…courage?"

The question was an odd one, strange even this already frazzled mother, who didn't know how to respond.

"Is it the same as having fear? That, when you face your fears, that is courage?"

"Um...I don't know. It's not something I often think about."

"Do you experience fear?"

"...Yes; every day since quite recently, I imagine."

"So, what you're doing now, fighting your fear about Tsukune and the current state of your family; this is courage?"

"Where is all of this coming from?"

"...I don't know if I've ever experienced courage before, never had reason to."

"Don't be silly, you're brave."

"Brave yes, but...that's only because of my power. I've never experienced real fear, fear humans like you face, and so...I guess I've never had real courage to rely on, either. Does that make me a bad person?"

"Moka, dear, of course it doesn't! You've had courage, it's just you've probably never even knew you had it. That's sometimes how it works, you think you can't do something, but then when the need arises you do it without ever realizing it and...I'm confusing you, am I?"

"Yes," Moka giggled.

"Right. Sometimes, courage comes to all of us when we least expect it to, and I would imagine it happens to your people too; if it hasn't for you, then it will. You have to have faith."

"Faith?"

"Yeah, faith; you have to believe that when the moment counts, you'll find your courage to do what's right. How was that?"

Moka smiles and says: "It helped, thanks."

"Um, I'm afraid its patience that I seemed to have the hardest time in dealing with."

"Patience?" Moka asked, surprised and admired that Kasumi shared her aversion to it.

"Yes, I can't see how you can stand it; this waiting is killing me!"

"I don't care for it, either!"

"Is that so, huh? You know, if I could, you and me can take Koga's truck and go joy riding all the way over to Vegas right now."

"That would sound like an adventure!"

"Yeah, well this whole ordeal has felt like an adventure, especially when you consider how not too long ago I was a simple housewife. Maybe all of this is beginning to rub off on me!"

"You wouldn't mind telling me what that's like?"

"What is?"

"Being a housewife. Honestly, I've always wanted to impress you with my home cooking and show you how good a wife I can be for your son."

Kasumi places her hands on Moka's shoulders and stares with tears in her eyes.

"Oh!" She began to weep. "You will be the perfect wife for my baby boy!"

"Mrs...Kasumi!" Moka cried as she was hugged, tightly and painfully.

**Hours later...**

The snow had become fierce and blinding as the truck drove slowly up the mountain, and while their small talk had been mind-numbing, it was the driver's choice of listening material that only added to the misery raging outside.

The entire drive, Tsukune had been subjected to the most degrading crap he had ever listened to on a radio, not because of the music, but of their subject matter. It seemed like every song was about heartache and breakup. Somehow, Anko's radio was able to pick radio stations from white trash background, and some of it seemed to talk so much about cheating that he tried to ignore it, and yet it did little to dull the pain.

"There any way you can change the channel?" He asked, wearily.

"What's the matter, don't like a little culture?" She joked, but he didn't respond.

Later on, she began listening to some talk show that dealt with respecting women and the crap men do.

"Let's talk about infidelity," the male host said while in some group discussion. "One of our listeners had problems trusting every man she met, and she wanted to hear what we have to say on it."

Anko seemed to take a keen interest in the subject and upped the volume.

"Yeah," one of his female guests replied, "you know we're going to have a little somethin', something to say on that!"

"All guys are dawgs!" Said another woman. "Plain and simple! You know they're never, ever gonna commit!"

"Hm, mm, you said it!" Anko acknowledged.

"It is a damn shame when men don't appreciate the women in their lives," the host said. "A man once told me it's in our dna, that we must play the role of alpha dog in the relationship and alpha dogs go out and hump."

"Hump," one of the women joked.

"Yeah, that's right hump as many bitches there are out there; not that I'm saying any of you are bitches, just saying."

"That's the only women they prefer," she said. "And it colors their view of all women! Got a great, fine woman at home, but disrespect her and go out looking for another bitch. And, and I think its sad men have to feel like they're the hunter gatherers, going off to claim anything with a vagina!"

"Hold on there, we got a call," said the host. "You're on the air; what do you got?"

"Yeah, I'm a big fan of your show," said a male guest. "But, I've been listening to your discussion about men cheating all the time and I...well, what about the women? We can't forget the ladies who cheat on their man all the time."

"Well, that's a little different from when a man cheats," said the host. "When women cheat, it's because she's not getting the love she needs at home."

"Mm, hm," said one of the women hosts.

"Where else are we going to get the love and respect we want if you're always out working, and getting drunk with your bros," said the other woman, of which her colleagues seemed to laugh. "Don't deny it, you do it all the time!"

"So, that makes it alright for you to cheat on us, but wrong for us to cheat on you?" The caller asked.

"What I'm saying is that women are more often than not forced into the situation by their man," the host said. "If you're worried the lady in your life is thinking about drifting away, looking at other men and having second thoughts about your relationship, then make the effort to remind her why she fell in love with you in the first place, and I guarantee you she won't leave. We got another caller online: you're on!"

"I just want to say I love you guys and you are absolutely right!" Said a female caller. "I think it is all a man's fault that his wife or girlfriend has to cheat on him."

"Mm, hm," the hosts all agreed.

"I mean, why else would she do that; know what I'm saying? Obviously, there's trouble going on at home, her man's probably looking at other women, anyway, and I just want to add..."

"Stop the truck," Tsukune said.

"What?" Anko asked.

"Stop the truck!"

She looked outside, and then back at him as if he was crazy.

"Are you nuts, we ain't even there yet, and you want to get off here?"

"Yeah, I want you to let me off here!"

"Look, kid if what I'm listening to bothers you that much, I'll change it; no need to go die of frostbite on account of...HEY!"

Tsukune, fed up with her, thrusts open the passenger side door and threatens to jump out, forcing Anko to stop the truck so that he may leap out and immediately begins trudging through the bitterly cold snow alone, determined to brave the frigid air in his flimsy clothing, rather than sit in that truck, listening to that radio at the indifference of the driver, and feeling close to losing it again within that tiny cabin.

**What did those idiots know?** A dark, and bitter voice wondered. **They all sounded so egotistical, so arrogant and apathetic when they were really such ignorant peons. **

He didn't want to hear others imply that he was the screw up or make him feel wrong about everything, it took all of his measure to avoid from getting all worked up over it again.

Now alone, he had to make the long trek towards Mizore's snow village on his own reserves of power, which were steadily dwindling.

XXX

"Ms. Sendo," said Keito, "I really think you should reconsider."

"Yuki, calm down!" Yukari giggled at her puppy, who joyously licked her face as she gathered all of her things from the room. "No, you can't come with us, but we're be back. Keito and Deshiko will take good care of you."

The two PSC soldiers looked at one another, shocked at the role she was giving them.

"I beg your pardon?" Keito asked.

"Is that going to be a problem?" Yukari asked more forcefully, the tone of her voice causing the two women to reflexively clench their butt chicks out of fearful hesitation.

"N-No, m-master," Deshiko responded.

"Everything ready?" Moka asked, still a little timid around Yukari, afraid she might not really be glad to see her.

"Oh, hi!" Yukari happily greets. "Yeah; excuse me! That'll be all, you two."

"But, Yuka...," Deshiko argued, but one glance from Yukari was enough for Keito to usher her younger cohort away, leaving witch and vampire alone.

"Wow, how were you able to get them to leave, like that?" Moka asked.

"...Let's just say I know how to work them," she replied, the comment rife with some form of innuendo that Moka was not aware of. "So, you want to join me; I was just about to head downstairs and join everybody by the bluffs."

"You're sure you'd want me with you? After everything, I mean."

"Don't worry about all of that, once we see Tsukune again..."

"That's just it, I'm not sure he's going to want to see me, again; and even if he does, I can't make him understand that what happened wasn't me."

"Then luckily you'll have me along. I can be _very_ persuasive!"

Moka heard a chuckle escape from her lips, the first time such a thing had happened in quite a while, making her realize just how dearly she'd missed Yukari's companionship.

"I guess things will work themselves out," Moka responds.

"Come on, walk with me."

Yuki tries to leap on her leg, keeping her from going, but Yukari ushers him back.

"I'll be back," she whispered to the little dog. "You don't need to worry this time; I'll be okay."

As if reaching her four legged friend through some telepathic link, the dog obeys and watches sadly, but confidently from the doorway as its master heads down the hallway.

"So," Yukari says. "What are you going to do when you meet with Tsukune?"

"Well, don't think badly of me, but...I'm going to wrap my arms around his neck and bite him!"

"Really?" Yukari laughed.

"Mm, hm; I haven't had his blood in a long time! Just thinking about him makes me _so_ hungry."

"That's no surprise, his is the only blood you'll have. So, are you two going to get married?"

Moka thought on it hard, as though it was something that was long overdue, yet denied by troublesome events, and says:

"Yes; maybe no right off the bat, there are still things we need to work out first, but…once that taken care of, we will. We should have been, long ago. You think I would have made a good wife and bloodmate to him, don't you?"

"Sure I do."

"You're not just saying that, are you?"

"You know me, of course I meant it, as boobzilla would probably say about herself: you're the ONE, the only one, and don't think you're not, because you are."

"That's good. I know I am, I just like to hear someone else back me up on it."

"What matters is what you and Tsukune think, that's what'll be important in the end; trust me."

"What me and Tsukune think," Moka echoed thoughtfully, unsure if one half of her is onboard, but with Yukari along she felt confident any hurdle could be overcome.

"By the way," Yukari says to her, "this may sound like a weird question, but since you know you want to marry Tsukune, do you know what he likes?"

"OH!" Moka replies. "Um, sure...I...um, I think."

Of all her life being with Tsukune, she figured she knew all there was about him, but knowing his likes and dislikes never dawned on her.

"Relax," Yukari responds, "it's not that hard if you know him like I do. Say for instance, mouth wash."

"Mouthwash?"

"Yeah, mouthwash. What's your favorite flavor?"

"Um, cinnamon."

"Cinnamon?" Yukari asked, making a face.

"What's wrong with cinnamon, it tastes nice."

"You like cinnamon flavored mouthwash because it tastes nice?"

"Well yeah, plus it kinda looks like blood or something like that. You don't think he'd like it?"

"No."

"Oh," Moka replied, feeling down that the two of them wouldn't be sharing mouthwash every morning like some romantic couple would.

"You better get a mouthwash he likes, then."

"Well, what flavor mouthwash does Tsukune like?

"Mint."

"Mint flavored?"

"Yep, mint."

"Oh, okay. You sure he wouldn't be willing to share?"

"Yes!" Yukari said, impatiently.

"Okay, mint flavored mouthwash it is, then."

They walked in silence, but Moka couldn't help, but notice Yukari constantly looking at her, as if waiting impatiently for a response to the notion that Tsukune preferred mint like it was a deeply important issue.

"What?" Moka asked.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Ugh, do you know why he prefers mint over any flavor?"

"Yukari, I don't care about mouthwash?"

"You should!"

"Why is that important?"

"It just is," Yukari insisted, her impatience growing on obsession, and was quickly becoming a nuisance with this little debate that seemed odd to Moka. "As his future wife, you have to know these things!"

"Mint flavored mouthwash is important?"

"Yes!"

"Fine, why does he like mint flavor so much?"

Yukari looked at her with purple eyes full of dismay, which suggested to Moka she might have said the wrong thing.

"Was that not right?" She asked her. "Why is mint such an issue?"

"Oh...," Yukari muttered, then playfully laughed it off, "silly girl, I can't tell you that!"

"Huh?" Moka asked, genuinely confused, however Yukari's giggling was just her way of putting her friend at ease, and quickly she dropped the facade and simply replied:

"...You have to figure that out."

Yukari said nothing else, but Moka could sense the young woman was unnerved and tried desperately to figure out what message, if anything, was her friend and staunch supporter was trying to convey.

"Okay, is everyone ready?" Mr. Aono asked surveying everyone gathered outside. "Do we need to make a list of whose going and who's staying?"

They all looked at him as if this was the dumbest thing he had ever done.

"Uncle Koji," said Kyoko, "this isn't a field trip, we're going to find Tsukie."

"Right, right!" He said, quickly realizing how dumb he sounded.

"Don't pay any attention to them," Mr. Sendo whispered, "I get the same thing from my wife and kid whenever I try to organize everyone."

"Tell me about it," Koji replied.

"So, Kyou is it?" Koga asked him. "You guys validate parking, right; I'm leaving my truck on school property?"

The fox demon casts a most unaccommodating glare at the werewolf, to which he kindly took the hint.

"Just wondering."

"Ugh, the sooner we get this thing taken care of, the better!" Kyou growled. "Where are the ladies of the hour anyway?"

"Why don't you ask them yourself," Akua pointed out as Moka and Yukari walked up to the group.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Ruby said, who runs up to hug Yukari tightly.

"Missed me?" Yukari asked while feeling up her ass and causing her to stiffen.

"M-Master, not in front of everyone, please!" Ruby nervously hissed, feeling ashamed and embarrassed, but then looked at Moka and immediately her expression turns sour. "So, you're coming after all?"

"Ruby," Yukari said, sternly. "Let's please, be nice; our focus is to find Tsukune, not start a fight, besides we need her."

"Fine," Ruby said, her voice not bothering to hide any vindictiveness, but reluctantly goes along.

Finally, the bus comes roaring out of the tunnel and Ageha disembarks to prep everyone.

"Here are your temporary Visas," Ageha said, handing them out one by one, but then glances at Ruby and added: "Like I said, they're temporary; and, given the favors I had to do, they can be revoked if I deem necessary! Is that clear?"

"You really shouldn't have," Ruby nastily replied.

"Uh, what my friend really means is that we're grateful for your hospitality!" Yukari kindly intervened.

"Mm; it's only through your mother's kind insistence that I'm even allowing your 'friend' here access to my sister's club."

"It's not a field trip, and yet we're all going to Las Vegas on a bus?" Koji asked, pointing out the obvious.

"I can think of worse ways to travel," said Koga.

"This is just to take us to the airport and from there...hopefully, we'll catch a different bus once we're there, right?" Asked Kasumi.

"Oh no, this is all you'll need to get to where you're going," the enigmatic bus driver said after a long huff of his cigar.

"I'm sorry; this is our what?" Kasumi asked. "Seriously, how else are we going to...? Is this some kind of magic school bus?"

"God no," he replied. "That tunnel you see behind me is a portal with forks that diverge into several tunnels all over the world. I can get you to Las Vegas in half the time it takes for your flight to be prepped and loaded; however, the time difference won't be affected and the jet lag will hit you just like a ton of lead weights, so you may not want to go to the pool tables right after you arrive."

"...Like I said, I can think of worse ways to travel," Koga quipped.

"It's really safe, Kasumi," Moka reassured. "We used to do this all the time!"

"Well, okay," she said, nervously holding on to Moka's hand. "However, is he reliable?"

The bus driver humbly bows with a wave of his hat.

"You coming along?" Koji asked Akua.

"Oh no, not yet at least; I am what you might say a wanted woman by U.S. Homeland Security," she replied. "But, I will catch up to you once I've taken care of something, and I know the coast is clear."

"Sounds good to me," Ruby interjected and boards the bus, but the blue haired succubus bars her way and says:

"Remember, you're coming to my sister's club only because I am allowing it; she hasn't forgotten what you did."

"You through?" Ruby asked, and nonchalantly walks past her onto the bus.

"Be sure to dress warmly," Yukari's mother told her, "I hear it gets cold there at night."

"Dear," said her husband, just as worried, but trying to remain strong. "Don't coddle."

"And remember," her concerned mother added, "if you begin to feel...you know, like you're about to faint..."

"Mama! I'm fine, don't worry, I'm with my friends!"

"You remember what to do, right?" Her father asked.

"I do," she replied, and hugs them both goodbye. "We'll see each other a day from now. Take care."

"You do the same."

The two witches watch their only child board the bus, both foreseers of the future and yet unable to ease a parent's fear of what may or may not happen to their child.

"There goes our little girl," Mrs. Sendo said to her husband.

"No, she's a woman now," he said.

Last, but not least stood Kyou, eyeing this misbegotten group with all the eagerness of watching a plague pass by.

"Well?" The Bus driver asked.

"Well, what? You don't expect me to come along; I have no love for the boy!"

"And yet, the more the merrier! C'mon, I know you're intrigued to see how this plays out!"

Growling to himself, the irate fox demon, spurred on by a curiosity he was loathed to admitting, reluctantly hops onboard, and with all seated and ready, the bus roars off into the tunnel; off to where Tsukune Aono was.

XXX

Unbeknownst to them, however the object of their search had only hours ago returned to Japan, just a few miles away and was now trudging through several feet of snow in barely any warm clothing save for a dinner dress jacket. It was evident by the plunging temperatures and shortness of his breath that he was getting close, and yet blinding snow whipping into him made a lucky hunch Tsukune's only source of navigation. The snow blew fiercely against his body, a body fueled with only a half drunken cup of hot cocoa that he had since discarded, all appetite for anything gone just like everything else. What remained important was reaching his destination, this refuge, and yet the trek up the mountain seemed unsurmountable.

Tsukune wondered, bitterly that if he was half the vampire _she_ had wanted him to be, would this be any simpler? But, thoughts of her only fueled his desire to punish his body further, spurred on by an anger that continued to gnaw away at his soul, unquenched and merciless, destroying any common sense that existed.

"I'm weak?" He questioned himself, growling at the words as though he were repeating what some arrogant douche had said to him, even though said douche was himself. "_Weak? _No. No, no, _no!_"

Though his spirit raged with defiance, pushing himself forward with reckless abandon, his body did not share in its drive as it gave way underneath him and refused to go any further.

"I…I'm not w-weak!" He hissed, willing his limbs to obey him. "D-Don't let her w-win. Don't…!"

He was so weak, he had trouble speaking coherently while lying face first in the cold snow continuing to mutter those bitterly cold words, undaunted by this show of physical weakness; slowly losing consciousness.

In the dark recesses of his mind he swore he could hear jingle bells chiming ever closer to him.

_Christmas? _He wondered, most bewildered at the sound and yet in his increasingly rotting soul it triggered some longing memory of celebrating with his family, however miniscule the feeling was, thinking that he was dying. He did not fight his end with all the passion his human spirit would unleash like in older times, in fact there was nary that nor peaceful surrender towards it either, but just indifference.

Death, however had a strange smell to him, like hay and manure, followed by a wet muzzle that nuzzled against his frost bitten face and licked at him.

"Oye, there!" Said a small voice. "Tis' a mighty unwelcoming place for your kind to be lying around in this weather!"

Tsukune's weary eyes strained to reopen, and when they did, he beheld a most unusual sight: a small party of what looked to be gnomes with pointy hats and white beards, sitting in an open sleigh pulled by two reindeer, one of which was currently licking his face.

He thought Moka would see it as weakness, and in fact, Tsukune knew anyone would see it as weakness, that this very same "man", this mighty vampire who couldn't even hold onto his wife much less assert himself against the very man she slept with, was unable to climb a simple mountain, and had now been rescued by a group of dwarfish looking gnomes as they ferried him in their sleigh.

"You...You didn't have to help me," he muttered, voice still weak.

"You certainly weren't in the position to deny any!" The oldest of the party joked.

"I was fine on my own…I am a vampire…I should have done this on my own! Let me off here! Whatever happens to me, I deserve."

"Hmph, he sure sounds like a vampire!" Said one of the gnome's companions. "That or I think the snow has gotten to him; I've seen it happen!"

"Tell me, great vampire?" The leader asked. "Where might you be headed to in such a hurry, wearing nothing but a dinner jacket?"

"...The Snow Village; I have business there, not that it's any of your business!"

"Then, it might interest you to know that we too have business there."

"You do?"

"Yeah, we didn't come all the way from Norway just for the vacation! You haven't heard? The Helere Budokai is about to begin, and for your information it so happens to be a very exclusive affair for the snow people of the world, so you be needing more than your pomp and circumstance to get in."

"Us carrying an injured, lost traveler sounds like a good way for you to enter!" Said one of the gnomes.

Tsukune had no idea what was going on, but it sounded like he had little choice, his worn out bones notwithstanding, his wounded pride however forced to accept their hospitality.

"Tell me, great vampire, do you have a name we can call you?" The leader asked.

"...Aono!" He said, reluctantly.

"They have a first names where you're from?"

"Just Aono!"

"Very well, Aono it be; I be Jorgen, and these are my younger brothers: Jocser, and the youngest, Joninheim! And, believe you me, we were hoping to find a fourth member to join our merry party, as it gets mighty dull looking at these sorry faces for a full ride!"

"Hey, like you're a sight!" Said Joninheim.

"Besides, I can't wait to see the looks on Azar's face when we bring in a vampire to our games; the first of his kind to show up, and as our guest!"

"Azar?" Tsukune asked.

"A big, brutal warrior of the dark elves, rumored to be the most vicious of his kind outside of Valhalla, he is; don't worry, just don't like eye contact with him!"

"Quit worrying the boy!" Jorgen scolded.

"I was just warning him; he doesn't know what he's up against!" Jocser argued.

"You're the one who's scared of Azar!" Jorgen retorted.

"Am not!"

Tsukune blots out their incessant babbling, seeing no other option but to ride along, though loathed by it. However, he needed to reach Mizore's home, for no other reason than to find solace from his anger, peace on the mountain where no one will judge him, as there was none in this world that could offer it to him.

XXX

The bus pulled up just on the outskirts Caro's club, and Kasumi couldn't have been any happier.

"VEGAS BABY!" The Bus Driver shouted. "SLOTS, SHOTS, AND PLENTY OF BOOBS!"

"Would you please keep your thoughts to yourself," Kasumi muttered, holding her stomach and feeling a little worse for wear.

"Feeling that jet lag slam, madam?"

"Just let me off!"

Her ordeal going through that dark tunnel once was harrowing enough, but using that same tunnel to travel half way around the world felt deeply unnerving and unnatural, though she was careful not let that be known with the company she was currently keeping.

"So, this is it?" Koji asked, joining his wife who gawked at this huge building that had a neon picture of a nude, devil woman greeting the guests.

"Okay, this is going to be happy hour," Ageha explained to the group. "Some of you are about to see things that will be...well, less than what you're used to."

"He's...he's in there?" Kasumi asked, growing more and more frantic. "My son is in there?"

"Wow, Caro did alright for herself," Koga remarked.

"You know this woman; is she okay?" Kyoko asked.

"As in?"

"You know, not...slutty?"

"Don't worry about her," said Yukari, and then whispered to Kyoko: "Her niece is a lot sluttier."

"Ha!" Koga laughed. "You'll have fun, trust me!"

"We're not here to have fun!" Ruby said.

"Well, if you're not careful, that will prove to be quite true for you," Ageha remarked. "You're about to enter a succubus' domain, witch; I hope you're prepared?"

"Are you going to take us there or keep up the bitch act?"

While everyone stood around taking in the atmosphere, Moka stood silently, her attention caught by a slight scent in the air, recent and stronger than before, of him, of his sweat and blood wafting in the air every time the doors to the club opened to let in patrons. Without waiting for anyone to make a decision, she ran towards the building.

"Moka!" Kasumi yelled, but soon realizing there was little point in standing around wasting time, hurried after her.

"Well," Yukari said, "looks like we're going into a strip club!"

The rest head up the hill to the Gentleman's Club, leaving their bus driver and relieved chaperone behind.

"Thank Bael," Kyou muttered. "These fools are finally out of my hair! I curse that little vampire bitch for bringing all this drama into my lap!"

"Who says it has to end?" The Bus Driver asked with a grin. "It was fun, working to deliver much needed payback."

"Speak for yourself!"

"Alright, but this 'bitch' and her suitor did humiliate you worse than meatbag ever did; if not for them, your status might have remained un-soiled."

"What is your point?"

"My point is, that I figured you, of all people, would want to take this opportunity to at last redeem yourself against the vampire and wolf?"

"Even if I wanted to, my vampire is headed towards the strip club, right now."

"Doesn't mean you can't take it out on the other one; clone or no clone."

"Well, clone or no clone, she's safely absconded to her brood; I can't get to her."

"That just leaves the other."

"The 'other'?"

"Yes, the other, your old nemesis who, I assure you, is the one and only genuine article."

Kyou looks at his comrade, thoughtfully at first, but slowly growing a little emboldened by what he was proposing.

"Kyou, how would you like to join me on a wolf hunt?" The Bus Driver asked.

"...Tally-ho," Kyou replied with a devilish smile.

Running up the drive-way, passing by irate guests waiting to enter, Moka jumps to the front of the line only to be stymied from entering by a burley monster in human disguise that did little to make him seem less intimidating.

"Back of the line, Miss," he said in a deep, ghetto thick voice, his dark glasses reflecting the look of annoyance in her face, but accentuated his apathy.

"Let me in," Moka insisted.

"HEY, LADY!" Someone yelled behind her. "BACK OF THE LINE LIKE THE REST OF US!"

"SHUT UP!" The bouncer replied.

Finally, Kasumi and Koji had caught up, but the sight of this gargantuan man stopped their momentum.

"Um, excuse me, sir," said Koji. "But, we have to get inside, see our son's in there."

"Congratulations," he said.

"N-No, I don't think you understand," Kasumi intervened. "Our son is in there, right now with the...uh, madam of this establishment."

"Again, congratulations."

"He's my husband!" Moka yelled.

"Ooh, on second thought."

"Braxas," Ageha said as she and the others arrived, "its okay, they're with me!"

"As you wish; right on in!" The burly bouncer responded and graciously allows them all to enter, but was quick to stop one slick guest from slipping in with them.

The place was like stepping into another world, an alien world, where nothing made any sense, every sight and smell assaulting Moka's senses like never before, losing his in the process.

**This is madness, **Moka's inner personality growled with discontent. **What would possess you to come this place, Tsukune?**

The very atmosphere itself was so overbearing that she couldn't even her inner self speak. People of all shapes and sizes bustled about from place to place, taking in some exotic entertainment on stages she'd never experienced before. She could no longer hear her acknowledge their presence of her companions, instead began wandering through the crowds, trying to find some bearing of where to go.

_The bar, _she thought upon catching sight of it in the distance, _maybe they'll know._

XXX

The place was like stepping into another world, an alien world, where nothing made any sense to him, anymore. This was not the tranquil Snow Village Tsukune had remembered from long ago, and yet as his sleigh rode through the bustling streets, full of traffic containing weird and wooly apparitions milling about, there was little doubt that this was indeed his destination. There were beings of every size and shape, from dwarves like his companions, to hairy giants that towered overhead, who crowded the streets before them in such quantity that it put Las Vegas to shame.

"Pull it in up there!" Jocser ordered, spotting a busy little tea house nearby.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Jorgen argued. "I'm the oldest brother! Hmph! We'll pull up there!"

"That's what I just said!"

"No you didn't!"

Tsukune could no longer hear them as his senses were quickly overwhelmed by all of this, wondering what this festival was all about that the snow queen would allow to descend on this once sleepy, little village.

The tea house in question, a lounge bar carved into the ice, was just as crowded, if not as cold, as it was outside.

"Thank Odin's Beard!" Yelled the middle brother. "Now we can get some Meade into this gullet!"

"I don't think they sell Meade out here!" Said Jocser.

"Yes they do," his brother argued. "We're guests, the Yuki Onna of these lands have to accommodate their guests."

"Meade?" Tsukune asked, partially distracted.

"Yes; come, it'll warm your bones!"

He was led to a circular, yet crowded bar where his companion orders to of their largest goblets of this strange stuff, fizzy stuff when someone roughly grabs the gnome from behind.

"Who tha…?" Joninheim asked, but upon seeing his assailant turns silent.

"I thought I smelled dwarf!" Yelled a tall, dark skinned elf like figure, clad in armor and draped with a cloak made out of a polar bear's hide.

"That's gnome, not dwarf you stupid el...!" Joninheim began to argue, but the elder brother intervened.

"A-Azar; m-my what a pleasant surprise!" Jorgen nervously stammered.

"Brother!" His angry brother whispered. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, this is bad!" Whined the youngest brother.

He was a tall, imposing character Tsukune could discern, and he wasn't alone as an entourage of similarly dressed kinsmen accompanied him, with wretched aura of entitlement wreaking from him.

"I thought I told you if I saw any of you 'dwarves' here in my presence..." Azar began to warn.

Tsukune roughly brushed the elf's hand from the gnome's shoulder and said: "Let 'em alone."

Azar looked at his throng, a look of genuine shock that someone would dare lay a finger on him, much less order him around etched across his crimson eyes.

"And, who might you be, boy?" Azar challenged, however Tsukune just turned his back to him, both gestures that served to deeply offend him, while all who witnessed it were shocked and on edge.

"Uhh, this young man is Tsukune Aono," Jocser eagerly answered. "He's new to our ways, so go easy on him."

"Is he?" Azar ominously asked.

_New to your ways_, Tsukune bitterly thought. _That's always my problem._

Tsukune's blood began to churn the more this character continued to hover around him.

"Tsukune Aono, is it?" Azar asked.

"Yes," Jocser replied, "see, he's a..."

"If I needed your opinion, then I'll ask for it, toad! Besides, this _man_ here can speak for himself can he; that's assuming we can call him a man!"

Azar's companions muttered something in some strange, guttural elvis and laughed, while Tsukune slowly turned back around and stared this man in the face.

"LOOK HERE, EVERYONE!" Azar yelled to the crowd. "WE HAVE OURSELVES A GENUINE, CELEBRITY IN OUR MIDST! Yes, I've heard of you!"

"You have?" Tsukune asked.

"Oh yes. You're a man with some of the worst lady troubles on the planet, and by looking at you I can see the rumors about you weren't exaggerated in the slightest; you are a pitiful excuse for a man. Your 'female troubles' are renown even amongst the Dark Elf realm, as a source of amusement."

Tsukune started to ball up his fists, not to mention somewhat confused that someone like him would hear of it.

"Does that anger you, big man? If it did, then please feel free do something about."

"Look," Tsukune started to say, "I don't know what you heard, but…I have had a bad day and I'm not looking for a fight, I just want a drink, so if you don't mind, leave me alone."

"Spoken like a true woman!" Azar yelled out loud and he and his companions, along with a few spectators began to laugh. "Look, you know what your problem is? You're someone who doesn't belong here, in the company of higher level beings far above your station; so, why don't you know your place, big man, before I show it to you!"

"DO IT AZAR, DO IT!" Tsukune heard someone in the crowd cheer.

"HAVEN'T SEEN A GOOD BEAT DOWN ALL DAY!" He heard another one say.

"Now," he added, "the very sight of you offends me, and I would appreciate it, greatly if a cowardly worm like you were to disappear from it. I suggest leaving this village all together and back to whence you came!"

This entire time Tsukune Aono has been the ass of everyone's amusement; heckled, harassed, humiliated with nary a reaction to save his own pride, and the one time he did react was taken out on Kurumu; but the people who deserved his full, unbridled wrath? He never knew why, it was an answer that eluded him, even now. Yet, he reminded of his less than stellar reaction when the door to his bedroom opened to a stupidly, grinning Gin and _her_, laughing at him, while he just stood there.

_Why __**did**__ I just stand there?_ He asked himself, as though he felt everyone else thinking the same.

However, of all the people who have been in his face so far, none had really gotten to Tsukune than this Azar, with his smug superiority, of being told to "know your place", those obnoxious eyes looking down on him, and, perhaps most importantly, his long, flowing silver hair. Something snapped, and Tsukune knew that this time there would be no walking away.

"I got a better idea," Tsukune said menacingly, stepping up to the towering elf's face. "Why don't you make me leave?"

For a moment, the big elf didn't look like he would do anything and Tsukune strangely began to feel disappointed that he won't be getting the sweet release of his pent up rage, after all. But then, Azar gives him a sharp kick that sends him flying across the entire room and landing on some tables.

"Oh dear, oh dear!" Jorgen panicked.

"That was quick," one of Azar's companions said, but was surprised to see Tsukune stand back up, visibly unscathed and with what seemed to be a menacing grin on his face.

"So, is this the power of a big man?" Azar asked, unimpressed. "How pathetic. Mighty Vampire indeed!"

Tsukune wipes the blood oozing from his mouth with one hand, with the other hovering just over his other wrist, right where the rosary chain was wrapped.

"I have had a really bad couple of days!" Tsukune growled. "But, I'm glad you idiots don't leave well enough alone! So bad, so in charge, you gotta show it to everyone you think is beneath you when really, you are the inferior ones, even to me! You want to see how bad I can be? FINE!"

With a sharp pull, the chain comes off and suddenly the place is bathed in an explosive burst of vampiric energy as Tsukune Aono changes before everyone's eyes. And, without warning, and in a blink of an eye Azar receives a heavy fist crashing into his gut that slams him through the wall behind the bar.

With everyone left speechless, It was Azar's turn to rise back up and brush himself off, hardly phased by Tsukune's assault, but no less daunted.

"Now that's more like it!" The dark elf said with a devilish grin, forming ice around his right hand into spikey mace. "I've been wanting a good warm up for the match!"

Tsukune goes into his fighting stance, ready to challenge him and end this or possibly end him. For the first time, he felt a calm, excited feeling, a feeling that he can at last unleash all of his anger, his rage on a suitable victim without feeling the least bit guilty. He began to wonder if this is what she meant; that this was the vampire way, a way of life his human parents couldn't have instilled within him, as their way had him getting beaten up, laughed at, and humiliated, with it ultimately taking everything he held dear away.

Had she been right all along? Was he the fool this whole time? These were questions that he still had no answer to, but now he was going to embrace the monster within and find out for himself while he murders this fool before him.

"Um, Mr. Aono," Jorgen whimpered. "Sir?"

With a warrior's yell that silenced the gnome, Tsukune charged at the elf, his foe doing the same, when suddenly a gust of icy wind froze his legs into place, while icy missiles caused Azar to jump back as a woman appears in between them, head bowed, her hands barring the two men from moving any further.

"What is the meaning of this?" Azar yelled, ready to attack the young woman, but a pale hand touches him on his shoulder, stopping him.

"No, it would not be wise to assault my daughter," a beautiful, white haired woman kindly said.

"And, who are you, wench? Who dares interfere and lay their hand on me!"

"Oh, pardon me," she said, quickly removing her hand, yet remaining polite, "allow me to introduce myself: I am Tsurara Shirayuki."

"Shirayuki?" Azar asked, the name readily familiar. "Of the Shirayuki family, friends to the royal household of the Snow Queen?"

"The very same, and as guests to our land it is our hope that you would kindly observe our rules in refraining from fighting until the tournament begins."

"Tsurara," Tsukune muttered, staring at the woman in white as if she were a ghost from some distant, long forgotten past who smiled warmly at him.

"Oh, hello Tsukune Aono," she greeted. "It's most fortunate that my daughter and I came here in time, you would have been seriously hurt; Azar is one of the top fighters of the lands across the plains of Asgard."

"…Your daughter?" Tsukune asked, just now catching the word and looks carefully at the woman standing before him, her head bowed, face concealed behind a mane of beautiful, and hauntingly familiar, lavender colored hair.

"We've been expecting you," Tsurara said.

Slowly, the woman raises her head, and Tsukune locked onto pale blue eyes from a bygone era, eyes that seemed to tug at something within him that he tried to push into some darkened corner of his soul. Her snowy white face and small, pink lips greeted him with the warmest smile he had ever seen, and ironic trait for the snow woman Mizore, whose soft voice spoke his name clearly:

"Tsukune."

XXX

As Moka stumbled through the crowd of horny patrons many took immediate notice, liked what they saw in the pink haired stranger and groped her in the process, and yet she shrugged off all of it just to get information on Tsukune's whereabouts.

**He must be here, **her inner persona said, mindful of the concern in even her voice. **Even in this den jackals the smell of his blood is strong.**

_I smell someone else's, _she replied.

Practically, running headlong into the bar, she literally begins leaning over in a frantic attempt at getting the bartender's attention.

"Whoa, shimmer down, lady!" He says. "The booze ain't going out, yet; just hold on through the night until your shift is over!"

"I need answers!" She yelled. "I'm looking for someone!"

"I know a lot of someones; anybody in particular?"

"Tsukune!"

"What?" He asked, trying to understand what she was saying over the loud music.

"TSUKUNE AONO!" She repeated. "HAVE YOU SEEN HIM?"

"OH! YES!"

The answer brought joy in her worn heart, a joy that turned into relief that at last her ordeal was over.

"Where can I find him?" She asked him.

The bartender was about to respond, but his attention was pulled elsewhere by another woman who approached the bar a few seats down.

"EXCUSE ME!" Moka yelled, irritated.

"Look, I don't know, but maybe she might know something! HEY!"

As he grabs the woman's attention, Moka looks down the other end and there, locks eyes with someone from her past, but not the person she'd expected. Her hair was a sky blue, eyes violet in color, and a chest was as large as she remembered, but it was Kurumu whose glittered lips parted to express disbelief upon seeing someone she never hoped to see, again.

"Moka," she said.


	30. Chapter 29

**Important Notice****:**

**Before beginning****,**** there is something I wanted to address to you all. I don't know if any of you were aware of and had been keeping with the correspondence between me and Phoenix Helix (if so then hats off to you, because it ran nearly as long as this story), but a lot was said that prompted this to all of you, so as to clear things up****.**** See, the whole purpose for the conversation was to pitch a new OC character that he/she had created named Apollo****,**** a being who is an Ubermensch among monsters that spanks vampires before breakfast, creates law and order by lunch, and makes sweet love to women for dinner; this and immortality seems to make him great enough for someone as "naïve" as Tsukune to be wise enough in taking lessons from to become a better person****.**** The author thought he'd be perfect for this story because he somehow fits with Dr. Kohaku's story about the cat and the dog, especially since, being immortal, he's been married many times only to outlive each wife and fall into despair every time, while dealing with the pitfalls of ruling the monster world after proclaiming himself Emperor, a position he never wanted but obligated to bring order, **_**and**_** to distinguish himself from vampires has mad respect for humanity, yet views them as being too violent, bigoted and ignorant to be dealt with directly. Long story short, while the character had **_**some**_** promise at first, after a while he became insufferable; the more Phoenix detailed this character's, well character, the less enamored I myself became with it. For one thing, the very pretentiousness of said character was a downer, but then there's the fact that **_**every**_** monster in the R+V universe would be so fanatically devoted to this new character that they would gladly commit mass suicide to prove their loyalty (though he would never make such an order, as Phoenix pointed out, it was just a suggestion of their devotion, made by Akasha no less)****,**** but the one thing I had issue with was how his use of segregation had become this necessary evil to racial strife and that the author tried to convince me I should try to see his point of view. **

**Now, segregation isn't new to this series, it's ethics have been addressed before, mostly where Yokai Academy's draconian laws were concerned, to a point where it was openly challenged and with some leniency being the end result. However, after reading any of my works, it's hard to assume that any of you would think I'd be okay with it or recognize its practicality****.**** He/she then suggested I raise issue on the unfairness for the monster characters to be forced into adopting human customs to fit in, as well as highlight human prejudice in general and our many shortcomings as the topic of some sequel, and that I fix it to where the human characters be made to accept the monster's customs in return, it being the only way for coexistence. From what I was told, racial harmony can only be achieved if both groups, out of humility and willingness, view each other in one another's point of view and adopt each other's ways; for example: if all Christians would humbly accept how Muslims see them and accept Islam, and all Muslims accept how Christians and Westerners view them and accept Christianity, there'd be peace in the middle east, or white people accept how black people view them and adopt their culture, and vice versa. I don't know how any of you feel about this; maybe you really do believe this is the way to peace, and some of you **_**do**_** feel the human characters in my story are not fully cooperating with their non-human companions by refusing to adopt their culture; indeed, this story itself, both mine and perhaps all the others going back to **_**The Mighty Vampire Aono**_**, has certainly become an arena of sorts for some war of philosophical ideals. Having such diverse characters interact through simple cooperation without adhering to certain conditions may not seem perfect to anyone, then again most things rarely are****,**** but it still is nonetheless a reasonable attempt at coexistence; things like race, religion, culture are cosmetic to me; people aren't. Unfortunately, my friend deals in absolute and believes one or two good examples do not make change, that it's all or nothing: in a way this is discrimination. Basically, you're saying you refuse to have any kind of meaningful relationship with someone of a different group of people unless your differences are settled in a manner that is satisfactory to your culture. By focusing too much on the negative aspects of humanity, regardless of your justifications, you wind up setting up immeasurable pain, not just for yourself, but for people innocent of whatever wrongs you're concerned with (this coming from experience); and, ultimately this is what brought Tsukune and Moka's relationship to where it is now, no matter how you choose to look at it.**

**What I'm saying is that it's fair I warn you, now: my story, no my belief is that racism, prejudice, and any feelings of self-righteousness or self-worth are in general personal problems. Societal issues are bad, anti-discrimination laws can help provide possible solutions in those situations, but in the end people's feelings have to be altered on a personal level, and sometimes it does, and has taken the positive examples of a few. However, if you put more emphasis on how fucked up everybody else is and less on your problems or wait for the whole world to change before you're willing to change because you've decided to be judge and jury of society in general****,**** then you'll seriously damage, maybe even destroy yourself****.**** This story deals with that dilemma, and the latter will become painfully evident for those characters who feel like the latter, who refuse to open their eyes and see true iridescence, ultimately suffering the most. Also, if there will ever be a sequel then it won't be a repeat about cultural injustice like a broken record, but deal with a completely new topic****.**** As for this and the next chapter in general, we'll take a break from Moka and Tsukune to focus on Sam and Kurumu after he is left in her care, but due to its length, I've trimmed it down to two chapters****.**** To spice things up a bit, I've taken cues from the movies, "Dreamscape" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street". **

**Oh, and for those of you who keep harping about Tsukune being portrayed as a pussy, despite the fact that he had fought Issa to a standstill already, then please be patient as he will be going ****Dog Day Afternoon**** before this story is finished. I know you've all been anxious about it****,**** it's just that I never intended for this story to be about that, but don't worry, you will see him become a victorious, Viking king real soon, m'kay : )**

**However, and I stress this, if you think it's okay to pass judgment on the character right now, then I can be okay in saying that you're being premature; this story isn't even half finished yet. A lot is going to happen before it even draws close to the finish, so just because Tsukune hasn't beaten anyone up or hulled out Moka, don't get ready to call him out as a coward.**

**Chapter 29**

_Calling all Angels_

Sam ate like a prince and was treated as one. Truly, ever since his "brother" Tsukune had left him in the care of such a beautiful, well-endowed woman, who had sought to his every need without anything in return, Sam wondered if he was dreaming. Never, as far as he could recall, had he been treated so well, and for the last few hours they've been laughing it up at the many stories he's told over dinner.

"Y-You have _got_ to be joking?" Kurumu laughed.

"May the good lord strike me dead if I'm lying!" Sam boasted, raising his right hand in solemn oath while cramming a handful of her homemade cookies with the other.

"So, what happened next?"

"Well, old Colonel Habbablap was as mad as we've seen in weeks! I mean his face, his whole fucking face was beet red, literally it was fucking red, and we all thought he was gonna explode all over the place by the time he got to the latrine!"

"Where Private Dugan was hiding?"

"Yep; like I said, it was a dare, he had to stay put no matter what! And, Dugan was sweating and scared, and crying into the walkie: 'Get me the hell outta here! I done shit myself and the Colonel is gonna kill me, and I'm gonna have shit all over me and they's gonna mail me back home to mama with my shit all over me…!"

Kurumu laughed.

"Th-Then what?" She giggled.

"Well, the Colonel finally got to the latrine, only it was locked, see? So, he's banging on the door so loud, they sounded like artillery fire, and he's screaming at the top of his lungs: 'DUGAN! YOU GET YOUR BLANKETY, BLANK OUT RIGHT NOW OR I'LL BLANKETY BLANK YOUR BLANKETY BLANK AND SHIP YOUR REMAINS BACK TO YOUR BLANKETY MOMMA!' And, Dugan is past being scared, he is freaking all out, so I tell him to calm down, I'm getting him out of this mess."

"You got him in this mess in the first place!"

"Yeah, but he didn't know it was me," he replied with a devilish smile.

"Oh, you're bad. So, then what happened?"

"As I was saying, I'm telling him I can get him out if he just repeat what I say, and, and this is what I told him to say, word for word: 'Colonel, you couldn't f**** your way into a wh*****'s cooch if there were instructions written in it, sir!'"

"You didn't?"

"I did alright."

"He didn't?"

"He did."

"Every word?"

"Oh yeah."

Kurumu laughed so hard she almost squirted wine through her nose.

"The Colonel is mad as hell, he's ramming the door now, trying to knock it off its hinges!"

"You didn't leave Dugan in there to get beat up, did you?"

"Oh nah, we got him out. He completed the prank, so we managed to get him out through the window and were careful to close it back, and we got him back into barracks and made it look like he hadn't moved or gone anywhere, made up all these alibi stories and what not so that by the time the Colonel came storming in looking for someone to deliver his neatly lined up knuckles to, that's what he liked to say, we all pretended we didn't know what he was talking about."

"Really? You were able to get away with it?"

"Yeah; no one else was around when it happened and the brass very nearly thought the Colonel was suffering from PTSD and was ready to put him on paid leave!"

"You are bad!" Kurumu laughed. "Oh man, you tell some of the best stories."

"Thanks; and if you liked those, then let me tell you how I got hustled by a transvestite in Korea."

"What's so interesting about that?"

"He had two sets of genitals."

She laughed again, never remembering having had this much fun with anyone before, or spending a dinner with a guy who loved her cooking so much after watching him down an entire plate, his fourth helping.

"You sure know how to polish off your plate!" She comments.

"And, you sure know how to cook up a meal, ma'am."

"You don't have to call me ma'am; just call me Kurumu."

"Well, your cooking has real class Kurumu, you ought to open up a shop and sell them by the barrel load."

"Oh, stop."

"Nah. They never gave us food like this in the service or at the shelter."

"They don't; how come?"

"Because of the man!"

"The man?" She asked, puzzled.

"Yeah. See, it's a conspiracy I tell ya."

"Why would anyone be conspiring against you?"

"It ain't just me, it's all us service men, don't you understand? It's just like Agent Orange, they're experimenting on us, on our brains and genitals for some kind of experiments. And, once they feed you out the meat grinder, you're expendable and tossed out onto the streets to be gobbled up by the church and state, who need government kickbacks through charitable organizations to feed the war machine."

Kurumu looks at him funny.

"You…You believe me, right?"

"Um, yeah."

"Y-You're makin' fun of me."

"No, no, I'm not, I really do believe…"

"Don't make fun of me!" He suddenly snaps, striking the table.

"I'm not, no one's making fun of you!" She reassures him.

"They're always making fun of me; everyone!" He rants, his voice growing louder, making Kurumu wary of anyone being drawn to it.

"Please, calm down."

"They did this to me, man. They did this to me!"

"Calm down; who did this to you?"

"It ain't my fault, goddammit!"

Kurumu jumps up, walks behind him and wraps her arms about his tensed shoulders, trying to massage and use her powers to calm him down.

"Take it easy," she whispers into his ear once he settled down.

His breathing was labored, coming out in short, deep grunts until gradually they become longer and more subdued.

"There," she whispered. "It's alright, I believe you; I do."

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

"It's okay, it's okay."

"It's just…that they make me so, _so_ mad. It wasn't supposed to be this way."

"What wasn't supposed to be this way?"

"I was gonna be a somebody. Yeah, had a plan and everything: gonna serve my country and be hero, be married to a beautiful wife, raise my kids and lead a successful life; it ain't fair, man, it ain't fair what they did to me, know what I'm saying?"

The entire time she against him, soothing his soul, she couldn't help but feel pain and suffering unlike anything she'd felt before, except for maybe her own. It didn't take this to clue her into the fact that there was more going on with him than simple bad luck; he's experienced a lifetime of hardships and she was curious as to what.

"You going to be okay?" She asked him after letting go.

"Y-Y-Yeah. Mm, hm; it weren't nothing, just the mood enhancing drugs they tested on me. Some more wine ought to kill that."

"Yeah, some wine oughta clear that right up; let me get you some cognac."

"…Actually, I'm pretty…pretty tired. Uh, thanks, but I think I better get back to the shelter; the nuns will have my ass if I ain't in bed by this hour. Tell bro thanks for everything."

"Wait," Kurumu says after him. "Why not sleep here?"

"Oh, nah; I don't want to impose. Besides, these days I don't do too much sleeping anyway, that's how they put messages in your brain; found that out the hard way."

"I have two beds, you wouldn't be imposing. Besides, you must be tired; you can't go walking across the city this late! I'm sure the nuns will understand."

"…Well," he said, giving it some thought.

"If you won't do it for me, then do it for yourself," she insisted. "You deserve a nice bed. And besides, you'll be spending it with a gorgeous lady! Please, stay."

"'I deserve'," he said thoughtfully, as if the words seemed almost alien to him.

Kurumu gently helps him into bed, and he makes no effort to stop her, as though lost in his own mind. Sam rests his head on the soft pillow, taking in the wavy motions of the water bed he was on and beginning to drift off.

"Why you be so nice to me?" He asked her.

"Because you're a friend," she replied, pulling off his tattered shoes and repulsed out of concern by the condition of his feet.

"You don't need to do that," he tells her.

"Your feet; here," she responds by massaging them gently. "I know some home remedies and tricks that'll do some good for them, at least."

"W-Why…? Why you trying to be so damn nice to me? No woman wants to be so nice to me, not even the transgender prostitutes on the strip."

"No woman? Not one? You don't have a wife or a girlfriend?"

"…You're not like other women," he muttered, lost in some trance like state. "You're…not a normal woman."

The comment made her stop and freeze.

"W-What would make you say that?" She asked. "No, really what would make you say that?"

"Because, no normal woman would be so nice to me, no woman wants to be with me; never have in all my experience."

"…Then, what does that make me?" She asked with mounting dread.

"…Some angel."

"Oh!" She said with great relief. "Why don't you get some rest; you must be tired. We gotta get you some new clothes, though. Would you like a hot bath?"

"Y-You're too nice," he muttered. "You must be an angel."

"You don't even know…," she tries to say. "You're just exhausted."

"I feel like I'm in heaven," he mumbles to himself in a trance, his eye lids slowly closing. "Hovering over this warrior…lost on the battlefield for so long, never finding rest, never finding peace, and now…now I'm dead, after a long, long fight…Here you are, hovering over me with…mercy…."

At last, he'd fallen asleep, his breathing heavy rather than soft and peaceful, replacing the pitiful ramblings of a battered and broken man, but no less comfortable; still, she chose to watch over him like an angel. As she looked down at him, his posture that of someone whom had never slept before, she gently brushed his matted, blond hair from his weather beaten brow. However, underneath the dirt and grime she saw a man, not much older than her and Tsukune, and her succubus perception revealed a soul that was just as tortured as theirs. In fact, there was little mistaken in that regard, except he had no one; it kind of made her feel lucky in a way, and yet ashamed. Staring at him lying in bed, occasionally turning over in bed, in her heart it looked as though he was all beaten and broken, wanting desperately for someone, somewhere to fix him. Finally, she decides to get up and head outside, leaning against the front railing for a smoke.

She was no angel, Kurumu knew; hardly saw herself as ever being such a thing, much less believed in them. Of all the times she pursued Tsukune, pinned and plotted to ensnare him, fought against her friends, and even ran headlong into the mess she found herself in, there was no angel for her. She was a succubus, a creature of sexual desire, raised to believe that success in that regard meant life or death, that finding a lover to propagate her species was what determined it. No, her kind were no angels, and if there were any angels, they would be loathed in helping her out. And yet, Sam wanted her to be this angel. This broken down man, with a kind heart and brave, with the most beautiful, sad eyes she had ever seen, saw something in her he wanted so badly to believe in, it brought him some peace.

Still, she was no angel; that much she knew.

What could she, this big breasted monster, exiled from home and forced into a demeaning life, offer to this perfect stranger that she couldn't give to her Destined One? Kurumu looked back at the sleeping marine with a sense of calm knowing he was content, but decides to remain outside and smoke the rest of her pack, afraid to make an attempt at salvation, doubt firmly taking root.

_You're wrong about me, Sam, _she thought as she looked at him from outside, _I'm not an angel._

Unfortunately, after smoking only two, Kurumu grew sick of the cigarettes and tossed the remaining pack over the railing in disgust, frustrated by this situation she found herself in, disgusted with herself, and stood there brooding when she began to hear Sam stirring inside. Drawn to his bedside, she could make out incoherent mumblings coming from his mouth as he began to writhe in agony.

She knew something in his sleep was troubling him. A dream, perhaps? Some kind of nightmare?

_I should do something, _she thought. _But, what? Why? I don't know him; he doesn't even know me! But, he's Tsukune's friend; he told me to look after him. _

Kurumu knew that if Tsukune were in her shoes, he'd help the man no matter what; that was the kind of person he was, and her powers could find out what Sam's nightmares are, maybe even ease whatever was afflicting him.

_Would it be for him or for Tsukune? _She suddenly found herself asking. _Or is it for me?_

"What difference would it make?" She argued with herself, aloud. "I can't believe I'm even arguing with myself!"

Sam's grumblings grew louder and more irate, something about a man named Stevens and a cave, then a woman named Irene, pleading with her about something. At last, she couldn't take anymore, she had to do something, unable to simply stand by and watch this man suffer. Kurumu unveils her devilish tail and, using her strength to restrain him without hurting him, gingerly touches his forehead with its tip as she straddles on top, positioning herself ever only a few inches from Sam's face. Her breathing, intense and labored as his, almost hypnotically began to slow his down after becoming synchronized with hers as he went into a deep trance like state; their minds as one.

She soon found herself transported into what one could describe as hell; thick, black smoke rising up all around a rocky surface, canyon walls everywhere with the sky as black as soot while the horizon shimmered ominously with a red, fiery glow, and yet oddly enough could feel the piercing heat of the sun on her neck. Bodies lay strewn everywhere she looked. The sound of gunfire, mortar rounds wailing through the air, explosions thundering the ground beneath her feet and screams, horrible, wretched screams of people dying piercing an air so strong with the smell of death, that she herself could even taste it, etched indelibly on her taste buds and threatening to choke the very life out of her.

"MAHONE!" Someone shouted. "ON YOUR LEFT!"

There, Kurumu saw a squad of American marines dug in a small corner of the canyon, pinned down by these dark, indiscernible shapes that fired down upon them. One man was struck, the round so powerful that his head exploded like a smashed melon, his red insides splattering all over the other men and women of his company, but they didn't stop firing back.

"MEDIC!" One of them shouted, waving over at her. "MEDIC!"

She glances about, wondering if he was talking to someone else, then looks down at her body and finds herself in military fatigues and carrying a medical bag.

"WE GOT WOUNDED OVER HERE! HEY!"

Reasoning she was stuck interacting with what she assumed was a memory, Kurumu dodges gunfire in attempt to reach their location, the situation proving to be still so terrifyingly real that the succubus found it difficult to see this as anything, but. The small outcropping of rocks this small company used for a barricade was barely holding back their enemy, who seemed to be coming out of the very rocks surrounding them from above, as conditions inside their group were even worse: blood stained marines caked with sweat and dirt that threatened to seep into gangrenous wounds, bloated bodies blown beyond recognition, and the very smell of fear, fear if this would be their last day on earth putrefying the air.

"Oh god," she muttered to herself, surveying this scene, losing focus as to why she was here and for whom; only interested in getting out.

"Doc!" Said the soldier who haled her over, snapping her to.

"Uhh….I'm here to help," she said. "What do you need me to…?"

"We got four heavily wounded, but I need you to work on Stevens first, he's lost a lot of blood and we can't stop the bleeding; I need you to stop the bleeding!"

She looked at Stevens, a young African American male, with a gaping hole that ran down his right shoulder and straight through to his hip. Though, there were four others badly wounded, probably worse, this Stevens had to be no older than she or Tsukune was back in high school; a kid, scared and alone, bleeding a giant puddle of his own blood and trembling uncontrollably.

"Wh-What happened to him?" She asked. "How did…What's he even doing out here?"

At which, the officer grabbed Kurumu by the collar and said: "Doc, I need you to focus, okay? That man's life is in your hands and I need him up and running, now that's an order!"

Looking at the boy, bloodied and hovering near death, it brought back memories of when Tsukune was in similar situations back in school, and how they were there to make sure he lived to see another day. It dawned on her just why this officer was so concerned for Stevens: a young man, newly brought to what surely must be a hellish environment, scared and a little naïve; it was his goal to look after him. Just then, she heard what sounded like someone spitting up and looks over to see a marine, mouth awash with blood and vomit, breathe his last.

"DOCTOR!" The officer yelled.

Overwhelmed by this atmosphere, but determined to do what she could for the boy, she nonetheless takes her attention over to Stevens, who by now was beginning to spit up.

"Hold on!" She said. "Everything's going to be fine!"

"D-D-D-_Doc_!" He said. "Am…Am-m-m I going to die? Am I going to die?"

"No! You're going to live, you're going to be just fine, just fine!"

Mysteriously, she had all the knowledge necessary to perform on this boy, knew every instrument in her bag, and yet with all the bullets whizzing by and Stevens begging God not to die, there remained a certain sense of heightened emotion that made working all, but easy.

"WE'RE GETTING HAMMERED!" One of the marines cried. "WHERE IS AIR SUPPORT?"

A mortar round came out of nowhere and the marine was obliterated in front of her eyes.

"OLSON!" Someone cried.

"My father…" Stevens began to pray, "who art…heaven…h-hollowed be…name…"

"You don't need to pray!" Kurumu reassures while she works to close the wound. "I told you, you're going to live, you're going home! I…I'm going to save you, now Tsukune."

"…M-My name is Stevens…"

"Right, right, I'm sorry; it's just you remind me of someone. Tell me about yourself, Stevens, you have…anyone you like back at home?"

"…I, um."

"C'mon, you can tell me," she says, working miraculously to stitch up his wounds. "You don't need to be shy."

"Well…I have a…a girlfriend; we just got married."

"That's good; what's her name?"

"Sandra."

"Sandra, that's interesting name; it sounds very beautiful. I bet she's beautiful, too."

"I want to see her, again!"

"I know you do, I know you do, just hang in there with me, okay? I'm not going to let you die, you're going to go home and…and see the girl you love and you're going to be with her, you know why? Because, you two are meant for each other; it's destiny for you to be together, so don't you give up, now. Don't die."

Suddenly, his trembling abruptly stops.

"Stevens?"

She looks at the boy, but finds to her horror him staring back at her, his dark brown eyes, so beautiful to her, vacant and lifeless as a sliver of smoke rose from the hole a stray bullet smashed had smashed its way through not too long ago, in between.

"…No," she muttered, trembling hands reaching up to touch his tender, smooth cheeks, now turning ice cold, her eyes tearing up as the Kurumu grimly realized she failed to save him, and maybe seeing it as her failure to save someone dear. "_Noo_! Stevens! STEVENS!"

"DOC!" The squad captain yelled. "HOW'S HE DOING?"

He looks back, only to find Stevens dead, the look of momentary shock sort of embodying Kurumu's mourning, who couldn't control herself.

"…I'm sorry," she wept. "I failed you, I'm so sorry!"

And, yet Sam had little time to mourn like she was as a bullet ricocheted dangerously close.

"THEY LEFT US TO DIE, MAN!" A wounded marine cried. "NOBODY'S COMING TO HELP US! WE'RE ON OUR OWN OUT HERE, MAN!"

"Shut up," the captain muttered.

"MAMA! I DON'T WANNA DIE; MAMAAAA!"

"I said, SHUT UP!" The captain yelled and resumed firing at the insurgents who were drawing close.

"Captain," Kurumu says. "CAPTAIN! THERE JUST SCARED! WHY DON'T YOU GET THEM GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE?! WE CAN'T STAY HERE ANYMORE! YOU CAN'T STAY HERE ANYMORE! WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO GET OUT OF HERE! CAPTAIN?"

She begged and begged him, but the man would not listen, too focused on repelling the enemy from their position as long as possible.

"CAPTAIN!" Kurumu screamed at him again, this time out of anger and roughly pulls him around by the shoulder, only to be stunned speechless upon getting a closer look at him, when she discovers that the captain was none other than Sam.

The face was different, smoother and cleaner, with the exception of sweat. She thought at first she was dealing with a complete stranger, yet nevertheless it was those same intense, soulful blue eyes, once filled with abject confusion, now with focus on the situation at hand, that gave him away.

"ON YOUR REAR!" Sam yelled.

"HUH?" Kurumu asked, but is shoved to the ground as Sam opens up on an insurgent that had broken through their defenses and had his sights set on her. "Sam."

"CAPTAIN!" Yelled his Lieutenant. "WE HAVE TO MAKE FOR THE GAP, SIR! THAT'S OUR ONLY OPTION TO GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!"

"THAT GAP IS TOO NARROW, THEY'D CUT US TO PIECES!" Sam roared back. "WE WAIT FOR BACKUP; THAT'S AN ORDER!"

"WE HAVE TO RISK IT! CAPTA…"

His subordinate was cut off by a sudden explosion of fire and smoke that erupted in the center of their crumbling circle. For what seemed like a brief moment, everything turned black like a film she was watching that had been turned off abruptly, and like a movie, every so often the picture would return in short intervals, its sound brief and incoherent. She could just barely make out shadowy figures holding up the bodies of her comrades, dancing and gyrating with adulation. Then the scene would change to the inside a cave where they brutally tortured the few, surviving members. Finally, the feel of ice cold water, coupled with erupting bursts of electricity jolted the picture to where she could make out that she was being tortured by these faceless creatures, who held her head over a bucket of water while attaching power cables to her tits, their cold, clammy metal that she could actually feel pinched so painfully hard that Kurumu's nipples had already become numb.

"…Wh-Who are you?" She tried to ask, trying to bear through the agony while listening to the screams of the men and women in Sam's company screaming elsewhere. "Why are you doing this to us; what do you want?"

But, the faceless beings said nothing, their silence filling her with an overwhelming sense of fear and anger at what they were doing.

"I'm talking to you! ANSWER ME!"

Her only response came from another dunk in the water, followed by an agonizingly long jolt of electricity coursing up from numb, black and blue nipples that rippled through her taut body, before bringing her back up.

"…Please…please…," she begged, but they did it to her again, and again, until her body trembled involuntarily and she felt, out of shame, urine leaking down without her control, into the bucket of water they kept dunking her in.

Suddenly, after a brief interval of unconsciousness, waking up to the smell and caked feel of her own dried urine upon her face, she heard Sam shriek horribly in front of her and soon finds herself watching him being suspended by a rope and a pulley while they carved jagged scars into his flesh with bladed instruments they kept hot in a nearby fire. Every time he screamed they would take a massive 2x4 and smash it across his face, never asking him any questions, almost as if they enjoyed it, that this was some kind of perverse game to them.

The leader, whom Kurumu assumed was in charge, just stood by against the wall watching his underlings go to work on him.

"…W-What are you people?" Kurumu asked this figure, her heart filled with anger at how indifferent this person could be to allow this to happen. "Who are you? We don't have anything you want! Why are you doing this?"

However the leader, barely acknowledging her presence, slowly walks up to Sam and begins muttering something in a language she hardly understood. Sam, apparently comprehending this strange speak, retaliates with a poor attempt in his weakened state to spit in his tormentors faceless mask. This prompts the leader to gesture for his subordinates to retrieve two more soldiers from another room, their heads covered with black bags, their bodies just as beaten up. When he removes the bags, the marines surprisingly resembled two kids, a boy and a girl, both far too young to be in military service, and yet there was something about them that seemed to resonate with Sam. They both bore his blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes, eyes that pleaded towards Sam for some strange reason.

"…No," he muttered. "Please."

Then, it was the leader's turn to remove his mask, revealing a face that was just as shocking to behold, as he turned out to be a woman, a white American woman with brown, chestnut hair and cruel looking hazel eyes that showed little remorse whatsoever.

"…Irene…," he muttered pitifully through a mouthful of blood, almost begging for mercy.

"Irene?" Kurumu asked.

Irene takes out a German luger, cocks it, and aims it at the girl.

"…Da-Daddy," she whimpered.

Sam tried to break himself free, desperation taking over defeat, but there was little use as he had been held suspended for so long that his arms appeared dislocated. With a horrific peal that echoed loudly through the cavern, Irene blows the girl's brains out all over Sam's legs, who roared in anguish, his composure having long since abandoned him and tears finally claiming hold of him, while Kurumu stared in quiet shock.

"DAAAAAAD!" The boy screamed. "Why? Why didn't do something, dad? Help us! …You let us down, dad, you let us down."

Next was the boy, at which Sam finally pleaded:

"Please…P-Please don't hurt him, please. He was our first, please don't take him away from me, I'm begging you, I'll do whatever you want just please…!"

But, his pleas fell on deaf ears as Irene, her eye never leaving Sam's, blew out the boy's brains too. At last, unable to bear any more of this, Kurumu shrieks in fury:

"NOOOOO!"

"AAAAH AAAAAHHH!" Sam shouts, waking up and inadvertently knocking Kurumu to the floor of her apartment. "Whaa, what's….?"

"Sam!" She yells.

"Huh?" He asked, jumping out of bed and getting into fighting position; his military alertness kicking in and taking over his massive confusion. "Someone's in here! Someone…they're attacking! They're attacking! Where's my gun! We need to get into defensive positions!"

"No, no, Sam listen to me," she gets up and tries to reassure. "It was a dream, it was all a dream!"

Sam pauses to look at her, swearing internally that her face was familiar, but by his troubled, blue eyes Kurumu could tell he was really lost.

"Sam; you're still…still in the dream, your dream. Your mind hasn't fully awakened yet."

"Doc?" He asked.

"No, I'm not the doctor from your dream."

"But, you're dead."

"I…Dead?"

"…No, no, I saw your body in the cave, they electrocuted you to death!"

"I'm Kurumu; I need you to remember."

"I…"

Though she tried to explain it to him, her body was still feeling the effects of the dream herself, a phenomena that she couldn't explain to her. Her huge breasts were still cold and numb, causing herself to rub them awake, while she could feel her panties soaked with urine; it was an experience she'd never fully understand. After witnessing so much, and still bearing the emotional scars, her heart ached for Sam, knowing what she felt must be the tip of the iceberg compared to his ordeal. In the dream, she experienced a part of his life that made her want to care for him, to want to bear more of his pain for him; a man who had sacrificed so much, lived through horrors she herself could only imagine, but was rewarded instead with more pain. Whatever happened to him, sapped the will out of this man; it was like looking at Tsukune in a way, as well as herself. And yet, Sam's pain was perhaps far worse: for there were no kids involved in either of their situations.

Slowly, the light of remembrance soon glimmered back into his blue eyes.

"Ohh; what…what happened?" He muttered, rubbing his head in pain.

"You were having a nightmare," she tells him. "But, you're okay now. You're in my apartment, you're safe."

"Oh man. Heh, I probably should have warned you, the government implanted some bug that wreaks havoc on my brain, get me to do things while I'm sleeping that I normally wouldn't; it's because I know things!"

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah, one night I dreamed I was in a fox hole with an insurgent and nearly snapped a nun's neck," he responds, but winks at her and whispers: "But, my noggin is like a steel trap; that haven't gotten me to do shit _that_ sick and never will. You don't need to worry about me."

Kurumu just stares at him, violet eyes full of worry for him.

"What is it?" He asked. "Really, you don't need to be too worried about me, I'm a man with five years of training and experience under my belt, assuming I'm wearing one; besides, they won't dare try anything direct with you, being an angel and all, you'd smite em all to hell, hahahaha! Nah, most likely, they'd…"

"Stop."

"Huh?"

"Just…just stop! Don't you see, you need help?"

"I ain't that fucked up! I've endured worse."

"You don't deserve to live like this! This is not a life for you, to be tormented like this by your dreams, your memories!"

"Nothing a bottle of Hennessey won't cure."

"You've had to put up with a lot, haven't you? The war in Afghanistan, Irene…"

"…How…How'd you know about her?" He asked, the tone of his voice becoming more hushed and shock, as if a cord had been struck.

"She was your wife, wasn't she?"

He didn't respond, but she knew it was the truth as she added:

"You had kids, a family, but wife left you and took the kids, didn't she? Your government abandoned you with these problems you're having, you live out on the streets, and now…your mind…"

"No, no, no, no!" He said, shaking his head. "Don't want to think about that, don't want to think about that, don't want to think about that! Yeah, yeah the government is responsible for what happened. They're the reason why everything in my life's gone to hell, pardon my language! Y-Y-You see, they put something in my head, to control me like they did with…"

"With your squad?"

Sam hesitated, his mind on the verge of going catatonic.

"If they put something in your mind, then…let me get it out," she offered.

"…G-Get it out? How?"

Kurumu gently grabs hold of his hands, which were all shaky and sleek with sweat; she looks deeply into his frazzled blue eyes in a harmonious trance, earnestly asking something without having to speak it.

"…You can trust me," she finally tells him. "You can trust me."

She half expected him to tense up, but his hands almost immediately gripped hers comfortably, as if it went without question. It was good he felt assured about her, but she needed reassurance herself, for what she was about to do. She hadn't done anything this stupid, this reprehensible since the weekend in Hawaii, when she crashed Tsukune and Moka's honeymoon, an act that came close to revealing monsters to the world, but also very nearly got her executed. This time was different, though; then, it was all about her, but now…it was imperative that someone trusted in her for once, for it was about him, someone who needed saving, who needed protection.

It was what _he_ would have done, she reasoned.

"What you think about me, about being an angel," she began to say. "…You're wrong. I'm not an angel, but I'm not human, either."

She paused, nervously searching his mind to see any kind of hint that he'd react to what she was about to say, and yet he continued listening in quiet anticipation, patiently granting her the time needed to speak her mind.

"…Sam…before I can help you, you need to know first, that…there are things out there, other creatures besides yourself that share this world with you. But…it's a secret few of you are ever supposed to know about; and if you do and word gets out, I'm likely to be killed so that the secret remains safe. You understand?"

"If what have to say is dangerous, then why tell me? Heh, you don't need to put yourself in danger on my account."

"But, I want to, it's the easiest way for me to explain to you what I need to do to help you, for you to let me into your brain without…well, doing so by force; it's only right that I do this, because…because you've endured a lot , I saw it myself in your dreams. It's my choice to do what I can to help you and treat you with the respect you deserve, you understand?"

"I don't under…"

He didn't get to finish, however as out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a devil like tail snake up out of Kurumu's butt and dangled next to his head; Sam was sorely tempted to touch it as if it were alive, but his attention was diverted when a pair of enormous bat like wings that spread out in every direction overhead. Needless to say, Sam was beyond surprised.

"Are…Are you like…some kind of demon?" He asked, breathlessly.

"Not quite; I'm a succubus."

"A succubus?"

"Yes; you've heard of us?"

He nods.

"Are you scared?" She asked.

"…A little bit," he said, nodding, "yeah."

"Look, I don't blame you, I know this is pretty shocking to take in."

"I'll say; I knew I drank too much whiskey tonight."

"Sam!" She said more forcefully, entwining her hand with one of his and holding it up. "See this! This is real, it's not a dream! But, I'm still the same person you once knew."

"…H-Holy hell!" He gasped, it finally sinking in. "This is real! You really are…a…"

"Yes."

"And, you're keeping me here, in your hotel room?"

"Yes."

"And, my brother, Tsukune, he knows?"

"He's known for some time now; we've been friends since high school."

"…Whoa! So, he went to school with a…a…my god."

"I'm a monster. It's okay to say it if…"

"I was going to say a beautiful creature like you?"

"Yes, I…Huh?"

"I always knew there was something special about you, so out of this world about you; just thought I was drunk or high or you was putting on an act or something."

"Oh!" She said, blushing. "Um, thankyou. Not quite what I was expecting."

"One question: you're not going to eat me, are you?"

"What? No! My people don't eat humans."

"Oh, that's…that's good. Not, that I would ever assume you would; just that I hear stories…"

"Stories?"

"About these otherworldly beings who assume the shape of gorgeous women to lure in men and eat 'em. But, I'm sure glad that's all myth and shit!"

"You…you really think I'm gorgeous?" She asked, her face red.

"Well, yeah. You're not like most women, you're perfect, a creature not of this moral world, now I know why. Why are you showing me this, now? Better still, why are you looking after me; a lousy, good for nothing mortal like me?"

"You're not lousy, and like I said I'm going to help you get rid of what they did to you."

"How? With magic?"

"Something like that," she says as her pointy tail snaked up over her shoulder, nearly startling the surprised man. "I don't know if you know this about my kind, but we are known as the Monsters of Dreams; we use our magic on a person's mind. While you were asleep, did you notice anything different about your dream?"

"Barely, usually don't; why? Were…Did?"

"I heard you tossing about in bed and…I entered your nightmare."

"Whoa."

"I take it you've had it before?"

"…Yeah," he muttered breathlessly, his troubled eyes averting away as though familiar with what she was talking about and feeling shame. "Then…y-you know what they did to me, right? I can't sleep, I get these nightmares every night, I haven't had a night's rest since…"

"My tail, see will allow me to see into your mind, pry through your memories and see what's wrong, but you have to let me in for it to be successful; hopefully I'll know what needs to be done. But, only _if_ you approve; if not, if it makes you feel uncomfortable, then I won't do it."

Sam didn't have the words to question, in his view this superior being's sincerity in him, but he gently stroked one of her bat like wings that overshadowed him, causing it to instinctively reflex.

"Don't do that!" She squealed, clutching her wing.

"Why; did I hurt you?"

"No; my wings, they're just…well, tender," she said, blushing.

"You could be with anyone you wanted," he said almost thoughtfully. "Have anyone you choose, anyone, like my brother. In fact, you could be doing something more meaningful with him, something more special. A guy like me…I'm so beneath you; so, why?"

"…Because, I don't consider you beneath me. You're a good person, and helping you is more significant than…helping anyone else. So, do you trust me?"

Sam looks into her purple eyes, his blue filled with uncertainty and a fear, not of her, but of having his thoughts and memories, painfully humiliating as they were come pouring out for this being to see. It was embarrassing enough to have a beautiful woman such as herself seeing his dreams and watching him at his worst. Kurumu, strangely enough, could sense his feelings of shame and worthlessness; something she'd never had been able to do with Tsukune, but to put him at ease, gently intertwines her hand with his.

"Sam," she said, thinking hard on what to say that'll help get him to open up to her and be relaxed.

"Why me?" He asked, again. "I'm nobody. I…"

"You care about Tsukune?" She asked him.

"Yeah, he's my bro."

"Well, I care about him too," she replied with a kind and caring smile. "So, from one person who cares about Tsukune to another, believe in me when I say: I care about you, too."

Her smile was so bright and serene, and for that moment, like a calm in the storm that was his mind, Sam felt confident enough to ask:

"Will it hurt? The mind thingy?"

"It will on occasion; I'm not going to lie to you."

"Well then, you think I can hold onto 'em, until this is over; to make me feel more relaxed."

"My wings?" She responds. "I don't know; the experience maybe a bit rough, and they break easily."

"I wasn't referring to them," he said, pointing with his eyes a little lower, until the busty succubus got the hint.

He half expected her to smack him across the face like any woman would have, even the whores, until remembering that she wasn't human suddenly became more of a frightening prospect than an irritating one. However, though blushing profusely, she puts him at ease when she raises his hands to firmly place upon her ample bosom.

"Um, please don't hold on too tight," she said, "they can break easily, too."

_Holy hell! _He thought, his hands feeling every warm, bulbous surface and the sharpness of her thick tits that were like thumb tacks on a hot pillow. _They're real! And they're the softest things I've ever felt! She really is out of this world!_

"…I will try not to," he replied, breathlessly.

Him laying back onto bed, hands delicately grasping upon her tits as she lowers herself over him and gently taps his forehead with the tip of her tail. Flying through a dark abyss as if floating in space, images began to appear in a kind of worm hole of memories. His mind was in far worse shape than she thought, like a jumbled jigsaw puzzle, everything out of order. However, she felt something or someone trying to guide her, assist in any way to help her find the right memory from which to start from.

Eventually, she found herself standing in the middle of a long, white hallway, brightly lit with row upon row of closed, white doors on either side. The place was dusty, the floors dirty, as if it hadn't been kept up for years. Kurumu was a bit puzzled, wondering if she was indeed inside his mind and where to begin, until the muffled sound of a baby crying drew her to a door at the far end behind her. Walking quickly to its source, she opened the door with some difficulty as the hinges were rusty, only to find inside the room a small group of people hovering around a young woman in a hospital bed, holding a newborn baby.

"Isn't he handsome," one of the women said to her. "What's you going to name him, Gail?"

"Hello?" Kurumu called to them, but none of them paid her any attention.

"I don't know," said Gail, smiling down at her bundle of joy.

"They can't hear you," said a voice from behind Kurumu, causing her to turn around, but seeing no one. "Down here."

Looking down, she sees a small, blond haired boy that showed up almost out of nowhere.

"Excuse me?" She asked the boy. "Who are you?"

"I'm Sam," he replied.

"You're…Huh?"

"And, you must be the angel, right?" Sam asked.

"It is you, Sam. But, why…?"

"What, you never heard of someone's inner child where you're from?" He asked with an amused smile, a smile she thought was charming, if not adorable. "You are pretty, lady though."

"Inner child? Okay, poindexter, you gonna hit on me or mind telling me where are we?"

"Hm, I think I'll call him Samuel," Gail said. "Name him after daddy."

"That'll be a good name for him, sis," one of the onlookers declared. "He'd be proud."

"Samuel?" Kurumu asked, stepping up closer to get a better look at the child, immediately smitten by this tiny bundle before her, staring out upon the world with wide and curious, yet familiar blue eyes. What was even stranger was that she could feel the emotions this newborn felt, of confusion, comfort, even a little bit of fear, and yet contentment.

"This room doesn't get visited all that much," young Sam commented.

"How come?" Kurumu asked.

"I don't know; more got added over the years and this was just forgotten. Never would have found it again if it weren't for you; how did you do that?"

"…So, you were named after your grandfather?"

"Yeah."

"Did you ever know him?"

"No, he died before I was born."

"What about your father?"

Kurumu looked at the boy, but saw him look away with a vague reluctance in his blue eyes, indicating all that she wanted, and needed to know.

"I didn't know my daddy, either," she said. "It's okay. Look, can you help guide me around this place."

"Sure; but, why? What are you looking for?"

"Trying to find out about you, you know? I am here to see if I can help."

"Well, okay; just stick with me," the boy said, almost putting on a macho show for the attractive lady before him, "it gets real dangerous if you're on your own, but I think I can protect ya."

"My hero," she giggled. "Lead the way, Captain."

He leads her by the hand to a second door in the room, which took them out into another hallway, similar to the last, but no less confusing. Kurumu was smitten at this boy's brazenness and shrewd demeanor, taking in account how she could sense a sliver of it from him as an adult, hidden underneath his mania; if only she could find a way to draw it out.

"So, what are you looking for?" He asked her.

"I don't know; don't you?"

"Nah. I thought you were an angel?"

"I think I told you before I'm not an angel, I'm a succubus."

"Okay, aren't succubus supposed to know these things?"

"Look, I'm just trying to figure you out; don't get cute."

"Who's getting cute? You're the cute girl who's lost in my head."

"Okay, stop!" She said, blushing profusely. "I'm trying to stay focused on my mission."

"Fine."

"…Just for the record, I'm not in any particular hurry; I mean, it isn't like there's anything important to do."

"That's cool. Don't got anything, either. Wanna see the time when I sailed over two buildings on my bike when I was twelve?"

Then, she notices them pass an adjacent hallway to their left that was all dark, with a chill almost wafting in from it, causing Kurumu's hairs to tense up and stop her in her tracks.

"What's in there?" She asked.

"Huh; uh, nothing," he said, acting dodgy yet overly confident. "That area is off limits; it's broke down, you see."

"You don't want me to go down there, anyway?"

"Nah. Hey, why don't I show you the time I beat my cousin on Smash Bros.?"

Kurumu quickly spies a door on her right left ajar out of a countless row of closed doors.

"How about in there?" She asked, and when she looked at the boy, noticed some mild apprehension that he tried to play off.

"…It's, um, that's nothing too. Why you wanna go in there for, anyway? You see, the damn door is stuck, I can't even shut it."

"Have you tried closing it?"

Sam mumbled something and looked away, suggesting something inside kept him from even getting close to it, let alone attempting to force it closed.

But, Kurumu's interest was piqued, as though something was telling her to go in there.

"Huh?" She asked, wanting to go inside, but the boy resisted. "C'mon, I thought you were going to show me around; this is around."

"I hate it," he muttered.

"What for? Is it embarrassing for you?"

Sam didn't respond, but Kurumu soon heard a woman say his name from inside, causing her to venture inside on her own. There on the other side was a posh living room with an art deco look to it, permeating with an almost all-American feel to it. She could see the boy standing in front of the couch and wondered how Sam got all the way over yonder, until she saw his mother, now a little older, sitting on the couch and scolding him about something.

"Samuel, you look at me," she said to him. "What do you have to say for yourself? This report card is not acceptable young man; I expect more from you than that!"

"Hm, mama it's hard," Sam whined. "I can't do math and social studies, I'm just not cut out for it."

"Don't you give me that!"

"Besides, it's just a C+; it's still better than a D."

"Samuel, look at me."

"Aw, mama!"

"C'mon, have a seat," she insisted, and young Sam sat down next to her. "Now, I know you can do better this, and you know you can do better, the problem is that you don't tell yourself that. Samuel, do you know you can become President of the United States someday; I believe you will, you were meant to be."

"President," he said with disbelief.

"Yes, you can be and you will; but, do you think Presidents, well some of the good ones, ever cut corners or settled with anything less? No. They worked hard at what they did and excelled at it."

"But, Brock and the others all get a C or B, and they're okay with it."

"It doesn't matter what the others are fine with; most people don't grow up to be successful and you know why?"

"They don't work hard enough."

"That's right; no reward ever comes to those who don't strive in life, son. I want you to remember that. So, you think we can turn this C into an A next time?"

He was reluctant, but to make his mother happy, and a little encouraged by her words, he complies: "I guess."

"Say, 'I will'."

"…I will."

"Good," she said, rising up to check on her cooking, "when we get through eating, we're going to go over your math and help you improve; I'm making your favorite: fried chicken, brain food!"

"Alright, mom!"

Kurumu looked at the scene with quiet admiration, and quite reflection. She could almost see herself, standing before her mother, who rambled on another lecture about being more than she could be. So clearly were her words:

"Kurumu, do you hear me?"

"Yes, mama," she replied, but Ageha pressed on:

"I want you to say 'I will'."

"I said I understand, mama!"

"Kurumu!"

"…I will, live up to our people's expectations."

It was a feeling so burned within her that she felt no human could possibly relate to, and yet this kid is feeling it right now, of loathing the knowledge that he'll be doing homework after a good meal, but foremost in his heart was a feeling of almost awe at his mother's aspirations of him. This feeling, his conflict over accomplishing something as difficult as math, and yet somehow growing up to accomplish something of great importance, helped make this moment become etched within his mind. It made her reminiscent of her own ordeal with mom. She would be like this with her even during high school, when she'd badger her into using her powers to win Tsukune. It would often make her so angry at her mother, thinking that she wasn't doing this for her daughter, but for her own benefits, whatever that may be. For so long, Kurumu assumed that only the parents of certain monsters were that way, being so hard on their offspring, until now.

"I hated this," Kurumu heard Sam mutter next to her.

"You do?" She asked.

"…Yeah."

However, after watching this and sensing the boy's emotions, she couldn't find herself becoming angry or resentful. Actually, it was confusing, to say the least, and yet not harsh.

"Why do you hate this moment?" She asked as she curiously walked toward the boy sitting on the couch.

Suddenly, a loud, monstrous cry sounded off in the distance; a roar so reptilian, so demonic that it seemed to torture her guide's very mind and ears, and sent foreboding into her own heart.

"What was that?" She asked.

"We shouldn't be here!" Sam said, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the house, hurriedly.

"Where are we going?"

"We have to get out of here!"

"Why, what's going on?"

"It's the monster!"

"The…monster?"

Heading straight to what appeared to be a hall closet, they instantly run back out into the hallway, with the monster far behind.

"We should be safe," the boy said, panting.

"There's a monster in here?"

"Yeah; it's scary, trust me. It lives in the dark sections, but sometimes it comes out and tries to kill me."

"You know…I'm a monster, too. Do you find me scary?"

"Nah, you're different."

"Oh really?" She asks and transforms in front of the boy, claws and all. "Do I scare you now?"

"Whoa," he uttered, breathlessly. "Cool."

"You think I'm cool?" She chuckled.

"Yeah. You can definitely take on this monster by yourself. Is…Is that why you're here; to defeat him?"

"Well, I'll do what I can, but I'm going to need your help."

"Me? Oh, no I can't; please, don't make me fight that thing, I can't!"

"…Then we better find somewhere for you to hide, I guess," she said, glancing around for a door to go through and sees another one, left ajar just like the one they came out of. "What about there?"

"…Uh, no," he said, acting evasive like before. "Not that one."

Exasperated, Kurumu drags him along and steps through the door.

_What is this place_? She wondered, glancing about this large, basketball stadium with throngs of people all around.

There were many people all dressed impressively sitting in the stands, with flashes of camera light dotting all around, the objects of their focus, and undoubtedly this occasion's main event sat in fold out chairs in front of a podium, positioned underneath a basketball net. It wasn't hard for Kurumu to figure out, what with all the bustling noises and decorative sights notwithstanding, that the sight of excited students sitting in fold out chairs in their graduation gowns, that they had stumbled into Sam's high school graduation.

It wasn't lost on her just how similar all of this seemed and felt at her own graduation, which now seemed so long ago. The joy of the moment, relief that high school was all behind her now, and the high expectation of what her future held. Looking back on it now left a bitter taste in her mouth when she considers all that had transpired; it was a mood, etched firmly on her host's face that resonated with such strength it would put her to same.

"I told you we shouldn't have come in here," he muttered.

Looking at the proceedings, Kurumu was forced to agree.

"…Yeah, I think you're right; let's go."

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A man on the podium, whom she assumed was the headmaster or principal, addressed the crowd.

"Hurry, let's get out of here!" Sam anxiously insisted, tugging at Kurumu's arm, but before she could get a move on towards the next available door, she heard the principal say:

"Without further ado, please give a round of applause to our valedictorian: Samuel Trevor!" 

The crowd applauded, and some hollered out of respect, as Kurumu, stunned silent looked around to see with surprise a 17 year old Sam, now tall, athletic and handsome looking with all the appearance of a confident young man while wearing an honor student's sash around him as he takes the stage.

"Sam?" She asked, looking at the boy, whose face turned red not so much from embarrassment, but anger.

_Valedictorian? _ She wondered.

"Ladies, gentlemen, fellow students," he began to say into the microphone. "I know many of you have questions and uncertainty about what lies ahead. I know my mom probably had the same concerns almost nine years ago when I brought home bad report cards in math."

Some in the crowd laughed, including his mother, whom Kurumu could see sitting closer to the floor, holding a video camera.

"But," he added, "it's normal to have fears, even doubts about what lies ahead, we all do at some point. It's part of growing up, it's part of growing strong with each new trial we face, because if we have the courage to face them, if we choose to believe that our faith will result in at least a better tomorrow, instead of the very worst to happen, then we'll look back at times like these and wonder how we ever made it through. Growing up my mom used to tell me that if I work hard, I'll be rewarded for it; at the time I never understood, but I worked and worked and worked until now…I finally get it. We face challenges in our lives, in our environment and society every day, and we are always left with two choices to choose from: we could give up, just quit, think things aren't going the way we want them to and curl up in a ball, waiting, just waiting for everything and everyone else to change for us. Or, we walk on through the fire anyway, no matter how hot, no matter how difficult, no matter how long and impossible they seem and I promise, when you reach the end and look back on where you came from…it'll be the most awe inspiring moment you'll ever have; and, when many years later you tell this to your kids or grandkids, and they roll their eyes at you because they think you don't understand them, but...finally do get it when they walk across a stage like this, and look at you sitting in the audience with pride…it's an experience that will make this seem worth it, and will never forget. Thank you."

The audience breaks into a standing ovation, applauding his inspiring speech, words that almost struck a small nerve deep within her own heart. It was as if this boy was speaking to her, personally. It seemed hard, almost implausible, that such a bright student, with a charismatic compassion that would put Tsukune to shame would turn out to be this troubled, derelict she knew today.

"Sam," Kurumu said to the boy, "…I…I don't get it, why this moment? No, maybe I do understand why you hate it, a little. But…I don't know, you seem so…Sam?"

"It's here," the boy said with fear and hesitation in his voice.

Kurumu looks to where his blue eyes remained frozen further down the crowd from them; for a while all she could see were random people bustling around, but gradually her succubus instincts began to detect an ominous aura in the air, the kind she hadn't felt since fighting with Moka's true form, which was quickly followed by screams of people being butchered as an unseen predator made a bee line towards them like a torpedo.

"Sam, we better…" Kurumu began to say, but couldn't see the boy anymore. "SAM!"

She spots him running toward the boy's restroom and follows him, unmindful of its restricted access and determined to keep him safe.

"Slow down," she says, finally catching up to him.

As the door to the bathroom door closes, Sam immediately locks it from the inside, just as the creature begins banging against it.

"I knew it!" He screamed in terror. "I knew we shouldn't have come here! Why'd I let you drag me to this place?"

"Calm down!"

"Calm down? We're trapped, there's nowhere to run to."

"Yes, there is," she says, pointing to a door, it too left ajar, at the far end of the room.

"Are you kidding? You want to go in there? That's even worse?"

Another bang, with the door's wood beginning to split, made his aversion to their new escape route seem childish at the moment.

"Okay, fine, if you want to stay and deal with that then be my guess, but I'm going out that door whether you want me to or not. So, you coming or what?"

The boy looks hesitantly at the other door and Kurumu, but another violent crash from the monster outside was enough to compel him to consider her offer of escape.

"Alright, hold on," he says and leads her out.

There, they stumble into the middle of a frat party, with college aged kids dancing and partying, enjoying the time they have left before finals. Kurumu never got to experience college after school she recalled regretfully, too consumed in separating Tsukune from Moka. The crowd was thick, far more crowded than the graduation ceremony, despite this cramped, two story house, and drunken co-eds bounced against her as she led young Sam around; needless to say it was an overwhelming experience what with all the smells her enhanced senses could pick up, only adding to the discomfort, and yet strangely she almost felt a longing to have had the chance to experience this kind of party herself.

"You okay?" Kurumu asked, only to wind up getting sprayed with beer by some frat boy, drenching her and a few other, buxom girls in T-shirts. "Ahh! What the hell!"

"Whoa," she heard Sam mutter and realized too late that the beer had caused the fabric of her shirt to reveal her erect tits, which was more she wanted a little boy to see.

"Eeek!" Kurumu squealed and trying in vain to cover up herself.

"Hey, Sam," she heard a girl say from across the room. "I want you to come meet a friend of mine!"

"Hi," Sam said. "What's your name?"

"Irene," the girl said, a name that caused Kurumu to immediately swirl about and a college aged Sam shaking hands and talking with a woman, she half didn't expect to see, again.

"It's her," Kurumu remarked. "His wife, I-I mean your…"

But, she could tell that the girl already meant something to the boy, who stared across the room and began to walk slowly towards her.

"Sam?"

"I told we shouldn't have come in here, either," the boy said. "Th-That woman. I…"

"What happened between the two of you? Sam?"

The boy ran off into the crowd, following after his older self as he led Irene up the stairs. Kurumu could only follow, worried sick that this might lead to the reason she was here, the reason Sam went from the idealistic teen to how he is, now. Kurumu found the boy huddled outside a closed door, where she assumed Sam and Irene had retreated to, in fact she could hear them talking inside.

"So, you're going into the army, huh?" Irene asked. "A soldier boy!"

"No, the Marines; the few, the proud. Been my dream my whole life."

"Well, either way it's good to find someone with a plan for his life; all the losers here are all talk and going nowhere."

"Then, let me take you away from here."

_Something about this girl, _Kurumu thought bitterly. _She just sounds so…fake!_

She had heard it before, the fawning of fake praise and interest from a woman only interested in herself and not the boy; Irene reminded her, all too well, of someone else.

"You think you'll like being with a soon to be enlisted man?" She heard the boy ask, his voice strangely sounding like Tsukune.

"Tsukune?"

"Yes," the girl said, her voice taking on the husky tone of Moka Akashiya. "I can't think of a better man to be with."

"Huh?" Kurumu asked herself and shaking her head. "What the hell is going on?"

"Why'd you bring me back here?" The young boy asked, bitterly. "You said you're here to help, but you're not; why are you even here?"

The boy looks back up at her, with tears in his eyes, as if she had forced him against his will to relieve something painful.

"Sam," she tried to say. "I didn't…I'm not trying to…I'm sorry."

Just then, there were screams from down below only to be snuffed out just as the lights had as the unearthly, gurgling growl from a creature Kururmu had never heard before, suddenly erupted. Frozen in utter terror, Sam and Kurumu watched as a large shadow slide against the wall, followed by loud hissing slowly approach up the stairs.

"It found us, it found us!" He shrieked in hushed tones.

"Come on!" Kurumu said, busting down the door and hurtling the two of them inside the dark.

"MOVE IT MAGGOTS, MOVE IT!" Roared a drill instructor as they find themselves in the middle of a boot camp obstacle course late in the evening, his face granite and intimidating as the shadows of the setting sun made him seem inhuman.

"What the hell…?" Kurumu asked.

"MOVE IT, YOU SORRY, UGLY SLABS OF MEAT! SOMEBODY OUGHTA SEND YOU BACK TO YOUR MAMAS AS DEFECTIVE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE!"

The man seemed imposing, his very, vocal presence only served to prove that indeed someone's bark can indeed be worse than their bite, even to someone like Kurumu.

"We can't stand around!" Sam told her.

"I think we lost it," Kurumu assured him, but no sooner had she said it then they both heard an unmistakable hiss emitting from some nearby woods followed by a rustling of leaves amidst the sounds of basic training. "Okay, where to?"

"Over there!"

"The porta potty?" Kurumu pointed out as if the boy had made a mistake.

"Trust me, let's go!"

"MOVE IT, MOVE IT, MOVE IT!" The instructor bellowed, almost as if encouraging her to follow the boy through the porta potty door, and straight into a wedding.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding," she muttered, the very scene conjuring up memories of her experience at Tsukune and Moka's wedding. "Sam, we better…Sam?"

She noticed the small boy focused intently on the scene, move slowly toward the alter as his older self was standing at the alter proudly in his Marine uniform after having successfully graduated basic training, only to now stand ready to receive his beautiful bride gliding towards him. Kurumu could tell how much this must hurt him, even though it looked like his just a boy, these were the memories of a grown man now in a lot of pain. These were regrets, etched strongly into his psyche and forming nightmares for which there was no relief from.

"Dear, I know how this hurt you; so, why are we even here, why are you even bothering to show up to this thing?" She heard a woman say behind her, words, accompanied by a voice that both sound strangely familiar.

"…Because…I love him, mama; and he's making a terrible mistake!" She heard or thought she heard herself saying.

Looking over yonder by the wall, she was shocked to see herself with both her mother and aunt consoling her, and wearing the clothes they wore on the day of Tsukune's wedding.

_Th-This can't be right, _she thought. _What's going on? These…these are __**my**__ memories, but…_

"Dearly beloved," said the priest, "we are gathered here to join these two people in holy matrimony."

"C'mon, let's go," the boy said, his voice hollow. "Succubus Angel Lady; what's you looking at?"

"No," she replied, "no, that can't be, that can't be me!"

"What?"

"Something isn't right; something's terribly wrong and I need to get to the bottom of this!"

"But, the monster…!"

"Look, I can handle any monster; hell, I am one, myself!"

"No you're not!"

"Yes, I am!"

"You're not _that_ kind of monster!"

"What; look this running is ridiculous!" Kurumu said, readying herself to face the creature.

"Are you nuts?"

He tried to run, but Kurumu held firmly onto him.

"I'm here to help you, just stay behind me and I'll get rid of this thing and you can be normal, okay?"

"But…"

She could sense it getting closer and closer, but in the crowded church with the lighting, except around the altar, dim her eyes couldn't pinpoint its location.

"Where are you?" She muttered.

"If there is anyone here," the priest went on, "who feel this couple should not be wed; speak now or forever hold your peace."

ROOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!

Suddenly, a row of people is eviscerated alive as a hideously deformed, reptilian creature, eight feet tall with a cobra's neck and hood, ad two heads conjoined by the cheek reared over Kurumu. Enormous fangs, dripping with saliva and blood bared themselves splashed themselves upon her. Its skin slimy, the claws shiny, but the thing that terrified Kurumu the most were its massive, vacant, dark eyes, so dark they had to be mere holes with no end, staring soullessly upon them both.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" She screamed and hauled Sam with her as fast as she could from the thing.

The beast sliced and butchered its way through the crowd, while its prey dove through door after door, going through one memory after the next, before finding themselves out in a darkened hallway where its only light source laid several yards down its end. Convinced the creature had been lost, Kurumu decided now would be a good time to take a breather, and gather up what she had experienced, but soon noticed the door hadn't closed all the way, just like all the others and attempted to shut it for good. Sam was far too busy to help, looking for another avenue for escape.

"This is bad," he whispered, his fear becoming contagious. "We shouldn't be in here!"

"What the hell was that?" She asked him. "What is going on in here?"

"It's the monster!" He responded, looking every which way to go and hide.

"That's impossible! I've never seen…anything like that before. And, before…I saw…"

"Quick, we have to get out of here!" Sam yelled at her.

"…We've lost it! We had to have!"

"No, you don't understand," he replied and looked fearfully about the dark corridor. "We won't be safe; it'll chase us, no matter where. It'll find us here, because…we're in the bad place."

"…The hallway you said not to go down in?" She asked. "Damn, what is it with this door?"

"What are you doing?" He asked, watching her struggle against the door.

"Closing this door!" She said through gritted teeth. "To keep it out!"

Yet, in spite of her monster strength which could bend metal with relative ease, she was stymied by the level of resistance this mere, wooden door was showing.

_What the fuck is going on? _She wondered.

"Why are you wasting time, it's not going to close, the door's broke!"

"Will you shut up and help!"

"No!" He yelled. "I'm not going to stay and get killed because you won't listen to me!"

"…Look," she said, quickly regaining her composure and trying to instill some courage in him, as well as herself, "I know you're scared, I am too; but…I…I need you to be brave for me, okay? I don't know what else to do, I've never experienced anything like this before and I'm starting to freak out! So, please, Sam."

They heard it roaring far on other side of the door, and her heightened emotions, which had made it difficult to maintain any kind of rational thinking, was quickly wearing down.

"Please, Sam! I need your courage; help me!"

Sam, already beyond panic, but for some reason reluctant to leave her to be killed by this creature, helped her try and barricade the door. However, even with his help, and even with her added strength, the only success they made was in causing the door to move an inch.

"…Nnngh, damn it!" She yelled in frustration.

"It's impossible," he said, breathlessly, but nonetheless trying, "it can't…it can't be done."

Kurumu was almost shamed by this child; here he was, having to face this creature longer than she had, and even in though she was ready to throw in the towel, and though he was complaining, the child showed no signs of abandoning her nor quitting. Indeed, the marine she saw earlier was still in there, and it embolden her to use every last ounce of strength to shut this door, completely.

"C'MON, PUSH!" She yelled, the two of them pushing with all their might until they at last they heard the door click shut, and just in time, as the reptilian creature slammed against it. It roared, it hissed, and clawed violently, and yet this door held as magically against its onslaught as it had against her efforts.

Winded, but relieved, the two felt like they could finally relax, resting their weary heads and sitting down in triumphant relief.

"…Thanks," she said to him, putting an arm around him, and resting his weary head upon her large, sweaty breasts. "You were brave; you really proved how…"

However, just as relief had begun to take root, they then heard the unmistakable sound of the low whine of a door, very slowly opening somewhere in the darkness, it's sickening groan surrounding them like a terrifying specter, a specter that embodied a very, telling omen: someone or something was opening a door to step out.

"It's out," he whispered.


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

_TAKE ON ME_

The darkness was stifling and overwhelming, so much so that even Kurumu's enhanced senses could not see very far to ascertain in which direction the creature would be coming; looking every which way about them, her vision could only make out a hallway that was in worse shape than the lighted part, with doors only half closed due to rusty hinges like no one's made an effort to fix them. However, her eyes could only go so far, a gulf of darkness just beyond her field of vision, where _it _approached, slowly and casually. Its breathing was thick and heavy, it's hissing, as loud and as chilling as a gust of air howling down a breezy chamber, accompanied by sharp claws that made a metallic scratching noise against the wall for no other reason than to taunt its frightened prey. Though terrified beyond belief, wishing that Tsukune was there to save her, the very presence of Sam huddled against her made the succubus know she had to do something to save _him_.

"Sam," she whispered. "…I want you to hold onto me; don't let go!"

Without any argument or hesitation, he did as he was told, though he didn't exactly grab hold of her hand, but her breasts and squeezing them firmly.

_Um, good enough! _ She thought.

"Hang on," she said as stood up with him on her back, her wings unfurled to shield him from the monster, and claws unleashed as they nervously walked to a nearby door to escape through.

The creature, by the sounds was narrowly getting closer, until suddenly its terrifying sounds abruptly stopped and they were only greeted by a deafening silence. As she waited for what may come, her mind kept going back to what she saw in the creature's face. Her whole life she's faced monsters, some of whom were unimaginable for any human to comprehend, and yet there was something about this one that terrified her, something about it that went to the core, which had everything to with their dual faces, one in particular, but what and why only added stress to their situation.

"…WHERE ARE YOU?" She finally yelled, her voice echoing like in a dark cave, bracing herself to come face to face with that beast, once more. However, there was only silence; all consuming, ever present.

"What's in these rooms?" She asked him. "Sam!"

"…Bad stuff," was all he could say.

"Bad stuff?" She asked, and then epiphany hit her. "You mean, all your bad memories, the ones that keep you up at night?"

He didn't answer, but it was that she needed.

"Of course, it makes sense now. This hallway is where they're all stored, but you stay away from them because…"

Suddenly, a clawed hand violently grabs her from behind by the face and yanks her bodily through one of the doors.

"KURUMU!" Sam shrieks as he grabs the door frame to keep from going in, clinging on to one of her tits by his fingernails and doing everything he can from letting the creature take her.

Half conscious, Kurumu mutters something, but her voice is muffled by the creature's massive hand wrapped about her, as she desperately tries to grab onto anything.

"I can't hold!" Sam yells back, his grip on the door frame slipping by the second, fingers bleeding in the process.

With one, powerful yank, his hand finally breaks free and both are hauled into an abyss, with Kurumu fighting violently to free herself from the creature's claws. Once free, she sees Sam falling nearby and swoops in to grab him, only to feel the back of her bat like wings being slashed by this predator's claws, the pain breaking Kurumu's concentration.

"I've got to…," she grimaced, trying with all her might to maintain control, but the two careen out of control over a desert like setting, where she grabs hold of Sam and turns over to where the massive impact of the landing effected only her.

When the dust settles, and the blinding pain subsiding, she finds them both in the middle of a military base on some kind of desert terrain; it was so real that she could feel intense heat from the glaring sun overhead.

"Oh, are you alright?" She asked Sam, before immediately discovering him face deep in her cleavage.

"Uh, sorry," he said upon getting off of her. "How's your wings?"

"I don't…OW!" She cried, feeling a deep tear in them inflicted by the creature's claws. "I won't be flying for a while! Where are we?"

"…I remember this place," the boy replied, his voice almost distant as he looks around at all the features and people that seemed vaguely familiar to him. "It's Qatar base in Afghanistan."

"Afghanistan?"

"I haven't been back here since…"

"…Since you were actually here? Rather, since last night, in your dreams? I bet it's the same for a lot of memories like this. They're hard to control because of that creature, right?"

The boy looks at her, a look of surprise mixed in with shameful reluctance as though hesitant to admit to something.

"That monster is in here, right now to keep you from facing certain moments from your past, keeping you from either confronting them or simply shutting them away."

"What are you saying?" He asked.

"Sam…"

"Capt. Trevor?" A man asked, as officer Sam Trevor came jogging up to a camouflaged tent.

"Yes sir," he replied.

"You're online."

Curious as to what was going on, Kurumu and her companion followed suit, peeking into the tent where they observed the older Sam on a laptop in video chat with a marine personnel in a heated debate.

"What do you mean, it won't cover it?" He asked the man on the screen.

"I'm saying your pension will not cover the medical bills; face it, son, the government will not sacrifice American tax dollars on your sick relative, it's there only in the event you're wounded in battle. I'm sorry."

"You can't do this!"

"I sympathize with you, son, I really do, but this decision came from the top; if you want, I can take it up with them, speak on your behalf."

"What's going on here?" Kurumu asked the boy. "Sam?"

"…Mom is sick," he quietly said.

"Sick."

"Breast cancer."

"Oh, Sam…I'm…."

"Sir, please. What do I need to talk to make this happen?" The older Sam desperately asked.

"Just wait and see; I don't make any promises, but I'll do what I can to submit an inquest…"

"An inquest?"

"But, my advice to you is to let it go for now and make arrangements. I'm sorry."

The conference ended, and a distraught Sam stood before the blank screen, speechless.

"I couldn't do anything to save her," the boy muttered, almost as if echoing his past self's words.

She wanted to say something, any words of encouragement or wisdom, but even she was at a loss.

"Irene!" They later heard the older Sam say as he argued with his wife over his cell phone. "W-Would just listen to me!"

"No!" She replied, which they could strangely hear clearly on the other line despite the distance they were. "Why do I have to take care of her? Can't the military pay for like a caretaker or something?"

"I told you, they aren't gonna help us! Could you, for once help me out and look after her until I can think of something!"

"No! I'm here, all alone, taking care of the stupid-ass kids while you've been away for over a year, don't even think about asking me to look after your sick mom, too!"

"Irene, why are you being a bitch about this?"

"Why are you being an ass? God, you're a grown man who's still worried about his mom when he oughta be acting like a goddamn husband!"

_Unbelievable! _Kurumu thought. _Bitch!_

"Face it," Irene continued to rant, "she's going _**to pass away soon, and there'ssss nothing you can do about it!"**_

Strangely, the voice on the phone sounded like it had morphed mid sentenced, taking on a sinister, clearer hiss that emanated all around them. Soon, the sky darkened, as the scorching sunny day gave way to storm clouds and strong winds that only Kurumu and her young companion took notice.

"You heard that, right?" Kurumu asked him.

"Huh; uhh, no," he lied. "I didn't hear nothing. No, no I didn't."

"What? What do you mean you…?"

Her sentence cutoff as a loud humming roar filled the air around them. The older Sam, having hung up in anger, his mind plagued with troubles, had to put them on hold as he waited for the helicopter to land and deposit a fresh batch of recruits for the dangerous missions ahead. As Sam marched toward them, already knowing that they would be placed under his command, he surveyed the group and couldn't help notice how young, and frightened they were; boys, girls, children all. Kurumu, however could plainly recognize amongst them one face who stood out to her.

_Stevens, _she thought to herself.

"Oh man," the boy said, seeing the young private, also.

"ATTEN-HUT!" One marine bellowed as the young recruits quickly fell into line before Sam, whose towering stature, looming over each and every one of that seemed so inspiring, even with Kurumu, who saw him standing like that in this hellish setting and found herself smitten.

Captain Sam Trevor looked at them all, taking stock of their youth and naivety etched firmly upon their innocent faces, but upon looking at Stevens, he could tell he was different. He was the youngest of this group of misfits, holding his MK47 like he came fresh out of the basic training, with a face filled with an indelible fear, one the boy struggled hard to hide before his superior officer, but it was not that which caught Sam's eye the most.

"How old are you, son?" He asked him.

"EIGHTEEN, SIR!" Stevens replied.

"That is a lie, marine, now tell me the truth, HOW OLD ARE YOU?"

Stevens looked back with fear he was unable to hide, sensing the jig was up and now he'd either face the wrath of his superior officer for disobeying a direct order or face imprisonment for lying; looking at Sam, the answer seemed simple.

"S-Sixteen, sir!" Came his reply.

"Sixteen?" Kurumu asked out loud.

"So, you lied and managed to enlist yourself in the Marines, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir!"

"May I ask why?"

"…B-Because, I wanted to serve my country during a time of war, sir!"

"Is that the truth, private? You know lying about your age is a punishable offence; so are you here to serve your country?"

"YES, SIR! I WANTED TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE I LOVE SIR! SO, HELL YEAH I'M HERE TO SERVE MY COUNTRY!"

"Does that go for all of you?"

"YES, SIR!" They all replied in unison.

_Putting himself in harm's way to protect the people he loves_, Kurumu thought, commenting on how familiar that sounded.

"I know many of you have never fired a gun at another person before or faced death in the eye," Sam continued. "But, when you're out there, the only one you need to worry about protecting is yourself and each other! You understand me?"

"YES SIR!"

"You stick with me, and your chances of living to see your loved ones again, will be high, do I make myself clear?"

"YES SIR!"

"Alright, I want you situated for a routine scouting five minutes ago; get to it!"

"You heard the man, let's go!" His lieutenant yelled and the recruits disembarked.

As his recruits marched to their tents to prepare for their first mission into hostile territory, Sam couldn't help but notice Stevens, the by far youngest marine he's had under his command, and who still seemed frightened, as well as out of place here.

"He was so young," the boy remarked. "So young; I swore I'd protect him. I had to be hard on him, to make him strong, to not show any favoritism, but…I had to protect him, I wanted to protect him, I wanted to make sure he got home safe. But…"

"_**You failed, like alwayssss!" **_Taunted the voice again.

"Okay, tell me you heard that?" Kurumu asked.

"**Why are you still doing this?"** Asked a female voice, but it wasn't Irene's; and yet, this voice, with its husky, sultry tone sounded vaguely familiar to Kurumu. **"You think it's going to make any difference? Give up!"**

"I heard that," the boy whispered. "But, I've never heard that voice before."

"…No," Kurumu muttered.

Was it from the same source?

No, it was two entities speaking, but from where? And, why would a voice, which sounded so familiar to her, be inside Sam's thoughts?

Young Sam collapsed to his knees in fear, covering his ears to blot out the voices that made this memory all, but unbearable.

"No!" He wailed. "I never should have let you talk me into doing this!"

"Sam, please listen!" She yelled to encourage him, but again she was at a loss for words as even this stupefied her.

"_**Yessss, you should NEVER have come here!"**_ The first voice hissed, taunting like a vindictive child. _**"Now, you will sssuffer!"**_

"**You'll suffer alone, like you were meant to!" **Said the other, more hauntingly familiar voice.

"SHOW YOURSELF!" Kurumu shrieked in frightened defiance.

Suddenly, the wind ceased and the storm abruptly stopped; a calm, eerie silence fell over everything. Then, Kurumu felt two hands grab her from below and began pulling her into the sand.

"SAM!" She cried.

"Kurumu!" He yelled, grabbing her hand, trying with all his might to free her. "I can't pull!"

Kurumu tried to fight with all of her strength, but the hands were too strong and the sand was already half way up to her breasts.

"Sam, get away before it drags you too!"

"No! I don't want be here alone!"

"You have to, before it's too…"

It was too late, as at the last minute, she wrenched her hand free and was gone beneath the sand. Sam tried to dig after her in vain, but it was of little use. Now, on his own, Sam didn't know what to do and looked around, lost inside his own mind.

"_**SSSSaaaam!"**_ Hissed the voice, as another door opened behind him, where inside lay an ominous darkness. _**"Come; there'sss nowhere for you to hide from me, take your pain and endure it forever!"**_

From the other side, darkened hands reached out, clawing and grabbing the terrified boy as they began to drag him towards the opening. He tried with all his might to resist, but each effort felt futile, because Sam knew that there wasn't anything he could do; it was hopeless, hopeless to overcome all of this and pointless to hide. The door shut behind him.

XXX

Kurumu fell through a ceiling and landed hard on her buttocks upon the linoleum floor of some hallway, similar from the one she and Sam had come out of, but with doors painted black, with each one partially opened. It, too was in a state of disarray and in need of maintenance.

_Where am I? _ She wondered as she rubs her throbbing butt.

"Sam?" She yelled, but got no response.

She heard footsteps tap-tap-tapping away against the smooth floor in the distance, getting closer with each shattering report and up ahead she could make out a shadowy figure slowly approaching.

"Hello?" She called. "Sam?"

But, it didn't respond which unnerved her, nor was it Sam, old or young; what approached instead was something completely eerie, yet familiar at the same time.

"…Moka?"

And yet, she knew it wasn't. It had her body, dressed in the old Yokai Academy uniform, and her defining pink hair, but it was also faceless; devoid of any features.

"Who…_What_ are you?"

"Why don't you give up?" Asked Tsukune, whose voice came out of where this thing's mouth would be.

"Tsukune?"

"Just end it and be done with it. You're pathetic. You could never compare to what she had!"

The Moka doppelganger paraded her near flawless figure, a figure that despite Kurumu's impressive chest size, still could never measure up to. And, yet it baffled her as to why and how she was outcompeted by her. Still, she knew this wasn't right, that she couldn't and shouldn't be subjected to this.

"Stop it," Kurumu muttered. "This…this can't be happening! You're not really here; you shouldn't _be_ here!

"You're so stupid!" Next came Yukari. "Boobzilla!"

"Stop it! I don't know what you are, but…"

"Why can't you see you don't measure up and you never will?" Said Ruby.

"You're worthless," came Mizore's. "You'd see that if your breasts didn't block your view."

"I've never been more ashamed," came her mother, whose caustic criticism cut the deepest. "I suppose it's to be expected; I was a failure too in securing _my_ Chosen One. There's no choice, but to concede defeat and wither away until you die."

"STOP!"

"FACE IT, KURUMU!" The faceless doppelganger said, suddenly rushing up into her face and grabbing a frightened Kurumu by the shoulders, leaning in ever so menacingly where its blank features slowly began to morph before her startled eyes and the shape of her most hated rival. "YOU LOST! HE CHOSE ME, NOT YOU AND NO ONE'S GOING TO CARE IF YOU DIE!"

With incredible strength, the entity shoves Kurumu through one of the doors, where she falls hard on her ass, again.

"Damn it!" She grimaced, but then her eyes widened as they beheld her old dorm room in Yokai Academy, just as she last remembered it. "What the hell is going on here? This shouldn't be here."

"But, it is," said Moka, standing in her doorway with a small, fiendish smile grinning mockingly at her.

"Moka, what the hell is going on?"

"I am only behaving the way you remembered. Presenting myself in so flawless, so perfect a way, even to you, isn't that right?"

"…N-No, I mean, how are you here, in these memories?" Kurumu asked, trying to phase out this apparition's taunts and focus on the real task.

"But, Kurumu, these aren't his memories, they're yours."

"Mine?"

"Mm, hm; every bit of it. The instant you two joined minds in order to 'help' him, you melded some of your own memories with his."

"What? I…I don't understand. And, what do you mean by 'help'? I am trying to help him."

"Are you?"

The very sound of her voice, so crystal, so clear, and every bit as condescending as she remembered continued to cut Kurumu's soul ever deeper.

"…Moka, you always were…Anyway, what the hell do you mean by that?"

"I meant, the moment you entered that poor, destitute mind of his in an attempt to unburden his baggage, _you_ managed to drag in your own. Just snippets here and there, it's crowded enough as it is, but here we all are, here for you."

Moka smiled and Kurumu was just about ready to wipe it off with a slash of her talons had thoughts of Sam not reminded her of what was really at stake.

"Oh no," she muttered, wondering where he is and why he felt much further and further away. "Where…what did you to him?"

"Kurumu," Moka said with a big, warm smile, "don't you mean, what you're doing to him? It was bad enough that poor guy had to deal with his own demons, but…here you are making it worse for him."

"Me? I'm trying to help him! You're the one who's making things worse!"

"Really? You're really trying to help him? Hahahahahaha! That's so funny, Kurumu! You're not helping him at all!"

"What makes you…say that?"

"Well, because you don't care about him, you don't even care what happens to him once all of this is over, you're doing this for Tsukune."

"Y-You're wrong."

"You're hoping that by doing this, he'll love you again; isn't that right?"

"No! Yes, I want to help Tsukune because…because…he's a friend and for what _you_ did to him. All of this is your fault, it was always your fault! If he had chosen me instead of you, he wouldn't have gotten hurt!"

"Aww, and you think by helping some stranger he made friends with will make him realize how much he loves you; that is sooo cute!"

"Why not? N-no, I mean…that isn't the whole truth, I genuinely want to help…"

"Oh, so it isn't about Tsukune; can you even remember the guy you're trying to 'help' name?"

Kurumu was deeply troubled enough by her accusations, knowing deep down that her sole reason for wanting to help was indeed out of concern for the guy, and yet she struggled to recall his name.

"Ssssaaa…," she struggled to say as if something had suddenly afflicted her. "W-What did you do to me?"

"It isn't what I did," Moka said cheerfully. "It's all you. Why don't you give it up and admit that…whatshisname doesn't mean anything to you; it's Tsukune you're still obsessed about, even after all this time, too! _My_ Tsukune, who will never, even now, be _your_ Tsukune."

In a fit of rage, Kurumu swipes at her with bared claws, but Moka ducks out into the hall and begins to run rather than fight. Kurumu flies out after her in a fit of rage, but sees Moka already halfway down this narrow, strange looking corridor, where the further she chases, the longer it seems to stretch the distance between them, all the while Moka giggles gleefully at her frustrated pursuer.

"What's wrong, Kurumu; can't handle the truth?"

"Dammit!" She muttered, trying to fly after Moka in hot pursuit, but not even her wings, still sore from earlier could keep up.

Falling down to the floor, exhausted and overcome with emotion, she struggled to make sense of everything, and remember the name of a man she was trying to help, which seemed to become increasingly difficult. While doing so, though, she happens to glance at a TV playing in someone's opened room where on it was live news coverage of a battle in Afghanistan. Almost instantly it struck a chord with her of which she could not explain, and having already forgotten Moka, crawled over to the flat screen so as to hear it better, as though drawn to the events unfolding.

XXX

The fire fight was small, but intense as a few clay buildings laid in smoldering ruins after a suicide bomber had devastated an entire block; a prelude to the small arms fire the militants unleashed soon thereafter, in which the marines under Sam's command were already putting down. The boy was now the man, merged completely with this memory, but no less frightened, his limbs shaking as Muslim fighters, holed up in an abandoned building exchanged gunfire on their position, causing him to wonder if he'll get any of them out alive. All the while, though, he kept wondering where Kurumu was, and will she get him out of here?

"SIR!" Stevens called to him as he spied one of the insurgents pull out a rocket launcher.

Fortunately, a well placed marine positioned his own rocket launcher and fired on the building, enveloping it in a flash of smoke. With the enemy momentarily subdued, Sam knew it was now or never, his body already moving on its own accord.

"NOW!" Sam yelled, and he and Stevens rushed the place, blinding smoke all around, and simultaneously took out the remaining insurgents who tried to put up a fight. He saw their skulls explode from the rounds he fired into them, their once lively bodies quickly become riddled scarecrows dancing wildly with arms flailing about; it made him want to shut his eyes to the carnage that he inflicted, but again his body acted of his own accord and kept firing until not a single man was left moving.

With the fighting over, now came time to evaluate the carnage and reflect. The enemy had targeted a school, made co-ed by the new regime; the attack took place at eight in the morning and all around were strewn the bodies of not just innocent civilians and insurgents alike, their bodies burnt beyond recognition, their bodily fluids splattered everywhere by the fight, but of school children, who had just started the day. Sam was lucky that the only casualties his command had were two wounded who would recover, but that was the only good thing about it; this, he remembered well happened under his watch and now came the unenviable task of bearing responsibility for this, and gathering up the dead, a sum total of 600 in all. The smell of death mixed with the smoke and gunpowder that permeated every orifice, but the children took an especially heavy toll on him. He had never seen anything like this before or since, nor had to carry small, burnt up carcasses past wails of lamentation and lining them up along the sidewalk for accountability, their tiny bodies resembling burnt up dolls, seemingly incredible to him that they were ever living, breathing, young human beings.

The Sam looked at each and every one of them, each detail adding more pain to the tortured man, as if reminding him of something he'd missed. He wanted to break down, wanted to cry and weep into his hands, praying to god:

"_Make it stop! _ _Make it go away, let me out of here!"_

"Why, it's your fault!" An accusing voice whispered softly.

Sam looked around, certain it had not come from his mind, but was greeted by an even more horrifying sight.

"W-What?" He responded upon looking down at the hollowed out skull of a boy's corpse, who looked up at him with cold, black eyes.

"This happened on your watch," the reanimated corpse of a girl joined in.

"You were supposed to prevent this from happening," accused another.

"N-No, you're wrong," he defended. "I…I did everything I…"

"The group responsible had been in our village for weeks," another boy accused.

"The bomber had plenty of time to prepare."

"They were right under your nose."

"I…I didn't mean for this happen," Sam replied, shuddering under the weight of this revelation that the devastating attack had happened under his watch, that he had ignored the warning signs and hundreds of children died very brutal deaths. "I didn't mean it, I'm sorry!"

"Sorry?"

"Sorry cannot save you."

"No, you must suffer!"

"_**And**_," hissed a familiar voice, "_**you will**_ _**ssssuffer, just like her!"**_

"HELP!" Sam heard a woman shout. "THERE'S ANOTHER ONE TRAPPED INSIDE!"

He looked over and saw villagers rushing to a still burning section of the school where inside he could see one more student trapped within, her shrill screams piercing through the cacophony of equally horrible sounds.

The marines rushed to the rescue with himself in tow, but as he drew nearer he was able to make out the little girl's hair: it was different from the usual, raven color, more of a light, sky blue. Her eyes, pleading for him to come save her, locked with his and he could tell they were violet, while soot stained the girl's fair skin.

"K-Kurumu?" He asked aloud.

"SAVE MEEE, AAAAHHHHHH!" She screamed as the flames leapt up all around her.

He tried to go in, was determined to run in there and rescue the little girl who reminded him so much of Kurumu, but a decomposed hands began grabbing at him and slowing him down.

"You can't save her," said another reanimated corpse.

"How can you save her when you didn't even save us?" Another asked.

Pretty soon, he was surrounded on every side by zombified, black eyed corpses, crowding all around. Sam couldn't move, was unable to race to his friend's aid, too petrified to get away from these things, these horrid reminders of a past too strong to forget. And, all the while a dry cackle could be heard mixed in with the flames and the sounds of the dying girl, which added new horrors to his mind.

"No!" He yelled, breaking free and racing to the rescue, but it was too late as the flames completely enveloped the entire building.

"CAPTAIN!" Stevens yelled as his commanding officer prepared to leap through the fire.

Running through a yellow wall of flames that literally blocked the entrance to save the girl it was a moment he vividly remembered, the heat upon his face, smoke choking his lungs, and fear gripping him. However, he recalled it was not for himself, but for the child trapped inside. It was all a blur after that; him finding the girl, carrying her tiny body in his big arms, and then somehow finding the way out of that hell, was all a mental blur.

"THERE HE IS!" Someone shouted, as Sam nevertheless bursts out just seconds before the whole building collapsed in on itself.

"GET A MEDIC OVER HERE!" Stevens shouted, rushing to his side with everyone else in two, eager to see if he had pulled off a miracle.

"Captain," said Stevens, "Sir…you did it, you…"

But, upon looking at his grim face, it was clear Sam's efforts were as futile as his inner child's hope in avoiding this memory: the girl was dead. It wasn't the same girl as before, he realized, but an ordinary Afghan girl who perished on this date, but for a moment resembled a younger Kurumu.

_No_, the boy inside of him thought, as he collapsed to his knees, more out of abject failure than the fatigue everyone around him saw; he couldn't even hear Stevens voicing words of encouragement, telling him he did everything he could.

"Sam."

In what in this maudlin moment, lost completely in this nightmare, that he heard a fleeting voice calling faintly in the gentle breeze. It was not as loud or fierce as the monster or the reanimated corpses that tormented him, but was a kind, feminine voice; uplifting and earnest. He had heard it before, as if it held more significance than anything going on right now, and so strong it was, that even his body, which had moved without the obeying the frantic pleas of his soul, seemed to tilt his head toward the direction it came, almost like it had been moved by her, as well.

XXX

Kurumu saw the footage as it was happening, wanted so badly to utter the blond marine's name, and yet her mind remained cloudy, refusing to acknowledge his name.

She could see the man trying to control the situation, see clearly how his shaved blond hair became grimy by sweat and soot, his blue eyes wracked with fear and pain, yet forced by duty to shove it all so as to maintain order. She could hear, as clear as day the words being spoken despite the distance, hear how traumatic the terrorist attack was for the people there, allowing her to imagine more than anyone else the fire and rage that they were engulfed in, and it felt so wrong that she wasn't be there with him. She heard Sam talk on a two-way radio to who she assumed was his commanding officer, heard them argue about new orders to ship out rather than stay and help with the village.

_No, don't go_, she found herself praying as though sensing something terrible was about to happen. _Don't go on that mission! Stay there, stay until I find you; just don't go!_

The footage was footage; there was nothing she could do to alter what happened, and yet it didn't make the situation any less frustrating as it continued to play out, cruelly on TV for her viewing pleasure, from the safety and comfort of her supposed alma mater; Yokai Academy. Yokai, where she had friends to count on, who showed their ever loving support and where things seemed simple; that is, on the surface.

The bitterness in her heart and mind caused Kurumu to forget about one man, and instantly remember about the other: Tsukune Aono, her Destined One, taken by _she_ who ruined had everything. She could hear his voice talking outside; could hear _her_ giggling laughter, like the sound of little bells tinkling away, mocking everything that mattered and it was enough to prompt Kurumu to glance away from the TV to peer outside to see her destined lover down in the courtyard chatting it up with Moka Akashiya, so happy and carefree. Moka casually rest her tiny hand upon his shoulder, flirting with such open audacity as she brushed back her long, pink hair that briefly waved in the gentle breeze; it was enough to make Kurumu see blood.

"Damn you," Kurumu muttered under her breath.

She had to warn him, tell him about what kind of person she really was, what will happen if he gave into being with her.

"TSUKUNE!" Kurumu screamed, banging on the windows to get his attention, but it didn't seem like he heard her, so she screamed even louder: "TSUKUNE!"

_Why can't he hear me? _She wondered.

She tried opening the window, but it wouldn't budge; even with her full strength, she was once again stymied. She then realized this was all an illusion conjured up by some phantom apparition controlling everything and rationalized against playing into its game; that was until she saw Moka lean forward and kiss Tsukune on the neck, as though sensing Kurumu's thoughts and deciding to press her buttons.

"Stop that!" Kurumu yelled angrily. "Get away from him!"

Grabbing a nearby bed, she hurls it with all of her strength at the window, smashing it and the wall into pieces, then flinging herself out with wings, claws and all to tear Moka up for good.

"MOKA!" She shrieked, diving down towards the startled girl.

"KURUMU!" Tsukune yelled as she swoops Moka up and soars into the sky with her quarry in her grasps like a hawk.

"What are you doing?" Moka asked.

"Keeping him away from you!" She responded.

"You think that'll make him love you?" Moka asked.

"Shut up!"

"He won't, you know! He'll never love you like he does me; give it up!"

"I said shut up!"

"Everyone knows it," she taunts, twisting her head around in a gruesome fashion to get a better look at Kurumu and flash a nasty smile. "Why can't you?"

"SHUT – UP!" Kurumu screams and hurls Moka towards the ground, almost relishing in watching her tumble like a rag doll.

Bloodlust still boiling, Kurumu dove down after her, searching the tumbled mass of debris before finding her rival face down and looking rather unflattering with her school outfit's skirt up, lily white panties exposed.

"Heh; if Tsukune could see you now," Kurumu taunted, this time. "You look like the whore I always knew you were, Moka."

However, a dry laugh emanating from her prone body wiped Kurumu's cocky grin and forced her to physically assault the pink haired body, again.

"What so funny?" She asked, kicking her hard in the side until Moka laid looking up at her with another smug grin. "What the fuck is so funny?"

"I've already won and yet you still refuse to see it."

"You…," Kurumu threatened, ready to rend her talons through Moka's body, but a faint and familiar voice in the air cried:

"No!"

_What was that?_ She wondered. _That sounded like…_

"TSUKUNE!" Moka suddenly cried out, breaking Kurumu's concentration. "SAVE MEEE!"

"MOKA!" Came Tsukune's voice nearby and Kurumu could tell he was not in the listening mood, especially when precious Moka needed help.

"What are you going to do?" She taunted. "Tell him the truth; that I'll hurt him later on in our marriage? You think he'll believe you? Ha! You can't save anyone!"

"Fuck you," Kurumu hissed and was ready to deliver the killing blow when a bronze wash bin falls from the sky and crashes upon her head, nearly splitting it open.

"Get away from her!" Yukari yelled, brandishing her magic wand like a weapon.

"What the…_hell_?" Kurumu asked, cradling her skull, but then ice began to form all the way up to her chest. "M-Mizore?"

The snow woman glared at her from a nearby tree she had been hiding behind this whole time, whether waiting for the right moment to strike or simply waiting for Kurumu to finish the job and then her; either way she knew Mizore was no friend in need, here.

"Moka, are you alright?" Tsukune asked, rushing to her hated rival's side and hugging her tight.

"Tsukune!" Kurumu tried to plead. "Listen to me; you don't understand, she's no good!"

"What the hell's gotten into you?" He snapped. "I can't believe you would attack Moka like this!"

"But, Tsukune!"

"She's crazy, Tsukune!" Moka accused. "This is desperate, even for her!"

"She's just jealous, that's all!" Yukari said.

"…Tsukune," Kurumu said, her eyes welling up with tears over the injustice going on, and of him not even believing her. "_Please _listen to me, she's dangerous! I know you don't believe me, but…years from now, she's going to cheat on you with Gin and…I was only looking out for…"

"Stop it, Kurumu, just stop it!" He yelled. "You've done enough damage! Why, _why_ do you keep doing these insane things all the time?"

"Be…Because…you're my Destined One; I love you, Tsukune!"

"Well, I love Moka, and I don't love you!"

His words cut deep, deeper than even the most fatal of wounds she's accrued from her enemies over the years, wounds she took in defense of him.

"How…How can you say that?"

"Because, it's the truth!" He said, his eyes taking on a vampire's ominous glow, his very hair becoming white and two puncture wounds opened up on his neck. "Maybe you need to go find yourself another, because you won't find him here."

As everyone, every face she'd known, friend, foe, and even family appeared over her, staring venomous glares as though they'd taken sides, and it wasn't hers, Kurumu just wanted to die, to cease all existence right here in this man's thoughts. But, just then the ringing in her head from Yukari's attack grew so painful, that it began to distort her vision and then everything around, and for a moment Kurumu could see herself in a desert waste land where in it she swore she saw the man from TV, clad in his camouflage clothing, walking towards her.

"Kurumu," his distant voice, echoed. "Kurumu …"

XXX

Capt. Trevor continued looking about his surroundings like a lost dog, trying in vain to ascertain that voice, thinking it must've been Kurumu. Upon thinking of her, however brought his attention back to the dead girl lying in his arms, his confusion wracked with anguish over the memory of this event, recalling how he was unable to save her, and yet confused as to why, in that brief moment she was still alive, would resemble Kurumu.

"Captain?" Stevens asked, concerned about his commander.

"…We have to secure this area," he finally responded and gently placing the child next to the others with nary a show of raw emotion; all of put in check to put on a show for his troops.

"Yes sir!" Stevens replied.

"Initiate martial law before things get out of hand! Take command of hospitals, post offices, any place of business that can serve as a headquarters until we can get things settled, and set about establishing road blocks; I don't want nobody getting in or out of here, got it?"

"Anything else, sir?" Stevens asked.

"Come again?"

"I mean, uh, seeing to additional tasks for you, sir; w-while you, um…"

"Spit it out, Lieutenant!"

"It's just that you seemed out of it a while ago, and it was just…just my opinion that…"

"You have no opinion, Stevens!" Sam barked in his face. "And, I don't remember asking for your assessment of me; I gave you an order and expect you to follow it, do we understand?

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"Then get to it, Marine!"

"Yes sir!"

The man was good at hiding his emotions on the outside, but inside he was quickly being overwhelmed, mourning the failure of protecting these people, people whom hours earlier had went about their daily lives and smiling at him as they went by like they always had.

Still, after hearing Stevens again, he wondered if his words rang true; was he really fit to carry on his duties or was he even the right man for the job?

"It's your fault?" The slain girl asked, raising her head up and accusing him like the others had before.

"No."

"It's true and you know it!"

Pretty soon, all of the slain villagers rose up and began swarming around the boy, who cried out in terror.

"No, I…I, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to fail you, I'm sorry!"

"HEY, CAPTAIN!" He heard a woman yell for him, and as he looked up, saw it was Kurumu decked out in military fatigues.

_W-What? _He wondered at the sight, blinking real hard to see if it was real.

Suddenly, the zombified villagers held back, their ranks parting like the red sea as she slowly walked forward, their faces filled with vile derision at this miraculous interruption.

"Kurumu, man am I glad to see you!"

"I need you, Sam," she said with a smile, "to snap out of it!"

"Huh?"

"We're needed, sir!" The woman said, her face changing in the blink of an eye, changing back into the face of Corporal Winger, a young blonde radio operator under his command, and who didn't survive.

"Corporal," he said, shaking his head clear.

"I know you don't like to show it, sir, but like you said, we can't let our emotions get the better of us," she replied, casually. "Colonel Wagner just radioed in; he has a mission for us."

_What?_ He wondered.

"Where to?" He asked, having some difficulty taking in the new and sudden orders being placed in his lap at a time like this.

"To the eastern sector, near the Kabul Mountains; we're to rendezvous with a joint CIA and Navy Seal team. He said Intel tracked the command cell responsible for this."

"Did you inform the Colonel of what happened here; the ones responsible aren't in the east, their hiding out right here in the mountains to the north; why is…?"

"Said this was top priority, sir; we're needed to head up the new task force, and we're being relieved here."

_What about the people, the villagers?_ He wondered, but it seemed clear his concerns wouldn't have made any difference had he voiced it at the time.

"…How soon before evac?" The Captain asked.

"No!" He heard someone cry out, but tried to shake it off as shell shock.

"Chopper is on the way, sir," she said.

"No, you can't! It's an ambush, you need to stay here and protect the villagers!"

However, he shrugged off these mysterious pleas as he and Corporal Winger began walking away. Sam knew in the dark recesses of his mind, relieving this horrific moment yet again, that this was a mistake; that he should have disobeyed a direct order and kept his command here in the village where they would be most needed, and well protected. Instead, as the helicopter immediately appears overhead, erupting from the noon day sky and hovering over like some black creature from a nightmare, kicking up blinding dust all around as they watched with mild trepidation, Sam led his squad towards its opened maw.

"SIR!" Stevens said. "WE NOT GONNA WAIT FOR THE RELIEF TO SHOW?"

"COMMAND WANTS US AT THE RENDEVOUS POINT, ASAP!" Sam replied. "DON'T WORRY, THEY WON'T ATTACK THIS PLACE AGAIN; MOST LIKELY THEY'LL MOVE ON SINCE WE'RE WISE TO THEM! JUST STICK CLOSE TO ME AND FOCUS ON THE MISSION AND YOU'LL BE ALRIGHT!"

"YES, SIR!" Stevens replied, with full faith and duty in his eyes, he and all of his comrades mindful of what they had to do. But, they were hollow words; words Sam knew he should not have said unless he was confident, himself. Sam both remembered and knew painfully well, that those words should not have been said that day, as everything that happened, or rather will transpire next, will make those words especially insulting to their memory. He knew leaving the village unguarded was wrong; most importantly, he should have known that the intel was faulty, handed over by a misleading agent, and left unverified by a command more concerned about politics and presenting a positive image for the folks back at home.

"No!" The voice cried in futility. "Come back!"

"YOU ALRIGHT, CAPTAIN!?" Corp. Winger asked out of concern.

"YEAH!" Came his reply. "JUST STAY LOOSE AND BE READY FOR ANYTHING!"

_Kurumu_. He thought out of some quiet desperation, praying she will hear and show up like the angel he saw her as. _Kurumu, come back for me._

XXX

Kurumu stared with wide eyed confusion as she beheld this grim, yet familiar scene laid out before her.

"…H-How did I get _here_?" She asked herself with woe.

Glancing down at the pink, maid of honor gown she wore, custom made to her specifications where the blouse allowed her large breasts to practically spill out and just for this special occasion, to show a certain someone what he'd be missing, despite everyone else at the reception staring at her with disapproval, very quickly reminded her where 'here' was.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I can't be here, I can't!"

To be back at Moka and Tsukune's show wedding, a moment still etched in her memory, yet loathed to relive it again, was a fate worse than anything this nightmare could imagine for her. Still, she knew something was terribly wrong, that this shouldn't be about her, but about someone else's trauma, a man whose name was missing from her lips just like himself.

"I…I shouldn't…be here!" She cried. "These memories, _my_ memories, they shouldn't be here! I have to…"

"Still at it, I see?" Moka asked, dressed in her elegant wedding gown and glowing like an angel, yet standing before her with all the pomp and circumstance of an evil queen. "You never know when to quit, do you? Why keep up this charade of someone with purpose, when you know there's no point?"

"Stop it! You are not real! None of this is real!"

"Don't be in denial, Mumu," said a familiar voice, "you ain't on some river in Africa; this is real."

"Aunt Caro?" Kurumu asked, staring blankly at the buxom woman with the plum colored hair.

"Oh, my poor, dear little girl," said her mother, appearing next to her. "If only you'd done like I taught you, the boy would be yours by now."

"Mama? But…No! I…"

"Come here," Caro said to Moka, whom she roughly throws onto a table, unleashes a glamour spell that locks Moka in a motionless trance, wherein she then opens up her legs and begins fingering her before Kurumu's shocked eyes. "You like that, don't you?"

"…Y-Yes!" Moka moaned, already beginning to climax.

"Aunt Caro?"

"See, look at her," Caro said. "Look what I'm doing against her will; I'm barely using much power on her. You and I used more on Tsukune and he resisted us, but this whore…she isn't even putting up a fight; the almighty vampire princess. You lost…to _this_? You make me sick! You're a disgrace of a succubus! Heh; her vagina ain't even tight. Moka, who am I?"

"M-M-Master!" Moka cried as the insides of her thighs glistened with sweat and cum, the muscles of her legs straining against the walls of her tender skin.

"You shame me, Kurumu!" Her mother declared. "You're no daughter of mine! How could you destroy my faith in you, huh? How could you let down your own race, you're better than this!"

Kurumu tried to shut out her aunt's accusations, as well as the sounds of Moka's disgusting moans, closing her ears and averting her eyes from the scene, but she could still feel everyone's judgmental glares rather than the whorish bride being fucked in full view.

_Why does everyone hate me instead of her? _She wondered.

"No!" Kurumu cried. "This isn't happening; none of you are here, it's all an illusion! There's somebody important I have to find."

"More important than me?" Tsukune asked, as he walks out of the blue, completely nonchalant about what's going on with Moka.

"Tsukune?"

"You're a real sad case, you know that, Kurumu?"

"Me; y-you don't you see what she's doing?" Kurumu asked, pointing at Moka. "Look at her!"

"See what?" He asked, not even bothering to look. "I don't see anything, all I see is a sad, desperate girl who's somewhere she's not supposed to."

"This is crazy!" She yelled, shaking her head clear. "This isn't real, and neither are you; the real Tsukune wouldn't be talking to me like this, the real you is in Japan right now, and all of this is in the pa…"

"KURUMU!" Her mother yelled at her.

"This is all in the pa…"

"KURUMU!" Cried her aunt.

"All in the pa…"

"KURUMU!" Moka yelled.

"In the pa…"

"Kurumu," said Tsukune calmly, whose voice strangely sounded like a blend of his and Sam's?

It was strange and unsettling, but even more troublesome was the fact that she couldn't say past, as if she was unable to admit to it.

"Kurumu," she then heard Sam say, baffled to hear it come out of Tsukune's mouth. "I'm here, come find me!"

"Sssssssuh…!" She tried to say his name, but her mouth remained uncooperative. "N- Why?"

"KURUMU!" Tsukune yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her violently as though trying to get his point across. "Who do you think you're here for?"

"Why are you asking me that?" She asks. "What do you mean who am I here for?"

"For me? Are you here for me; you think you're helping me? What's wrong with you?"

"What_ is_ wrong with you, Kurumu?" Her mother asked. "Don't you know any better; it's too late for Tsukune, so why bother?"

"I…"

"Enough!" Moka yelled, her voice changed to a deep, throaty tone, her very image changed into the white haired, more "mature" form, who with her long, shapely legs kicks Caro away and begins to saunter over to Tsukune, embracing him like a possessive child with a large plushy. "You've lost, Kurumu, you've lost everything."

"Moka," she growled.

"Just like you lost, what's his name?"

Kurumu eyes widened again, confused at having forgotten the man she was supposed to be helping, but grew angry at the thought that this fiend would dare imply having lost him to her just like everything else.

"Don't you dare speak about him," Kurumu threatened. "Whoever he is, he's my friend; and take your fucking hands off of Tsukune!"

"Hmph; him who? You mean your pitiful little bum of a friend?"

"Stop it!" She growled, her talons bared.

"Please; if I so wanted to, I can have him and toss him aside just as easily as I did Tsukune."

"No."

"In fact," Moka declares, callously knocking Tsukune over before adding: "he's as good as mine."

"No!" Kurumu yelled, lunging at her only to be kicked by Moka's right leg, and sent violently across the room and through a broom closet door.

XXX

"CAPTAIN!" A marine shouted just before a mortar round exploded near his location, shredding him into pieces.

Sam stared with wide eyed fear and confusion at the nightmarish situation before him and his unit, the sun's crushing heat baring down being reflected against the brightly luminescent rocks all around, radiating heat in all directions that left his dying troops with the sensation that they were being baked alive. But, that wasn't the worst the situation; it gave the guerilla fighters blinding cover for them to fire on their position with brutal precision. This place, this moment, was all too familiar to him, another moment that refused to go away, and yet it was also all too real to ignore; this dreaded ambush he had led his squad in.

"Your orders, Captain?" Stevens asked.

Sam knew he was talking directly at him, but he couldn't hear him clearly in the confusion going on within his own mind. His hand clasped around the radio, its static billowing forth in tune with machine gun fire, and yet he didn't know what else to do. All around, the figures were as dark and faceless as he recalled every night this moment would play in his dreams; creatures from the darkest caves, emerging to harass and torment him at every interval, killing another one of his marines.

"Captain!" Stevens reiterated.

_A-Air support, _he thought. _Where is air support?_

"Sir?"

"Into the canyon, into the canyon!" He ordered, leading what remained of his unit into a small nearby opening, hoping it would provide shelter, while he radios for help. "CAPTAIN TREVOR TO BASE, CAPTAIN TREVOR TO BASE; DO YOU READ ME, OVER!"

"Base here," came the disembodied reply. "We read you Captain."

"UNDER HEAVY FIRE! CASAULTIES SEVERE! NEED AIR SUPPORT!"

"Can you name your location?"

"ABOUT TWO CLICKS SOUTH FROM THE RENDEVOUS POINT! I REPEAT, NEED AIR SUPPORT!"

"Let's see," he heard the man say on the other end, his demeanor aggravatingly calm and nonchalant. "That's a negative on that air support, Captain; the area you're in is too hot."

"SIR?"

"It seems the rendezvous was a no go; faulty information, we currently don't have any air support in the area at the moment! You'll have to slug it out and make it another mile north; you will find a safe zone, designated Charlie; it should be on your map."

_Y-You've gotta be kidding me! _He screamed in his head. _This can't be happening, it can't be!_

"_Sir that is a negative; that area is crawling with ambush points and zero cover for my men and women_!"

"You have your orders, Marine! You're gonna have to man up and make it; out!"

"Sir; SIR?" Stevens asked, but getting no response, slams the receiver in utter anger.

Seeing no other options, he plays the good soldier once again and obeys orders, placing his trust in the chain of command, just as his own marines were doing. Sam prepared to make the decision that would mean the difference between life and death.

"We need to make for the safe zone!" He said, stopping under a small crevice for cover just long enough to hold out the map. "Here's the checkpoint, and here we are."

"Captain?"

"There's no way can…"

"Sir?"

"Alright, listen up!" He barks. "We have our orders; Charlie is our only option. Now, we're Marines goddamn it, and Marines never give up; do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir!" They all say in unison.

"Now, we…"

"SAM!"

Suddenly, he hears someone calling out his name and looks up to see Kurumu, dressed in fatigues and signaling for him to head down a small, narrow chasm to the southeast, an area where it seemed too steep for the enemy to harass from.

"OVER HERE, SAM!" She yells.

"K-Kurumu," he whispers with a strong sense of familiarity.

"SAM! COME WITH ME!"

"Captain Trevor?" Stevens asked.

"…W-What am I..?" Sam asked himself, as though slowly trying to stir himself awake from this deep and fraught filled dream. "This isn't really…"

"Sir?"

He blinks hard, but when he looks again the specter is gone, instead he sees more dark shapes crawling along the canyon walls from the south, heading their way.

"LET'S GO, LET'S GO!" He yells at his troops, leading them north to the check point, which turned out to be this nightmarish labyrinth of death traps that were so sudden and surprising they seemed almost unreal, like magically appearing out of nowhere and killing everybody with inhuman accuracy, cutting them down one at a time.

"CAPTAIN!" He heard one marine cry out before suddenly silenced, the word haunting him as each step brought more death, but he didn't dare stop nor look back, instead pushing forward with blind faith in his leadership, his training, and the reliance on his military superiors.

"Captain Trevor!" Stevens called, terror in his voice.

"DON'T STOP, WE KEEP GOING!" Sam yelled, fear gripping him, yet constantly reassuring himself that the checkpoint will be the end of their ordeal, everything is alright. He had too much to live for; an ill mother to take care of, a supposedly loving wife at home, and his kids. It had to be alright, it just had to be.

_We're never going to make it! _His fear him thinking at first, but he shook it off for the sake of everyone that counted on him.

"_**Yesssss, keep thinking that**_**!**" Taunted the reptilian voice from earlier, emanating from the very rocks themselves. "_**It's what you believed at the time, didn't you? Because, they're all going to die, anyway and it'll be all your fault! You are sssso sstupid, just a big baby, it's pathetic!"**_

"No!" He muttered to himself, shaking the words from his head. "No! Stop it! G-Get out of my…!"

"CAPTAIN!" Stevens yelled as the very way to salvation became barred as the earth suddenly upturned before his very eyes, creating a massive wall that blocked their path, launching stones tumbling down upon them as they rest looked on with disbelief and hopelessness.

"No, no, no!" Sam cried.

"What the hell is going on?" Winger asked. "What do we do now?"

But, before he could even utter a response, her head explodes, brain matter and blood splattering all over him after being hit by enemy fire erupting from the top of this newly constructed wall.

They were trapped.

"TAKE COVER!" He yelled.

All around them, the canyon descended into madness, with plumes of smoke and fire spewing from the hot rocks, the sky becoming crimson and their assailants, merciless and without a shred of human compassion, further degenerating into denizens of this newly created hell.

"W-WE NEVER GONNA GET OUT!" One private yelled, breaking the group in a mad panic in the other direction right before falling in a pit that suddenly opened up under him and being impaled on a bed of spikes.

"We gotta get out of here!" Stevens told him, fear gripping his voice. "SIR, WE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!"

"PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, MARINE!" Sam barked back at him in a desperate attempt to regain cohesion, though trying to hide the fear and panic inside of himself.

_We __**have**__ to get out of here! _He thought in a panic. _We're all going to die if I don't do something!_

"WE'RE TRAPPED!" Stevens yelled, voicing his concerns.

"STAY LOOSE!" Sam commanded, still trying to sound in charge despite their situation. "FALL BACK, FALL BACK!"

They retreated towards a corner of the canyon with rock outcroppings that looked to be ideal enough for a small fort.

"STEVENS!" He called back, making sure the young private stayed close.

Stevens tried to provide covering fire for their escape before following after his commanding officer, when a round ripped through his chest like a baseball through glass, the force knocking him to the ground.

"CAPTAIN!" He cried out in a brief retort of pain and panic before hitting the ground.

About half way to the point of refuge, Sam looks back in time to see Stevens fall and stops in his tracks.

_Oh god; no, no, please god! _Sam prayed.

"STEVENS!" He yelled and despite his unit's pleas, raced back to his fallen protégé, to the boy he pledged to look after like a younger brother, whom he scoops up into his arms without so much as checking to see if he was alive and brings back with the rest of the group while under heavy. "BUNKER DOWN! MEDIC, WE HAVE A WOUNDED MAN!"

He again radios for assistance.

"WE NEED SOME GODDAMN AIR SUPPORT, WE'RE BEING SLAUGHTERED!"

"SIR!" One of his squad members said.

"Marine," came the reply, "we are unable to comply; it would be too dangerous for our drones to go where you are!"

"SIR!"

"FUCK THE DRONES!" Sam roared. "WHAT ABOUT US?"

"You're going to have to hold out until nightfall and we can send out a reconnaissance drone to assess the situation!"

"SIR!"

"WHAT?"

"HE'S DEAD SIR!" The Private said.

"What?"

"Stevens! He's dead!"

"…He's not dead, he's just…check him again!"

Sam looked down at Stevens' body, lifeless, still, his brown eyes staring blankly at the sky; he couldn't remember when he died or if the shot killed him instantly, as it was still hard for him to grasp. So absorbed was he, he didn't even hear his commanding officer trying to reach him.

"WHAT DO WE DO NOW, SIR?" One private asked.

"THEY LEFT US OUT HERE TO DIE!" Another cried.

Sam wanted to say words of encouragement, of strong leadership, but nothing came out; all he could do was keep shooting and dodging bullets.

_What's happening? Oh god, what am I going to do? They're counting on me, he counted on me, and I…I don't know what to do! How can command just abandon us? How can they leave us out to die because they didn't want to waste drones?_

"IN COMING!" One of his subordinates screamed as the deafening and sickening drone of a mortar round pierced the chaotic air, drawing closer and closer, causing them to futilely cover themselves until a blinding flash of hot, painful light made it all stop.

XXX

"Tsukune!" Kurumu cried as she stumbled down a darkened hall, with only a single bulb, hanging from the ceiling there to provide any illumination. "TSUKUNE!"

"Kurumu!" Someone replied, but it wasn't Tsukune.

"…Is…Is that you?" She asked, recognizing the man's voice, but unable to place it.

"What are you doing here, tit-for-brains?" Yukari asked, suddenly bursting out of a closed room.

"You know you don't belong here," said Mizore, who surprised her from the opposite room.

"He belongs to you know who," said Kokoa, appearing menacingly in front of her.

"Give up!" Ruby threatened from behind.

"STOP IT, GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Kurumu screamed, trying to block out their words.

"Can I help you, madam?" A hotel concierge asked.

Looking around in utter confusion, she soon finds herself in a hotel lobby. However, it wasn't just any hotel lobby, but of that fateful hotel in Hawaii, on that fateful day where she boldly and foolishly tried to disrupt their honeymoon, only to disrupt her life.

"I…I-I shouldn't be here," she muttered to herself. "I _really_ should not be here!"

"Madam, is there something I can do to help you?"

"Help? Yes, th-that's right; I need to get out of here, have to help…him?"

"And, who might that be?"

"Who?" She asked, visibly confused.

"Yes; for whom are you trying to help?"

For a moment, the confusion on her smooth face seemed palpable and worsening by the second, as if his question left the girl lost in some mental fog; but a loud bell ring, followed by the solemn sound of parting elevator doors seemed to bring some semblance of direction.

"I believe you'll find what you're looking for upstairs, ma'am," the concierge said with a smile, a very sinister looking smile.

All of a sudden she finds herself in the honeymoon suite, already lying in bed semi-naked in a lacey, bright pink thong underwear, confused and deeply rattled by these turn of events.

_Oh no_, she suddenly recalled as the familiarity of this scene caught up to her. _I…I have to get out of here now, before…_

"KURUMU!" A man yelled from across the room, startling the succubus and bouncing to her feet as she came face to face with the man she remembered coming up to meet.

"Tsk-Tsukune?" She asked.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?" He asked, his voice with a strange mix of anger and deep concern, concern not for himself upon his new bride finding her there, but of what she'll likely do to the unwanted, former rival.

"I…I didn't…I. Ts-Tsukune, you have to listen to me; I know how this looks, but…it's not what you think!"

"Oh really; because right now I'm thinking you have to be out of your mind! For the love of god, Kurumu, why are you always doing these crazy things; can't you take a hint?"

"Tsukune, you need to know about Moka, she's going to betray you!"

"What?"

Suddenly, it was as if Kurumu had forgotten this was all a fragment of her memory, forgotten of why she was really there, of who this was all about, and too caught up in this moment. As if on cue, the flat screen in the room turned on all by itself, the channel already on some scene from a war movie.

"Tsukune, look, I need you…to…"

As Kurumu looked on, however, and saw a familiar looking, blond man in fatigues fighting for his very life, she soon realized that this graphic scene was from no movie, and those people, people this man was trying to lead to safety only to die horribly, one by one, were in fact real.

"Oh my god," she muttered, and soon realized that this wasn't about the man standing in front of her, shaking his head in shame, but of someone else, someone equally important, if not at the moment, even more so.

SMACK

Without warning, she felt a stinging slap erupt across her face, so strong that it felt real and shocking as even she never remembered such a reaction from Tsukune. In any case, it seemed to jolt any lingering doubts of what was the pressing issue, as if Tsukune was somehow trying to slap some sense into her.

"Ts-Tsuku-ne?" She asked, trembling uncontrollably,

"Why-will-you-not-take a fucking hint? I am not the one for you, okay? I'm not the man you should be concerned over! Whoever he is, where ever he is, he isn't here; okay! He's out there!" Tsukune yelled, pointing his finger outside, but in the direction of the television as if he was really pointing to the guy on the set. "For god sake, let this obsession you have over me go before…"

The room, in fact the very sky outside the bay windows started to go dark, and the very atmosphere became more and more ominous as she could sense something sinister approach from outside the closed door.

"You shouldn't have come here, Kurumu. Now, she'll get you and you'll never get out."

"Tsukune?"

"I tried to warn you, but you wouldn't listen! It's too late for you…its too late for h…"

In that moment, she could have sworn he said "him", as if referring to the marine television, but his words were muffled when the door bursts open from a massive kick, where in the doorway was an evil glow of crimson, demonic energy swarming about a single, female figure standing menacingly before them.

"I think he's saying you should know your place," said the silver haired Moka, whose blood red eyes stared at her like a predator about to go in for the kill.

XXX

His eyes fluttered to open, just as his consciousness tried to take hold, but all of the noise and dim lighting of his new surroundings came and went like a bad movie projector. Finally, a shock of icy cold water, splashed across his face woke Sam, presenting him with an atmosphere deep inside a cavern that was even more hellish and foreboding than the blood splattering battle of before. He was being suspended by a pulley tied to his wrists that were being painfully pulled back behind him. Sam recognized this place as where his captors held him as a P.O.W, and the screams that erupted out of adjacent tunnels, what he at first mistook for the wind billowing on through, helped to fully bring him back to that horrible moment; those were his men and women left under his care, now being tortured alive, with none making it out.

_Why, why is this happening? _ He wondered in bitter agony. _Why are we being left to die? Why do I have to live through this, again?_

SMACK

The enemy leader, his face obscured by the shadows as were his men, struck Sam so hard across his face with some sort of board that it nearly put him back into the sweet release of unconsciousness. He wondered, was it to get his attention or simply because the bastard could; Sam didn't know, but the Marine felt anger and defiance, nonetheless. Feeling blood well up in his throbbing cheeks, he spits it out gobs of it on his tormentors, determined to be defiant.

"C-Captain Sam Trevor, United States Marine; No. 21…"

SMACK, came another blow, and then another, yet Sam still remained resilient.

_You can't break me! I won't let…_

But, deep down there was something he'd known all along and had been suppressing it at the expense of some internalized pain, that a sinister voice was keen on exploiting.

"_**Heheheheh, want to bet?"**_

"Who…are you?" He muttered, not knowing if it was to the voice or his captor. Nevertheless, with a nod from the leader, Sam's captors dropped him to the floor and drug him through one of the tunnels. There he saw something that curdled his raw and fiery blood.

The squad, the very ones that were under his care, so young and so brave, who survived the battle were being systematically tortured with every crude, barbaric method their captors could imagine. The women were being castrated before his very eyes just before being raped, their ear shattering screams enough to remain imprinted upon his psyche, along with this inhumane image. The men, however were each given individual torments, from having red hot pokers jabbed up their rectums or used to shear off their testicles, to one being eaten alive by these hellish looking dogs whose glowing red eyes seemed to delight as they gorged themselves, while the guerrillas watched with sadistic glee.

"Stop it," he began to mutter. "_STOP IT_!"

The leader yelled at him something in a tongue he couldn't understand, so he demanded again: "Stop doing this! You can have me, you can torture me, just let my people go!"

His only response to such pleas of mercy was being strung up like a slab of meat again and being beaten up with 2x4s, but not too much to kill or knock out, and whenever he did pass out, they would splash cold water in his face; it was by their will, by the will of this evil that was in control, that he bear witness to his comrades' torture as well as his own for a long time.

XXX

"You think you're not afraid of me?" Moka asked menacingly upon violently kicking Kurumu in the face, crashing her face first into the TV. There, lying on the floor, the television set resting beneath her sore body, screen fractured, but still playing where she was able to catch a glimpse of what Sam was going through, could see him now inside the torture chamber similar to the one in his dream.

"Oh my god," she muttered, beholding every gruesome scene, made even worse than before, in High Def. resolution. But, she couldn't watch anymore, not so much out of disgust, but because Moka suddenly began dragging her away for another beating. She struggled as best she could, her talons slicing through the screen to be kept from being separated from him, again, but Moka was far too strong.

"You think I'm through putting you in your place?" Moka asked, her slender hands grasping with amazing, iron clad firmness against Kurumu's struggling legs.

"Stop," she begged her. "Please, enough; just let me go!"

"_I'll_ show you your place!"

"This way, Mr. and Mrs.," a bellhop said as he and a newlywed couple made their way to their room.

"How is the view?" The wife asked. "I saw in the brochure how lovely it looked."

"The view is breathtaking; trust me on this, it's to die fo..."

CRASH

Without warning and to their terror the wall around them collapses as a blue haired girl with what appeared to be bat wings came flying through like a kickball. The disturbance created a reverberating effect all around, sending people scurrying every which way, their screams and shouts filling Kurumu's ears while her eyes strained to readjust themselves; she was desperate to do so, for the feminine silhouette slowly approaching, staring back with red eyes as the only discernible things to see, caused her survival instinct to kick into gear. The sky outside had taken on a crimson colored darkness, it's air cold and unsettling, adding to this sinister image of Moka coming for her.

"M-MOKA!" She roared, talons bared, wings unfurled and devilish fluke flicking wildly to the horror of those running for safety.

"You fool," she heard Moka say with haughty disdain. "You never should have come."

"Believe me, there's nothing better I'd like to do right now, than to get out of here, but you're just making it difficult!"

"Ha! You can't save him, you know? You can't even save yourself!"

Just as Kurumu prepared to fly out of there, Moka comes in running with blinding speed, speed that still surprised Kurumu, grabs her by the tail and with another sharp kick to the ribs sends her flying through several more rooms.

"Stay down and accept your fate!" Moka yelled at her.

Kurumu, lying face down, her silk nightie flipped over, buttocks exposed, revealing her satin panties before the terrified occupants of whose room she smashed in, who were not so much interested in this display, but the blood spattered talons, enormous wings, and demonic tail that moved very lively. Slowly getting back up, Kurumu could feel their stares, just as she had years ago during this same, exact scene; however now was different. Then, she was hell bent on winning Tsukune through some draconian display of force, but now all she wanted was to escape. Now, all that mattered was getting free of Moka, assuming that was even possible.

"Don't take your eyes off of ME!" Moka roared as she charged, causing Kurumu to jump out of the way and slash at her, only to miss and receive another kick to the face.

They continued to fight like this, like animals, one fighting to overcome an obstacle, the other fighting to subdue, possibly even to kill, which it felt to Kurumu. And though this memory must have replayed itself in her head a dozen times over in many different angles, she happened to notice the faces all the people watching them fight, faces she must have noticed at the time but paid little attention to, watching them in horror as two monster girls engaged in a pitch battle before their frightened eyes.

_What am I doing? _She wondered as she fought for her life against a superior foe. _Was this worth it? I'm fighting for my life and revealing myself to the world; was any of this worth it?_

WHAM!

A hard, blindsided kick caused Kurumu to break her train of thought briefly, and in that flash she saw the blond man in a cave being suspended in the air, screaming for someone to stop.

"Don't ignore me, fool!" Moka threatened. "Fight me or die!"

"NO!" Kurumu cried out, jumping out of the way of another kick and tries to fly away.

"Oh no you don't," Moka said, running up a wall, then springing off of it with her powerful legs, grabbing Kurumu by the tail which she yanks back down to the floor and begins pummeling her.

"S-Stop, Moka," Kurumu begged, struggling to get back up, Moka follows up by landing upon her shoulders with her knees, breaking them. "AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Don't you get it?" Moka asked, grabbing Kurumu by the hair and smashing her head, repeatedly against the floor with all her might. "You can't get away from me, because this is where you belong, where you'll always belong!"

She then picks Kurumu up and flings into the wall like a ragdoll, where she waits for her to collapses to the floor, and proceeds to triumphantly place her foot on the back of her head.

"Here," Moka said, applying pressure with sadistic glee, "under-neath me!"

"NnnnnyyyAAAAAHHH!" Kurumu screamed and with a burst of energy flings her off. "I'LL NEVER BE UNDER YOU!"

She flies at Moka with unrelenting speed and force, but Moka was ready, grabbing Kurumu's hands and using the momentum against her where she drives her knee into the midsection. Winded, the succubus falls to the floor, and feels Moka wrap a leg about her neck, holding her in place while the vampiress grabs one of her wings.

"You _never_ learn, do you?" Moka asked. "Well, little birdy, we'll just have to clip your wings."

"No, please don't!" She begged, but Moka callously and cruelly crack one wing's bone, breaking it with a sickening SNAP, causing her to howl in pain.

"There," she said victoriously, confident that one torn wing was punishment enough.

Broken and in a lot of pain, Kurumu crawls on her belly, unmindful of Moka's derisive grin as she admires her handy work.

"Let that be reminder to you, little succubus," Moka gloated. "To think you actually believed you were worthy of him, much less anyone. Pathetic; go crawl on the floor like the insect you are."

The pain was unbearable, but the embarrassment was torturous; she could feel the stares of countless people around them, hear their voices murmuring amongst themselves, not just because of her humiliating defeat, but because of what she was.

"Look at her!"

"What is she?"

"She's some kind of demon; a devil!"

It didn't matter that Moka had revealed herself, oh no, but then again she didn't have wings and tail. It always seemed that was the case; Moka was clean and pure, while she, she was the monster, the one who stirred up trouble and jeopardized everything.

"Kurumu," she heard a familiar voice and looked up to see, with hope lifted in her heart, her mother standing over her.

"M-Mama?" Kurumu asked. "Mama, help me."

"You shame me, Kurumu," she responded, much to her daughter's dismay.

"W-What?"

"You could have prevented all of this; you could have. You could have done more, in fact you _should_ have done more to secure your own happiness. Time and again, I told you to use your powers to seduce him, but you never did, you never listened."

"We were never such a disappointment to our mom when we were young," Caro said, appearing next to her mother. "Mumu, you really are a mother-loving shame; no offense, sis."

"Why are you saying this to me?"

"Look at everyone staring at you in your monster form?" Her mother pointed out. "Look at what you've done, you little fool!"

"I'm not a fool."

"Ms. Kurono," said the Headmaster, appearing over her like a judge set to condemn her, "your actions almost single-handedly jeopardized monster kind everywhere; you are the single most, destructive criminal I have ever had to deal with."

"I'm…I'm not a criminal."

"What's the matter, you boob?" Yukari stood over her, taunting. "Mad, because you finally get what you deserved?"

"Stop calling me that."

"Monster!"

"Criminal!"

"Idiot!"

"Terrorist!"

People everywhere, both familiar and stranger, friend, foe, and family alike all chanted various insulting, soul crushing names at her, their voices unified in their derision of her, derision she felt was unjustified.

"You're not only a criminal, Ms. Kurono," the Headmaster said.

"You're also my greatest failure," her mother finished. "Oh Kurumu; how could you be such a failure?"

"CONDEMN, CONDEMN, CONDEMN!" They all chanted.

"Be gone from our sights!" The Headmaster thundered. "Never set foot on our land, again!"

"Stop," Kurumu wept, begging for them to end their torment. "Please."

"They won't, Kurumu," Moka taunted. "Because they're speaking the truth; I've won. No one wants you, you are a failure; no, worse, you're a whore, and you're exactly where you belong. Everybody knows it; everyone you've ever met."

She was right.

For a moment, Kurumu believed every word of it, that she was a whore, a demon, and so many other things they said because no one wanted her. And yet, however, deep down she knew that wasn't true; to someone, someone very special, she was…

"Angel."

His voice spoke to her, just a faint whisper like it came from some faint memory of a man who, even after seeing her for the _real_ her, saw in Kurumu something more.

"You're wrong!" Kurumu shot back at Moka and everyone else. "You're all wrong! I don't care what any of you say, because there _is _someone out there right now who thinks I'm special!"

"Oh yeah, where is he?" Yukari taunted. "Why isn't he here, now?"

"That's a good question, flat chest; why isn't he here? In fact why am I here with all of you? Maybe it's because, because he's somewhere where you aren't, because none of this has anything to do with what we have going on, right now!"

"What are you babbling about now, you whore?" Moka asked, but Kurumu could note a hint of hesitation in her normally confident voice.

"I mean, this isn't really happening right now, it's a memory fragment; it already happened and it's over! Actually, now that I remember it, none of you people were even here when this actually went down, and it wasn't as bad as I believed it to be! Yeah, I was found out and got in trouble, but I'm willing to concede I made my own bed for all of that. I don't need to be dragged through all of this bullshit just so you can lord over me or any of my friends!"

With newfound confidence, Kurumu picks herself up, her strength and injuries healed miraculously.

"I don't belong here!" She challenged Moka. "And, neither do you! I have to find…find…"

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" Moka taunted.

"What…What have you...?"

"Oh, and you're exactly where you belong. Because, there is no one here for you, and even if there was, you don't even care enough about him to remember his name."

"That's not true!"

"Kurumu!" The Headmaster said with an evil grin. "For your insolence, I hereby condemn you to execution on the school grounds!"

"NO!" Kurumu screamed, as rusty chains appeared from out of nowhere, their hooks sinking deep within her flesh and dragging her into a dark dungeon, deep beneath Yokai Academy. "THAT'S NOT TRUE! I'LL FIND HIM! I WILL FIND HIM!"

Tried as she struggled, the chains would not budge, and Kurumu's tormentors continued their jeer fest at her through her prison bars, effectively rendering any resistance useless. In the familiar prison cell she dwelled in, there was a small TV with bad reception playing, showing more footage of Sam's predicament. She didn't recall there ever being a television set, but it was like whatever force was at play here, wanted her to have a front row seat of Sam's ordeal while she deals with her own.

"Hey," she said to the TV, hoping against hope that he, this very important person, whose name was on the tip of her tongue, might somehow hear, "I know you can hear me; we're in the same place, your mind, just…whatever you're seeing, whatever you're experiencing, it isn't real! You have to wake up! I need you now; please! You have to come get me; wake up!"

XXX

"Captain! CAPTAIN! Captain, wake up!"

Only one good eye was able to flutter open and though his vision was blurry, Sam saw more than he wanted; one of his Marines was stretched out on a rack with half his face burned off, showing some bone as the man struggled to talk to him.

"Oh my god," Sam muttered quietly.

"Are…Are we going to be rescued?" The man asked him. "Is someone coming to get us?"

"…Y-Yes, Private. Help is coming; Command knows where we were, that we were ambushed and captured. They won't let us die out here!"

"_**Lies, 'Captain', all lies!"**_ The reptilian voice taunted, its voice hidden somewhere in the dark cave, but so clear it could have been right next to him. _**"Why do you give out hope when you know, full well there is none?"**_

"Stop it!" He angrily demanded. "Stop talking!"

"Sir?" The Private asked.

"Uh, s-save your strength, marine; don't waste what little you have."

"Are we done for, are we…are we gonna die in here!"

"No."

"I don't wanna die here! Oh god, please don't let me die!"

"Shut up! Shut up! You ain't going to die, do you hear me? We're strong, we will survive this!"

"_**He won't, but you will!"**_ The creature taunted. _**"And live you ssshall, live sso that you may forever know just how wrong you are!"**_

"She is right, Marine," said his superior who shocking started speaking directly to him over a nearby opened, CB radio. "The United States does not negotiate with terrorists."

"W-What?" Sam asked, the shocking admission enraging him. "Sir…you ordered my team into this mess, I followed your orders and lead them to their deaths!"

"I know, son, and you did a magnificent job to; you were a true American patriot. But, you have to understand, son that there is a bigger picture to consider. If we give into the enemy's demands to secure your release, we'd look weak in a hostile world, which means more of your brothers and sisters will be at risk all just so you and your group can be rescued, now could you live with that?"

"You're abandoning us?"

"Your country will be eternally grateful for your sacrifice."

"Commander, wait!"

"Signing off."

That was that; the realization that his own superiors were throwing not just him, but his squad under the bus just to save face was a wound that cut deeply, not only this stinging feeling of abandonment, but of placing him in the agonizing position of watching his mortally wounded team slowly die under evil conditions, realizing there was nothing he could do except lie to them.

"CAPTAIN, HELP!" The Private screamed as their faceless tormentors began shearing glowing hot rods through the taut skin of his abnormally stretched limbs; they were sawing his arms off.

However, he could do nothing but watch, listen, and keep quiet; not even pray, because he knew God wasn't listening to his prayers.

_Where is my guardian angel to help us? _He wondered, bitterly.

"_**Where isss your angel, Sssteven?"**_ The monster asked, as if reading his mind.

"Listen to me!"

He could have sworn he heard her, in all the screams Sam swore to have heard the girl who was his angel; saw her blue hair, buxom figure, trapped in some kind of dungeon, and trying to call to him, but it was just a flash.

"It isn't real," the girl was able to add in that fleeting moment. "It's a memory…"

"_**Ssshe will do you no good! Forget her and sssuffer, it's where you belong!"**_

Sam was thrown backward through a myriad of nightmarish scenarios where he was beaten, stung by a bed of enormous scorpions, pissed on, whipped; all of it seemed like a matter of minutes and yet it felt like years, just as long as it actually was. Ultimately, he found himself malnourished and weak, with blond hair down to his rib exposed chest, but most importantly alone, save for what's left of his squad, now strewn about the cave floor as skeletons as their enemy saw them as animals and therefore cared little about granting them a decent burial. Sam's ravaged body was too numb from the beatings and rack tortures, and his mind too desensitized to even care; that alone would be one more thing to haunt him in the coming years, and yet nothing could get through to him, not even an angel's infrequent pleas for his attention.

Suddenly, he was grabbed and hauled outside where he's left to wander around some fog covered landscape, too delirious to know where to go next. He half expected that this was where he'd be shot dead in some sham escape; his body even readied for the bullet that would end it all.

"Captain Trevor?" A disembodied voice in front of him asked in perfect English.

"…Yes," he said in a strained voice and without warning hands reached out from the fog, roughly grabbing hold of his frail, tender shoulders and thrust him into a van.

"We've got him," he heard a man say. "The transaction was a success, returning to base now!"

He was rescued; these men were Americans and they were finally bringing him home. Sam's feelings were hard to explain; for what felt like years he had endured more than some men go through in their entire lives, and he was finally going home to the people who loved him, to a populace who would greet him as a patriot whom fought for his country, to a life where it seemed the worst was at last over.

"You doing okay, soldier?" Someone asked him from the front seat.

"…Am I really going home?" Sam asked.

"Sure, buddy, it's all over for you."

"You can say that again," Sam heard another man mumble under his breath.

"Just relax and you'll be home in no time."

Sam didn't pay much attention to the offhand comment one of the men had made, but there was little arguing from the suggestion of relaxing his weary eyes; he was too glad to do so. However, between closing his eyes for what he believed to be brief nap and upon reopening them, he suddenly found himself back in the States and standing before some military tribunal, hands bound in handcuffs.

"W-What, what's going on?" He asked, visibly surprised.

"Capt. Trevor, do you have any idea what you stand accused of?" The judge, a high ranking Marine officer clad in a decorated uniform and joined by two more, equally important officers, asked firmly from a high perch. "You here stand accused of treason, Captain!"

"Treason; w-what do you mean treason?"

"As your council, I advise you to let me do the talking from here on," suggested his young, lanky looking, and obviously inexperienced Major, who masqueraded as his lawyer. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the court, my client and I wish to enter a plea…"

"What am I on trial for, I haven't done anything wrong!" Sam argued.

"Captain Trevor!" His lawyer insisted.

"Your actions alone caused irreparable damage to national security for us and our allies!" The judge thundered down upon him.

"What actions? I demand to know what I'm being accused for!"

"Council, restrain your client or he will be held in contempt of court!"

"Excuse me, your honor; however, as you and everyone else can clearly see his experiences on the field have left him with psychological trauma, Battle Fatigue. He is unfit for court and obviously not of sound mind!"

"I am not crazy; I demand to know what am I on trial for and why I can't see my family!" Sam demanded, roughly shoving his lawyer aside to confront the stand. "I have a right to know what crime has been committed!"

"You want to know, 'Captain'?" The judge fired back. "Very well; you're on trial because your blatant, reckless actions led to the ambush that got your entire squad slaughtered some 2 years ago!"

"What?"

"You disobeyed orders, you took matters into your own hands instead of following protocol, all of which led to a high ranking terrorist in our custody being traded off for your safe return as it was feared you were giving away important, military secrets; I'm I missing anything else?"

Sam was stymied, for the entire time he was held prisoner, not once did he give the enemy anything; it was more or less the reason for so many beatings, and yet this is why he was being labelled as a traitor? Soon, enormous flat screen TVs emerged from the floor, all with news broadcasts calling him a coward, a deserter, all because his miraculous return resulted in a prisoner exchange.

"Marine Captain Samuel S. Trevor," one news anchor said, "Patriot or terrorist?"

"Really, is one man worth our national security?" A female pundit asked her fellow attendees.

"Not only that!" One of them pointed out. "But, this swap literally threatens our image on the world stage! Captain Trevor has singlehandedly given every despot and terrorist group out there a go ahead to challenge us, because they now know how weak we've gotten!"

"I say, it would have been better if he had died, because at least he would have died a hero."

Sam couldn't find the words; everything they said was a lie and outrageous slander.

"Judge," he struggled to say in his defense, "I was only following orders…right down to the letter! I obeyed an order from my commanding officer to lead my squad to coordinates that turned out to be false; the only one who should be on trial here is the Colonel!"

"It's funny you should say that, Captain," the prosecuting attorney said. "If the court would allow, I'd like to call my first witness: Colonel Jameson!"

Magically, the stand holding his superior officer rises above him, almost as high as the bench itself, as the prosecutor begins his questioning.

"Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" The bailiff asked him as the Colonel swore on a stack of bibles placed next to him, in which he responds:

"I swear."

"Colonel Jameson, did you or did you not order Captain Samuel Trevor to remain at his designated post?"

"That is correct," the Colonel responded.

_That's not true!_

"And, what was his response to your order?"

"Captain Trevor, willfully and deliberately disobeyed that direct order."

"WHAT!?"

"ORDER!" The Judge thundered. "You may continue."

"Tell us, Colonel, what happened next?" The prosecutor continued asking.

"I made it clear that any such action, without my consent would be punishable by a court martial; I was under the impression that that was that, and continued with business as usual."

"Why did you believe that was the end of it?"

"Because, I had no problem with him before. Prior to this, he was a model Marine and a seasoned officer."

"If what you say about my client is true," the defense responded, "then why would he, a 'model' Marine as you put it, go and disobey a direct order?"

"Because of what had just happened at his post."

"What did happen?"

"There was an attack; he and his squad was assigned to protect a village, but he allowed a suicide bomber to get in and kill over 200 people."

"Th-That's not true," Sam stuttered. "I didn't allow him to get in, I…"

"Mr. Trevor," the Judge admonished, "one more outburst and I'll hold you in contempt. Now, go on Colonel."

"Immediately after, he began unauthorized interrogations of the locals where he believed he had learned of the whereabouts of the terror cell responsible."

"And, when you denied his request to go after them that is when he chose to disobey orders and lead his squad on a suicide mission, am I correct?" The prosecutor asked.

"That is correct."

"It was his misguided way of atonement, then?"

"Yes; that is the only explanation I can think of."

_Lies, lies! He's lying about everything!_

"But, wait a minute," the defense attorney intervened, "we still haven't quite explained how a model, decorated Marine goes from spotless integrity to dangerously unhinged."

_Dangerously unhinged?_

"I was getting to that," the prosecutor replied. "I have here phone records between _Captain _Trevor and the VA concerning his mother; the last one made just moments before he disembarked to the post where the attack occurred. Apparently, his mother was dying from cancer and he tried to use his military benefits to get her admitted into one of the highest medical facilities in the country; he was denied numerous times and it was that frustration, that hardship of trying to save, but ultimately failing to help his dying mother that caused the incidents of which he's on trial for!"

"Your honor," said his defense attorney, "this only proves that my client is mentally ill from the situation, not that he was deliberately out to avenge his troubles on an unsuspecting people or an even less than suspecting squad."

"Are you calling me crazy?" Sam whispered heatedly to his attorney.

"Mr. Trevor, please let me handle this, I know what I'm…"

"I'm not crazy! I was following orders, the Colonel's orders, my mother has nothing to do with _any_ of this!"

"Counsel, is there a problem with you and your client?" The irritated judge asked.

"N-No sir, he's just having trouble acclimating to the current situation."

"Sir, with your permission, I'd like to take the stand!" Sam insisted.

"No, no, sir he does not!"

"I want to explain my side of the story of what happened!"

"Is there anyone else who can corroborate this story before we hear from Mr. Trevor?" The judge asked. "What of this mother, is she available?"

"Uh, no your honor, she died over a year ago," said the defense attorney.

It was right then and there, in the midst of this sham trial and bureaucratic bullshit, right where his freedom, and as reputation now stood on the line after enduring the hell he was just liberated from, that he learned during all this his mother, the one who'd believed in him and supported him all his young life, whose condition he was assured would be looked into by the government he fought for, had passed away long before his release. He wasn't even there to say goodbye or that he loved her. But, what hurt the most was how so offhanded and insignificantly it was revealed to him, that none of these people present had any nerve or compassion to inform him of this earth shattering news.

"So, what do you have for his defen…?" The judge began to ask, before Sam angrily outbursts:

"NO! NOOOO! NO!"

"RESTRAIN HIM!" The Judge yells as Sam turns over chairs and tables in his way, and makes an attempt to get at Colonel Jameson before he's restrained against his will.

"YOU LET HER DIE, YOU BASTARDS!" He screams at everyone in the court. "YOU LET THEM ALL DIE AND YOU'RE BLAMING ME FOR IT, YOU'RE ALL TRYING TO THROW ME UNDER THE BUS!"

"ORDER! ORDER!"

"I FOLLOWED ORDERS AND SERVED MY COUNTRY, AND THIS IS WHAT I GET?"

"Bailiffs, remove this man from my courtroom!"

"FUCK YOU!" He yells at his superior officer. "FUCK ALL OF YOU! I'LL SEE YOU BURN IN HELL!"

XXX

She saw the trial played out on TV, heard the injustice, saw him kicking and screaming his way out of court, and it was those screams she could hear most, echoing loudly in the back of her mind and it made Kurumu's heart race like never before.

_I have to get free!_ She thought to herself, straining with all her might against the chains that bound her.

"Forget about him," Ruby taunted through the bars. "You should worry about yourself; because, you're gonna die!"

"…You're not the real Ruby," Kurumu replied indifferently, more concerned in working the chains than to listen to this fake.

"Oh no?"

"No; the real Ruby isn't as fat and fake as you! C'mon, Moka, surely you're not this vain!"

"Moka isn't here!" A maniacal looking Tsukune said, appearing right beside Ruby. "And, you _are_ gonna die, because no one loves you enough to come save you!"

"The Tsukune I know would never say that; I know he doesn't love me like he does Moka, but that doesn't mean he's a dick. Besides, there's someone out there for me; my _real_ Destined One!"

"Oh really?" The fake Tsukune asked, grinning fiendishly as if relishing the sight of her chained and struggling. "Where is he? Why isn't he here to come to your rescue?"

"Don't you freaks have anything better to do?" Kurumu asked as she just about slides her right wrist free.

"No, because this is your hell!" Moka said, appearing inside of her cell, key in hand. "Here is where you'll remain until you die!"

She casually opens the door and in walks a parade of familiar faces, all twisted and eager to tear her apart; and yet, she was not as distressed as before. If anything, she was far more angry and determined than ever to escape, to prove to herself that they were wrong.

"Guess again, bitch!" Kurumu spat. "This is my mind, and I control it!"

With a burst of strength she wills into her very body, she makes the chains shatter and frees herself in the process. Once freed, she stands ready to face her tormentors, though hand to hand combat was not the kind of victory she sought.

"Welcome to my nightmare, bitch!"

"What are you going to do, fight us all?" Moka asks confidently.

Kurumu looks around, trying to sense Sam's presence anywhere, hoping for him, needing him, as joining together was really the only way to win this.

XXX

The courts sent Sam to one of the worst military prison imaginable, surrounded by lowly, raucous prisoners everywhere he went, hurling insults and trying to grab at him.

"Welcome to hell!" One of them said.

"Traitor!" Yelled another.

"We got a hero's welcome for you!"

With callous disregard the guards throw him into a crowded cell, where the inmates proceed to beat, kick, spit and even stripped him naked to be fondled with upon passing. The showers were even worse, doing little to wash away all the grime. Sam stood before his tormentors the best he could, but the atmosphere was starting to prove to be more than he can handle.

"Let's hose you off, G.I. Joe!" The guard joked, hosing him down with a pressurized hose.

"LOOK AT THAT, HAHAHAHAHA!" An inmate pointed and laughed when the water caused Sam to slip and fall on his ass.

If not for the love of his wife and his children, the only hope left to him, he would have ended his life right then and there.

_I still have my wife and children, _he kept telling himself as the torture continued, his only source of strength.

"_**You think so?"**_ The slithery voice, louder than ever, spoke. _**"You really believe that her love will remain true?"**_

"Shut up!" Sam threatened, holding his ears so that he would not listen to any more of this thing's taunts. "My family is all I have, THEY LOVE ME, SHUT UPP!"

Suddenly, the shouts and laughter stopped, there was only silence now. He looks up and finds himself kneeling in the driveway of a quaint suburban home with a picket fence and a garden.

"Home," he whispered in disbelief. "I'm home!"

Tears, that he held back all this time, finally came bursting forth from the corner of his eyes, coalescing with the mucus from his nose; the emotions he felt and the reaction his muscles had to this joyous sight could have never been accurately put to words. Yet, as he raced to the door, the tiny voice of his inner child, somewhere in the back of his mind kept saying:

"Don't go in there. Don't go in!"

"Ku-rumu," he muttered to himself, the name suddenly coming back to him, causing him to pause just inches from the door, wondering with confusion on why the name sounded so familiar, but sounds from inside diverted his attention.

They were muffled, but he could make out giggling and assumed it was their children playing; but, then he remembered it was noon, on a school day, and they would most certainly be there right now. No one knew he would be coming home; in fact, he could hardly remember them contacting him upon arriving stateside. Curious, he opens the door and finds the living room empty with nary a sound save for those strange giggles and moans emanating from a source unknown, and yet it teased him to follow its winding, snaking way throughout the place. Up the stairs he followed, growing louder and louder as he walked, soon becoming more distinguishable: it wasn't playing he heard, but something that filled him with his heart with a deep sense of an evil dread.

_No, it can't be!_

"Irene," he muttered to himself as he looked down the hallway, that long hallway that seemed to stretch endlessly away, with their bedroom at the very end.

Regardless, he walked the long corridor for he had to know, had to lay his fears to rest, had to wrap his arms around his beloved wife whose very body was denied to him for what felt like an eternity, for never again will anything pull Sam away from the people who loved him as much as he did. By some miracle he reaches the door, doesn't hesitate to fling it open, and there his smiling, relieved face beheld something what was making that noise, which instantly drained the very color from his face.

XXX

"What's you going to do Kurumu!" Tsukune taunted as he, Moka and everyone else stood before her in her cell, ready to attack. "Who's going to save you, me? HA! I don't want you, I want her, Moka!"

He rubs his face affectionately in her silver hair, while she receives his affections as if it was some minor gratuity; however, Kurumu was not bothered.

"No, fake!" She spat. "I'm not looking for you to come save me."

"Who then? Your boy toy?"

"Don't call him that!" She snapped him, visibly angered. "He's not a boy toy, he's not anyone's plaything! He's a Marine! A hero! A…A really great guy, and he's my Destined One!"

"Who? If he's so special then who is he?"

Angered by this torment, not of Tsukune, but from Moka who stood there in front of all of her friends, now twisted and deformed, yet siding with her; now, here was one of these figures, defiled by Moka's touch and now trying to defile the man who meant so much to her. A man who's been through the same hell as her, but who had no one to lend a helping hand, and still affect her on a level that not even Tsukune had. With this anger boiling, only one name managed to erupt from her very soul.

"…SAM!"

XXX

"SAM!" Irene screamed in shock, shock upon seeing her husband standing in the doorway, shocked to have him gaze upon her naked, sweating body, covered in bruises from nights of amorous foreplay, and devastated to have him see the man who now hovered over her.

Sam was speechless, his mind devoid of any thought, but his heart was so conflicted, so raging in inner turmoil that he couldn't pay attention to anything else.

"Get off of me!" Irene snaps at the man as she knocks him off of her, but had not too long ago allowed him to ride her with great pleasure. "Sam! This…This isn't how it looks; see…he forced himself on me and…"

"What?" The man asked, shocked at her blatant attempt to throw him under the bus.

"Sam, please," she begs, standing up out of bed in all her naked shame, hoping he'd be dumb enough to believe whatever she said. "Don't…Don't be mad."

For an instant he wanted to believe her, but only for that instant; instead with a roar he lunges at her, wrapping his hands about her slender throat, the same throat he'd kiss and caress on many occasion, now defiled with various, recent hickies. She kicked and scratched, as he knelt over her, trying desperately to free herself from this crazed man, who had been driven mad by this latest betrayal. And, he would have killed her that day, allowed her to turn him into a murdering psychopath, and had a heavy, glass object he thought was a lamp, smashed upon his head with all the might the other man could muster, rendering him unconscious.

"He's a monster," he heard someone say in the deep recesses of his mind.

"The man attacked her like he was some kind of…monster!"

"You saw the whole thing yourself?" An attorney asked.

Upon waking up, Sam found himself sitting in a civilian courtroom, arms and legs shackled, and wearing an orange, prison jumpsuit. On the stand was the man he caught in bed with his wife, his _former _wife.

"Where…Where am I?" Sam asked.

"Don't flake out on me again, Mr. Trevor," his attorney advised rather brusquely. "I'm trying for an insanity defense, but it'll help if you don't try it on me, especially when I'm the one trying to help you!"

"Like I said," the other man continued, "I was over the victim's house just to repair a loose cable; yeah, that's it, and Ms. Trevor was just showing me around so I can find it. All it was, was a routine visit."

"He's lying!" Sam muttered heatedly.

"Shut up!" His attorney replied.

"Then, all of a sudden, he shows up, thinks she's having an affair and goes off on this…post traumatic episode or whatever, and begins assaulting Ms. Trevor."

"What did you do then?" The prosecutor asked.

"Well, I did what any man would have done; I cracked his head open. Would have done worse had I been as violent as him!"

"Thank you, that will be all," the prosecutor replies.

"No, no, this is not…" Sam tried to protest, but his lawyer grabs him by the collar and whispers heatedly:

"I'm well aware of your outburst at your court-martial; your file says you are a loose cannon and a danger and normally I wouldn't be caught dead taking your case! However, the court appointed me to represent you and I need this or I'm disbarred. So, if you want a repeat of last time then I'll throw this case right here and right night, but if not, then I suggest you follow my lead and keep your trap shut! Capice?"

Sam hadn't forgotten the last time either; how, even defending himself against blatant lies made against him only got him thrown into that hell hole. If this lawyer could at least make it to where he'd avoid that same fate, then Sam was resigned against his will to follow any advice, and endure the parade of shame that would follow.

XXX

"Oh my," Moka mocked, "look at that; your friend is on trial now."

Kurumu hadn't taken her eyes off the screen, she saw all that went on, and now looked up at the screen, watched every sordid display of barbarity played out as Sam was forced to sit in that courtroom all alone and defeated.

"Monster," is what they called him to his face, and yet only she knew better, that he was a man, _her_ man.

XXX

"That's right your honor," Irene testified, "he is a monster. He never really forgave me for trying to interfere with his dreams of joining the Marines."

_That's not true! _He wanted to scream, remembering how ever since the first day they met she supported the idea.

"He then blamed me for not taking care of his mother, even though I did everything humanly possible while he was away."

XXX

"You liar," Kurumu growled. "Lying bitch; how could you be so heartless? He trusted you, he gave his heart to you and yet you're doing everything you can to destroy him, why?"

Irene, as though magically hearing her, turns to the camera and fiendishly and mockingly smiles.

XXX

"He scares us," Sam's young son said, his voice sounding as if he's rehearsing lines for an act.

"Has he ever hurt you and your brother?" The prosecutor asked his daughter.

"…Hm, s-sometimes he'd yell at us when he's mad; but, when he came home that day, he acted like…like…"

"Like what? It's okay, you're safe, like what?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam could see his wife coaching their daughter from her seat, trying to repeat what everyone else has said already, that he was a monster, and it infuriated him. He looked over at his defense attorney, wondering why he hasn't said or done anything this whole time, but the man was more concerned with playing around with his Blackberry.

"A monster," the girl finally said.

"…No," Sam wept, burying his face into his clenched fists and trying to keep it together.

XXX

"DO SOMETHING!" Kurumu yelled at the TV. "Why are you just sitting there? Why don't you speak up?"

She then catches Sam glancing over at his attorney, as if silently pleading for him to do just that, but the lawyer wouldn't budge and a look of defeat comes over him, of acquiescing to his fate without putting up a fight, a fight that's gone out of him; this was all too familiar to her.

"Now you see, don't you Kurumu?" The deformed Tsukune asked.

She, too had given up at her own trial, made no effort to fight for herself, instead giving up everything because she believed there was nothing left to fight for.

"He is a loser! Just like you; it's over, give up!"

XXX

"As you can see your honor, this man is a danger to everyone he's around!" The prosecutor raved while Sam sat and absorbed it all, never having had a chance to defend himself, not that he had any reason to. "You've heard it for yourself from the people who know him, he's a monster, and as such he needs to be locked away from humanity, from us!"

"The defense has been awfully quiet," the judge remarked. "Do you have anything to say on behalf of your client?"

At last, his attorney stands up, straightens out his suit and says:

"Your honor, given my defendant's past military experience, I ask you to consider this before passing judgment upon him. He has seen unimaginable horrors overseas while in the service of our country, horrors that, according to his military records have presented to the court, coupled with the loss of his dying mother, compromised his behavior and rational thinking. In my defense, I hope this only proves that he was not in his right mind when he assaulted the two defendants in question, and therefore should not be held accountable."

_Insanity!? _Sam screamed in his head. _I'm insane? I'm…I'm insane!_

Sam closed his eyes, trying to blot out the atmosphere of this nightmarish courtroom, shut out all the accusing stares from countless people watching these proceedings, each casting their own opinions about him. He no longer cared about them, about fighting for himself, nor even of the judge's ruling; his fate was of little consequence.

But, Kurumu could both hear and see from where she was at.

XXX

"Look at him," she heard the judge say while looking down at his sullen form. "The man's already given up; I guess he really is unaccountable for his actions, eh? Very well, what say does the jury?"

One by one, Kurumu watched each juror stand up and pronounce, each voice appearing to dig at Sam a little more, with their verdict of:

"Guilty on reason of insanity."

"So much for your hero," Moka gloated.

Each one of her own tormentors began to slowly advance towards her, menacingly, but all she could do was look up at the TV and watch them haul Sam away in chains.

If only she could reach out to him, tell him this is all fake and overcome these painful memories together.

"SAM!" Kurumu cried, reaching for the TV, but the moment she turns her back to the others, they rush at her, pulling, groping, clawing, and ultimately doing everything they can to prevent their union from happening.

XXX

It was the very "best" in mental healthcare his grateful country could provide him. With mentally disturbed patients, deeply under the influence of terrible care shambling about the facility in white robes, some actually drooling as they pass by, shuffling their slippers over roach-strewn linoleum floors that matched the off white walls and cracked ceilings; it seemed like the right place for him.

He had lost his entire command, his military and even country had turned their backs on him, and now his mother was dead; all that would have kept Sam going was the love of Irene and the children. However, that turned out to be a lie; there was no love, perhaps never was, and now he sat amongst these lobotomized drones, so pumped full of the same, addictive and ineffective crap that he was hardly indistinguishable from them.

"Look alive, general," a random nurse crudely tells him in passing, "you're getting drool all over good linen."

In his haze, he would often notice the young staff laughing at him, women mostly, while the male staff would roughly man handle him for simply tilting his head the wrong way; they'd also steal from him, like they did to the others whose loved ones would send them something, however there was very little he had, and since there were no loved ones for him, then they'd taken just about everything that was left.

How long had it been; a day, a week, over even years, he could not tell as it all seemed the same

_A lie, _he would keep thinking to himself, _it was all lie. I have nothing, I am nothing. _

He still remembered the words his mother told him all those years ago, about how working hard would pay off; that all the perseverance in the world would make things better for himself.

_It wasn't supposed to be like this! _He thought, tears forming in his blue eyes. _It wasn't supposed to turn out like this._

_SAM! _A tiny, feminine voice would cry out in the recesses of his shattered, broken mind. _SAM, I'M HERE, I CAN SEE YOU! SAM, PLEASE, SAM!_

"Here," a fellow patient said, handing him a small book, "this oughta keep you sane."

The patient he saw was a man close to his age, with brown cropped hair and matching eyes that seemed just as beat up as his were. He looks down at the gift he gave him: a Japanese manga with a buxom, blue haired girl on the cover that seemed as strangely familiar as the guy in front of him.

"Don't let them take it from you, bro," the guy said to him.

"Thanks…bro?" He replied, but upon looking back up, the man was gone.

Curious, he begins reading its black and white pages, easily recognizing the girl on the cover, who was unmistakable not just for her breasts, but for the face in general. He saw her undergo a lot of hardships all on her own, all for the love of a man that went unrequited. He became so engrossed in the myriad of adventures that seemed to span the perceived length of this paperback book that it drew the attention of his tormentors, wondering at this attention grabbing book.

"Hey!" A male staffer yelled. "HEY! No reading!"

"…No," Sam said, becoming defensive as he saw several, hulking staffers begin to approach. "You're not taking this from me; it was a gift from my bro."

He ran blindly through the facility with an army of these malevolent workers chasing him, determined to rob him of his imagined freedom.

"…_SAM_!"

He could have swore he heard a small voice call from inside the book, but assumed his mania was playing tricks on him.

"STOP!" One of the staffers yelled in an inhuman roar.

Terrified, Sam barrels through a random door and finds himself crashing onto some trash bags in an ally. Looking around the randomly changed setting, unable to ascertain location due to the night's darkness, he couldn't tell what city he was in. Instead, he only knew upon judging from his mildew stained military uniform, the only thing of worth he had left, and the two year growth of hair on his face, that he had at last reached the end of his life; skid row.

Struggling to get back up, he feels a heavy foot kick him, roughly back down.

"Dance for me, soldier!" Said a callous voice overhead.

"Baby, don't be so cruel," a woman laughed, her concern as fake as anything he's heard.

For that moment, Sam considered doing what the man said.

_**Do it, SSSam, you know you want to! For, thisss is where you belong! Thisss is what you were born to do!**_

But, Sam looks at his gift, the pages magically turned to the next adventure for the book's heroine, giving him a glimpse of how much further she, herself had fallen.

"N-No!" Sam responded.

"What!?" The man angrily asked.

"I-I have to keep reading it!" Sam yelled, grabbing the book and making a run for it.

"STOP!" He roared, giving chase.

Sam ran, book in hand, down the dark street with towering, shadowy looking buildings on either side of him, buildings that seemed to talk to him, yelling obscene, yet familiar words carried in the voices of so many people from his past. He could hear those same voices begin to give chase, but he never looked back, only kept running blindly, running towards something or someone. Towards whom, though; he did not know, her name on the tip of his tongue.

_Her? _He thought to himself, and then looked down at the manga in his clutches, remembering the beautiful, blue haired girl drawn on the pages and developed a sense of longing. _If only you were real. If only I was there where you are and not here! If only…_

Unable to see, his foot trips over some trash bags and fell face first into the grime, though fortunately stopping him before coming up to a brick wall; a dead end.

"No," he mutters, running his hands along its surface as though wishing this was some figment of his imagination.

_**WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING? **_

The sinister voice of his tormentor, his monster sounded ever closer than before, and it wasn't alone either, as it was joined by the foul breaths of many more, without a doubt other people from his past who had enlisted themselves in this creature's army. He did not look back.

_**Why do you choossse to fight back? Give it up and sssubmit!**_

"Yeah, loser!"

"Idiot!"

"Traitor!"

"Monster!"

"You're where you belong!"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" Sam yelled, shutting his ears from their onslaught of words, praying this would all just end. Peeking, in spite of his pain, he looks down to his manga, and the pages that had flipped onward through the story, could see the girl, locked in a prison cell, with all these people in there attacking her; he could not help but feel it bore similarity to his predicament.

XXX

Kurumu fought back as hard as she could, but there were too many of them trying to drag her back into their specially made hell for her. Nevertheless, she could see on the monitor, see him trapped in an alleyway by a group of people from his past, and yet it felt like he was nearby, as though he was just on the other side of the wall in front. Compelled by some overwhelming insanity or all-encompassing reason, she began to believe all that was needed to reach him was tear down the wall. It made no sense, and yet it was the only thing to do.

"Get off of ME!" She roared, and with a sudden burst of strength that toppled even Moka, she shrugged off her attackers and dove for the wall, beating it like a woman possessed, screaming the only name that made sense to scream for: "SAM! Do you hear me? SAM!"

XXX

"Get the fuck up, whino!" Someone callously yelled, kicking Sam in the ribs, but he didn't comply with any of their demands, trying desperately to blot out their jeers.

"LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!" He screamed, but the louder he cried, the more they seemed to enjoy it.

"Yeah, traitor!"

"Retard!"

"Bastard!"

Another kicked knocked him over, loosening his grip over his ears, knocking him closer to the wall, where he heard banging on the other side. He thought it was some woman in her apartment, annoyed by the noise and banging the walls for some selfish desire for peace and quiet rather than intervene on his behalf; but, through all the noise he swore she was calling his name. So, in a desperate attempt to blot out everything and gather up what was left of his sanity, he tries to return his focus back to the small comic book, the page turned to a scene where the heroine was banging against the prison walls, screaming for someone named Sam.

_Screaming for…Sam?_

The loud banging and crying on the other side grew louder and more feverish; the woman sounded like she was calling for "Sam".

_No, _he thought. _It can't be._

He looks down at the comic book and in the next panel was a close up shot of the girl, as if staring right at the reader, right at him, and her eyes frantically pleading and all the while screaming for "Sam".

"SAM!" He heard the person on the other side say, much more clearly this time.

_I must be losing my mind! I must really be losing my mind!_

_**YOU THINK SHE'LL SAVE YOU? YOU'RE A BIGGER FOOL THAN **__I THOUGHT YOU WERE! _Screamed the monster, whose voice began to strangely take on a more familiar tone, which has never happened before; however that was not his most pressing concern.

With each turn of the page, it had the same image of the girl staring at the reader, screaming for a "Sam", while at the same time the beating on the wall seemed to be in tune with what was happening on the pages, as though someone was reenacting this scene.

"Sam! SAM! Listen..to..me; you belong here, with all of us so don't take your eyes off of us! You think she cares about you…like I do?"

"…Irene," he muttered darkly, realizing who was responsible for all of this without so much as glancing back. "…This whole time, you were the monster in dreams; I should have known. You helped unravel what was left of myself on the outside, and inside you're trying to make sure it stays that way."

"Samuel," a faint, yet tender voice spoke through the noise. "Samuel!"

"…Mom?" He asked, his eyes widening with shock and tender reflection. "It can't be."

"Samuel," she said again, reiterating that it was her.

"I…this…this isn't real, its another hallucination! Irene, this monster, is trying to use you against me!"

"Samuel S. Trevor!" She said firmly. "When have I ever been against you! And, what difference does it make if I'm real or not?"

"Then, why are you…?"

"Don't let them cloud your mind, Samuel; don't ever let them hold you back. Believe in yourself like I believed in you; you can do this, you can fight your way out of this and help that girl, you know why? Because, you're a man, and its time you act like a man and kick ass."

"She is nothing!" Irene's voice continued. "Just like you; the only difference is that your precious angel…"

The voice stops in mid-sentence as sensing it had unintentionally allowed a slip of the tongue that derailed everything; its hold was already beginning to wane, but mentioning "angel" had been the one thing that reminded Sam he wasn't here, alone. It affirmed how right his mother's voice had been; there was a girl, somewhere who needed him. He wasn't a whino, a traitor or a monster, but a man who needed to act.

"…Angel," he muttered, his voice carrying a strong sense of remembrance and renewed focus, like waking up from a long, terrible nightmare. He looks up, as the banging and cries became even more pronounced, then looks back down at the manga, at this heroine's face he now recalled being named Kurumu, the angel who had escorted him awhile back, but became separated.

It wasn't his imagination; she did exist, she does exist, and was trying to get to him right now. "Kurumu?"

"It's time," his mother said. "You know what to do."

"SAM!" The voice yelled. "I'M IN HERE!"

"KURUMU!" Sam screamed at the top of his lungs as he pawed at the wall, hoping she would respond to his cry.

XXX

Through the ruckus, she thought she heard him say her name; it brought renewed hope and elation.

"SAM? DO YOU HEAR ME?"

She waited for a response, but fortunately didn't have long to wait.

"…YES!" He came back with. "IT REALLY IS YOU, ISN'T IT?"

"YES, IT'S ME! I'M YOUR…"

"ANGEL!"

The sound of that word brought tears to her eyes; they had at last found each other, despite the odds.

"**No," **Moka said, heatedly. **"NO! That idiot!"**

Kurumu tried to claw at the wall, trying desperately to break them down, but Moka grabs her by the neck and man handles her away from it.

"**Gotta do everything yourself!" **Kurumu heard her hiss to herself.

"…N-NO!" She cried, head butting the vampire with the back of her head, and starts clawing loose the wall, brick by brick; nothing was going to keep them apart, again.

XXX

"KURUMU!" Sam yelled, beating against the wall but having little success.

Looking around for something heavier, he finds a crowbar and starts to swing it.

"SAM!" Irene screamed in defiance and rage. "STOP HIM!"

Immediately, the mob attacked him, clawing at him to prevent his reuniting with Kurumu, but Sam wasn't backing down. These people, these worms would not hold him back, he was too determined to break the wall down.

"Aaaarrrgh!" He roared as he whips the bar from their grip and slams it against the wall with so much force that it actually created a fissure against its tough surface.

XXX

Kurumu slashed and clawed, her fingers becoming bloody, yet creating grooves that gradually began to wear down the wall's integrity.

_I can smell him, _she thought excitedly as his scent wafted through a small crack made by her actions, and it spurred her on.

"You can't win!" Moka screamed, yanking her back hard by her blue hair.

"No, _you_ won't win!" Kurumu retorted, and was finally able to begin pulling bricks out.

XXX

"Don't you dare do this!" Irene threatened, but Sam would not listen to her; nothing else seemed to matter, especially now that his efforts had created a wide enough crevice in the wall where he could see a woman on the other side.

"Kurumu?" He asked.

Suddenly, a brick came loose from the other side, and he could see her violet eyes clearly.

"ANGEL!"

"SAM!" She called through the cavity. "You gotta get me out!"

"I'm coming, angel!" He yelled, working away at the rest of the wall like a man possessed, a man alive once again after all these miserable years, alive with a new mission. "I am getting you out!"

"SAM!"

"DON'T LISTEN TO THAT BITCH!" Irene shrieked, desperately grabbing him and trying to force him into acknowledging her presence.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU BITCH!" Kurumu threatened and began hurriedly pulling bricks out one by one, the two of them both working feverishly without letting up at, in spite of those tugging at their tired bodies to stop their progress, until the wall that separated them finally crumbled down all around everyone.

When the smoke cleared, there were no monsters or shrill women standing, only two people who each stepped atop the rubble and now faced each other as though having not seen one another in years.

"Sam?" Kurumu asked.

"Angel," he said gratefully.

"…Say that again?" She asked in a shaky, emotion filled voice, her violet eyes glistening with exhausted tears and a burning joy. "Call me that again."

"…Angel," he repeated, gladly.

He wasn't sure if she would allow it, but he nonetheless places his worn hands upon her trembling hips; they felt so soft underneath his dirty fingers and whether it was their weight or his unrestrained desire, they began to sink even deeper into her tender skin. She didn't exactly notice it, nor realized that he was getting closer, but she did sense that her massive tits slowly being pressed against his chest and they, in turn were pushing against him; it was a thrilling sensation to say the least. And, before either of them knew it, their lips were locked in a firm wet kiss, their warm, sweaty bodies messed together in a sensual embrace, which of all their experiences in this hell it was perhaps the most surreal moment of all.

**FOOL! **Moka roared. **You couldn't do one simple thing like keeping him away!**

They looked over and saw Moka arguing with Irene, the two women nearly at each other's throats.

"Don't blame me, freak!" Irene shot back. "You're so perfect, and yet you still failed!"

"**ENOUGH! Its time I took care of things myself, I'll take the lead and this time you'll follow my directions to the end, bitch!" **

Before they realized it, both Moka and Irene began to change, morphing into two hideous, scaly looking snake women who then melded together before their horrified eyes into a single, large beast with conjoined heads.

"The monster," Sam whispered, his voice no longer filled with fear, yet tense nonetheless.

"No," said Kurumu, "not _the_ monster whose been haunting you; yours was Irene this whole time. Mine was the other one."

"The other one?" He asked.

"Yes; when our minds linked, so had our demons."

"**Yessss, and now you'll both die in here for your insolence!"** The creature roared and with a monstrous yell, dove for the two of them with lightning speed.

"MOVE!" Kurumu cried, pushing Sam out of the way in the nick of time, but becoming caught in the creature's grip. "Get off of me!"

Kurumu digs her talons into the creature's tough skin, but with a sickening growl both heads bit into her huge right breast while their hands dug into her skin, creating unimaginable pain.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!"

"Scream, bitch!" The creature hissed, but just then it too shrieked in pain as, unbeknownst to them, Sam had managed to drive the crowbar into the creature's tail.

"Leave her alone, skank!" He yelled.

"Damn you, Sam!" The Irene half of the creature roared. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"STOP YOU FOOL!" Moka yelled, but the creature dove for him anyway, loosening their grip on Kurumu.

"Know your place!" Kurumu yells and slashes Moka's head deeply with her talons causing her to howl in pain, while Irene, despite their shared pain, was till busy trying to fight Sam, who kept wailing on them with the crowbar.

"STOP TOYING WITH HIM, FOOL!" Moka roared at her. "THEY'RE TRYING TO DIVIDE US!"

"You're wasting your breath!" Sam tells her. "Irene never was much for listening; she's too stubborn and waaaay too stupid!"

"Ssstupid?" Irene hissed. "Who are you calling, ssstupid; at least I…"

"Ssssshut up, bitch!" Sam mocked, striking her clawed fingers when she attempted to grab him.

"DON'T TELL ME TO SSSSHU…!"

"Ssssshut up, ssssskank!"

"How dare you mock me! You've never been…clever?"

"Clever? Isss that all you got to ssssay? You can't ssssay ssssmart?"

"…You were never thiss…"

"Thissss altogether? Thisss confident and ready to go sssslap happy on your fugly looking face, bitch?"

"You were never…"

"I was always better than you, Irene and you know it! Don't know why I wasted all my time with the college sssskank!"

"You gonna tell me I held you back? Ha!"

"You're here, ain't ya? Wasting all this time trying to drag me down, and hisssssing like ssssome autistic retard!"

"That'sss because…"

"That'ssssssss!"

"Ssstop it!"

"Ha-haha-ha!" Kurumu laughed. "What's the matter, _ssslut_? Did that hurt your feelings?"

"Don't turn your eyes from me!" Moka angrily yelled, trying to lunge at the flying succubus who always hovered just out of her venomous reach.

"Jesus, Moka you're slower than I remembered," Kurumu mocked. "What happened, you gained weight?"

"DAMN YOU!"

Moka tried to grab at her again, but was held back from doing so by the Irene half, who was still focused on hurting Sam.

"YOU IDIOT! Forget about him and focus on her; without her, he'll be helpless!"

"Sssshe's right," Sam continued to mock. "You sssssshould listen to her more, because without her you're too much of a losssser!"

"LOSER!?" Irene bellowed. "A LOSSSER? I'll SSHOW YOU WHOSE THE LOSSSER!"

All of a sudden, the twin headed snake began to writhe in pain, as the Irene half was painfully trying to separate itself from Moka.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Moka screamed. "STOP! DON'T YOU SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING?"

"Sshut up!"

"SSSSTUPID!" Sam continued to make fun of her, further infuriating Irene and emboldening her to fully separate from Moka and loom overhead as a lone, threat for him.

"Sam, this is your domain, your world!" Kurumu yelled at him. "She can't hurt you so long as you allow it!"

"Shut the fuck up!" She yelled at Kurumu. "Moka, get off your ass and deal with the other one!"

Badly wounded from the split, Moka laid in a slimy heap on the floor, her power greatly weakened.

"…You idiot!" She cursed under her breath.

Floating down to where she lay, Kurumu squats over her, intentionally close enough for Moka to get whiff of her crotch and asks: "What are you going to do now, bitch?"

"…Know your place," Moka threatened and tried to lung at her, but was held back.

"No you don't; not this time."

Moka looked back, and to her and Kurumu's surprise saw Tsukune grabbing hold of her slithery tail.

"W-What are you doing?" She asked.

"Tsukune!" Kurumu said.

"I hope you seriously didn't think that fake earlier was me?" He asked with a smile.

"You fool, let me go or else!" Moka screamed and was ready to slice at him when a wash basin fell on top of her head, greatly disorienting her.

"Yukari!" Kurumu yelled.

"Hey, boobzilla!" The young witch cheerfully called out. "What are you doing standing around and flashing your smelly cootch?"

Soon, Moka was both restrained and surrounded by all of Kurumu's friends and family, different from the hideous apparitions before, and here to offer their assistance.

"FOOLS! FOOLS, ALL OF YOU!"

"Did you really think you could use us to be your puppets?" He asked. "It was bad enough you had those poor imitations to pose as us just to torment Kurumu!"

Moka tried in vain to free herself, but they're grip remained firm, coupled with her now weakened status which made resistance futile.

"What are you waiting for?" Tsukune asked. "We've got her; just finish her off so you can go help Sam! He needs you more than me, right now!"

"Thanks," Kurumu said, smiling.

"No, don't do this!" Moka yelled, almost pleading, but Kurumu flew up in the air, claws fully bared and ready, then with a loud whoosh of air dove down to deliver a killing shot, just before saying:

"Know your place!"

In which then, she eviscerates the vampire/snake beast in half.

"My world, huh?" Sam muttered to himself.

Suddenly, as if by his own will, the crowbar in his hand morphed into a fully loaded, semi-automatic M-47 and began firing precision shots at Irene, each one having a devastating effect.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" He heard her scream.

"Did you like that, bitch?" Sam yelled, and upon hearing another scream, noticed Kurumu literally roll through Moka like a saw. "That a girl."

"You ssshould be more worried about yourself!" Irene roared and using the distraction lunged at Sam to deliver the killing strike, but more gunfire soon erupted followed by intense pain to the as a hail of armored piercing rounds came ripping into her.

"CAPTAIN!" Stevens yelled as he and his entire squad showed up to hold the vile creature at bay.

"Stevens?"

"We've got this, sir!"

"YOU LITTLE WORMS!" Irene screamed. "I'LL KILL Y…!"

"No you don't!" Yelled a forceful, but familiar voice as a metal arms lock onto the snake and slams her repeatedly into the wall. To his amazement, he could see his mother piloting a giant exoskeleton and soundly beating the bricks off this creature. "Stay away from him, you BITCH!"

"Mom?"

"What are you waiting for?" She asked him. "This is your chance!"

"She's right, Captain!" Stevens said. "It's your shot sir, we got this; take her out!"

"Take her down, son!"

Eyes filled with emotion, but also with a determined and confident smirk on his face, Sam took careful aim at the creature's head, who continued to squirm underneath the barrage of assaults upon her in a desperate attempt to disorient him, but his training came in at just the right moment, making him calm and his aim true.

BLA-BAM!

One round to the head, well placed on only the creature was all she wrote of its entire scalp, and face, as the monster slumped to the ground. Stalking ever so carefully, he checks to see if the creature was still alive like any hunter who bags a large kill, only to find her still breathing, but barely.

"…S-S-Ssssaam," Irene weekly pleads, unable to see as both were blown away with the rest of her scalp. "Please, don't forget me. I love you, I've always…"

Sam raises his rifle for a mercy kill, her words having as little effect on him as tiny snowflakes upon rock hard skin, but Kurumu's tender hands intervened.

"Angel?" He asked.

Thinking at first that she was trying to stop him, she instead helps him aim, her hands guiding the gun.

"Together, shall we?" Kurumu asked with a smile, which illicit one of his own.

"No, don't!" Irene begged, but with one shot to the head, those turned out to be her final words to him, forever.

Both creatures now dead, their corpses going up in a steamy haze, Sam felt it was finally over, and as they looked at both their friends and family, but especially his, smiling on at what they've accomplished, the scene felt bittersweet though, signaling that it was time to move on.

"We did good, sir," said Stevens.

"We did, Private," he replied.

"Samuel," said his mother. "It's time you get out of here."

Nodding past the two, their gaze looked back to see an opened doorway leading back out into the dilapidated hallway.

"Mom…" Sam started to say, about to turn back to look at her one last time, but she interrupted him by saying:

"Don't look back; I taught you better than that. You fought the good fight, just like I wanted you to. Now it's time for you to move on. Take care of him, Kurumu. You're his angel. And, you take care of her and all your friends, you hear me, Samuel?"

"…Yes, mother," he acknowledged without looking back.

"…C'mon, Sam," Kurumu said to him, tenderly taking his hand into hers, as well as taking his mother's words to heart and gently pulls him forward. "It's time to go."

With a sad, but knowing smile, he complies:

"Yeah; yeah it is."

Hand to hand, the two walked out without a second glance back.

"Well, I don't know about you," Kurumu began to say after closing the door behind them and now standing in the dark, "but I think I've had enough dark rooms to last a lifetime; don't you think? How about we do some redecorating."

As if by magic, a small ceiling light bulb flickered on, and in the flashes of light Kurumu was astonished to see, standing at her side not the little boy she started this journey with, nor the disheveled man she had just fought alongside with, but the brave and handsome young soldier whose blue eyes captured her heart, now showing off a knowing smirk.

"…Sam," she whispered in an overwhelming gasp.

"Angel; I do believe you're right," he said with all the confidence of a young soldier back in his prime. "It _is_ time this place got fixed up."

"…Are…are you…?"

"…I'm alright," he assured her. "Thanks to you, angel."

Kurumu blushed, the first time she had ever done so around a man since Tsukune, and replies:

"Look, m-my name is Kurumu, Kurumu Kurono; in case you're wondering. But, you can call me an angel if it makes you happy."

"Yeah, sure thing," he said, knowing that it secretly made her happy too, but playing along to appease her pride. "Want to help me start with the light bulb?"

"Sure."

And so, they spent many a sweat inducing, back breaking hour repairing every door, cracked linoleum, light bulb and worn out socket until finally they closed the last door, effectively sealing away every painful memory from his past for good. Now, what stood before them was another vast hallway, this one with all of the appearance of unfinished construction.

"Hmm, this is new," Sam commented. "I wonder what's down in here."

"It's new space," she responded. "Where all of your new memories will go…once you make any with…um, you know, with someone special or-or with yourself I mean, but…preferably with someone new; either way I mean!"

_Why am I so nervous! _She wondered. _This is Sam, he's cool! I don't need to feel so…_

Sam knelt down and buried his face in her cleavage after wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace; she did not rebuke him, but instead tenderly wrapped her arms about like a loving mother, the warmth of their bodies almost meshing together as one.

"Hankou," she heard him whisper as clear as day.

"N-No, thank you," she replied.

XXX

When they both awoke they found themselves drenched in warm sweat, while still locked in an embrace, and yet both had a newfound clarity in their eyes that had not been there before going into the trance.

"Sam…are you alright?" She asked, concerned as she gazed into his blue eyes, eyes that seemed like they were looking at the world for the first time after spending so long under a coma. He stared back at her, deeply and intensely, making her heart race faster than it already was. He tenderly stroked every inch of her person to see if this was real, if this truly was a miraculous creature before him who had helped him overcome some nightmare or just another illusion.

"Oh my god," he whispered, emotion in his voice as he realized this was real, and that _she_ was real. "Oh my god, oh my…!"

"Sam?"

"Yes…I'm fine, I am fine; for the first time in life…I can say that. Thank you, angel!"

"…S-Succubus; actually," she said, blushing.

"Doesn't matter to me, you're an angel in disguise; I owe you everything."

"Stop," she said, bashful at accolades she had never received before from anyone.

"Really, I do. I'm yours."

"…No, I am yours. You helped me figure out…what I needed to, that I had to leave my own past behind me and find a new future; if anything I owe you everything, my heart, my soul, even my body."

She started to lean over, intending to kiss him and more, but stops as there was one bit of unfinished business.

"We're going to fix you up, first," she responds.

"Huh?"

"Well, it's unbecoming for a Marine, don't you think?"

"Oh no, you don't have to…"

"No butts," she says, pushing him into the bathroom, planting him on the toilet where she proceeds to take out some scissors and comb, and sits face first on his lap to perform some much needed manicure. "Hold still."

It was easier said than done, as her breasts were just mere inches away from his chest, while her soft buttocks pressed firmly against his crotch, with slender legs wrapped around him for leverage, which made holding still difficult. Nevertheless, little by little she chipped away at the grime and washed away the years of filth, until all that remained was the handsome young man she saw in her dreams, staring back at her once again, only this time for real, a fact that made his appearance even more magical than before.

"…You're beautiful," she muttered, admiring her work.

"No I'm not."

"It's true."

"…I'm still dirty, I got all these scars and…"

"Then, let's fix that," she said, hinting toward the shower.

He didn't know if she was serious, but the erupting warm water from the shower head followed by her disrobing before him and unbuttoning his shirt assured him that she meant business.

"Scars, or no scars, I accept you as you," she said, exposing his horrifically scarred chest and gently running her fingers over them to show she wasn't repulsed by them or him at all.

Fully naked in all her glory, she proceeded to undoing his pants and then removing his dingy underwear, fully admiring how his military physique remained unchanged and impressive after all these years. She was about to revert back into her human form, when Sam gently stopped her from doing so.

"No," he said, "leave the wings, the claws, everything; you accept me for me, now let me accept you for you."

"Okay," she said with a smile and, as a full-fledged succubus, led her lover, brought together by fate, into the steamy shower where they made unbridled love amongst the warm water that washed away their dirt.

Having scrubbed and exfoliated their most intimate areas, they took it to the bed, still naked and dripping wet, soon heating up the sheets themselves in the throes of passion. He did things with her tender nipples that no man, not even Tsukune ever bothered to do when presented with the opportunity, toyed with the tip of her tail in a way that brought the succubus to new heights of ecstasy, and while he was gentle despite being stronger than him, at the same time he was so ravenous on the girl's body that she came with barely the fortitude to resist. Her talons had, intermittently pierced his flesh by their actions and drew blood, but it was okay, as whether by drawing upon some well-spring of energy from Kurumu or some innate reserve of energy all his own, his body had unparalleled vigor and never let up for a second.

"Sam!" She kept saying, over and over again as she allowed him to ravish her, accepting this human man to be her dominant mate.

When it was all over, it was Kurumu who laid sweating and drained of energy, while her lover, this human made incubus, slept next to her well rested and content. She was keen to notice that he rested with a far greater peace than before, the tortured atmosphere seemingly cleansed by their power.

Feeling dehydrated, she wanted to grab something to drink; the very finest they had to offer to toast this special occasion, brought forth by fate, and a man who went from being her Destined One, to just being a very dear friend. Tsukune Aono, the man she'd been in love with ever since high school, yet had never returned such feelings other than as a friend, would always have a soft spot in her heart, but as just that: a friend. And, while she would always be there if he needed her, especially against the woman who wronged them both, Kurumu couldn't ignore how strongly she felt about Sam; no man had ever made her feel this way, nor reciprocated those feelings. It was almost as if destiny had brought him to her bed, now it was her duty to not only care for him, but love him as if he was her mate.

Her legs felt like rubber upon standing, and she had to steady herself with outstretched wings, until she reverted back into human form, which took some doing, after which she steadied herself against the wall.

_Wow! _She thought. _That Marine really stormed the beach! Whew!_

Eventually, she regained her composure, slipped on shorts and a T-shirt and headed outside. Downstairs in the lobby, she could hear a commotion going on; an argument over the phone.

"I told you before!" Carol said. "Just give me…Sir…!"

"Oh, Kurumu, thank god!" Said Stacey, a young blonde, recently hired to the hotel Caro owned, hired to shadow their receptionist, Carol, who was currently engaged in a heated exchange over the phone.

"What's going on?"

"…It's him, again," Carol briefly replied and then returned to the conversation.

"It's this guy; he keeps calling for the last half hour and Carol's close to freaking out!"

"Let me guess; Guest?"

"Who?" Stacey asked.

"Carol, I can't believe you never…She can't hear me. You're new, Stacey, so I guess I'll tell you. 'Guest' is what we call this tool whose been calling this place with all these bullshit complaints and criticisms, even places criticism online, but whenever we ask for a name and address, and what room he stayed in, he doesn't tell us, so we just call him 'Guest'. After a while we stopped paying him our mind, but he drives Carol nuts, as you can see!"

"Okay, listen…Sir!" Carol said to the irate critic, having little luck as before. "If you would just tell us your name and where to contact you, I'm sure we can discuss…"

"C-Carol, Carol, let me try," Kurumu suggested, and an exasperated Carol was only too glad to do and hands the phone over to her. "Hello."

"Who's this?" The man on the other line asked.

"I'm the owner's niece; of whom am I speaking to."

"Why are you people so concerned with who I am and what's my address?" Guest boldly challenged. "What you girls need to be worried about is running your business right. Really, you have no idea what you're doing and it's pathetic! You need to close down and do something you're more suited in doing."

"Are you a potential investor?"

"No, I am Balrog."

"Bal-rog?" Kurumu asked, making a face at Stacey and Carol.

"Yes; I am a fire of truth and integrity, and once I write in my blog about your shitty business practices, you will…"

Kurumu hangs up on him.

"Smart move," said Carol, but no sooner than she did, then the phone rings. "See, his only going to call back!"

There was no doubt it was "Balrog" again, but without any certainty that it could be a genuine patron, Carol started to answer only to be stopped by Kurumu.

"Let it ring," she tells her.

"What if it's a real guest?" Stacey asked.

"Hmm, good point. Well, ask who it is, and if they don't give you an answer or say its 'Balrog', then hang up."

"That simple, huh?" Carol asked.

"I don't get it," said Stacey.

"Ladies, life's too precious to waste it on assholes; trust me."

"Well, we're chipper today; you must've had some night?" Carol asked.

"Yeah," she replies with a smile. "Yeah, I did."

"By the way, your mother just arrived with some friends," Stacey informs. "Wanna let her know you're off work?"

"Nah, I'll find her. But, if you should see her again before I do, tell her…tell her I'm alright. That and I think I've found the one."

"The one?" Stacey asked, confused.

"Uh, Stacey, maybe you oughta go check on those reservations," Carol suggests.

"Sure; congratulations boss on a nice bang!" Stacey says with a wink and leaves.

"So…by one, you mean…?"

"_The_ one," Kurumu replies.

Carol's eyes widen, as being in the employ of a succubus, and a monster herself, she was privy to their customs and knew exactly what she meant.

"…Let me be the first to say, I'm happy for you," a teary eyed Carol said. "If anyone deserved it, it's you."

"Thanks, I was on my way to the bar to find a special drink for the occasion and I think we have something appropriate; maybe dig around the locker room for something more risqué too, I'm sure we have something appropriate there, too."

Carol shares a wink and Kurumu makes a bee line back into the Gentleman's Club through the back entrance to avoid the lines of perverted patrons, trying to find easy access to the bar through another crowded house. When reaching the counter, she had to squeeze behind a large bar fly, but was in such good spirits she excitedly leans over the counter, trying to grab the bartender, Morti's attention.

"HEY MORTI!" She calls, whom was engrossed with another customer. "MORTI! WAKE UP! I GOT A FAVOR TO ASK!"

She could see the man was momentarily distracted by some girl, but then he took one look at Kurumu and turns his attention back to the customer while pointing in her direction, as if pawning this customer off on her.

"Gees, Morti," Kurumu mumbled. "I'm not trying to deal with patrons now! MORT…I…!"

She was about to raise protest, when the fat barfly got up from his perch and offered Kurumu an unobstructed view of the girl seated just a few stools away; her long, pink hair stood out in the darkened, neon filled atmosphere, with green eyes that brought back memories of years ago, memories that had been consigned to a nightmare she had just overcome. However, and most importantly, this was no dream, but the waking world, which only meant one thing: standing before her was someone she once wanted to confront again, only now hoped never to cross paths again, a girl, this time for real, she wanted to forget and yet whose name came spilling out her parted, dry lips.

"…Moka."


	32. Sneak Peek (skip at your choosing)

_**Sneak Peek**_

**I know most of you were pretty pissed about the long wait last time; I am sorry but summer can be a real bitch sometimes. Regardless, a good storyteller should not keep his audience in limbo like that, so you should be glad to know I've just finished Chapter 31 and am currently proofreading it before submission. But, in case there's another lengthy delay, and to keep your interests peaked, let me reveal to you what I have in store for of our characters in the chapters to come…**

**Chapter 31 starts off, of course with a catfight (you know between who) but takes a rather dark turn at the end. After that expect to see Tsukune finally getting into fights like most of you have been waiting for, however let the final scene of Chapter 31 be a good indication of what to expect; also Mizore's family becomes more developed over time as well. Good Moka wears a wig and works as a stripper, bad Moka gets worse, Kokoa falls even further, Sun confronts Gin, Ria's backstory is finally fleshed out, Akua makes an unlikely friend, Tsukune's parents reevaluate their relationship, Kyoko's and Koga's develops, Moka's middle school crush returns, you get a glimpse into a possible future for Tsukune and Moka, Tsukune gets even darker and Akua's plan is revealed. There's Ruby vs. Caro, Ria vs. Koga, Koji vs. Ria, Kasumi vs. bad Moka (I kid you not), Yukari knows something, Tsukune makes a fateful decision, and finally the moment you'll all be waiting for: Moka vs. Moka.**

**Will Tsukune make the right choice, the wrong choice, or will he choose both girls and go for a harem type ending (just kidding). Bear in mind all decisions are final at this point so no "helpful" suggestions, however these are only a few of what to expect so until the ride is over (and this is a jumping off point for those of you who hate it, in which case I advise you to get off now or remain a retarded troll) keep checking your updates and hang on! Oh, and no Apollo (sorry).**


	33. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

_Honor Him_

"K-Kurumu?" Moka asked, shapely legs rooted on the spot like a pair of white oaks as she stared across the bar at her one time friend/rival.

The feeling was mutual however, her friend's ample bosom, noticeable even in the dim lighting heaving more and more rapidly as though overcome with excitement, and yet after this brief moment of chilly silence between them, a silence deafening despite the blaring music and bustling crowds, it was at last broken by Kurumu, her friend, when she made the first move; a move Moka _did_ not expect.

"You BITCH!" Kurumu shrieked loudly over the noise as she literally flies across the room towards Moka, tackling her to the floor and proceeded to beat and scratch her once flawless skin.

Pretty soon the crowd became drawn to the brawl played out before them, diverting their attention away from the sexy dancers on stage, so as to watch the sexy fighters tearing into each other on the floor.

"CAT FIGHT!" Someone yelled and soon a throng of onlookers from the entrance rushed to the scene of the action, very nearly swamping Kasumi and Koji Aono.

"What the hell is going on?" Kasumi asked her husband, who was just as overwhelmed by this sudden event.

"HOLD ON!" Ruby called, flying overhead on a trio of crows wings and grabbing the two parents.

"Y-You're flying?" Kasumi asked.

"Yeah; a little bit of forbidden magic, but it comes in handy from time to time."

"Aren't you worried…?" Koji began to ask.

"I don't think anyone is noticing; they seem more interested in our heroine being greeted by one of her friends, who I take has already caught up to speed of recent events."

As the blue haired and pink haired girls grappled with each other, Kurumu could feel that, what she assumed was outer Moka was putting up a much tougher defense than she anticipated, kicking her off after a rough tumble that sent her tumbling along the floor.

"You…!" Moka started to growl in anger, slowly getting to her feet. "I smell him on you. Why do I smell him on you!?"

Stronger she maybe, Kurumu, after connecting with Sam only recently, had also gotten stronger and demonstrated that by grabbing Moka by her pink hair, hair so pretty that she had always wanted to rip from their roots, and swung the vampire in the air until finally sailing her into some nearby tables. The crowd roared with delight, as if they were witnessing the fight of the century, and chanting Kurumu's name, which emboldened the succubus further as she watched her opponent stumble about, half stunned.

**The nerve**, Inner Moka hissed. **THE NERVE OF THIS SKANK TO LAY HER HANDS ON THIS BODY! Put her in her **_**place**_**!**

Kurumu could tell there was still fight left in Moka, so to put her down for good, she grabs a beer bottle and smashes it on the bar, ready to move in for the kill.

"That's enough, ladies!" Kurumu heard someone say and then felt strong arms grab her in an arm hold, much to the chagrin of everybody present.

"HEY, MAN!" Someone shouted in protest. "LET THE TITTIES FLY!"

"SAVE IT FOR HAPPIER HOUR!" Koga shouted back as he restrained Kurumu. "You got the other one, Kyoko?"

"I do, Koga!" She replied, holding Moka back as well.

"Let go of me; who the hell are you?" Kurumu asked, struggling against Koga like a wild animal.

"Trying to keep you from murdering Moka; what are you doing?" Kyoko asked.

"Wh…Kyoko?" Kurumu asked, finally stable enough to recognize friend from foe. "W-What the hell is going on?"

"…Why is his scent on you?" A clearly frazzled Moka asked.

"What's it to you, bitch? You got some nerve coming in here after the crap you pulled! What did she tell you, Kyoko, that she's innocent? Th-That she's a victim too?"

"There's been a misunderstanding!" Kyoko tried to explain, but Kurumu wasn't hearing any of it.

"And, who's this?" She asked. "Her new boy-toy?"

"Koga Ibarai, the 'not boy-toy' extraordinaire; at your service," he cordially introduced while he continued struggling to hold her in place without winding up groping her massive tits, which had begun to come partially unfurled in the process.

"Kurumu, you got it all wrong!" Kyoko tried to explain, but while doing so, Moka, overcome by the excitement of the fight, her bloodlust mixed in with intoxicating and troubling scent of Tsukune's lingering from Kurumu became too unbridled even for Kyoko and pushes her out of the way to confront her former friend.

"Tsukune!" She demanded, marching menacingly towards Koga and Kurumu.

"Uhh, Moka," he tried to dissuade, but to no avail.

"Where's Tsukune?"

"You came here for him?" Kurumu mockingly asked.

"Where is he?"

"You actually care what happens to him, bitch? Or is he like your property; not wanting anyone else to fool around with?"

"Fuck you! Did you sleep with him?"

"Fuck _me_? Fuck you, skank!"

"Hey, Moka!" Koga told her.

"Moka, calm down, please!" Said Kyoko.

"Did…you…_sleep with him_!?"

"What if I did? Not like you didn't sleep around on him, so why not; like you care, bitch!"

"It's just like you to take advantage of what's going on, but I never knew you'd stoop that low!"

"Unlike you?"

"What?"

"You know what! He told me what you did to him, who you slept with…_in-front_ of him! Really?"

Moka face's turned pale as she wondered how much he told Kurumu, having hoped upon arriving that the details wouldn't have been known, and this matter could be settled thusly.

"I never knew you'd be so low," Kurumu continued. "I knew you were vain, I knew you were petty, but I never knew that deep down, you were a low class skank that not of us girls would bother hanging around!"

**What did she call me? **Inner Moka asked, both she and outer Moka becoming greatly offended by that remark.

"Kurumu?" Kyoko said.

"Face it, Moka he's better off with anyone, but you!"

"Where is he?" Moka asked. "TELL ME!"

Without warning Moka lunged at her, tackling both she and Koga down as the two girls began wrestling viciously, rolling off of him and back onto the floor, to the renewed thrill of the crowd.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Moka growled, rolling on top and trying to pin Kurumu's arms.

On the bottom, Kurumu kneed Moka hard in the groin, knocking the breath out of her and granting the succubus the advantage needed to roll on top.

"No bitch, no, I'm going to kill you!" Kurumu shrieked and began pounding her fists down upon Moka's pretty face. "Fuck you!"

"Stupid bitch!" Moka tried to say through gritted teeth, wracked with pain all over, but trying to block the blows and trade a few in retaliation, only managing so far at scratching Kurumu's tits, which only made the succubus madder and her assault more ferocious.

In anger and in vindictiveness, Moka clamps down on Kurumu's massive tits that wobbled over her face, digging her nails so hard that she could feel a wet sensation underneath her nails.

"YAAAAAAAAAA!" Kurumu shrieked in pain and in retaliation sank her unleashed talons against the inside of Moka's thigh, piercing dangerously close to her the groin.

"AAAAAHAAAAAAAAA!"

The pain was unimaginable and it was enough for Moka to relinquish her assault, but did little to stop Kurumu's renewed barrage upon her face, where she then proceeds to gouge her nails painfully against her rosy cheeks.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" She screamed again.

**Kick her off you! **Inner Moka coached. **You're better than that; make her sorry!**

"Get the fuck off me…you fat ugly, bitch!" Moka grimaced as she maneuvers her uninjured leg in Kurumu's face, she roughly kicks her off with enough force that it would've snapped the girl's neck under normal circumstances.

"C'mon cunt!" Kurumu yelled, slightly dazed and bloodied, but already on her feet, crouched and ready to continue the fight. "You're getting old if that's all you got!"

"Damn you!" Moka yelled, bleeding and battered, but similarly readying herself for another go around. "You're the worst; I hate you!"

"C'mon!"

"STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU, STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" Kasumi screamed as she boldly jumps in between the two fighters. "That's enough! And, shame on all of you people for letting this go on!"

"Ohh!" Someone in the crowd groaned.

"It was getting good, too!" Said someone else.

"What happened, what I miss?"

"Someone's mom broke it up, so it's done!"

Though the crowd began to break up, it did not dampen the heated exchange between both girls.

"Get out of my way!" Kurumu snarled. "I'll go through you if I have to, I don't care!"

"Do not interfere!" Moka barked at Kasumi. "How dare you come in between us; step aside for your own sake or you'll get hurt!"

"ENOUGH!" Kasumi snapped at them both. "Stop it! The hell's wrong with you two; you're acting like wild animals, you're better than this!"

Both women certainly looked the part to Kasumi, with their eyes dilated, faces sweaty and bloody, and panting heavily; it took them awhile to calm down and realize just how wild they had become. Moka's heart was beating rapidly in tune with her breathing, as her very limbs shook uncontrollably and for a moment she started to worry about herself.

"Now, relax," Mrs. Aono added.

"Mrs. Aono?" Kurumu asked upon realizing who she was. "Why are you here? And, why are you trying to stop me from killing this whore?"

"WHORE?" Moka yelled. "How dare you call me a whore!"

"You're right, it'll be an insult to whores everywhere; no, you're more like…"

"I SAID EVERYBODY RELAX!" Kasumi snapped.

"Mrs. Aono; d-don't you know what she's done, what happened with your son?"

"…Yes I know."

"Then why are you with this…skank? She's done horrible things to him; I saw them myself!"

"I saw them too," she replied. "But, there's more going on than you think! This girl, right here isn't the one responsible for what happened."

"_What_?" Kurumu asked, her face not hiding how incredulous she finds this claim.

"Kurumu!" Ageha cried as she suddenly shows up and takes one look at her daughter. "Oh baby, what has that vampire done to you?"

"What did I do to her?" Moka asked, incredulously. "She attacked me!"

"Ms. Korono, please!" Kasumi desperately pleaded.

"She just got them to calm down," Koga pointed out.

"Yeah; but, not before this pink haired trollop sank her nails into my daughter's cleavage! That's a serious offense to my species, especially within our own lair!"

**Get ready, **Inner Moka coached. **Looks like you'll have to check her whore of a mother, too.**

"Ageha!" Koji yelled. "My wife has just got everybody to calm down and you want to start up more trouble, in spite of the reason we came here in the first place? Now, calm the fuck down!"

The bestial rage within her subsiding, mother graciously concedes her grievance and tries to get her daughter to do the same.

"Mom! D-Do you believe this? Akashiya managed to trick Tsukune's own parents!"

"She didn't trick us!" Kyoko tried to explain. "This here is the real Moka! The one who betrayed Tsuki was a fake!"

"A _what_?"

"Dear, please," Ageha said to her daughter. "I know how this might look, and believe me I wouldn't blame you in wanting to throttle the life out of this vampire!"

Moka glared at the elder succubus.

"But, um…everything will be explained, just tell us where we can find Tsukune; I know he came here and that's who we're here to see."

"…He isn't here," Kurumu responded.

"What do you mean, not here?" Kasumi asked.

"He left."

"When?" Asked Ageha.

"…Just now," Kurumu replied, uncertain if she should trust such private information with anyone, even with Tsukune's own family, whose odd behavior was unnerving.

"You're _lying_!" Moka yelled and tried to charge at her again, only to be held back by Kasumi with all her might. "You lie, you always lie! I'm tired of your games, now where is he?"

Kurumu simply looked at her real hard, purplish eyes unflinching.

"Stop playing GAMES WITH ME!"

"MOKA!" Kasumi snapped at her again.

"I can smell him…," she began to weep. "I can smell him all over her. She's always doing this; even back at school she would try to sweep him away and do all kinds of tricks to separate us like it was a sick game, but it's not a game anymore, Kurumu! Tell me where I can find him!"

"What's the matter Moka, you mad at me?" She asked.

"You knew what Tsukune was going through and yet you still took advantage of him, like you always did! You're a…!"

"My daughter didn't sleep with him, you crazy bitch!" Ageha intervened.

"W-What?"

"She..didn't..sleep with him!"

"…Why should I believe you? You'd say anything to…"

"You call me a liar?" Ageha asked, offended and ominously riled.

"She's your daughter," Moka continued, but the fire mostly blown out of her.

"That's right, she is my daughter; and as a succubus mother I think I know when and with whom my daughter's had sex with, and it wasn't with Tsukune!"

"But…" Moka muttered, confused and deeply troubled.

"Not that it's any of her business," Kurumu pointed out.

"None of my business?"

"So, you didn't sleep with my son?" Kasumi asked, intervening.

"No; I wanted to, and yes I did try to take advantage of him, but that was before I learned the truth of what happened, and had I did…"

"What do you mean 'tried'?" Kyoko asked. "What happened, how'd you find out about everything?"

Kurumu glared angrily at Moka, the intensity and reinvigorated hatred strong enough to strangle the vampire telepathically if such powers were at her disposal.

"It should have been you," she hissed at Moka.

"What happened, honey?" Ageha asked.

"I'm sorry you have to hear this, Mrs. Aono," she said to Kasumi. "But…he attacked me."

"A-ttacked you; what do you mean?" Kasumi asked, as if she couldn't understand what the meaning of those were as they pertained to her boy.

"I mean he…_slammed_ me against the wall…over and over again, and very nearly beat me to death before I managed to bring him back to his..."

There was a silent, collective gasp amongst the small group, and yet was felt by each and every one of them, but none were more felt than by Moka and Kasumi.

**This bitch lies. **Inner Moka points out.

"It got so bad, it woke the guests; Aunt Caro and I had a fun time trying to explain all the bruises or the impression left on my wall where he slammed my body against. _**But**_, I don't blame him for what happened; see apparently I caught him in the middle of a nightmare…about you, Moka; he thought I was you."

"…Th-That's a lie," Moka said softly, meekly; trying to remain stubborn and not shocked almost to speechlessness by these horrid, and unbelievable details.

"It's kinda ironic, if you think about it. That was how I found out he stopped loving you, that was when I knew he'd finally see you for the manipulative bitch I always knew, and that was when he tried to kill me, because he really wanted to kill you, Moka."

"…Oh my god," Kasumi muttered, trying to stifle a sob.

"Wow," said Koga. "And, here I thought he was a stand up guy."

"My cousin is!" Kyoko defended. "He's only acting the same way I did when I found out about that…fake bitch!"

"No," Moka said out loud. "N-No, Tsukune wouldn't do that, he isn't like that, he's a kind and caring person and no matter what I _may have_ done to him, he'd never…"

"You don't get it, do you?" Kurumu asked. "That's why he left; he's trying to get away from you before he does something he'll regret!"

"It's a lie!"

"What _is_ a lie, is believing Tsukune didn't have that right!" Kurumu said, looking at everyone in this small group, present. "You think he's the bad guy? You think _I'm_ the bad guy? Hell, you must think every, single person who has done Princess Moka wrong in the past is the bad guy! Poor little princess with the troubled childhood, getting picked on by everybody, and, gasp, now a potential victim of domestic violence by the very GUY SHE FUCKED ANOTHER MAN INFRONT OF!"

Kurumu's outburst was intentionally loud, loud enough to draw a few heads towards the group, hoping that Moka felt a little hot under the collar by their stares, while she continues:

"And why, because she's our darling Princess Moka, right? Wake up, people!"

"Kurumu," Ageha tried to say.

"No, no, I want to say this, mama; I want her to hear this, I WANT _EVERYBODY_ TO HEAR THIS!"

**This **_**bitch**_** is just asking for it!** Inner Moka angrily declared, itching just as much to tear her apart as her outer persona.

"Moka," Kurumu continued, unabated, "do you know why you could never find any friends growing up? You know why no one understands you and picks on you so much, huh? You really want to know?"

Kurumu walks around Kasumi and up to Moka, pointing down at her rosary pendant, in particular the ruby red center that housed her Inner consciousness.

"The sad truth is that there is only one…person you should blame and it ain't any of us, it's your silver haired, bitch of a better half, your supposed 'true self', who is supposed to be the epitome of your noble race! That's right everybody: all of her piss poor problems…and all of ours can be traced back to her, but we know she doesn't care, hell she don't care about anything really, probably not even about you, the _fake_. These feelings of love and compassion, they're not real, nothing about you is real! I bet deep, that white haired skank wanted to humiliate Tsukune the way you did, enjoyed every minute of it; probably didn't even like Gin, most girls wouldn't, but it didn't matter to her, did it; nah, she did it because she could, it's in her nature, your _true_ nature! The real tragedy is that everyone thinks you're special, but I don't, and sooner or later they're going to learn the truth about you, just like I knew Tsukune would; you're a fake, princess, you _never_ loved Tsukune, you never loved anyone else, and in the end you'll _be_ alone, with only your 'self' to keep you company; just like a true vampire."

Everyone was stunned silent, but none more so than Moka, as never before had Kurumu's words cut so deeply as this. Kurumu, however took no elated joy, but it did feel good to get that off her chest and directed at the source of all her hatred.

"…I'll find him myself!" Moka stubbornly muttered after a long pause and storms past her, out the way Kurumu came in, trailing after Tsukune's scent.

"HEY, what the…?" Kurumu cried, about to go after her but halted by Kasumi.

"Look, I don't care what your beef is with Moka," Kasumi said. "I just want to know where my son is. Please, if it helps, I won't tell her where he is, just tell me, his mother."

"He's not here," Kurumu replied, partially distracted. "…He returned to Japan."

"He's back in Japan?" Koji asked. "When did he…?"

"Like I said, just a few minutes ago."

"So, we have to go back?" Kyoko asked.

"Excuse me," Kurumu said, abruptly leaving.

Just as she raced off, Yukari finally catches up to the group, eager to show off her new breasts to the girl who had constantly mocked her chest in school.

"Alright, you gigantic boob, get a load of these!" Yukari boasted, as she recklessly expose her tits for all to see, bouncing them for a most joyous crowd who began throwing dollars in her direction, only to be disappointed with Kurumu's no-show. "What? Where'd she go?"

"Oh my," Ageha said. "Trying to audition?"

"Huh? Where's Kurumu?"

"Keep your tops on everybody, I'll go find my daughter and get to the bottom of this!"

"Not it I find her, first!" Yukari declared, determined to catch up to Kurumu. "I will always find that jiggling bitch"

When she leaves, a disturbed Koga asked Ruby: "Is there some kind of estranged, lesbian thing going on between them?"

Meanwhile, Moka was already running up to the nearby hotel suite despite Kurumu's pleas to stop her, which only made her run faster, convinced that she was only trying to stop their reunion. For, she refused to believe a word of what had been said; it had always been her way to drive a wedge in between their relationship at any cost, why would this be any different?

_Damn her, _she thought bitterly. _She's a liar; I do love him, he knows is! And, it doesn't matter how angry he is at me, he isn't the kind of person to turn violent. _

**Of course not, her psychological attack was to hurt us; ha! What a desperate little fool! **

She bursts into the lobby, slipping past the two, stunned receptionists without bothering to ask which room he was staying in, confident on seeing this through on her own.

"Hey, Kurumu!" Carol called as she trailed behind. "You know her?"

"Unfortunately, yeah!" She respond.

"What the hell's going on?"

"Later!" She yelled back, too preoccupied in chasing after Moka.

The pink haired girl needed to lose her blue haired pursuer or risk being delayed in another unnecessary fight, as his scent was too strong and so close, with Moka practically jumping two steps at a time, to sprinting down the walkway with reckless abandon until in a desperate attempt to lose Kurumu, and growing impatient, she stops on a floor just beneath the room, hops on the railing and then does a somersault leap to the top, where she now stood triumphantly at long last before the door of a long awaited reunion.

"I'm here," she whispered to herself in quiet anticipation. "He's here; I can feel him!"

There was no mistaking it; the smell of his blood was strongest here, indicating that he was just on the other side of this door. After so long, after such a nightmarish ordeal, finally the moment of fear and longing was at hand. But, how would she present herself? What would be said? These were among many questions racing through her head, and yet she dared not linger to ponder as she could sense Kurumu drawing near. Without much waiting and wondering, she flung open the door and loudly called out:

"TSUKUNE!"

"WHOA!" A startled, naked man cried and leaping out of bed, only to realize he's underdressed and quickly covers himself.

"…Wh-Who are you?" She asked, stunned.

"Who are _you_?" The man asked, equally stunned and little flustered.

"Damn it, Moka!" Kurumu yelled upon catching up. "I told he isn't here, he's gone! You had no right barging into my room and disturbing my guest!"

"Where is he?" Moka asked, storming into the room and sniffing the air like a hound possessed; but, to the man she seemed unhinged.

She then comes up to him and began sniffing him, making an already uncomfortable situation even more intolerable.

"Uhh, angel?" He asked Kurumu.

"Moka!" She yelled.

"You…you were with him recently?" Moka asked the man, just as Kurumu began to pull her away, but she fought and continued grilling him. "You were with my Tsukune, weren't you?"

"…You mean bro?"

"Bro?"

"Yeah, that's what I call him, bro."

"You've seen him?"

"Sam, I'm sorry!" Kurumu said, still fighting with her to get her away from him. "Don't listen to what she has to say, don't even talk to this bitch!"

"Who is she?" He asked.

"You're his friend?" Moka continued to ask. "You know where he is? Tell me?"

"Lady, I…"

"I am his fiancée, no his wife, his _real _wife!"

"His wife? You're her; the woman who cheated on him and broke his heart?"

"_What_? No, no, no, no! It wasn't me, it was an impostor; _get off me_!"

"No!" Kurumu shouted back, their struggling almost turning into a wrestling match. "Get out!"

"It's a lie, I didn't cheat on him!" Moka squealed desperately. "Tell me where he is, tell me and I'll straighten all of this out!"

"How?" Sam asked.

"Just tell me where he is and I'll prove I can fix this!"

"That's it, bitch!" Kurumu yelled and before Sam knew it, they had resumed hair pulling and punching before his very eyes.

"HEY, HEY, STOP!" He yelled as he started to get up and break them apart, but Ageha showed up in time to bring some much needed order.

"Stop it, stop it right now, both of you!" She shouted, separating the two hellcats. "That is _quite_ enough of that!"

"Mama, this bitch just broke into my room like she owns the place!"

"Look, this fighting is beneath the two of you and it isn't going to help…oh!"

Sam realized that the elder Korono was staring at his nude, sweaty body just standing there in a frozen state of readiness, now turned into embarrassment.

"Uh, hehehehe!" He chuckled, quickly wrapping the sheets around his waist like a toga.

"Ms. Korono, Tsukune _was_ here not too long ago, I can smell him!" Moka reiterated. "I'm not leaving here until she tells me where she's hiding him!"

"You're insane; I told you Moka, he left and believe me he needs it!"

"You're lying! You'd say anything to have him to yourself, Kurumu; you've always been in love with him, admit it!"

"Used to, used to!" She corrected, feeling hot under the collar that this was going on in front of her new paramour.

"_Still_! You could never get over the fact that he loves me and not you. That he wanted to marry _me _and not you, and we always put up with it until now! Well, not anymore; if you don't tell me what I want to know, right now…!"

"PLEASE, will you get her out of here!" Kurumu screamed.

"WHERE IS HE?"

"MOKA!" Ageha cried, roughly escorting her out the door.

**Don't let them shut you up!** Inner Moka threatened. **If I was free I'd put them in their places.**

"Get off of me!" Moka squealed, buckling wildly underneath Ageha's grasp enough to dislodge her massive breasts out of her blouse, her sudden shock enough to free Moka's arms so she could lash out the nearby Kurumu.

"OW, MAMA!" Kurumu screamed as Moka grabbed a handful of her hair, in which case Kurumu responds in kind and began yanking as hard as she could on Moka's, dragging her to the floor. "Fucking bitch!"

Kurumu violently kicks Moka away, the force causing them both rip pieces of each other's hair, yet it by no means knocked the fight out of them and were poised to tear into each other again.

"Moka, Moka!" Kasumi yelled, suddenly appearing at the door and clinging onto her desperately despite the difference in strength between, all just to keep anymore violence from ensuing; but fortunately her soothing voice of reason was enough to calm the young vampire down some. "Relax, oh god please, relax; lets sort this out downstairs in the lobby. Okay? I want to find him just as badly as you do, but I can't do it if you lose it."

Agitated to the point of tears, but seeing no point in further dealing with this blue haired woman, Moka allows Kasumi and Ageha to take her outside, while an infuriated Kurumu slams the door on them and slumps against the door, hair shrouded over to hide the embarrassment; but there was an even more distressing thing bothering that the woman.

"…So," Sam began to say. "Should I be here, right now or…?"

"I am so sorry about that," she muttered. "I was trying to buy some wine for you…I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Its fine, it's okay. I've seen enough of your past and memories to…pretty much get an idea of how uncomfortable that was. Of course, I wasn't planning on meeting your mother…like this."

"Tell me the truth!" Kurumu said as she suddenly leaps onto the bed and crawled up to him, her face filled with a fearful desperation, as though awaiting some awful news. "Did you like her?"

"Yeah," he said, nonchalantly.

"Yeah?" Kurumu asked, almost in a soft, forlorn reply. "Of course."

"I mean, she's a nice lady, your mother is, and she really handled that like a parent shou…"

"No; I mean Moka! The girl with the pink hair!"

"What about her?"

"Did…Did you like…her?"

"…I don't know how to answer that, really," he said, confused. "She is the woman who cheated on bro, right?"

"…I think so, but…I don't know. How about the way she looked; you think she's pretty? Prettier than me?"

"She's alright I guess, can certainly see why bro would marry her, but I don't think she's prettier than you; I mean, the crazy, messed up thing aside, all that pink hair just wouldn't do it for me even if I hadn't met you first!"

"R-Really?"

"Yeah. You're not jealous of her, are you?"

"Well…"

"Angel," he said, tenderly running his fingers up against the exposed curves of her slender, tiny waist, the sensation working like electricity that sent a charge coursing through every vein in her body, while his blue eyes looked intensely into her purple ones. "I can go all over this world and see half a dozen otherworldly women, and none of them would compare to you."

She smiled calmly and full of content, allowing herself to melt under his touch as he drew in closer for a kiss; outside, her mother however was having a difficult time trying to calm things down.

"My sister is probably here by now, she might know more," Ageha said. "I promise I'll find out everything that's been going on, but first I need to speak with my daughter, please?"

"But…" Moka protested, but Kasumi intervened on her behalf.

"Moka and I understand. Come Moka, let's get back to the others, we've done all we could here."

Moka stared at Kasumi, her once brilliantly shimmering, emerald eyes now cloudy and dim with confusion, as though in her mania she hardly knew or understood who anyone was anymore.

"Please," Kasumi pleaded.

**Tear this place apart!** Her Inner persona seethed. **Threaten everyone with harm if they don't tell us what was want to know! Don't just back down and retreat after everything that has happened to get here!**

"…Okay," Moka finally relented, however, her voice barely a whisper as she slowly, and with great reluctance allowed Mrs. Aono to escort her back to the others. Now alone, Ageha quietly steps back into her daughter's apartment only to find Kurumu and Sam locked in a passionate embrace; a cleared throat was the only thing that startled the two apart.

"MOM!" Kurumu yelled, pulling her recently raised top back down over her massive tits.

"Well, well," she said with a suave smirk as she sauntered over to their bed, casually sitting on Sam's side of the bed and examines him hungrily. "And, what do we have here?"

"M-Ms. Kurono, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, ma'am!" Sam introduced nervously. "I feel like I already know…you; uh…"

"I bet you do," she replied in a coy manner. "But, please call me Ageha."

"Uh yes, Ms…Ageha; I'm sorry, I-I must look…uh, how about I get dressed so I won't be talking to you naked."

"No, no need to feel embarrassed; actually I'm kind of glad you're with my daughter, I really am."

"You are?"

"Mom, could you please give us a minute!"

"Hold on, I want to show your boo here my appreciation."

"How so?" He asked.

"Mother, no!"

Without warning, Ageha grabs Sam's head in a vice like grip and forces him, face first into her massive cleavage, cleavage so big and soft it completely envelopes him whole.

_Oh my god! _Sam thought to himself, out of breath and in total darkness. _They're softer than her daughter's._

"Ahh, I'm so happy!" Ageha exclaimed, shaking both herself and him in joyous glee. "You must get better acquainted with me, I can show you a _grand_ time! By the way, how serious are you two?"

"MOM!"

"As my Kurumu's Destined One, you're practically family already."

"Well…," Sam said after managing to position his face out of her cleavage, but resting his head in between each like it was on two, soft pillows. "Angel, uh I mean Kurumu and I are still getting the feel of things…I-I mean, still getting the…uh, we're good; we _are_ good, aren't we?"

"Yes," Kurumu replied, trying to stymie her embarrassment.

"'Angel'?" Ageha asked, her eyes dazzling with affection, further exacerbating Kurumu, and squeezing Sam even deeper into her bosom. "Did he just give you a pet name? Awwww, that's so sweet; you really are in love!"

"…Yes, ma'am!" He said.

"Mom, what is Moka doing here?" Kurumu asked, willfully changing the subject. "And what the hell was she talking about impostor; what is going on?"

"It's a long story," she replied, still clutching Sam against her chest. "A very long and rather confusing story."

"Then give us the short version," Kurumu responded impatiently. "She shows up out of nowhere just after Tsukune comes back into my life after all these years, starts a catfight with me, embarrassing me in front of the club, and barges in on my man while he's sleeping; so, I'd like to know why you brought her here!"

"Now, _you_ were the one who started that fight; though I'm not blaming you for wanting to do so," Ageha points out.

"That's not the point! What is going on?"

"Yeah; begging your pardon ma'am, but some…insight into what she said about bro and the impostor might help," Sam muttered, trying to endure the tight squeeze he was being given.

"Bro?" Ageha asked.

"It's what he calls Tsukune; they both stayed at a church homeless shelter."

"Oh. Well, as best I can gather the woman who cheated on Tsukune, or 'bro' wasn't the same Moka we all thought. It turns out all this time she was some kind of clone who switched places at a certain point after _this_ Moka was kidnapped. We're trying to find Tsukune right now and clear this mess up."

"…O-kay?" Came Kurumu's reply.

"I don't understand it either, but apparently it looks like she's telling the truth."

"Really; you really believe all of that?" Kurumu asked.

"Eh; stranger things have happened."

"After the day I'm having…I'd believe it!" Sam exclaimed.

"Now, let's talk about grandchildren," Ageha suggested, but suddenly a loud commotion from down below broke the tender moment between the three of them.

"What the hell's that?" Sam asked, but some innate feeling within him somehow told him that Kurumu's equally buxom, and less cordial aunt Caro had returned. "Is that…your aunt?"

The revelation only made Ageha's eyes water and lovingly smothered him in another tight embrace once again.

"He has a psychic link; he's already one of us!" she whispered with joy in her heart. "He's a keeper; you did good, baby!"

"Go see what's going on with aunt Caro, mom," Kurumu ordered.

"Right," she said getting up, but inadvertently dragging the naked Sam with her, face still clutched tightly into her chest and Kurumu tugging at him for her mother to let go.

"MOM!"

"Oh, right! Sorry, son."

With a gasp, Sam drops to the floor at her feet where in his daze is treated to a view of his future mother in law's, silky black, thong.

"…Oh my god…Ageha!" He said, flustered and out of breath.

"Please, call me…mom," she suggested, blowing him a kiss and a wink before leaving behind this blissful scene and heading downstairs to the turmoil that awaited.

"Get back, get her the fuck back!" Ruby yelled, wand brandished like a weapon, ready to fight before a startled Aono family as she stared face to face at her aggressor. "Tell her to stay back; I'm warning you!"

"Calm down, please!" One of the receptionists begged.

"Mistress, please, there are guests here!" Carol desperately reminded her employer, whose normally rosy face was now as red as her plum colored hair, plump breasts heaving in anger and excitement as her typically chipper demeanor now gave way to violent malice.

"Carol, close up shop for just an hour…maybe two," Caro Shade casually advised, her nails already morphed into razor sharp talons.

"What do I tell the guests?"

"Tell them I have to exterminate some pests! See, this vermin here has the _audacity_ to infest my establishment while I was away, and I just cannot allow this; oh no, I have a reputation to uphold."

"Try it!" Ruby dared. "I'm not afraid of you, but if you want to go, then so be it!"

"Oh honey, I thought you'd never ask."

"Whoa there!" Koga yelled as he comes into the room just in time and grabs hold of Caro just before she got ready to attack. "Easy baby, not today."

"What the…?" She asked, her breasts jiggling as she's restrained against her will. "YOU!"

"Hi," he says with a grin.

"W-What is going on?" A frightened Kasumi asked. "Who is this?"

"This would be Caro, Caro Shade," Koga answers.

"…Kurumu's aunt," Ruby replied, violet eyes never once leaving Caro.

"_This_ is Caro?" Kyoko asked.

"Why is she trying to attack us, I thought we can trust her?" Koji asked.

"Koga, baby," Caro began to ask with a unsettling smile, "mind telling me who are all these people that you brought into my establishment after all these years, and why you also happen to bring the last person I would want to see?"

"Long version or short?" He asks.

"What do you think, buttercup?"

"Well, this is the Aono family; Ruby you already know, and they're here for…uh, Tsu-kie or something?"

"It's Tsukune," Kyoko whispered, tongue-in-cheek fashion.

"Ah, so you must be Koji and Kasumi Aono, of course we met briefly at the wedding; so nice to meet you," Caro greeted warmly. "Please excuse the outburst, but you really need to be more mindful of the company you keep."

"I beg your pardon?" Kasumi asked.

"Well, first I find you with your son's whore of a wife at your side…"

"What did you call me?" Moka asked, heatedly.

"In just a minute, honey."

"Oh yeah, about that," Koga quickly added. "See, there was a mix up and…the woman this guy married wasn't her, but like an evil, skankier twin."

"…Uh-huh. Well, if all of_ that_ wasn't enough, you bring this witch bitch into my establishment even at the risk of incurring my wrath; for which I would be very well within my rights to enforce, and all after a rather harrowing evening packed with indigent guests, unruly hobos and fighting traffic coming to and from the airport, of which I had to shell out a considerable amount of money for airfare. Koga, darling, I think you can let go of me, now."

He reluctantly complies, and she turns around, reaches up and plants him a big, succulent kiss that turned Kyoko red both with embarrassment and a hint of jealousy. But, the Koga's euphoria was brief before Caro unleashes a vicious slap across his face so hard it nearly made him topple over.

"Let me guess, you're all part of the 'Fuck Caro' club here?" She asks. "Did Ria gather all you guys up; all of my best friends and well wishes spinning the biggest load of crap I have ever heard?"

"Nice to see you too," he said, holding his jaw.

"I thought you two were tight?" Kyoko whispered, trying to help him to his feet. "What you do?"

"It was a long time ago," he whispered, "I'm sure it's just puppy love."

"Ms. Shade, is it?" Kasumi asked. "Please, hear us out, we didn't come here to cause trouble."

"You're wasting your time with this one," Ruby pointed out. "She'll never listen to reason."

"You know, for a witch you don't have much in the brains department, honey," Caro crudely remarked. "The nice lady here almost made me forget you were here!"

"Don't fight her, Ruby!" Moka ordered. "Caro, tell us where Tsukune is? Is it true he left town?"

"Moka dear, it is so good to see you again, you and me have to have some alone time to become reacquainted."

"Answer me!" Moka demanded, impatiently.

"Well, somebody has gotten more forceful than usual, nevertheless the job of playing the sympathetic aunt ain't my thing anymore so I don't have to tell you a thing; I was always more interested in safeguarding my lil' Mumu's best interests, anyway!"

"Caro, please!"

"Will I or won't I tell you where he is? N-o, I don't think I will."

"Ms. Shade!" Kasumi yelled, and then immediately calmed herself the best she could. "I don't know you, but I heard you're the one person who might be able to help us, so would you please, _please _confirm if my son is okay?"

"…You're his mother, aren't you?" Caro asked.

"Yes!"

"We're all very worried," said Kyoko. "Your sister said my cousin came here with you."

"And, you're all here with the skanky, Ms. Akashiya because…?"

"I am not a _skank_!" Moka snapped. "I'm so tired of being blamed for something I didn't do!"

"Oh, that title has rankled many a willing participant of infidelity who thought they were too good to be in the same boat as girls like us, but not good enough to let some horny man whore's juice smear all over her legs," Caro replied with a wry grin, her crude analogy notwithstanding. "And, believe me, my kind knows of many, many sins where the word 'skank' is very appropriate. And, speaking of 'many, many' things I guess it would be no surprise that you'd join bring Ruby, the slutty witch standing along for the ride."

"Cut the crap, Shade!" Ruby snapped. "We all know you have your issues with some of us, but would it kill you to help out the Aono family; they're desperate for answers!"

"…Mrs. Aono?" Caro asked, reluctant to take orders from the witch, as well as admit that there may be some logic in what she said.

"Yes."

"…Your son…had entrusted me with offering him sanctuary from, _her_; and, I don't know if you know about everything that's happened to him, but he's going through a lot."

"I do know; your sister revealed the details…all of it; but…"

"Then you have to know why he did what he did; if it was just you three I'd tell you in a heartbeat, but Moka Akashiya is the _last_ person he wants knowing his business. So, I…"

"It's alright," Ageha said, just now coming downstairs. "You can tell her everything."

"Ageha," Caro said through gritted teeth, coming over to her and whisper heatedly.

"Sister?"

"Don't sister me, what are you doing?"

"Just listen…"

"You invited that witch!"

"I know, I know…"

"You brought that vampire skank!"

"Sis, I know."

"And, you brought…him!"

"Sister, I…him?"

"You know who, don't act dumb!"

"Ohh!"

"_Ohhhh_!" Caro mocked, but was in no mood for joking.

"Okay, that him totally forgot, my bad. But the rest…is complicated. I'll fill you in on the details later, but right now we have to tell Ms. Aono what she wants to know."

Caro glares at her, but a meaningful return glance from her sister was persuading enough to let go of any hostility, if only for a moment.

"Ms. Aono," she said to the Aono matriarch, "I just came back from taking your son to the airport."

"So, he really isn't here? Is it true he went back home?"

"Well, he went back to Japan."

"What's that mean?" Koji asked.

"I don't know; he said something about visiting the Shirayuki girl."

"Mizore," Moka said.

"…Well, call him back, let's stop him from getting on that plane!" Kasumi exclaimed.

"His flight already took off, he should be there shortly by now. Sorry."

"You gotta be kidding me!" Kyoko yelled. "Traveled all this way!"

"So, is he going there to stay or what?" Koga asked.

"You talking to me?" Caro asked, heatedly.

"Come on, Caro it was a long time ago!"

"Not long enough, pup!"

"Guys!" Ageha chastised. "Well, his things are still in my daughter's room, and he does still have to return to the vampire castle so we can assume it's just for a visit and that he'll come back."

"This, this can't be happening!" Moka complained. "Why is this happening to us?"

"He's coming back, folks!" Koga reassured. "It's obvious this guy isn't going anywhere else; not like he can give what we know. The man has to come back. All we need to do now is wait until he does!"

"He's right, hone," Koji said to his estranged wife, placing his hands upon her stressed shoulders and trying his best to calm her down. "We shouldn't be hopping from one place to another; we need to stay in one spot so that when he does come back, we're all here to greet him."

As soothing as his words were, Kasumi glances up at him with confusion on her face, taking in his words as sage wisdom, but uncertain if such compassion should be reciprocated and moves away from his touch.

"Wait, you said he went to meet someone named, Shirayuki?" Koga asked.

"Yeah," Caro replied.

"You know her, too?" Kyoko asked, giving him a look.

"Uh, heh, heh, not really, it's just that…she wouldn't happen to be a Snow Woman, would she?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Ooh."

"What?"

"What is it?" Moka asked him.

"Nothing, it's just…this year the snow races are holding a tournament; it's like the Winter Olympics, but more like the Summer Olympics, but more…realistic as the ancient Olympics. This year they said it was going to be held in Japan, most likely where this friend of yours lives."

"And, you would know this, how?" Ageha asked.

"I have my sources," he replied evasively.

"He's not kidding, he has his sources," Caro remarked.

"I had tickets to this thing, but blew it off to help you guys; happy?"

"Ha!" Caro responded.

"Look, he's okay; he'll just find the place a bit…crowded," Koga added.

"Great!" Kasumi said. "So, now what do we do?"

"I suggest you all," Ageha suggested, casting a wary glance over at Moka, "including you, make yourselves at home; isn't that right, sis?"

"Come again?" She asked, with which Ageha gently nudges her. "Oh, oh right! Mi casa, su casa!"

"That's my girl," Koga quipped. "I even taught you that word."

"You can sleep in the doggy house, Koga dear," she replied.

"Oh, c'mon; it was a long time ago!"

"Excuse me, but you want us to stay in a strip club?" Kasumi asked.

"Gentlemen's Club, dearie," Caro corrected. "It's much classier, _and_ family friendly."

"We have suites available to suit your needs, on the house of course," Ageha offered.

"And, it's Vegas," Caro added. "There are tons of things for the whole family to do besides poke around the joint; a few rides, games (gambling and non-gambling), and fabulous restaurants with affordable prices, you can all have fun in a day!"

_What are you thinking_? Moka asked Inner Moka.

**This is maddening! So close, only to be denied yet again. And, worse yet we have to suffer the indignity of being considered a slut by these…lowly sirens! **

Moka could see Ageha and Caro constantly glance her way while they continue convincing everyone the benefits of staying, as if they remained unconvinced that she was nothing, _but_ the irredeemable home wrecker responsible for everything. It grew insufferable; all she wanted was to find Tsukune and set everything straight, not live a lonely existence like Kurumu implied facing accusation after accusation.

"Why don't you say what you're thinking?" She suddenly snapped. "You don't want me staying here with you or Kurumu; well that's fine by me!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ageha responded. "I hadn't even suggested…"

"You didn't have to!"

"Moka please," Kasumi tried to cajole, but Moka was past beyond reason.

"No, no I will not! Caro, where'd you come off looking down at me; treating me like a whore?"

"Do you really want me to answer that, toots?"

"I'm not your toots and I'm not going to be your punching bag! Now, let's get something straight: I..did..not..cheat on Tsukune! I _am_ not responsible for what's been happening to everyone! I do not deserve to be treated like this, I _don't!_ If you don't want me staying under the same roof as you, fine! I'll go and find someplace else to stay."

"Moka, wait a minute!" Kasumi pleaded, grabbing her arm firmly. "Nobody is accusing you of anything. If it feels like they don't trust you then you shouldn't blame them; and, you shouldn't blame yourself! Blame her; you said yourself, she is the one responsible for everything, not you! That's why we're all here! Everyone listen; whatever anger you may have for one another, save it…save it for the one we all hate, because it wouldn't make sense to waste all this anger on pointless squabbling, only to finally confront her and be all out of hate! Ms. Ageha, Moka can sleep with me, if that's okay with you?"

"…Sure, you're absolutely right," she responded.

"Mrs. Aono," Moka said in hush tones.

"I told you, call me mom," Kasumi whispered.

"Witch," Caro said, turning to Ruby.

"Succubus," she replied, meeting her piercing gaze.

"…Make yourself at home," Caro replied, a leery smile accompanying it.

"Thank you," she responded, showing a defiant, indifferent smile.

"Glad that's taken care of," Kyoko said.

"So, who's bunking with me?" Koga asked. "Or, do we get rooms to ourselves?"

"You can sleep in the dog house for all I care," Caro commented.

"Oh come on; it was a long time ago, get over it already!"

"I think it'll be cheaper if we stayed together," Koji suggested. "So, I guess we'll be sharing a room like Koga suggested."

"I'm not sleeping with you, uncle," said Kyoko, holding her nose. "You have foot odor."

"Kyoko!" He said, embarrassed and as much as he wanted to play it off, there was no convincing his niece otherwise, who only backed away from and inadvertently bumping into Koga, their gaze meeting as if a subtle nod of their living arrangements.

"Well," Koga said, "I _can_ promise you my feet don't stink."

"I think the girls should stick together," Kasumi ordered. "You men can do whatever. Um, aren't we missing someone?"

"Who?" Ruby asked, and then suddenly remembered they were short one girl, who appeared in the doorway to the stairwell, exhausted, flustered, and half-crazed like some berserk warrior.

"Alright!" Yukari yelled. "I…I have been all over this dump, knocked on every door and still…no boobie-headed bitch!"

"What are you griping about?" Ageha asked.

"Where is she?"

"Who?"

"KURUMU!"

"Yukari!" Moka said, this time it was her who showed a calming concern before an enraged girl.

"She's in room 666," Caro said. "Hm, maybe the two of you together might alleviate one another."

"Thanks!" She replied and was off before anyone else could say anything.

"About that," Ageha whispered to her sister, "I think Kurumu has already gotten everything out of her system…with help from a certain someone."

"Hmm?"

"And, not just someone; _the_ one."

A simple wink was all Caro needed to put together what her sister was hinting at.

"You're joking?" She asked.

"No. I met him myself and he's a doll."

"Who? When? She met him while I was out? How and why am I the last one to…Wait a minute!"

"What?"

"No; tell me it's not that smelly vagrant Tsukune brought with him?"

"Vagrant?"

"Sam or something; I knew I shouldn't have left those two alone. Oh, Ageha, my Mumu could certainly do better. It may not be too late with Tsukune."

"Caro, I don't know what you're talking about, but the guy upstairs is no hobo; he's blonde, blue eyed and has the physique of a soldier. You need to see him; he's perfect!"

Caro's eyes widened with surprise, but her ruby red lips spread with curious delight as she let Ageha's description sink in.

"Well," she responds, "I guess he did look like he needed a simple make over; can I see him, I mean the two of them?"

"I wanted to leave them alone, but…he's underdressed at the moment."

"Ohh! And, I went and let that DD-witch rush up there to bang mumu. Oh dear, certainly hope soldier boy can handle it!"

The two giggled like horny teen girls, while the "DD-witch" made her way to Kurumu's door, ready for a long awaited confrontation that was years in the making.

"That was interesting," Sam joked as he put his pants back on. "I gotta say, being caught naked by the mother of the girl I'm sleeping with is a new one. Although, being breast smothered by said mother…well, let's say I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't lived it!"

"Again, I am so, _so_ sorry about all of that!" Kurumu said, sitting on the bed, still a little distraught by the whole ordeal, but smiling just the same. "I never imagined this day would turn out the way it did."

"Still can't believe that was bro's wife. What do you think she meant by being set up?"

"I don't know and I don't want to know!"

"Maybe we outta go downstairs and see what's going on."

"I guess, our night is ruined, anyway. Damn her!"

"Hey, don't let it get to you," he tried to reassure, sitting down close to her and tenderly cupping her small chin in his strong hand. "It wasn't bad at all."

"Not bad? My worst enemy in the whole world shows up out of the blue with a bunch of people from my past, starts a fight, ruins what was supposed to be a magical night for me, and then…"

Suddenly, Sam kisses her softly, his warm lips electrifying her nerves while his fingers gently caressing every curve that made Kurumu forget the world outside, as if he had perform some bit of magic on his own. Unfortunately, the mood is shattered once again by an irate knock at the door, causing Kurumu to literally growl out of contempt.

"Whoa, calm down angel!" Sam said. "I'll get rid of them."

"BOOBZILLA, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE; COME OUT!" The person on the other side yelled, as she banged on the door so hard Kurumu worried she'll disturb the neighbors, and once already was enough.

"Wait a minute," she tells Sam. "I recognize that voice."

Getting up, but remembering to grab an umbrella in case she needed a weapon, Kurumu opens the door and stands face to face with an exasperated Yukari Sendo, the same annoying little witch she used to pick on at school.

"No!" She suddenly says and quickly tries slamming the door on her before she could say anything, only to be met by resistance from the stalwart sorceress.

"C'mon, Kurumu!"

"Go home, Yukari!"

"Not until I hear you say it!"

"Say what?" Kurumu asked, finally opening the door wide enough to see what she had to show.

"I…Oh! I didn't know you had company."

"Sam, Yukari, Yukari, Sam."

"Hi," they both say to each other.

"Okay, what is it?" She asked impatiently. "What do want to show me that's so important?"

"Is that all you have to say to me; it's been four years since we've seen each other!"

"Fine, hi; now what do you want!"

"…You don't notice them?"

"Notice what?"

"Notice 'them'?" Yukari continued to ask while flaunting her newly developed physique, most especially her plump breasts.

"…Come out with it, me and Sam want to be alone."

"C'mon, I know you see them! Oh, here!"

She then audaciously opens up her lacey, corseted blouse and reveals a pair of DD breasts, causing Sam's nose to bleed.

"See!" Yukari proclaimed proudly, but Kurumu strangely didn't seem all that enthusiastic.

"That's what you wanted to show me; your itty titties?" The clearly stacked succubus asked in an irritated tone. "Fine, their nice, now leave!"

With that said, she slams the door on the sorceress's face, breasts still hanging out for all the world to see and mouth agape, as people pass stared at this curious sight. Unfortunately, Yukari wasn't at all aware of their stares, as the revelation that her impressive breasts were still so subpar that were still barely register with her buxom as always upper classman.

XXX

Their icy, opalescent eyes would not let him go; such small, round things, unblinking and full of curiosity as they checked him out from behind their hiding place of Mizore's thin robe upon the steps of the icy Shirayuki residence. Yet, Tsukune sensed no fear from these small children, only a kind of strange interest, like two cubs seeing something new for the first time, but inspecting from a safe distance; in many ways they were like their mother, who smiled on tenderly and lovingly.

"I think they've never seen a vampire before," Tsukune said, his tired, worn down face smiled warmly at the kids.

"Girls, be polite," Mizore gently scolded them. "It's your uncle Tsukune, remember? I told you about him; now show him your respect."

Slowly, as if accomplished in their inspection of him rather than heed Mizore's orders, they both came out into full view for him to see them clearly. A pair of twins they were, though not identical as one had short, white hair and a welcoming smile beaming up at him which made her seem almost like a miniature version of her grandmother, Tsurara.

"This is Yuki," Mizore introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Yuki," he says.

"Say hello to Uncle Tsukune, Yuki."

Feigning innocence, the snowy haired child walks up to him and lifts her gown to expose her panties to him, causing him to fall backward.

"You're going to be my mate!" Yuki said, and ran back up the steps giggling.

"Tsukune, are you alright?" Mizore asked. "I am so sorry about that!"

"No, no, it's alright," he said, but shaken. "She really _does_ take after her grandmother."

"Yuki is a bit…free spirited."

Yuki's sister on the other hand, who after her inspection of him returned to playing some game on a portable console, not only resembled Mizore down to the purplish hair and reserved demeanor, but had the same dower expression upon her pale face.

"And, this is Setsura; please put down your game and say hi to the nice man."

Obediently, she lowers her game and simply stares a long, forlorn glower from a pair of opaque, reddish purple eyes, and only says:

"Hi," before returning to her game as if nothing had happened at all.

"O-kay," he says. "You have a…a nice family, Mizore. You're very lucky."

"It means a lot hearing you say that."

"You don't need my judgment to know that; from the looks of things it seems like you have a stable family. You're lucky."

"Thank you."

"By the way, I heard you got married; I'd love to meet the lucky guy."

"Oh that's right, they're all inside, come in," Mizore offered. "Besides, you must be exhausted from your journey."

"Oh no, please, I don't want you to make a big fuss," he politely refused. "I just needed to…get away from some things and get somewhere quiet to think."

"I know what happened," she blurts out, nervous on whether she should have said anything about it at all. "I'm sorry."

She looked at him, waiting for a response, but there was only uncomfortable silence and a blank expression on his face, all from a man who used to have something pleasant or inspiring to say during the worst of times.

"Like I said," he finally says, "I just needed some time to think; I don't intend to be a bother on anyone."

"Okay; I must warn you though, our home is a little crowded now what with everything that's going on."

"About that; what exactly is going on?"

"Mizore!" Came a dismissive voice from above as Tsukune's eyes traced up to the top of the steps to meet the steely, icy gaze of a tall, pale young man with menacing eyes similar to Setsura's and shoulder length, dark blue hair which framed a narrow, frigid face fraught with a countenance only a dutiful wife would love.

"Look daddy, look!" Yuki pointed excitedly.

"Daddy?" Tsukune asked himself.

"Husband," Mizore greeted warmly.

_Husband_? Tsukune thought as he studied this strange man.

"We have a guest: you recall my friend, Tsukune Aono; he's asked for asylum and I agreed to his stay. Tsukune, I'd like you to meet my husband, Hiba."

Tsukune recalled that after graduation Mizore was forced into an arranged marriage, but this was his first time actually meeting the guy. In spite of everything that has happened to him, there still remained a part that genuinely worried over whether or not this guy was a good husband and father for his friend.

"Yuki, Setsura," Hiba kindly, but firmly said, "why don't you two go inside and help mama Tsurara."

"Yes sir; don't keep my Tsukune waiting, daddy!" Yuki said, giving her daddy a kiss and giving Tsukune a very disturbing wink, before scurrying away laughing.

"If you say so, papa," Setsura complied in her monotone voice, never lifting her head up from the console.

"So, Hiba is it?" Tsukune asked, offering his hand in friendship. "I gotta say it's nice to finally meet you. I wish we didn't have to meet under these circumstances, we should have done this ages ago!"

Hiba, however seemed less cordial than Tsukune was willing to be, his icy demeanor never wavering and making the atmosphere even more uncomfortable, despite the setting.

"Husband, recent events have forced my friend to seek out a place to rest and…"

"I know," he brusquely replies. "I know what he's here for."

"You…you do?" Tsukune asked.

"Yes, I do. Come; as my wife's guest and…_friend_, you are welcome to stay as long as you need. All I ask of you, vampire, that you honor my abode during your stay."

"…Thanks," came his reply, though off put by Hiba's candor, especially the "vampire" comment. "I won't be staying long, anyway; it'll be like I wasn't even there."

"Good. Let's keep it that way."

With that said, Hiba and Mizore escort Tsukune in.

"Did I come at a bad time?" Tsukune asked Mizore.

"That will all depend on your perception of our place," Hiba replied, overhearing their conversation.

"Like I said," Mizore added, uncomfortably. "It's a little crowded."

Upon entering their palatial, yet icy abode, he was stunned to see it so crowded; it was as if they were playing inn keepers to so many visitors for this tournament that was going on.

"Pardon me," said a snowy white dwarf who tried to sneak on by with two drinks.

"I hope I'm not intruding," said an elegant, silky blonde woman who spoke in a well-mannered accent, "but is there any way I can put my reindeer in a more appropriate place; they tend to get nervous in cramped quarters."

"We'll see to it, right away," Hiba humbly replied.

"Uh, Mizore?" Tsukune asked. "What is going on?"

"It's the tournament; my village is playing host to it this year."

"I got that, but why are all these people staying in your home?"

"This may be foreign to you," Hiba abruptly responds, "but amongst our kind we are raised to extend our hospitality to weary travelers, especially to others of our species."

"Its tradition, Tsukune, and a great honor," Mizore said.

"Oh, that's…great," Tsukune replied. "It looks like you have your hands full as it is, maybe coming here _was_ a bad idea."

"Are thoust here for thy berserker combat?" Asked a waifish, Nordic woman whose crystal blue eyes sized him up, hungrily.

"Excuse me?" He asked.

"Thou must be, for though ye maybe lacking in build, thine countenance would suggest a warrior acquainted with Hela," she replied with a hint of animal magnetism. "Thy admire that in a man; from whence thy hail we maidens admire, greatly."

"Uhh…," Tsukune stammered.

"I would appreciate it if our honorable Valkyrie shield maiden would restrain themselves within our home," Mizore's mother, Tsurara, politely yet timely intervened, startling the woman as she came up suddenly from behind. "I am afraid this warrior is off limits!"

"Tsurara!" Tsukune said.

"Tsukune Aono, it is wonderful to see you again!" The white haired snow woman proclaimed, her demure posture belying a sexual joy. "I never doubted for a second that you would stay away from us for very long."

"Tsukune Aono?" A white haired, robe clad gentleman asked. "Are you _the_ Tsukune Aono?"

"I am," he responded, confused that this stranger would be familiar with him.

Suddenly, at the very acknowledgement of his name, many eyes were drawn towards him, some with allure by women, but most with a strange mix of lewd admiration and wariness from the men.

"Here he is, ladies and gentlemen!" The stranger loudly proclaimed as he casually strode towards him and draped on arm about his shoulders like he was a friend; a bold gesture from a questionable character that brought back memories of Gin. "The man of the hour, The Mighty Vampire Aono of legend, here at last to take what is his!"

"Excuse me!" Tsukune said, shrugging the man's arm away. "I don't know you, I…"

"Don't act so modest, Mr. Hefner!"

"Please, do not disturb our guest," Mizore tried to politely dissuade the gentleman.

"You must have been drunk on too much eggnog if you let that guy into your home, Hiba!" One guy yelled.

"I don't know what any of you are talking about!" Tsukune said.

"It's nothing," Mizore said. "Please, ignore them and we'll…"

"He is where he's supposed to be!" Tsurara defended. "What goes on in my son in law's home is of our affair!"

"I bet it is!" The stranger said with a dirty smile. "Tell me, Mighty Aono, which one are you going to bang first: the mother in law or…?"

"What are you talking about?" He asked, growing more and more uncomfortable.

"Do not act so coy!" The Valkyrie declared. "It is thou species custom during separation to take multiple partners. If thou prove thine self a mighty warrior, thine will be grateful to be thine mistress."

"What?"

"Let us go," Hiba growled under his breath.

"Please, everyone go about your business!" Mizore pleaded.

"We all heard about Moka," the stranger said, putting his arm around Tsukune once again. "I for one wouldn't blame you coming to take the women of this village, to…alleviate the stress of a divorce caused by infidelity; might I interest you in some slave women I brought down from the north, because they are of hardy stock and great breeders."

Tsukune said nothing, for he was too much in shock and humiliated to decide on what to do or how to respond; wondering just how many different people knew about his situation, and what were they saying about him? They were all looking at him, smiling, nodding, and whispering to each other like his troubles were tabloid gossip. It was humiliating, degrading and unnatural that he'd be placed on the spot like this, when all he wanted was one, single moment to forget. Now he stood there, face drained of color, limbs shaking with an indescribable cocktail of rage and sorrow that remained oblivious to the mindless gossip hounds and sleazy perverts who wanted to know who'd the mighty vampire Aono came to bed.

Mizore did her best to defuse the situation, but as loud as her usually morose demeanor could allow, it was of little use.

"People!" Hiba ordered. "Tsukune Aono is our guest, as are all of you; what he does outside of these walls is entirely up to him, but within them it is ultimately at my discretion. In honor of our culture and tradition, I ask you all to respect our wishes; thank you."

"Ah, we were only having some fun," the stranger told him. "It isn't often we have a vampire, and a living legend at that, grace our presence."

The situation defused, Hiba continued to lead the way towards some more private quarters, but Tsukune's demeanor felt close to being ill.

"H-How did everyone…?" He began to whisper to Mizore, his voice hoarse.

"I'm very sorry, Tsukune," she replied. "I should have told you sooner, it's just…"

"How?"

"Look around you, Mr. Aono," Hiba answered. "Word spreads; it spreads even faster when there are packed crowds from all over the globe. Someone somewhere heard about you and then brought here. And, in this day and age, there's hardly any privacy anymore; we of all people realize that!"

"Oh, stop it, Hiba!" Tsurara scolded. "Tsukune has had a rough time; however, no one is blaming you if you decide to take what is yours."

"Mother!"

"What? I wouldn't be averse to helping our dear friend forget about that slut Moka. Or; well, Yuki already seems interested in him and better to start now than wait even later like we did with you."

"Excuse me," Tsukune finally said. "I need to go to the washroom."

"Down the hall to your ri…" Mizore answered, but Tsukune was already racing to the bathroom, luggage and all, before she could finish talking.

"Its pre-engagement jitters," Tsurara said, but Mizore looked on with increasing worry.

The washroom was thankfully far enough away and secluded from the rest of the house to provide him with the solitude he needed. It was the perfect place for him to scream, just scream out his anger, gripping the rim of the sink like he was holding on to dear life and letting out some much needed rage; and yet, it wasn't enough. He would have preferred staying in there all day, cold as it was, like every other place there, which strangely had escaped his notice the entire time, but eventually he knew someone would come in on him. Looking into a partially fogged mirror that framed his reflection in an icy circle, he finally got a glimpse of his face, at how haggard, unshaven, worn out and emaciated his once dapper complexion had become. A part of him, a very vain part wondered if this is what greeted Mizore and her husband; he couldn't help wonder what was happening to him, and what was happening all around him. How had it gotten this bad; there was no clear answer.

He wiped the sweat from his face, took some time to recollect his composure and finally steps out into the hallway, where he came face to face with Hiba. Tsukune wondered how long had he been outside the washroom, at what he might have heard and what thoughts were running about in his mind. It was already clear to him that Hiba held no affection towards him, and if he heard everything that transpired inside, what would he tell Mizore?

"Uh, just trying to get over the jet lag," he tried to explain. "So, how are things between you and Mizore? I bet her mother must make it difficult, eh?"

"I know why you're here, vampire," Hiba claims.

"…Is that so?"

"Yes. In fact, we all know, except for my wife who seems to laud over you like some saint; which frankly I do not see."

"And, what do you think I'm here for, sir?"

"The very reason my father in law has chosen to move out temporarily so that his wife may see to such needs. I, however refuse to be so accommodating."

Tsukune walks casually toward him, anxious to leave while trying his best to be patient and stoic, doing everything in his power to remember that this is Hiba's house and that he is a guest in it.

"…Look, I don't know what you think is going on," Tsukune tells him. "But, I have no intention of doing anything other than keeping to myself."

"Don't insult my intelligence!" Hiba snaps. "We know about your situation and the time limit laid upon you by your vampire in laws; so now here you are on that time limit, my wife's 'friend'! You can't possibly make me believe this was all by coincidence?"

"I maybe a vampire…but you don't know a thing about me! If you knew about me like Mizore does, then how in god's name could you think I'd ever come here for that?"

"You're right, I don't know you! I don't know _what _you're capable of and as a family man that scares me!"

"You think you're scared? I just left behind a ton of crap that was affecting me in a way that scared _me_ and the last thing I want was to do anything that would hurt everyone else around me! I'm no threat to you or your family; I only wanted to escape from my troubles."

Weary but humble, Tsukune walks past his host, hoping that would be the end of any further misunderstanding. However, just as he edges past him, Hiba mutters one warning:

"Just remember, Tsukune Aono, to make sure you didn't bring any of that crap with you."

There was no getting any rest staying behind while Mizore's family would be out enjoying the festival, and the last thing he wanted was to have to deal with anymore lewd inquisitors, so as far as any relaxation or any peace was concerned, following after them through the throngs of eager spectators seemed to be the best option available.

"Hey, uncle Tsukune!" Yuki said.

"Yeah."

"I have a question to ask," she said innocently.

"I'll do my best to answer," he replied with a warm smile. "What is it?"

"Well…is it true during high school you put your face in between nana's legs?"

"YUKI!" Mizore scolded.

Tsukune nearly tripped over himself, as the question was a bit unexpected if not embarrassing.

"Well, it is true, isn't it?" Yuki continued. "It was when they first met; remember when you said…"

"Yuki, that is very inappropriate!"

"But, mom!"

"You told them that?" Tsukune whispered heatedly to Mizore.

"No, not that part!"

"Actually, I did," Tsurara admitted, blushing innocently. "I don't like to keep secrets from my loved ones."

"So, is it true, and did you like it?" Yuki asked, smiling.

"Uhhh, um…s-so," he stammered, trying to change the subject, "this tournament thing is something you guys do every so often, huh?"

"It is, Tsukune," Mizore said, "and it's sort of mandatory for at least one member of a household to participate in the tournament to show honor."

"I know it sounds strange to outsiders, but trust me once you experience one event, you'd be drawn to every other!" Tsurara said.

"Plus, it's our people's customs," Hiba said, "and as our guest, you must observe our rules and hospitality."

"…Sure; so, what's this all about, what do we got to go see or do in this?" Tsukune asked.

"ICE RACES, ICE RACES!" Yuki screamed with joy.

"Those are in the mornings, dear," said her mother.

"Ice races?" He asked.

"Yes; the tournament is broken down into three events held at different intervals. In the morning are the Ice Races where motorized, high speed sleds, or sometimes by reindeer depending on where you're from, race along this 140 mile obstacle course to the finish line."

"My husband is in the race," said Tsurara. "He hasn't won yet, but I have feeling our family's time will come."

"Your father is in this?"

"Yes, he's representing our family in the tournament; mother and I convinced him that it was a, um _safer_ event for him to participate in."

"Daddy could have participated, but he's arm ain't ready yet!" Yuki blurts out.

"Yuki!" Mizore scolds.

"His arm?"

"I pulled my arm during training, but it hasn't healed yet," Hiba answered, bluntly.

"Oh. "And, what did you mean by 'safer'?"

"Oh, we're getting to that," Tsurara points out. "See, later on are the more spectacular…"

"Dangerous," Mizore interrupts.

"Yes dear, dangerous events, as in the afternoon we got Beast Combat, where warriors and the condemned are forced into the Helere Coliseum, where we're going, and do battle against giant beasts from all around the snowy parts of the world. It's truly a sight!"

In fact, as they approached Tsukune could hear the sounds of a roaring crowd, it's cacophony rising high in the air like a flock of seagulls at a beach. As he looks ahead he sees this immense, gargantuan structure where the throngs of crowds were filing in like ants.

"And, what about at night?" Tsukune asked, nervously.

"At night…"

"Oooh, oooh, oooh, the Berserker Bout, the Berserker Bout!" Yuki squealed, jumping up and down excitedly.

"Berserker Bout?"

"They're the main event," Tsurara points out. "Prime time, when the air is at its chilliest and the sky is aglow; snow warriors from all around gather to do battle in the arena! Only the strongest, most powerful of our kind participate, though sometimes they permit outsiders into the ring, but few have ever lasted. Tsukune, darling, you are in for a treat!"

Hiba growled in disapproval of his mother in law's affections to Tsukune, but it seemed mute to the vampire now, as he was about to enter the open maw of this monolithic beast, where a mixture of crowds and bestial roars could be heard immediately from within.

"Tickets," Mizore said as they got in line to the ticket stand. "Mother, did you remember to bring the money; I want to make sure we got enough for Tsukune, he'll get in with the visitor's discount."

"No, that's okay," he says. "I think I have enough for my…"

"I got it," Hiba interrupts, stepping up to pay.

"How many in your party?" Asked the petite, snow maiden working the ticket counter.

"Five family," he responds, pulling out his wallet.

"Really," Tsukune insisted, "I got..."

"And, one visitor," Hiba adds, ignoring Tsukune's protest and fishing out the full amount for all of their tickets, which he rudely deposits his visitor's pass into his hand. "There."

"I could have paid my way," Tsukune points out.

"We're your hosts, aren't we? Unless you think our money is not good enough?"

"…No; thanks," Tsukune replied, trying hard to bite the bullet for the sake of his friends, once again.

"Hiba!" Mizore whispered heatedly. "You gave me your word you'd be nice!"

"I am a man of my word," he replied, but the words from his own mouth felt hollow to her.

The breezeway of the coliseum lived up to its appellation as they milled about in the crowds of people, checking which doorway led to their seats, it's chilling temperatures felt like nothing more than summer to these cold adapted people, but for one was numb to all his senses.

"You're in luck, Tsukune!" Tsurara said. "We've got front row! You'll see all of the action and maybe get splashed by some of the blood."

"I can't wait!" He lied.

"This way," Hiba said, leading the way up into a crowded stadium toward their assigned seats no more than a few yards from the arena, with Mizore sandwiched between her husband and mother, and Tsukune sandwiched between a hyper vigilant Yuki and a console consumed Setsura.

"This is a quite an event you got here," Tsukune pointed out as he gazed at the wide, icy covered circular arena floor, it's surface like that of a frozen lake, which for a while he thought it was. "So, what's the main event going to be?"

"Wurm Baiting," Setsura nonchalantly blurts out, her sudden, small voice nearly startling him.

"_Worm_ Baiting?" He asked. "So what, this is a fishing competition?"

"No, not worm baiting," said Yuki. "_Wurm Baiting_; it's…ooh, ooh, here they come, here they come!"

Out onto the ice came a small platoon of dwarves carrying pick axes, rope and massive hammers, their brawny exteriors well weathered against the harsh, icy ring as they marched bravely into the arena; Tsukune wondered if his benefactors from earlier were amongst them.

"The Dwarves of Nunderheim are said to be brave warriors," he heard Mizore say to her husband.

"Not as brave as you, I bet," Yuki said to Tsukune. "Uncle Tsukune, could you tell me about the time you took on the frightening Alucard all by yourself?"

"Well, I…"

"I bet it wasn't as big as the wurm they got!"

"I…wait, what?"

"Yuki!" Her father called. "Don't bother him; just enjoy the show!"

"Yes sir," she reluctantly complied.

"You know, I heard it took twenty trolls to capture this beast," he heard Tsurara comment. "It's gonna be a real fight."

_What are they talking about?_ Tsukune wondered. _Worm beasts? Trolls? What's about to happen?_

Just then, out from an elaborate balcony seat on the far end Tsukune could recognize the Snow Priestess, matriarchal leader of Mizore's village stepping into view, escorted by an entourage of presumably other priests and priestesses from other locales, as she was about to address the crowd.

_She sure hasn't changed_, he thought, commenting on the elaborate headdress of frozen ice crystals that adorned her head.

Suddenly, the Priestess begins to double over as if to throw up and regurgitates a filmy, white substance from her mouth. However, the substance didn't fall to the ground as anyone else unaccustomed to this sight would expect, but instead rises over head, taking on a spectral shape with eyes and a mouth forming rapidly, and it was from this newly formed mouth that this vomited apparition spoke onto the crowd:

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN; I, JACK FROST, AND THE PRIESTESS OF THIS HUMBLE VILLAGE WELCOMES YOU ALL TO THE TWELVE THOUSAND AND FIFTIETH **HELERE CHAMPIONSHIP! **AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, THIS CELEBRATION IS A HOLLOWED OCCASION FOR RACES, DATING BACK TO AGES PAST, TO A TIME WHEN ICE COVERED THE GLOBE, AND THE MANY RACES WE SHARE THIS PLANET, FROM HUMANS TO VAMPIRES, WERE STILL IN THEIR INFANCY; IT WAS A TIME WHEN OUR PATRON SAINT, QUEEN HELERE GUARDED THIS GLOBE FROM A MOST SINISTER THREAT: THE ANNUNAKI HORDE!"

Tsukune could hear a collective murmured, brooding voices from the old as though their memory of this unfamiliar event was still fresh a one.

"OUR BRAVE QUEEN AND PATRON SAINT DID WAGE WAR UPON THE MENACE FOR SIX DAYS UNTIL ON THE SEVENTH SHE DROVE THEM BACK INTO THE DARK DIMENSION FROM WHENCE THEY CAME, BUT NOT BEFORE LOSING HER LIFE! IT IS FOR THIS REASON WE, HER DESCENDANTS PAY HOMAGE EVERY YEAR BY HOLDING THESE GAMES OF WHICH YOU ARE ABOUT TO WITNESS, TRIALS THAT DISPLAY COURAGE, STRENGTH, INTELLIGENCE, AND TENACITY, SO THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL ALWAYS KNOW THE STORY AND THE PRICE PAID!"

The crowd erupts into a thunderous applause and cheers, their noise like an undulating wave upon Tsukune's goose bump riddled skin.

"IF I MAY HAVE YOUR ATTENTION; STANDING IN THE ARENA, HAILING ALL THE WAY FROM THE HOME OF OUR NORTHERN BRETHEN IN SCANDINAVIA, THE BRAVE DWARVES OF NUNDERHEIM!"

The dwarves, all small yet brave, salute and bow before the raucous cheers of adoring spectators, some chanting in words that sounded alien to Tsukune.

"BEHOLD, AS THEY DISPLAY THE NORDIC BRAVERY THEY'RE COUNTRYMEN ARE KNOWN FOR UPON ONE OF THE DREADED WURMS OF HELL!"

Suddenly, the groin of a rusty gate screeches throughout the frosty air, as a most unearthly noise soon follows suit. Louder and grisly it becomes, until in to view Tsukune beheld a massive, white fur covered snakelike beast slithered into the center of the arena.

In his adventures, Tsukune has both seen and faced monsters whose very size would put the fear of dread in even the most fool hardy of vampires, but this creature, this dragon, draped in a fine, white hair all along its slithery body like a fur cloak, with red slit eyes that peered out upon a stunned crowd seemed large enough to encompass the reflection of every man, woman, and child present in a single pass, and whose glistening fangs dripped with saliva so large that if one of the dwarves stood beneath, unawares, would have felt like droplets of rain, was unlike anything he could have imagined.

And yet, at the same time, it was these features, these unique characteristics this nightmare beast displayed, that seemed to struck an interest within him, as they harkened back to another, altogether different, nightmare beast.

He wondered if he could handle this thing should things get out of hand.

"…Mizore," he said to her, but her attention and that of the others were likewise drawn to this beast, as it reared its serpentine neck, opened its gargantuan maw, and unleashed a roar unlike anything ever heard before, its only comparable comparison was like a boat's bullhorn increased by 100 decibels lowered to its deepest bass; this having had affectively silenced him and everyone around. "This is a worm?"

"Not worm, wurm!" Yuki corrected as the match began promptly.

The dwarves immediately began taking active positions around the dragon, running about its massively coiled body. One group hurled grappling hooks, soaring in the air until they snagged against the back of this creature's mane, their tiny hooks noticeable enough for the thing to immediately turn its attention around, causing some of the brave warriors attached to swing along. Tsukune could some of them call out to their distressed comrades, but the remainder kept quiet and focused so as to not alarm anyone.

"Grab the chain; you aim for the hide!" The leader yelled, pointing to the chains linked to the grappling hooks, while directing some others to charge in with their axes and begin hacking at its tail.

Their axes, thick and broad, swung with all their might struck true with red blood squirting out everywhere, drawing the beast's anger who dove down against the ice trying to snap its massive jaws at its dwarf foes who scattered out of reach like roaches. The archers all took their aim and made it true, striking the creature underneath its exposed belly finally striking blood as the crowd went wild.

"WOW!" Yuki cheered. "LOOK AT THAT!"

"They got him!" Cheered Tsurara. "Now, let's just hope they can keep it up!"

As barbaric as it seemed, wounding a helpless animal in an arena like atmosphere, even for a large dragon, Tsukune couldn't help, but notice one of the arrows nicked the beast just a bit close to its mane, causing the blood to come pouring out over the white hair, and turning a small spot on it pink.

"Oh no!" Mizore's cries snapped his mind clear, as he watched the massive beast open its jaws and unleashed a rancid, foul air from its lungs that at close range blew the dwarves into every direction, their bodies falling either limp or gagging from the poisonous fumes.

All seemed loss, save for one dwarf who managed to climb on top of its back and with the roar of the crowd cheering his bravery and determination, climbed rapidly up the furry spine of this beast, axe in hand, determined to kill it with as many strokes as possible.

_Do it_! Tsukune secretly prayed, though not because he was rooting for him. _Need to see more blood; c'mon make her bleed!_

He couldn't explain what had come over him, but seeing this spectacle unfold had brought out an unknown bloodlust within him, one that desperately needed sated by the sight of this white haired creature's bloody demise. Soon, the creature felt the dwarf's presence, snaking its nightmarishly massive, cylindrical head around its back and eyeing him with its huge, green eyes.

"Oh no, it spot him!" Mizore whispered excitedly.

The dwarf warrior was frozen, clinging desperately yet rigid like scab on the creature's body as it's snake body coiled over itself so that it may get a proper look at the bold gnat, it's foul smelling tongue flicking at him as though mocking at his fear.

"Don't let her win," Tsukune muttered underneath his icy breath.

Suddenly, a hail of arrows and sling shot stones pelted the creature, from the dwarf's company who came charging back in, giving all they had at the monster with the cheer of the crowd adding to their courage as they drew the monster's attention away. Now free, Tsukune could see the lone dwarf climb faster than ever up its spine, determined to bring this mighty beast down just as Tsukune was determined to see how this plays out. It hadn't been lost on him just how intense he had gotten seeing these tiny men, mere insects to this thing, fighting it out against a creature that was so obviously their better in every way; he wanted them to win, he was determined to see the win, even if he had to jump out there and participate, though he did not fully understand why.

"He's almost going to make it!" Tsurara pointed.

"GO! GO! GO!" Yuki shouted, jumping up and down, and for a moment Tsukune felt like joining her.

Now, fully on top of the head, though trying to remain steady as it dove and reared at his comrades, the dwarf warrior pulled over his massive axe from his back, ready to send it crashing upon its head when the dragon began shaking about violently, desperate to get at its attackers and rend them to shred's. The hero's comrades were turning out to be a hindrance to him by all appearances, as he held on for dear life, dropping his weapon in the process.

"Damn it!" Hiba proclaimed. "I bet if I was out there, one well-placed icicle to the skull would have done it."

"I hear the scales are as hard as diamond," Mizore commented. "That only a certain metal from its homeland can penetrate it."

"Old wives tales, and nothing more. Your husband can take that thing out, for sure!"

"Really, daddy?" Yuki asked.

"You bet! Your old man ain't scared!"

"Whoa!"

Tsukune couldn't tell if he was boasting out of fun or if he was trying to compensate because of his presence, nonetheless the event proved too distracting. Tsukune wondered, how _would_ he defeat it without his trusty instrument now lying some hundreds of feet below a massive dragon? But then, he slid down the creature's muzzle, sitting in plain view of its eyes where in it tossed him up and, by all appearances and to everyone's horror it appeared he would be eaten, only for the dwarf to whip out a grappling hook and hook it into the dragon's bottom mouth. Irritated, the dragon tried to shake it off, allowing the dwarf to swing about like Tarzan, yet each swing brought him low enough for his comrades to toss him a weapon; with his outstretched hand, though they knew there was only one thing he needed. With nary a command uttered from their leader, one of them dove for the axe just as the dragon was about to crush it, and with a mighty throw flung the weapon to his leader, where he miraculously catches it.

The crowd went wild, everyone was ecstatic, but Tsukune became transfixed like a moth to a flame. He got up from his seat, eyes glued to the action with every second, and slowly began descending to the front railing.

"How're you enjoying, Tsukune?" Tsurara asked who was likewise glued to everything happening, too transfixed to notice he had gone. "Hm? Where'd he go?"

"He went down there!" Yuki said.

"Yeah, he wanted to get closer to the action," Setsura pointed out.

"Hmph; who'd knew he was into these kind of events," Hiba remarked, but Mizore looked on with worry at the strange way he was acting.

Nevertheless, Tsukune's woes had been juxtaposed with this epic, yet barbaric gladiatorial event; there was something he desperately craved to see happen and relished every brutal moment.

With one mighty swing, the dwarf intentionally lets go of the rope as he flies into the air like a trapeze artist, but with axe in hand, and in that split second it was almost this graceful, harmless dance performance, the warrior simply showing off to dazzle the crowd with his brilliant choreography. But, suddenly, he and his axe comes crashing down on the dragon's head, a loud and noticeable crack being heard as this enormous axe, with the force from the fall buries itself into the beast's cranium. A loud roar of pain erupted, a roar that to Tsukune sounded like a woman screaming in pain; geysers of blood sprayed all over its head, further dyeing it's silver white hair into a light, crimson color. With a loud thud, the creature crashes to the ground, sending its killer tumbling onto the ice, unharmed; there it remained, alive but barely, the wound from this specially made axe having done its job and now Tsukune could see with sadistic glee that this once beautiful, fearsome, mighty beast was lying helpless while its inferior opponents, at the cheer of a crowd who wanted nothing more than to see the mighty beast slaughtered, begin to hack away at it's vital points, blood spraying everywhere, getting all in its hair until finally the blood had dyed it's silky white hair pink. Now, it was a lifeless, pink haired thing; its red eyes, from his view, now taking on a greenish color.

The lead dwarf stood over the now dying beast's stomach, hacks away at it until he opens up a cavity wherein he pulls out a piece of its heart, takes a bite out of it and then loudly proclaims:

"VICTORYYYY!"

The crowd roars with unbridled joy and pride, for their warriors, their champions had pulled off a feat so daring that few would have been so bold. None had any sympathy for "her", Tsukune saw, and as he beheld her large, emerald eyes staring vacantly at him, almost begging for his sympathy, something came over him.

"…No," he muttered.

Without warning, without any further word or gesture of intent, he brazenly leaps onto the icy arena and finds himself walking to the center to where the dwarves were celebrating. The crowd was stunned silent, stunned that this outsider would be so bold, wondering if he was perhaps some reckless hooligan.

"HOLD ON, WHAT'S THIS?" Jack Frost asked. "LOOK'S LIKE SOMEONE HAD A LITTLE TOO MUCH EGG NOG!"

"Is that…?" Hiba asked.

"Tsukune!" Mizore said.

"Hey mom, what's uncle Tsukune doing?" Yuki asked.

"Oh no, I think I know what he's doing," said Tsurara. "I should have known bringing him to this was bad idea; he is sensitive, that one is."

"Damn it!" Hiba cursed under his breath as he watched the spectacle of his wife's former lover and friend make which would wind up causing his house great shame. "Mizore!"

Mizore looked on with worry and fear, not for herself but for what will happen to her family and of having to choose between their interests and her friend's.

Tsukune sauntered over to the dwarves, standing in the shadow of this pink haired beast, climbed up to her open cavity where the lead dwarf had just plunged into, and there standing abreast of this dark haired warrior, whose hardened brown eyes met with his own with neither confusion nor irritation at this sudden intrusion of their festivities. Instead, he stands there while Tsukune sticks his hand into the beast's breast, feels around until he finds the heart and tears off a bloody chunk, wherein he proceeds to devour the whole thing, blood and all.

"HAHAHAHAHA, HEYY!" The Dwarf laughed, and shakes Tsukune's hand in comradery as the crowd cheered.

"Well," Tsurara said, "imagine that. Who knew he had it in him?"

Hiba simply grumbled in response, while Mizore looked on with concern as this was not the Tsukune she remembered. Nevertheless, for the first time since this catastrophe happened in his life, Tsukune was smiling, a smile that had blood drooling from his lips, the blood of a creature with pink hair, lifeless "green" eyes, and from whose breast blood still spooled from that not too long ago he had just ripped out its heart to consume in front of millions; a display that was so violent, so atypical of a once noble and gentle heart.

_Oh Tsukune_, Mizore thought. _What is happening to you?_


	34. Chapter 32

**Hey, sorry for the long delay, it wasn't intentional but due to random events out of my control, this was rushed in. See, I had actually finished this chapter back in January, but because of an issue with my flash drive and a corruption with the file, well, long story short what you see here is the third or fourth draft; and admittedly I rushed out there in fear that something else might happen and delay it until April, so please excuse any errors you'll probably find. **

**What you'll see in this chapter is the return to Moka Aono and that gang of slutty ensemble characters, a closer look at Tsukune's decent into madness as well as his reevaluation of what love is, and some graphic scenes that maybe too strong or sensitive for some readers (so, fair warning).**

**Chapter 32**

_Sweet Dreams_

They all looked at him; some wide eyed fraught with curiosity, others with an intense arousal, one with concern, and one whose envy was as intense as ever. Tsukune, on the other hand, drank his tea at the dinner table as calmly as he'd ever been; however, it wasn't this show that drew everyone's attention. Mizore had laid out a smorgasbord of delectable, ice based foods in which the two girls ate hungrily, but while all enjoyed the meal, Tsukune only drank tea the entire time.

"Great tea, Mizore," he complimented.

"Thank you," she replied.

"…So, great tournament, huh?" He asked, trying to warm the atmosphere a little. "I never would have guessed you guys knew how to have so much fun."

"I guess the same could be said of you," Tsurara pointed out. "Oh, come now, why be so coy; you've single-handedly became the talk of the town, now everyone is going to want to see you."

"Yeah, about that," he said nervously. "How about we try to forget what just happened; I promise you it will never happen again."

"Is that a fact?" Hiba asked, the frosty tone of his voice extremely evident.

"Look, I feel guilty about what happened; I don't know what came over me, but I never wanted to do that in front of the kids."

"Say, uncle Tsukune!" Yuki spoke up.

"Yes."

"What did it taste like?"

"Yuki!" Mizore scolded.

"Excuse me?" He asked, flabbergasted.

"The Meade; I hear dwarves serve some mean liquor, I bet you guys got all drunk and went around fighting during the celebration!"

"Yuki, where would you get such notions?" Mizore asked.

"Grandma tells me that's what they do all the time; it's how they stay warm, that and…"

"Yuki, dear!" Tsurara cuts her off. "Don't go getting mother upset over such trivial things; ah, youth."

"Nothing happened," Tsukune responded. "I shook hands with the team and just parted ways, that's it. For what it's worth, I'm not proud of what I did, and I'm sorry."

Tsukune didn't say anymore, wanting instead to drink his tea in peace, and contemplate: why did he do that? What drove him into going out on the ice and doing something so out of character? Was it some deeply ingrained desire that he tried to bury in subconscious?

"Is that all you're having, Tsukune?" Mizore asked, snapping out of his brooded thoughts.

"Huh?"

"The tea you've been drinking. We have plenty of food, enough for you even. I made your favorite ice curry that you used to like; remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Uh…"

"Is there something the matter?" Hiba asked. "Is my wife's cooking not to your satisfaction?"

"Husband."

"No, let the man speak up on what ale's him."

"It's…it's got nothing to do with…your food is fine, Mizore; lovely as I remember it."

"Then?" Hiba continued to grill.

"It's just…"

All Tsukune knew was that there has been an ever pervading emptiness inside of him, where hunger normally would be along with emotions and sensations, even nausea, ever since his ordeal began, but all he could say to his hosts was:

"…I don't have much of an appetite."

The look of shock and awe on the faces of his friends, however made him realize too late just how poor a choice his words were.

"That…that came out wrong, didn't it?" He asked, laughing nervously.

Tsukune could hear the little girls giggling from his makeshift room, as their grandmother got them ready for bed, and thought it curious that they were just as restless as he was, but for different reasons. Alone at last and reflecting on his actions today, he wondered long and hard what it was he wanted from here. His door wasn't even closed; wanting privacy and yet allowing the sounds of carefree children to waft on in for some strange comparison with his current situation in life for reasons unknown. His bed, so well-kept and immaculate for his convenience like a four star service, remained unmade or untouched by him. Indeed, resting on a bed, much less being near one seemed intolerable for him; all there was to do in this tiny guest room was to stand there looking at it, his mind wandering aimlessly about through darkened memories. It felt so surreal, the excited chatter of children, just feet away from their possible futures when they grow up, and yet this belonged to a woman who, just years ago wanted, and possibly would have become his wife, thus making this life his. Perhaps, it was this wallowing in pity over what might have been and its bitter irony was what he sought to find here; he did not know, and it did little to put him at rest.

"Don't forget to say goodnight to uncle Tsukune," he heard Tsurara tell the kids.

After hearing the pitter patter of their little feet, Yuki was the first, he saw, timidly sticking her head in the door way.

"Uh, uncle Tsukune?" She asked.

He smiled and replied: "Yes, Yuki."

Fully expecting a simple "good night", he nearly fell over himself when the girl instead flashes her lavender striped panties and then runs off, giggling.

"God, she's just like her grandmother!" He muttered.

No sooner had he said that, when he noticed Setsura' pale countenance similarly leering at him, and he braced himself for another, uncomfortable situation.

"Yes?" He asked.

The pale little girl slowly steps into view and before leaving simply says to him: "Goodnight."

"Okay; enough weirdness for tonight," he muttered to himself, and returns to his aimless daydreaming.

"Oh, Tsukune," Tsurara called from the doorway.

"Tsurara, look I…w-what are you…?" He asked as he stared at her porcelain toned, waiflike body partially concealed by her open kimono, its statuesque quality unchanged in all these years.

Unashamedly, she walks in confidently into his room, somehow able to blush on cue to display some timidity like a modest concubine.

"Master Aono," she said, her reserved and demure tone unchanged, "I've come to see if there is anything I might do for you; I know you've had a rough day."

"…Tsurara, please," he said, the weariness in his voice evident, but apparently lost on the eternally young and voracious grandmother.

"Does this not please you, young master?"

"No, I…Oh, god."

"Then perhaps this will be to your liking," she said, further dropping the blouse area of her robe, while maintaining the act of an innocent virgin.

"What do you want from me, really?"

"I want you to take what is yours; me. Is that not why you're here; am…am I not to your liking?"

"Tsurara, would you please stop acting like this! W-What would make you think that's why I came to your village, anyway?"

"Who's acting?" She asked, continuing to walk ever closer to him. "I am ready to satisfy your wants and needs, for that is why you are here, under orders of your erroneously chosen father in law. And, it _is_ what you need."

"What I need?"

"Yes. It's obvious by what I said earlier: take what is yours."

"Okay; take what is mine, what does that even mean?"

"Surely you've heard by now that everyone in the monster world has been apprised of your…predicament. What you may not know is that word has gotten out that the scion and heir of the great Issa Shuzen has been put out as available, temporarily, leaving many women everywhere with a tantalizing proposition. Tsukune, the way I see it, this is something we can all benefit; we get what we want, and you get the much needed satisfaction after your betrayal. Now, I have talked it over with Mizore, but of course she is being most resistant to the idea. I, on the other hand, as you can see, am still quite nubile in spite of my age."

"Really?"

"Of course; if you're concerned about my husband, you needn't worry, he knows what's at stake. The men of this village have learned long ago, that in order to ensure the survival of our species, things like fidelity cannot interfere; it is why Mizore was okay with you marrying that dishonorable Moka so long as you fathered her a baby. Now, shall we get started? Will you grant my Mizore a sister or a brother? I promise, once its done you may return to your vampires and marry his eldest daughter if it pleases you."

He had nothing to say, as the whole thing sounded too incredible for even his rattled mind to process, but the very thought of filling the shoes of someone like Gin, that of a home wrecker regardless of what the husband felt made her proposal seem less inviting.

"Can I get back with you on that?" Was his only response. "I really need to walk on this, consider your proposition before I make a judgment, if you don't mind?"

"Of course," she replied, looking a bit disappointed, but gracious enough to honor his request. "If you should make a decision, my door is always open, needn't knock, just come right in and have your way with me."

"Yeah…Thanks," he replied and walked out the room, casually yet eager to put some distance.

It wasn't until he left the bedrooms was he reminded that their home was converted into a makeshift inn, still busy with strangers even at so late an hour. And, it was the casual glances in his direction that let him know he would not receive any peace to ponder his predicament; if "peace" was truly what was sought.

_Have sex with whomever I want, huh?_ He wondered. _Isn't that what I was sent out to do in the first place? So, why haven't I?_

"Hey, can I have your autograph?" A young woman asked him.

"Can I have your number?" Another girl asked.

"I'm sorry," he tried to politely tell them.

"Yo, Mighty Vampire Aono, right here, devourer of dragon hearts!" Someone shouted, pointing in his direction.

The attention he knew he'd dread the moment these people would flock towards him, causing him to seriously question his actions earlier today.

"Please, folks!" Mizore shouted. "There will be time enough for that come tomorrow; please, now is the time for the young to sleep!"

Mercifully, the crowd was diverted elsewhere before it even became a problem.

"Thanks," he told her.

"Hopefully, this furor will die down, by tomorrow."

"Hopefully?" He asked, almost absentmindedly.

"It is…what you hoped; for some peace and quiet?"

"Oh; yeah, that's right, I…"

"Tsukune? Are you alright?"

"Huh, yeah! Yeah, I'm just fine, you don't have to worry about me; I just wasn't feeling up to eating anything this evening, that's all. It had nothing to do with you or…Well."

"No, not that. Ever since you arrived, you've seemed…not yourself, not the you I remembered."

Tsukune looked upon her worried face with nary an expression, his normally warm brown eyes just cold coals, cold enough for her to take notice and colder than she would have liked; and yet he said:

"I'm fine; there's nothing to worry about."

"…I wish I could do more, but as you can see, with everything going on we're sort of short-handed as it is; if only…," she began to ask, thinking a subtle offer to render aide would bring back the good hearted boy of yesteryear. "You know, we had more help with everything. But, it's up to you, if you know…"

"…It's not my place," he flat out told her. "I'm the host, after all, and besides…you know about us vampires."

"Tsukune?"

He walks away, heading out the busy and disappearing into the even busier streets, his parting words chilling even her down to the bone. It was what he said, those words: "my place", both haunting and familiar, the catchphrase of a woman she knew, who was in every way a true ice witch.

Strolling outside, he was neither focused nor absent minded of his surroundings, taking stock at how different the streets seemed at this late an hour. It had all the hallmarks of a carnival fairground earlier today, complete with excited families bustling here and there to see the latest attractions; but, now that the kids were in bed, the atmosphere felt more adult, with its aimed more towards that element, and in many ways reminded him of the Vegas Strip. The one constant that remained was the drumming roar of the arena looming up ahead in the dark, its lights decorating its massive hull.

_The Berserker Bouts_, he thought, remembering that this was likely the "main event" as Tsurara put it.

After witnessing the children reveling in the slaughter with the dragon, he wondered just how more brutal these gladiatorial fights have to be if little kids weren't allowed to witness. Still, even his aimless pondering was momentarily piqued at wanting to check it out; perhaps seeing other people pounding the shit out of each other, at the behest of callous spectators for a change would be the kind of "pleasure" he was actually seeking.

"Ooof!" He heard someone cry as his wandering caused him to careen carelessly into someone hauling a cart full of stuff that came crashing down on top of them.

"Oh my god; I am so, so sorry!" Tsukune said panicky. "I wasn't watching where I was going; here, let me help with you that, I promise I'll pay for any damages!"

"Nnng, th-that's alright, thanks you," said the person, whom after groggily pushing back platinum blonde hair bestowed upon Tsukune a most heavenly sight as he stared absent mindedly upon a young, fair skinned woman whose hair shimmered against the snow, culminating in a delicate braid that ran exceedingly long, along a lithe body clothed in a skin tight, forest green dress. Her large eyes, icy blue stared shocked, but apologetically at his while her small, tender hands quickly did a once over his flushed cheeks, though not as red as her own, to see if there were any injuries done to him.

"Huh?" He asked, thinking she might have said something, but had missed it.

"I asked, are you well?" She asked with genuine concern in her light voice. "My belongings fell on top of you; I hope you're not hurt."

"No, no, n-no…I'm, I'm fine. How are you?"

"Well, thank you. Well, I must clean up this mess and gather my things, but I do apologize for being so rude."

"Oh, no, it wasn't your fault; I was the one who should have watched where he was going! Here, let me do that!"

"No, you mustn't."

"I insist, really, it's no problem!"

"Please, it's my burden, I must do it alone; please, it's no trouble."

"I insist, we'll get more done faster if we worked together."

"Well…"

She wanted to argue more to make sure this stranger didn't intrude any more than he already had, but he was already turning the cart over and putting the materials back in, so in a sense the damage was done.

"Faster, you said?" She asked, hesitantly.

"Yeah, we can get this done faster than arguing about it, don't you think?"

"Very well, but we have to hurry."

"Sure thing," he said, immediately taking care of the heavier materials. "The name's Tsukune, by the way and I'm not normally so clumsy."

"I see!" She giggled as she observes him carrying two heavy bags underneath both his arms while balancing another bag with one hand. "Are you from here, by any chance?"

"No, I'm…actually visiting friends; it's a long story, I'm sure you don't need to hear it."

"Oh, okay."

"What about you? You speak so formal and you don't look like you're from here; where are you from, if you don't mind me asking, uh…?"

"Oh, where are my manners," she said, blushing. "Yes, my name. My name is Igraine, Lady Igraine, of the noble elven families from Asgard."

"Asgard?"

"Yes, you've hast heard of it?"

"Um, sure, in a way. So, Asgard, it must be a nice where you're from."

"It is, verily. I hope you have the chance to see it in person; it is a wonderful wintry land as far as your eyes can see, home to many brave warriors, both god and monster alike."

"I can already tell it…must be really nice," he responds, all the while never once taking his eyes off of her, and for a moment he actually considered taking up on Issa's proclamation of seeing other women, if only it meant pursuing a relationship with Igraine. "So, what brings you all the way to Japan; come to see the sights?"

"Well, not exactly; though I have little complaints about your land and it's hospitality," she said with a warm and generous smile. "Actually, I'm to represent my land's participation in the games; in particular the Berserker event."

"Oh, well I wish you the best of luck, I hope y- wait, what! Y-You're representing in the match?"

"Yes."

"B-But…"

"What is it?"

"I mean…I'm sure you're strong, it's just that, well, you're a nice lady and just the thought of you taking part in something like…"

"No, no!" She laughed, its very sound like the tinkling of bells ringing in unison. "Oh, I am so sorry, please forgive me, you must have mistook my meaning; I meant to say, my beloved will be participating, not me!"

"Y-Your beloved?"

"Mm, hm, my husband."

_A husband_, he thought with great despair, a despair that must have been apparent for she soon asks:

"Are you feeling okay? I hope it isn't an injury from the fall!"

"Huh? Oh, oh no, I'm…So, your husband…is participating?"

"Yes."

"You really love this 'beloved' you're married to?"

"Yes; I would not call him beloved if that were so," she chuckled.

"Of course," he said, mentally kicking himself for ever suggesting having an affair, daring to go down so loathsome a path and thus becoming the one thing he detested most, all because of an infatuation with someone that clearly wasn't to be.

"I am worried, though," she said, interrupting his mood.

"Worried?"

"Yes, I heard these events are brutal, often fatal. It was my hope he wouldn't attend, but now I hope he achieves victory in the ring."

"Wouldn't it be enough if simply survives it?"

"Oh no; you see pride matters more than anything else where I'm from, more so than life itself. I'm sure it is the same where you're from, right? Therefore, we must pray to the gods that glory and victory are achieved."

Tsukune knew all too well that what she said was true, and it soured his bitterness to levels that bordered on putrid.

_I'd rather he dies achieving his honor_, Tsukune thought darkly. _At least then she'd be a widow. What am I thinking? Is this who I've become? Is she what I'm after, enough to want her husband dead?_

"…Well," he said after a slight sigh, "I wish him all the luck, I'm sure…"

Just as he was about to load another piece of luggage back into the cart, a small necklace made of tiny, wooden sculptures fell out and caught his attention. Upon picking it up, he noticed how ornate and intricate it looked, almost Viking in origin, and yet strangely out of place amongst the monster community who usually adorned themselves with jewelry made from rare stones or gold and silver.

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" She suddenly shrieked, snatching it from him without warning and clutching it against her chest as if to hide it from his and anyone else's view.

"Igraine?"

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you like that," she said, very quickly trying to resume her placid demeanor.

"Was that yours? I'm sorry, I had no idea…"

"Th-This thing?" She laughed in a mocking tone, yet still held onto the "thing". "Do not be so silly; tis just a simple human trinket my beloved recovered during one of his missions into Midgard, that's why I was so protective of it. Really, it's not even jewelry, to me."

"Is that so?"

"Of course, why else would have it?"

"Because it's yours; it belongs to you, doesn't it? Igraine, did you used to be human?"

The question, as abrupt it may have seemed, caused Igraine's normally fair skin to become as icy as the ground around them, with her eyes like that of a deer staring death in the face.

"You don't have to lie to me," he tries to reassure her. "I won't judge you; but, if you ask me, no one would drag simple trinket so many miles from home with them, and keeps holding onto it the way you are, even if it _was_ a gift from your husband."

Glancing around nervously, desperately hoping no one around them is paying attention, she whispers heatedly as if to warn:

"Please, Tsukune, if you are my friend, then you have to understand, no one can know about my…past."

"Igraine, it's okay, you don' have to be afraid of me."

"…I don't?"

"No; because…because I'm hu-…was human, too."

"You too? For how long?"

"Going on eight years; my…then wife turned me. I take it's the same for you, isn't it?"

He saw she began to relax a little, and staring longingly at the small, wooden necklace with the saddest look he'd ever seen, she eventually comes clean.

"Yes, I was human once, but you my friend are still just a baby compared to me; I have since lost count the number of years it's been, but trust me it has been far long enough to say a human I am not."

"I read a book on ancient Vikings during school; my knowledge may be rusty, but I take it your husband didn't just pick that necklace up from some pawn shop."

"No," she chuckled, dryly. "…I was once a princess of what the southern lands called Viking; my father was the king of the strongest clans of all of Scandinavia, with a beautiful wife and queen, three strong sons, and me, his loyal daughter. Then, one day as I was out picking flowers to decorate one our summer festivals I came upon wounded elf prince who needed immediate attention. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen and he needed my help. So, I nursed him back to health and kept seeing him at the same spot every night since then. My father caught wind of the affair and tried to end our relationship permanently. He tried to kill him, but I stepped in between and took the blow meant for my beloved."

"I think I know what happens. Your beloved turned you into an elf, to save you?"

"Yes, and soon after made me his wife and queen; I am grateful every day for it, too."

"…Whatever happened to your family after that?"

"…I never saw them again; I heard my father died soon after, and my clan fell to ruin. But, such is the price for our new lives as reborns, eventually we would have to distance ourselves from our former loved ones in order to embrace immortality. I take it was the same for you, no?"

He gave no response.

"I admit, holding onto this necklace after so many centuries, clinging to a past that is no longer mine is rather foolish! If my beloved were to see me holding this, he'd…"

"IGRAINE!" A loud voice shouted through the hum of the crowd, causing Igraine to jump out of her skin and Tsukune jump into fighting readiness. "What are you doing?"

"B-B-Beloved!" She responded.

"Beloved?" Tsukune asked, as he beheld, standing amongst the dark elves he had the misfortune of running into earlier, the tallest, most imposing looking elf ever. His skin was alabaster white, his long, semi-braided hair even whiter, with pointy ears framing an angular face and piercing read eyes that started daggers at them both.

"Igraine, I asked you a question," the elf said, almost as though ordering a servant.

"Husband, beloved," she said, quickly hiding her necklace. "I, um, I accidentally spilled the cart over on my way to the inn; but, all is well, see. Nothing has broken and I…"

"STUPID whore!" The angry elf yelled, grabbing her by the hair and violently yanking it up. "I, who have given you more grace and privilege than any pathetic man of Midgard could bestow, give you a simple job and you can't even do that right!"

"I know, I'm sorry!" She wept, but her beloved was unmoved and roughly tossed her back to the ground.

Tsukune was astonished by this vicious display by a man, whom not too long ago was being lauded over by the very woman he was abusing in public; but, what was even more shocking was that no one seemed to be doing anything while this was going on. Was this how Moka felt when she saw that boy being picked on? However, her argument was about human apathy, this here was a former human being abused by someone of the monster race. It was confusing, to say the least, and yet he couldn't just stand by doing nothing.

"Hey, take it easy, Mr. Beloved, I was just trying to help your wife!" Tsukune said.

"Ts-Tsukune!" Igraine whispered. "Tsukune, please."

"No; if your beloved was half the man you said he was, then he'd be the on hauling the cart or at least helping you out instead of me!"

The towering elf looked at him and asked: "Who is this person that dares to speak to me as though I wanted his opinion?"

"Master Lotharius," said Azar, "this here is the vampire I told you about."

"Ah, I see," he said dryly. "The so-called Mighty Vampire Aono; your legendary status proceeds you."

"Really?" Tsukune asks, readying for anything.

"Yes; the story of how you, a mere nobody, went from defeating the dreaded Alucard and Fairy Tale, becoming heir to the Shuzen line of vampires, and then after a life of mediocrity allowed his wife to make a fool of him by fucking some male gigolo in his own bed."

Lotharius' men all laughed behind him.

"Tell me," the elf leader continued, "what was it like?"

"What?" Tsukune asked through gritted teeth.

"I said, what was it like? See, I've never had the privilege of letting my wife fuck another man while I waited outside the door; I was usually on the other side of the door. But, that must have been quite an enlightening experience, for why else would you be here right now lecturing me on how to be a better husband, if not to impart some form of wisdom you learned. Is that right, 'master' Aono?"

"Just back off," Tsukune warned under his breath.

"Or what? You couldn't even hold onto your own wife, you gonna make it up by trying to steal mine, fool?"

"Beloved, please!"

"Are you trying to tell me what to do?" Lotharius challenged her. "How dare you; it's bad enough you spilled all of my equipment and luggage over this filthy ground, it was bad enough that I caught you fraternizing with another man, and it was bad enough that you'd dare carry that piece of trash you called a necklace in full view of everyone present, but to sully with this pitiful, little thing here and keep me from settling my rights as husband upon him?"

"You are right, I was wrong to have done all of this and I will receive the proper punishment for my arrogance!" Igraine graciously says, which seemed to abate Lotharius. "I was only thinking of your match; why waste your strength on a stranger in the street?"

"Hmph; very well," he said and then glancing down at Tsukune with a mocking smile. "It would seem it is not I who needs lecturing. But, do not ever let me catch you in my path again, coward! Come!"

Almost with a snap, he and his entourage went back on their way, and all Tsukune could do was watch as Igraine gathered the rest of her things and began hauling the cart after him.

"Wait," he says to her. "Your beloved; him?"

"Tsukune," she said without once looking his way, "you're still quite young; but, you must know that this is the way things are with them, and I've accepted it, if only to be with him."

"IGRAINE!" Lotharius barked, and she obediently trudged after them, leaving Tsukune confused and alone.

He wondered if perhaps she was right, if perhaps this was what Moka was trying to get him to see, that their concept of love was different from humans, and in wanting her, had to embrace her kind of love.

Was this love? Was this the lesson he had to learn? He was nowhere closer to knowing for sure.

Before long, Lotharius and Igraine had set themselves up at the priciest inn in the village, the small innkeeper leading them to their room, much to Lotharius' picky standards.

"So, my lord," the innkeeper politely acknowledges, "I hope our accommodations are to your liking; it may not be much, but…"

"It's not much?" He asked. "It's nothing."

He smashes a heavy case onto a coffee table, shattering it before his boots, while Igraine remained silent and dutiful.

"Is this how you mongoloid people call accommodations; it's a wonder why this year's tournament was ever decided to be held here in the first place?"

"…If you would like, I can check to see if there is anything better to your liking," the innkeeper offered.

"Forget it! I've wasted this wretched night out in this foul village streets like a common beggar! I will have to make do with less!"

"Very well, my lord; feel free to call should you need anything," the innkeeper said with a smile, though secretly he wished this brigand would stay anywhere else but here.

Alone, Igraine began tidying up the room, trying to get back on her beloved's good side by making the room look a little better.

"Perhaps I can see if they carry any Atlantic ice for you, it might make staying here somewhat…"

SMACK!

Without warning, in a blinding flash of light, Igraine felt her feet leave the floor and then her body crashing into the wall, going limp on impact. When she comes to, and looking up at the towering figure of her husband, not to mention the throbbing pain in her cheek, she soon realizes that she'd been hit so hard her body was sent sailing into the nearby wall.

"B-Beloved?" She muttered through a split lip, the metallic taste of blood, her blood, invading her tongue.

"Did you really think I would not put you in your place?" He asked, menacingly, his piercing red eyes penetrating down into her soul, which he figuratively owned.

"I swear to you…ahh!"

He grabs her by the hair again and roughly yanks her up like a doll.

"Swear to me?" He asked. "Swear to me nothing happened between you and him, as if I'd be intimidated, or swear to me you didn't forget that you are my wife and therefore represent me amongst these peasants!"

Lotharius, who became angered when she looked up at him lovingly with her icy blue eyes, began to press his massive thumbs into her eye sockets, causing her to cry out in pain and panic so as to make sure she remembers to cast such loving eyes only on him and no one else.

"Swear to me, my darling wife," he threatened. "Swear to me that you know and always will know."

"Yes!" She screamed, hoping he'll let go. "I know my place, aaaaaahhhh! I know my place!"

XXX

Elsewhere, the muscles in Moka Aono's legs tensed as they held themselves around Gin's lower back, her fingers clutched into his sides while wrapped around him with intensity, but the wind that billowed through every pink strand of her long hair made riding on his back intolerable. Nevertheless, Gin continued to roar through traffic on his bike, driving recklessly onto sidewalks and startling some pedestrians, but he was indifferent to them. Gin was eager to have one last night of wild fun with Moka, perhaps eager to see if anything was left in her that he wanted to explore. Moka, however was largely ambivalent about the whole thing, only hoping to spend at least a few minutes of his time, not go riding towards some date he had planned; still, she figured it would help in verifying something that has been plaguing her.

Unbeknownst to them, up above, hopping across rooftops and keeping pace with their bike was Kokoa, doggedly following them since the motel. Under orders to keep an eye out, she too wanted to confirm something, hoping against hope that there was more to this than it seemed, even despite everything she heard.

**Minutes ago**…

"I am so glad you called me up and wanted a second go," Gin said with a smile after being allowed into the motel room.

"We didn't leave things on a good note, actually," she said, solemn and ambiguous.

"Yeah, it was kind of messy, but hey you look okay and maybe we can try again," he said, casually sitting at the edge of the bed. "You know, one last fling before we go back to the status quo, wrap things up in a neat, little package."

Outside the window, careful to keep any red strand of her hair out of sight, Kokoa listened to everything.

_Refuse him, _she silently prayed, though her anger felt it was pretty pointless. _There has to be some explanation for all of this!_

"That's why I called you up, Gin. I wanted to wrap things up and make clear what things are between us…in a way."

"Cool, cool; you know, we can do that now or…you can come with me."

"Not a date, Gin, please, I…"

"No date, it's just I got something booked and I want to resolve things between us too, so…why not come with me as a…friend, a companion; what do you say?" He asked with a smile, a suave, yet slick smile that Moka seemed largely unaffected by than she used to be, but Kokoa was unnerved enough by it that her elder sister's response to him colored any positive view she had left.

"Fine," Moka replied.

**Now…**

"SO, HOW MUCH FURTHER?" She yelled.

"RELAX, WE'RE JUST ABOUT THERE!"

"LOOK, GIN…BEFORE WE GET THERE, I REALLY THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT ME!"

"CAN IT WAIT?"

"I THOUGHT I COULD, BUT NO, I DON'T THINK I CAN HOLD IT IN ANY LONGER; GOING OUT RIDING LIKE THIS JUST SEEMED LIKE A BAD IDEA, AND I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE SA…"

"Why are you screaming?" Gin jokingly asked, the calmness and clarity in his voice, coupled by the still air caused her to realize she'd had her eyes closed the whole time and felt embarrassed in having yelled like an idiot.

"Oh," she said.

"Yeah," he laughed.

"Where are we?" She asked, looking up at the tall, windowless building they were parked in front of where well-dressed people were strangely being let in through a single door.

"Hey, wolf-man!" Called out a slutty looking woman, accompanied by her friend who both looked at him like hungry animals. "Glad you can make it."

"Willow, baby, you know I wouldn't miss any of this," he says, hugging her.

"Who's the new girl?" Her friend asked and the two began eyeing her up.

_What are these skanks looking at?_ She wondered.

However, she looked at their fingers and noticed tan lines on their ring fingers, where wedding bands would have been.

"Girls," he began to introduce, "Moka. Moka, girls."

_I am nothing like them_, she thought bitterly, becoming even more repulsed by their slutty appearance.

"Hmph," Willow said, briefly looking at her and then turning back to Gin. "You know, I've missed you, baby. How you gonna bring some other woman to support you during your fight?"

"Fight?" Moka asked.

"Yeah, I'm an underground fighter; running a sex motel don't pay the bills, you know."

"I just didn't…Does Sun know about this?"

"Sun?" One of the women asked. "Who's Sun?"

"Uhh, heh, heh, just this guy I know; it's nothing! Hey, ladies about less chit-chat and get inside, get you guys' front row seats to the show."

_I don't know about any of this_, she thought as she allowed him to lead her and his girl entourage in.

**Better to get it over with now than wait until it's too late**, Outer Moka rationalized.

From above, Kokoa had seen all she wanted to see, her spirit crushed as the truth seemed evident. Moka had ever opportunity to walk away from him and all of this; but, it proved that there was something going on between them, unmindful of how much this hurt her.

_This is my fault_, she thought morosely. _I was such a fool, letting this happen so I could be hurt_.

She didn't want to see more, wanting instead to flee from this place, but a sudden ringtone from her cellphone suggested that was an unlikely option.

"…Yes," she responded.

"Oh me, oh my," came the caller, "now is that anyway to respond to your sister and better."

"Rias…excuse me, I…"

"Save it, I don't care about your little problems; report what you have so far on our runaway dog."

"She's still with him, and now they went into some building to watch some illegal fight club."

"Really?" Rias asked with a smile. "Have they done it, yet?"

The question was like a fight dug deep into a gaping wound, but knowing her place and status in their family, she obliged her elder with a reply.

"No. But, it looks like they might."

"Mm, you stupid, stupid little whore," Rias muttered, but was eager to find more dirt to use as Moka seemed to be digging her burial plot even deeper. "Kokoa, follow them and tell me if they do anything else."

"W-What?"

"Are you growing deaf as well as insolent? I said, follow them."

The prospect of going into a cramped building, alone with Gin suddenly brought up a level of hesitation that she, under normal circumstances would have been ashamed of, and yet had allowed to show unintentionally.

"Um…n-no."

"What did you say?" Rias asked.

"I…You already have enough on her my sis-Moka; you don't need anything more."

"…Kokoa, darling, little Kokoa, your job from the day you accepted the augments done to you was to follow and obey every attack command we issue, much like your absent minded sister. Your job requirements do not include offering no _valid_ opinions to anyone, now does it?"

"But, Mistress Rias, I…"

"What has gotten into you; are you mad, continuing your daring insubordination to me? Do you have any idea what will happen to you if you should challenge me? Anger me?"

"I…I can't! I just can't!"

"Kokoa, I will not repeat myself again!" Rias threatened, her normally placid demeanor becoming more irate and heated with each refusal as she thought Kokoa was just covering for Moka. "So, for your sake you had best listen up and follow; I want you to go after Moka, check on what other insulting acts she is doing to father's reputation with that mutt, and report back directly with me, do you understand?"

"Understand?" Asked a voice in her chambers, shocking even Rias to full alert and seeing, to her dread a pink haired woman whose very power was threatening in itself. "And, what exactly is there to understand? What are you up to, Rias?"

"A-Akasha!" She responded. "What a pleasant surprise! I hope I didn't disturb you from something impor…"

"Save the pleasantries, they are wasted on me, and just answer me: what is going on, and what does it have to do with my daughter, Moka?"

Rias began to smile, indifferent that any pretense was figured out, but nonetheless seeing an opportunity she couldn't resist.


	35. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

_Everybody Plays the Fool_

"WHHHOOO-HO-HO, and a right hook from Wild Cat sends Wolfman crashing to the floor!" Yelled the ringside announcer as a solid punch from a feline opponent knock's Gin off his feet, however it wasn't enough to put him down for good, in which he instinctively does a somersault roll that brings him back up into a crouched stance.

"Uh oh!" Went the announcer. "But, Wolfman ain't down yet; he's just getting mad! Whew, who knew someone named after a dog would have better catlike reflexes than the Cat?"

The atmosphere was loud and foul smelling, everywhere around her was the scent of urine, sweat, even unbridled lust from people who didn't know any better that invaded every nostril; even the smell of their blood, alien to her, lacking that sweet, sweet aroma she had taken for granted assaulted Moka Aono's heightened senses and helped create a nauseating affect. She wondered if once upon a time she might have been turned on by all of this, the sight of Gin getting his face pounded and bloodied, and likewise doing the same to his opponent while safely locked away in a cage. Indeed, what with his muscular, shirtless body glistening with sweat, black hair wet, and that cocky smile etched firmly in the face of his foe did it seem like it would make her wet with excitement and arousal; it was evident on the faces of the other girls present who looked up at him like starved children at a slab of meat.

"WHOO-HOO, YEAH GIN!" One slut yelled.

"WORK IT, BABY, WORK IT!" Another yelled, flashing her jiggling breasts for him to see.

Moka couldn't help, but notice how wild these girls were for this barbaric display, and yet, now to her all of this just made her sick. There was no longer much of anything that excited her, and she wondered deeply what it was that seemed so enticing to her in the first place.

"Hey lady," one girl said to her. "Ain't he something or what? You don't look like you're really into it!"

"…He's not like Tsukune," Moka found herself muttering. "He wouldn't stoop to this, not for anybody."

"WHAT? What are you talking about?"

"FORGET HER!" Said the girl's friend.

"YEAH; GRANDMA HERE LOOKS LIKE SHE'S ABOUT TO FALL ASLEEP, ANYWAY!"

They laughed, reveling in their total lack of respect, which unfortunately for them their insult was far too many even for Moka to deal with.

"What did you say to me?" She asked, standing up and confronting them.

"Hey, sit down!" Yelled the guy sitting behind them.

"Yeah, have a seat, old lady!" The girl ranted. "Nobody cares what you have to say!"

"What... the fuck..did you just say to me?"

"You better step off, bitch!" The friend spoke up. "I'm in the military, so you best watch who you're fronting!"

"I ain't too bothered by her," her friend says. "I know who she is."

"Who is she?"

"She's that cunt Gin banged in front of her hubby; what's his name, Tsukune Aono."

"Oh yeah, I remember. What a loser!"

"Who, Moka or her limp dick of a husband?"

"What's the difference, but I guess being an old skank is a lot better than being some shitfaced retard with no balls!" She responds, both laughing their asses off.

In the ring, Gin was seemingly mopping up his match, his opponent another monster like himself and just as strong, but not as skilled as the former "mad dog" of Yokai Academy.

"Give up?" His opponent asked as they were locked in a power grip.

"Give up; to you?" Gin asked, cocky and beyond over confident. "I'm just getting warmed up!"

Ready to go all out and win this match, their contest of strength is interrupted, however when a woman comes flying through the cage and landing in between the two men, bloodied and slutty clothing torn.

"What the…?" Gin asked and turns to a scuffle in the stands.

"Hold up, ladies and gents!" One of the announcers yelled. "Seems we got ourselves a little girl on girl action in the stands!"

"Hey ladies, ladies night ain't until tomorrow!" The other one joked, as Moka continued to physically man handle one of the women, shaking her about violently by the hair with reckless abandon of the girl's safety.

"Aaaaaah!" She screamed and repeated again and again: "_Let go of my hair_!"

"Take it back, TAKE IT ALL BACK!" Moka shrieked and proceeded to launch a series of punches and sharp kicks.

"MOKA!" Gin cried, but she wouldn't listen, too lost in her own anger over their disrespect, disrespect that was not so much towards her, but over the stuff they said about Tsukune and the revelation of just how far this level of insult towards him had gotten. Gin's viral videos have all but completely ruined everything in her life, she now realized, and yet she refused to suffer such immature fools laughing about it.

**Make her pay! **Inner Moka cried with rage. **Make this bitch pay! Or, better yet, release me and I'll do it!**

"AAAAAH!" Moka cried when the woman sprays her with mace just so she would release her.

**Fool! **Inner Moka berated while Outer Moka held her temporarily blinded eyes in pain.** That is it; remove the seal and I'll put this fool and anyone else here who's been privy in our business in their place!**

Disoriented, but by no means winded, Moka's hand was just about to grasp the rosary around her neck, unmindful of the kind of disaster that might ensue, when she felt strong hands from behind grab and held her in place.

"What are you doing, are you crazy?" The man whispered.

The situation itself harkened back to her junior high years and of Hoshii during a similar fight, and how he betrayed her. Feeling its sting again, she went wild, buckling and lashing out in desperation to be freed so she may unleash the raw power of her vampire race upon these arrogant, lesser beings who dared insult her, regardless of the circumstances.

"GET OFF OF ME!" Moka bellowed and tried scratching her restrainer.

"Moka!" He yelled, and in that instant the voice sounded familiar, before long her vision was restored and allowed her to see Gin.

"I thought…" she muttered.

"What's gotten into you?" He asked.

Looking around, Moka could see the excited crowd and the frazzled woman from the ring tending to her wounded friend, all products of her uncontrolled actions, and yet she hardly felt any shame.

"Great match, Wolfman," the Wild Cat joked.

"Yeah; not every day you use a catfight to get out of losing a bet!" Someone else mocked.

"Come with me!" Gin whispered heatedly and dragged her to his dressing room where they could be alone. "You mind telling me what the hell was that; hm?"

"Those girls of yours were saying things!"

"That's it? So what, girls talked smack all the time and you never went all Carrie on them!"

"They were talking about Tsukune, I couldn't let them…!"

"Okay, okay, so they said something about Romeo; big whoop! God, it's like lately you've become a totally different person after we had just one or two nights together, and while I didn't mind the change at first, it's gotten to where I created a Frankenstein monster!"

"Don't flatter yourself," she muttered.

"What?"

"Why did you upload our sex on the web?"

"…Is that what this is about?" He asked with an exasperated sigh.

"Do you realize the repercussions? What this will mean for me and Tsukune?"

_Personally, I think the guy could use some publicity_, he thought with extreme indifference.

"It's just a webcam," he tries to explain. "The people who view them have a one track mind; I guarantee you it'll be forgotten by my next podcast and you two can act like it never happened. Is that why you called me up, to talk about this?"

"…No. Just take me back to the motel, please!"

"…Sure, whatever, just let me take care of a few things with…"

"Now! I want to go back and…and I promise I'll make it up to you."

"Really?" He asked, giving her a once over, which brought a queasy feeling that she hadn't felt from him since school, but tried to hide it.

"Yes; like I said, I know I screwed up everything last time, but as you can see I really want you, _bad_. Please, Gin no more waiting; I want to go back to how it was before. If you're no longer interested then I'll understand, just at least give me one last fuck, _please_."

In all honesty, she was just anxious to get back to the motel room and finish what she started to do since leaving the castle. In truth, one of the reasons she sought him out was to see if there had ever been anything between them that somehow justified sex at all; but as she looks at his sweaty form now and the smell it exuded that even her heightened senses had to endure, she felt no unbridled excitement whatsoever. Had fucking Gin been like trying something different for a brief moment, like some novelty, a novelty that has since worn off and now she wanted to desperately go back to what worked for her, which was now out of her reach. All that remained now was to accomplish her goal, and she wouldn't do it at some shabby fighting complex.

"What do you say?" She asked, winking and trying her hardest to blush.

It was all he needed.

"Like you said, let's get the hell outta here," he said with an eager grin.

XXX

Driving up the rounded driveway of the Shuzen castle, the elderly chauffeur had by now become accustomed to the whims of his vampiric masters' demands, whether it was driving them to exotic locales, taking them to important business meetings or just a simple, leisurely drive around the countryside, or in Ria's case unmentionable acts in the very back seat that Lord Shuzen would destroy this car over if he ever found out. But, today felt different; there was no going through the usual, routine maintenance or a call to "have the limo ready", which usually meant primp and pamper the interior to their liking. Instead, there was urgency in her voice and a demand to bring the car up immediately, a command that signaled no delay, however short. He thought that things had never become so dire that as to find his passenger, who descended the steps in her familiar, long scarlet dress whose length so obscured her feet that it appeared she floated down, with a pink ponytail flying behind a pale face that appeared to be on the brink of an emotional breakdown.

"My Mistress!" Ria called down after.

"Not now, Ria!" Akasha yelled back as she flung open the rear door before the driver had a chance to step out.

"My Lady," he said to her. "Is anything the matter?"

"I'm sending you cell phone GPS coordinates," she replies, texting him. "I don't know the name of this motel only its location, and I beg of you not to ask any questions, just take me there, now!"

"As you wish!" He said, knowing the virtue of never arguing with his masters, but for Akasha, who was someone he genuinely cared for only to see a mixture of anger and distress etched firmly upon her soft features was enough to instill fear of a different sort, a fear that compelled him into blind and silent obedience.

As Ria watched the limo race out of sight, the tall, dark haired woman could not help but smile at the wheels she'd set into motion.

"My, Lady Bloodriver certainly seemed to be in a hurry," came a voice from behind.

"Oh my, Mistress Bruensted, what a pleasant surprise to see you at this lovely hour!"

"Can the corny greeting, Ria," the red headed vampire said. "Where is Miss Perfect off at such a rush?"

"Oh nowhere important, just to retrieve the damaged goods that is her daughter…before she gets even more _damaged_!"

Her brown eyes lit up as Maria Bruensted's mind was almost as sharp Ria's to ascertain the meaning in those words.

"No way!" Maria said.

"Oh me, oh my, yes. It would appear that Moka, our once proud and flawless member of the family…"

"Enough with the bullshit, get on with it!" Maria said impatiently, eager to hear what gossip has befallen the line of Bloodriver.

"Is once again cavorting with her dog lover."

"Hahahahaha, that is _out_rageous!" Maria roared with laughter, laughter that could have awoken the whole castle. "Akasha's daughter has got to be _the most_ screwed up person I have ever met!"

"It's what I've been saying all along," Ria commented, reveling in the dirt she's dishing when her cell phone's ringtone brings a most unwelcomed interruption. "Excuse me, I must take this."

Thinking it was Kokoa, bringing more dirt to use, her dark grin became a frown when she finds out it was some lackey from one of the Fairy Tale branches.

"Sorry to disturb you, mistress," the subordinate said.

"This had better be important, fool," she threatened. "I'm currently awaiting a call."

"It is ma'am; it involves a discrepancy in the company records."

"You dare interrupt me for this? There are levels and pay grades above your own that are better equipped to handle this; go bug them about it."

"I did ma'am, and they had me summon you; we really think you should come down and see this."

Glancing at Maria, who appears to still be enjoying herself and oblivious to the call, Ria whispers heatedly:

"Alright, I'll be there! This had better be serious or…"

"I know the drill, madam, but I assure you it is."

"…Fine! I'm on my way."

Hanging up, Ria felt like screaming in anger at this trivial interruption, but realizing she still had an image to uphold, that of her beloved father's reputation and her own, there was little choice other than being discreet.

"Ria, Ria…you must tell me more!" Maria insisted. "Details, please; like how it would seem Moka has contracted some form of rabies or something!"

"Oh, as much as I would love to, business has called me away, just now."

"So. Have the many underlings deal with such matters; it's what I do."

"I know, and normally I would but…it seems I made the error of hiring idiots rather than competent businessmen."

"Well; it would seem that's a recurring thing amongst the Shuzen brood."

"I beg your pardon?" Ria asks.

"Well, first you, and then your father hires that whore to keep him company in the wake of your mother, and look what bore fruit from that? It would just seem he has a track record of placing his trust in the wrong people, don't you think?"

Ria's blood began to boil as her muscles hardened, ready to rend this woman to shreds; Maria Brunested was hardly anyone she could tolerate, but it was only through her long standing friendship with Gyokuro that a violent vampire-catfight, which were always bloody, didn't erupt with this equally young vampiress.

"Maria…," she began to say, but the atmosphere was soon interrupted by the presence of an old lecherous fiend, whose decrepit scent had suddenly been picked up in the wind. "Oh me, oh my; why, lord Tsepes, is there anything we can do for you?"

"Oh!" He said, he and his elven mistress finally sticking their heads out from behind the door, which together, his bald and shiny, and hers full of golden locks made them seem rather comedic than a couple. "Don't mind us, ladies; me and my baby were just out for a late night stroll when we heard a disturbance outside, isn't that right, baby?"

"Yes, dear," she replied.

"Hmph; you were probably anxious to see us tear each other's clothes off," Maria said.

"And watch us roll around in the open air, on the cold, cold ground; oh me, oh my!"

"Oh, come now, a little action is enough to get the old motor running! My sexy lady knows it; you like it when I get excited watching young girls fight, don't you?"

"Yes dear?"

Thanks to one old man's lecherous interference, Ria figured she can take this time to with the ho-hum of work. As for Akasha, on the other hand, a brief interlude would be appreciated; anything to deprive her of the trouble that had her beside herself as the limo drove toward her daughter's location.

"We'll be there in no time, my Mistress!" the driver called back.

"…Thank you," she replied, too consumed by what she'll do when finally confronting her beloved daughter.

As they drove, she takes the moment to reach in her purse and, whether out of a need to take her mind off of what's happening or out of some natural reaction motivated by these events, pulls out a picture, a small, simple memento of a time long ago that depicted a very young Moka dressed adorably in the outfit Akasha had picked out. Standing behind the small child was herself, almost identical so as to make the photo somewhat cute, which she fondly recalled how small that girl was, small enough that she could have held her in her own arms like a doll; in fact she wanted to right then and there. But, Moka, with her silver hair rustling slightly in the wind and a stern expression on her face that she only inherited from her father had asserted that she was too big to be held like a baby, adamant in being portrayed as a young lady despite wearing matching outfits like her mom. The memory brought a smile to her face, and then a tear, as she wondered whatever happened to that small child who insisted she was too big to be held by her mother, but really wasn't.

XXX

For one daughter however, a Las Vegas strip club was hardly the atmosphere for her to deal with the current matter at hand, however there was very little she could do as she sat around in the dimly lit atmosphere. It was past dawn though, and the club was half deserted as the staff got ready for the next "happy hour" of the day, and while everyone in her group had managed to find rooms at their benefactors' expense, she sat rigidly at an empty table, long hair draped over like a pink haired ghost for what seemed like the entire night, with no signs of rest.

"Good morning, Ms. Aono," the bartender greeted as the Kasumi walked in. "Hope you had a nice rest?"

"Thank you," she replied, yawning and stretching, yet a bit stiff. "However, your vibrating beds leave much to be desired."

"Really? Usually our guests don't complain, but then I guess it's because they have someone to sleep with, if you know what I mean?"

"Yes, I do," she responded, trying to be cordial in the face of such a reference, and though there may be some truth in that statement, she certainly wasn't about to entertain the idea of sharing a room with her estranged husband after all that's happen. She then glances out at the tables and notices Moka sitting there, still and alone.

"Your friend over there, I've been told hasn't moved an inch since last night; I'd figured she'd leave after my boss closed shop late last night. Kept says she's waiting for him to return; I take it it's your son or nephew or something?"

Kazumi doesn't respond, but the sight only adds to her worry. Slowly walking over to this still figure to see if she was even okay, she ask:

"Moka, Moka dear, is everything alright?"

"…"

"W-What was that, I didn't quite hear…?"

"He'll come back."

"I know he will; we all know he will, but we just…"

"But, you said he is."

"I know what I said and I meant it, he is coming back, just…Child we can't keep worrying ourselves ragged like this?"

"I don't want to do anything else!" Moka snaps, startling Kazumi. "I'll sit here until he shows up and that's it; nothing else matters."

"…Sure, okay Moka," Kazumi says, resolved at being stymied by this turn of events; this was out of her hands and she didn't know what else to do.

Meanwhile, in Caro's office sat a nervous Sam, surrounded by a supportive Kurumu and equally supportive (for obvious reasons) Ageha as they sought to give him a place at the family establishment; however, it was Caro he need convincing, who, despite his cleaned up appearance, still wasn't sure about him.

"I take it my sister and 'Mumu both think pretty highly of you," she starts off by saying, sitting across from him in a tight, form fitting and small skirt, with her large shapely calves crossed intentionally to show off more than Sam wanted to see out of respect for his girlfriend and the interview he was in.

"Yes, ma'am," he responds, curt and mannerly.

"I didn't say you can speak!" Caro snaps. "Who told you you can talk, yet?"

"C'mon, Caro," Kurumu whined.

"C'mon nothing!" Caro says, shaking one of her legs in front of him, which made him even more uncomfortable than he already was. "Tsukune forces me to drag some vagrant off the streets, you allow him to invade your mind and body, and then sleep with him in one of my suites without so much as a blessing from me; and now you fix him up all nice and clean and expect him to woo me over, too? He still hasn't explained to me why I should hire him to work my club, let alone even date my niece."

"She is my daughter," Ageha points out. "And, he _has_ earned my approval."

Sam blushed.

"But, it is _my_ club," Caro retorts. "And, I'm as much a part of 'Mumu's life as you, I think I have a say. Tell me, marine, why should I be impressed?"

"…Ma'am, I know when you first saw me I didn't give you much reason to trust me; lord knows I wouldn't have trusted a guy like me if I was in your shoes. I…I've made mistakes that got me to where I was not too long ago, but…if I was a betting man, I'd say you've made your share too, mistakes that left you feeling like garbage on the street. We can either continue feeling like trash like a damn fool or pick ourselves up and make something of ourselves; I think you're big enough to at least let me at prove that, not just for you, but for myself. What do you, _any _of you have to lose? Besides, I can say with all honesty that I ain't leaving Kurumu, I don't care what you do, I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you remove me from her presence; that's just how it is."

Kurumu looked at Caro hopefully, while the two sisters each shared a look that was somewhat smitten by Sam's candor.

"Well," she finally said, "I guess there's only one thing left to say after hearing all of that."

Caro gets up, saunters over to Sam, and raises his head into her cleavage.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad at all," Caro mused at how his face felt in between her warm breasts, before finally releasing the flustered gentleman. "Now get out of here and don't come back until tonight."

"…Uh, w-what?" He asked.

"I think you got the job, handyman!" Kurumu said, winking and giving him a very affectionate hug, with her own boobs pressed firmly against him. "And, she likes you!"

"Oh; hooray!"

"Caro, I knew you were gonna accept him, anyway!" Ageha chided in her sister once they were alone. "Why'd you have to give him such a hard time?"

"I like to make guys sweat," she said with a wry smile. "Besides, after Tsukune I can't help, but feel a little over protective of my 'Mumu."

"Hmm; speaking of which, did you happen to see his 'fiancée' sitting out on the floor?"

"Oh, sis, I'm trying not to think about her; already concerned about you letting that witch bitch and Mr. Dawg into my establishment."

"I know that, but you should have seen her; it's like she's starting to lose her mind, can you believe it?"

Caro wanted to be indifferent, thinking no good would come of worrying over her, but to imagine Moka steadily losing her mind was beginning to feel unsettling even for her.

"Mrs. Aono came to me recently," Ageha added. "She wanted me to talk to you, see if you can do something?"

"Like what?"

"To… give her something to do around here and keep her busy, anything!"

"…You're not suggesting I put her to work?"

"Why not?"

"_Why not_? Ageha, she's a vampire! One of Issa Shuzen's many brats, and Mumu's sworn enemy!"

"I know all of that, but c'mon! Moka looks like she has some…nice dancing legs. Have work shifts that Kurumu doesn't do. Get some of the strippers on the early shift to show her the ropes. What about Rose or better yet, Celeste; Celeste is pretty loyal and easy to get along with, Moka can work with her doing the day shift, that's before Kurumu's act."

"Different shifts or not, you know how she'll feel just having Moka working the same job, anyway!"

"I am aware of that, but…c'mon look at her, do you really want her perched out there like scarecrow? She'd wind up freaking out the customers and driving them away."

Caro couldn't reply, as neither prospect seemed to be worth entertaining, however in order to avoid making a foolish decision that could cost her everything she had to think less like a concerned relative and more like businesswoman, opting for the one option that made the most sense.

"Come, this way," said the blue haired fairy/exotic dancer who led a reluctant Moka about the club.

"Look, um…"

"Just call me Celeste; most my friends do."

"Celeste, I don't know what they told you, but I really don't think any of this is for me, now or ever."

"Oh, so you think you're too good for us strippers?" Celeste asked.

"No, no, not at all, I just…"

"Relax," she giggled, "I'm kidding, and to tell you the truth I think _I'm_ a little too good for some of these hoes here; believe me, you'll find out why soon."

"Celeste, you seem like a nice person."

"Thanks!"

"But, I know you're only doing this because of Caro. Maybe she thinks I need to take off my clothes just to get my mind off of my troubles."

"Well, from what I heard it wasn't an easy decision, but actually your friends were the ones that thought you needed to do something to get you…well motivated, a bit."

"And they thought I should do stripping?"

"Ah! See, around here we like to call this exotic dancing; strippers are the two bit whores that do the rundown dives in the south side of town."

"Whatever; how is any of this supposed to be a good thing for me?"

"I don't know, but you look like you could use something to take your mind off of whatever ails you; relax, some of us girls will show you the ropes. Besides, we think Tsukune will be a lot happier if it was just you performing for him."

"…Y-You, you know him?" Moka asked, her very eyes lit up like electricity, so much so that the fairy was a bit surprised. "You've met him, haven't you?"

"So, it is true, you really are his fiancée?"

"Well…"

"It's complicated? Well, whatever it is, it's obvious you two really love each other, and to answer your question yeah we did. Caro brought him in about a day ago; the guy was pretty down, like somebody important had just done everything possible to destroy him, mentally."

Moka, for whatever reason felt a jolt of guilt strike without warning, as though hearing first hand of his current situation from a complete stranger made the crime feel even worse than it had been before.

"If you don't mind me asking; did something happen between you two?" Celeste asked, but saw Moka slip back into her maudlin state. "Forget I asked."

"W-What happened between you two?" She asked Celeste, a part of her worried that they had been intimate. "Did any of you ever…with him?"

"No, nothing happened," Celeste simply replied. "Caro wanted us to give him a good time, take his mind off of his situation and make him feel better for Kurumu to be with." "Really?" Moka muttered in anger.

"But, the guy wouldn't even look at us; personally, I didn't think he wanted to be anywhere with a woman or with anyone for that matter, like he'd given up on living."

"…Oh god," Moka moaned.

Tsukune's deterioration, Kurumu and Caro's plan to take advantage, and it all being made privy to exotic dancers who became her only source of information made Moka angry, worse still she felt like a fool, this fool being led around on this merry chase by so many people, ranging from Ria to this doppelganger twin, and all while her life falls apart. She resolved herself then and there that there would be no more mercy on anyone who dares get in her way. She was determined that if she was to do anything to repair the damage that others had made under her nose, then it would be to fight, fight in gaining him back by doing whatever means that would seem totally unorthodox and unpredictable.

"Celeste!" She said, firmly.

"Yes, what is it?"

"You want me to dance? Fine, I'll be a dancer!"

"Good; like I said I'll teach you the ropes and get you do the early shift, that's when it's slower and it'll be a bit easy for…"

"No!" Moka loudly insister. "I'll dance on one condition; that you let me do the night shift, too!"

"Uh…what?"

"You want to do _what_?" Ageha asked as she, Caro and Celeste all stood around a resolute Moka Akashiya.

"You all heard me; I can dance pretty well, and I think I can handle your busiest hour or are you afraid I'll steal Kurumu's thunder? God forbid that would happen, by doing something that would hurt her rather than help her, in a way!"

The three women looked at each other, and the two sisters glanced at Celeste.

"I guess she heard more than she was supposed to; sorry," the young fairy said.

"I don't know what you're thinking to accomplish, but dancing the primetime hour is not what we agreed to," Ageha said.

"Besides, this is my club," Caro flat out told her. "I'm only letting you do anything out of a courtesy."

"So, I am not good enough for your establishment?" She challenged. "But, pimping out _my_ Tsukune to your niece is? Really, Caro? While he was in his current state of mind, _really_?"

"I don't know what you may have heard, but I was not 'pimping him out', so you need to relax, honey."  
>"I am not relaxing and I ain't your honey," Moka says. "You let me dance when I want or else."<p>

"Or else what?"

"…I don't know," Moka says, her demeanor suddenly taking on this strange, nonchalant tone. "I'm nothing like the Moka you've dealt with before; there's no telling what I might try to do. Do…either of you know, for a fact, what I might do; I'm already crazy enough." She looks at them innocently with her green eyes, eyes that they realized was on a totally different Moka, one they had to admit they knew so little about and whose threat hardly seemed like something they should take lightly.

"…Goodness," Caro sighed. "Celeste, take her to the locker room. I'll work up a schedule."

"Um, y-yes ma'am."

"Give her a disguise to wear too, like one of the used wigs back there. I don't want anyone to recognize our darling princess doing burlesque here; is that alright with you, 'Moka'?"

"Except for the 'princess' remark, yes it is."

**You sure this is best decision to make?** She heard Inner Moka asked as she is led to the changing rooms, virtually stepping foot into an unknown and intimidating world.

_No more, _she replied. _I'm tired, I am so fucking tired of being everyone's fool; Ria, Kurumu, Caro, and now some impostor, leaving behind mess after mess after these whores wreck everything! No more; if that's how they want to play, if I'm to get back Tsukune, then it's time to stop being polite and play at their level to beat them!_

**Even if it means debasing yourself before disgusting perverts?**

_I might as well get practice if I am to win; so, yeah!_

"Well, let me show you to an available locker," Celeste says as she leads Moka through a crowded, narrow corridor of nude and semi-nude women running about, applying makeup in front of the broad mirror or changing into revealing lingerie.

It made Moka want to take in a huge gulp.

**Well, as long as you know what you're doing, **Inner Moka snidely remarked.

"It's not too late to change your mind," Celeste explained, taking note of Moka's uneasy demeanor, her heightened senses picking up the myriad of strong odors, accompanied by the very imagery, as well as the very thought of performing before a packed house at night.

All around her, half naked dancers looked at her as if she was some foreigner who had no business being there; were it not for circumstances pulling everything out of control, she'd hardly consider doing this.

"Who's this?" A dark haired and haughty looking stripper asked, boldly standing in their way like she was queen of the locker room, despite being clad in only black panties.

"Move, Rose," Celeste wearily demanded. "I don't have time for your crap, I need to take Moka here to her locker; boss's orders."

"Oh yes; they said something about a new girl," Rose said with a smile. "Tell me, Moka did they mention anything about delivering 'favors' to VIP clients, because I'd be happy to teach you."

"Shut up!" Celeste snaps. "Don't listen to her, Moka, she's just trying to prank you; Rose is always giving people a hard time."

"Well, fuck you! I was just trying to show the new girl here the ropes; hell knows she won't learn anything from you."

This Rose person, though human, reminded Moka in every way of her elder sister, Ria, right down to the condescending attitude and faux mannerisms. Still, however faint it was, she could smell Tsukune's scent on her just like everywhere in the room; Celeste had mentioned that he was brought here to make him forget everything, she wondered, and dreaded if this Ria wannabe had also run into him.

"Did you know Tsukune Aono?" Moka asked.

"Huh?" Rose asked, genuinely confused.

"Tsukune!" Celeste yelled. "You know who? She's…well, his fiancée!"

"Ohh! Yes, now that I think about it, there was a man fitting that description in here not too long ago. A bit gay, if you asked me; the boy couldn't get it up even if he tried."

"What did you say?" Moka muttered, fists balled.

"You say that about every guy you've been with," Celeste retorts.

"That's because every one of them hadn't been real men! Trust me, Moka you're better off; all men will do is let you down, that's why I left every guy who wasn't worth my time."

"Like it wasn't mutual," Celeste muttered.

"Oh, I'm sorry; have you been with anyone lately? No. Aww, what a shame!"

"…Okay, please if you don't m…" Moka politely tried to say, who wanted to get this changing thing over and done with so she can get out, but Rose wraps an arm about her shoulder and begins walking along, effectively nudging Celeste out of the role of guide and mentor by rudely bumping her away with a sharp bang of a hip. It was only by the timely intervention of other strippers, who held back Celeste from returning the favor, that an altercation was avoided.

"This way, honey," she tells Moka. "Trust me, you're gonna want to know what you're doing out there on the stage, and no little girl will do it, either."

"I really don't think I need any help," Moka tries to say, her distaste for her sister evident by how uncomfortable she felt being this close to Rose. It reminded her of junior high, of how naively she trusted her "sister" more than she learned to trust herself and give humans the benefit of the doubt, which ultimately brought led down this very road; now just the feeling of being in the same room as Ria, let alone a spiritual double, created a claustrophobic feeling.

"Relax, honey," Rose said, perhaps sensing how uneasy Moka felt, "I won't bite, and neither will the customers; that's why we have bouncers for that, so if they so much as sneeze in your general direction, just call for Burt and he'll rearrange some heads."

"I'm fine," Moka whispered.

"Good, because we need to make a few changes like to your appearance, you're a little too mousy looking. I don't know why, I mean you can't be saving yourself for that limp dick weakling are…"

"I said I'm fine!" Moka snapped, physically shrugging the abrasive stripper from her presence and drawing stares from everyone around. "I'll tend to my business, thank you very much!"

"Well, suit yourself _honey_; if you wanna bankrupt Ms. Shade's establishment with your inexperience and pinning for your lost love, then be my guess."

Moka couldn't help, but notice that all eyes in the locker room were still on her, but she no longer cared; at this point what anyone thought or said behind her back mattered very little nor would it carry any weight ever again.

"Moka," Celeste said, her tiny voice nearly startling Moka while she rummaged around a vacant locker full of props and clothing.

"What!" She snapped.

"…Nothing, just that, welcome to the club," she said with a warm smile, a smile that said she'd earned at least _her_ respect.

Moka smiled, and the whole display did help in erasing her concerns.

"So, I take it you don't need any help?" Celeste asked.

**More like, you don't need any kick to the head for making this choice**, Inner Moka ranted.

There was no going back now, regardless of her polarizing thoughts and feelings, and as she looked down at an assortment of material to work with, she holds up a pair of wigs and asks:

"Do you have anything to match my eyes?"

XXX

They burst through the motel's door, lips locked, warm bodies embraced and meshed together in sweaty passion as neither could wait any longer to start fucking, not even unlocking the door; indeed, to all it seemed that Gin and Moka Bloodriver, former Akashiya and former Aono, were meant for each other.

"How you wanna do this?" Gin asked, breathlessly. "On the floor? You want to do on the floor? Let's do it on the floor, like animals!"

"…Whatever…," Moka tried to say, letting him do all of the work as though going through the motions. "Um, yeah."

Without much waiting, Gin roughly takes down to the floor, straddling on top of her prone form and lays there as he begins ripping off her clothes like an animal; she never looked into his eyes, as she knew there was nothing there, and she fought back the tears that were coming. But, suddenly he stopped and she wondered what was wrong.

"Gin?"

"Moka," he said, "you've…wow, what happened to you?"

"Huh?"

"You're looking a little pudgy there."

"Excuse me?"

"Forget it," he finally says, "I'm not gonna be choosey; besides, I might have better luck with the slimmer, taller 'other' you."

Gin continues his ravaging of her, but by now she felt she had put up with this long enough and gotten all that was needed.

"…G-Gin, let me up," she begged.

"Can't," he replied, chewing up her neck, the tips of his fingers digging around the soft, exposed flesh of her tits. "You know me, babe; once I get started…"

"I…I said get off of me; stop!"

But, Gin wouldn't stop in spite of her request, convinced that she really wanted this to happen like she did before; that no woman loses interest with the Wolfman, especially one who had to put up with a mousey kind of guy like Tsukune for a number of years.

"Gin, stop!" She began to weep.

"You don't want me to stop, you want this, admit it or you wouldn't have called me up out of the blue like you did."

Moka finally realized she made a mistake calling him up, again; realized calling him up and allowing him to re-enter their lives, hers and Tsukune's was an even bigger mistake. Her reasons at first was to make her beloved jealous to the point of obedience, and when that didn't work she wanted to punish him, but when that backfired she now called Gin to see why it was she ever considered sleeping with him again and again in the first place, why him, period; whatever it had been between them was gone, which left a foul taste in her mouth, that much she knew and now she wanted it to end. Yet, it wouldn't end no matter how much she wanted it to and that more signs of this latest tryst would be permanently stamped on her wrecked body, now "pudgy" as Gin pointed out, a reminder of how far she had fallen, far from the life she once knew with the man she loved and still does, who would have come in and rescued her from trouble like this, Moka did what she could only do in times of stress, call out: "Tsukune…_Tsukune_, save me! Get me out of this, _pleeeease_!"

Gin stopped; this time there was no cocky demeanor about the amorous "Wolfman", as even at the height of his fame, never have any of his conquests ever uttered another man's name, much less their husband's. However, Moka Akashiya, his prize, daring to utter _his_ name after all that they've been through had still managed to shatter everything in his world at that instant.

"…Ex-cuse me!" He said.

"…I told you to stop," she muttered, tears streaming down her flustered face, stressed body out of breath.

"Moka…What is going on? Why did you call me over to meet with you; if you didn't want sex, then what? Heh; I knew this was too good to be true, even when you asked me to fuck you, I…God!"

As Gin got up to get a drink, his pants still unzipped, it dawned on her that he was still jealous of Tsukune, even after everything that's happened; it was enough to make her laugh.

"What's so damn funny?" He angrily asked.

"Don't take it the wrong way, Gin, I'm willing to laughing at the both of us!"

"What?"

"You heard me; you and I really are the same, we're both so pathetic!"

"Really? H-How so?"

"I wanted to have sex with you to make my husband jealous and you wanted to fuck me because it was what you've always wanted _and_ you wanted to make him jealous, too; we both get what we wanted and still neither of us are happy!"

"…Whatever," he grumbled.

"Gin…I'm pregnant, you know."

"Oh; so you're finally pregnant?" He asked, pouring himself another glass of liquor.

"Yes, and it's yours."

"No it's not; we made a deal, remember? I have no responsibility with you or your child!"

"…Gin, even if you raising our child was an option," she wearily proclaims as she stands back up on her feet, "I wouldn't want it that way."

"There is…_no_…option," he reiterates, "because we agreed I wouldn't have a damn thing to do with it; all of this was about _you_ making him jealous enough for him to step up and deal with your drama, not me setting out to make him jealous over…high school, oh no."

"If you're not still threatened by him, then why did you stop when I mentioned his name just then?"

"It's got nothing to do with that."

"Liar."

"Why the hell did you call me up, huh? T-To point this out to me? To try and get me to be a daddy to your baby; get Tsukune to do it, he's gullible enough to do anything."

"You want to know why I called you here today? It was to see what it was that made me ever want to be with you in the first place, why I even did what I did with you; I had to see for myself what was so special about you, and I realize there wasn't anything. The only special thing I had was with the man I cheated on with you…because I hurt and angry, and confused, and you were willing to take advantage of, but believe me Gin there is no love at all for you. Nothing special. You're scared of my Tsukune, that's why you uploaded our sex online, that's why you bad mouthed and humiliated him on your podcast, because you know and I know that you will never compare to him!"

Moka heard slight, disembodied cheers erupt, most likely emanating from the pod cameras she had set up throughout the room in an attempt to repay Gin for what he'd done; he most likely heard them too, but hardly seemed affected.

"Really?" He asked. "I don't compare to him? Gee, where was all that when you called me up? Where was this when you fucked me in front of him, when you clawed my back and I chewed up yours? Now you're gonna stand there and tell me you were confused? Bullshit!"

"I'm not saying I was confused enough to not know what I was doing, but I used you to get to back at him, that's all that was. I'm not denying that you and I are the same kind of disgusting people."

"We're the same?"

"Yes, Gin we're the same; we're both use one another to get what we want and hurt the ones we love. I'm ashamed to admit it; perhaps it's time you did, too."

Gin stared daggers at her, his shirtless chest heaving and rippling in an intimidating manner, and as she instinctively reached up to her rosary seal, Moka realized that if it came down to it, witnesses or not, she'd have to unleash her inner persona to put him in his place. Indeed, the angered Gin did look like he might try something, as he was clearly bothered by what everything she said and began to move toward her; neither said a word to each other, both half clothed, both excited but for the wrong reasons. However, she was surprised when he began to laugh and casually sat down on the couch with nary a care.

"We're the same, huh?" He asked. "Moka, I always knew you had delusions of grandeur, but this…this really takes the cake!"

"What's so funny, it's true, we're are both pathetic!"

"No, we're not."

"Yes, yes we are; stop denying it, Gin."

"Oh, I'm not denying that I'm a piece of work, but I'm not half as messed up as you."

"What do you mean?" Moka asked, her turn to become angered. "Explain yourself!"

"Well, I am who I've always been, a guy who'll fuck any chick who's willing; that's why I did what I did with you. You, you did what you did to piss off your husband because he wouldn't do _one little_ thing for you. You did what you did because you had unresolved, childhood issues and were worried about kids you didn't even have at the time, so you _let me_ violate you again and again just to be vindictive; that's a whole new level of fucked up!"

"Yes, I know; and they're the same thing! They're both sick and despicable things and we're both terrible people!"

"NO, no, no, that makes _you_ and you alone the sick and terrible person; because, see I would never do that to Sun or anyone I cared about. I'm not so messed up that I would ever put my own body through something like that; it takes a really low and pathetic mind to go to those lengths, and it really shows you don't care about anyone or anything, that you'd sacrifice not only your marriage, but your own body just to get what you want! That's sick!"

"Shut up!" She shrieked, her hand literally squeezing the metal edged rosary so tight that her knuckles turned red. "Don't make me into the monster here, you're the freak here, not me!"

"'Monster'; heh, isn't this the whole reason you decided to defile your body over, because some kids messed you up during grammar school and you were worried they'd mess your kids up even worse? Now look at yourself, you're calling _me_ monster and freak and basically doing everything to hurt my feelings just like them, eh? Just like those bratty kids you grew up with!"

"Shut up!"

"But, unlike you I'm not bothered by it, because I'm not some crazy little princess who gets fucking pissed when everything don't go her fucking way!"

"I said shut up!"

"I'm not the one who'll use his own body to do something I don't like just to get my way! You call it whatever you like, but at the end of the day it is what it is and you are what you are: a train wreck, something lower than shit. We're nothing alike!"

"You think you're something?" Moka asked, vindictively.

"Bitch, I know I'm something."

"You think you're god's gift to women. That you're the 'Wolfman' and you're better at being a man than Tsukune or anyone else, but really…you're an animal! You're not even a monster, you're nothing close to being a high level being! And, you think _I'm_ pathetic?"

"I'm not as low as you. I didn't force myself on you or trick you into doing something you didn't want."

"Yes, Gin I know."

"Do you? Because, I think you don't."

"I used you and you were willing to go along because that's the kind of people we are; we're animals! But, don't go making me seem like the worse person here, when we both know that ain't the case!"

"So, what?" He asked. "Is that what you brought me here for; to tell me all of this? Huh? To humiliate me in front of my adoring audience because you _blame_ me for letting you turn yourself into something you hate? HA! You think I give a shit what you think; I got what I wanted out of this and I'll get it again from someone else, and don't think for a moment that we are in this together, princess!"

"Why are you making this so difficult, Gin?" She growled. "Why are you so stupid and…"

"Let me tell you and half of your newfound feminist committee something you probably already know, deep down. I like sex; it doesn't matter where I get it, it doesn't matter how I get it, and the bottom line is that you slutty housewives and girlfriends always come crawling to me because I'm the only one who can satisfy you. Sure you got your 'reasons', whatever piece of crap it is, and along the way you figure 'hell, why not make it enjoyable', am I right?"

"You're wrong," she said, her hand clutching the rosary seal ever so tightly. "We have our reasons, sure, but…it isn't always about sex!"

"Bull-shit! That's why I'm not worried about you dissing me in front of a live audience, hell, call me whatever you like, it won't make a bit of difference. Sooner or later, there's always going to be some beleaguered damsel whose husband or boyfriend just isn't doing it for her, and out of desperation you come looking for yours truly; it's so predictable! You need guys like me, because you're hungry for guys like me; Tsukune just didn't do it for you just like all the other hapless guys girls like you marry, and all these hoes listening know it. So what if you all leave me; you'll go looking for someone else to satisfy your 'needs' like a bunch of sadomasochists because you get off on it, and it takes a special kind of guy to satisfy those needs, one who's willing to do it and not judge. But, you're angry at me and you want to humiliate me; go ahead, I'm not worried, more like you will come take your places, I got time, while the rest of you will just find somebody else only to realize that no one can satisfy you the way I can."

There was silence in the room.

"And, you know it," he added. "So, stop deluding yourself, okay? Don't drag yourself even lower than you are now, because it's really sexy!"

"You piece of worm ridden filth!" Moka muttered through gritted teeth. "You sick bastard! You know nothing about me or any woman! What we do…we make mistakes, perhaps looking for love in all the wrong places or doing these things because we really have no other choices available, because we genuinely do love our men and the children we wish to have with him! But you, you are a mistake! You are nothing but some cowardly vulture taking advantage and nothing more!"

"Look, I don't care what color you think the sky is, because at the end of the day it is the way everyone else sees it; so, keep fooling yourself."

"You…I wish you get put in your place, for as many times as all the women you've tricked!"

"Tricked?"

"Yes! You led me to believe you actually cared about me, that you loved me!"

"Loved?" He laughed out loud.

"But, it was all lie; because, the only place I could find that kind of love, real loving was never with you, but with him."

"And, I take it you're going to go back to him?"

"If I can somehow fix things, then yes."

"Ha! Good luck!"

"You sound so confident, what about Sun, huh? You think she'll take you back after I reveal to her what you did!"

"Go ahead, tell her, I don't care!"

"Y-You don't? But…"

"Look, all you hoes do this again and again, cheat for a while, go through a break up, and then when you've had your fill and blame me for ruining your life, you go back to your hubby and go see some marriage counselor; it's predictable!"

"But, not for men like you, right?" Moka asked vindictively. "Sun will just take you right back like some kind of idiot!"

"No, bitch, because Sun loves me and she knows me, she and Maron know what kind of person I am. I know they'll always have a place open for me; Tsukune, on the other hand."

"What about him? What makes him less likely to forgive me than Sun will be?"

"You don't see it, do you? You had sex with me in the bedroom you two shared, on the bed he slept in, with him right outside the door and you knew it, too!"

"That's because…"

"I don't care how you explain it! God, the guy worshipped the very ground you walked on, as pathetic as that was. To him, you could do no wrong, and now you've gone and practically destroyed him; you really think he'll take you back after all of this and a shit load of therapy? I don't think so. Yet again, Moka, you've fucked yourself!"

"I've had enough of this!" She said, itching to remove the seal and put this fool in his place. "I am not some animal, you are!"

"Oh really, I thought you said we were the same?" He mocked.

"You…you really don't care about anyone, do you? Not what happens to me or our baby?"

"_Your_ baby, let's get that straight!"

"I can't believe I ever thought…I have made giant mistake!"

"_Giant _is right, babes, don't you know it; but, hey you were good while it lasted! I am glad though I got to bang you before you put on the baby weight."

Moka begins to inch ever so closer to him, her shadow slowly looming over menacingly.

"Oh, what are you going to do, transform into your other self in front of so many viewers and kick my ass? You know what, why don't I oblige you by taking this outside; I have been dying to have piece of that other, sexier you."

"What? You act like you don't care if I put you in your place, because you need it!"

"Let me tell you what's going to happen; you'll put on this showy transformation, for my benefit like always, turn into your leggier, bustier self, stare at me with those killer red eyes, say some sappy one liner and then kick me to next Tuesday. Rinse, recycle, repeat."

"…What are you planning this time, Gin?"

"Nothing; you're just that predictable, do the same thing again and again whenever someone displeases you. You tried that on old lover boy when he refused to give into you psychotic demand, and when they didn't have the desired effect, you turned to me, right?"

"Stop talking," she threatened. "The time for your babbling is over, come outside and I'll…"

"Do you know what will happen here?"

"What?"

"Let me explain it for your apple-shaped head to grasp; you'll beat me up, which as sure as I am talking to you sober you will do, then leave all vindicated and self-righteous while I'm writhing on the ground. But, then I'll dust myself off, go back inside, put on my clothes and go get laid with some easy slut I met before coming here; in fact, I intend to do that for the rest of my everlasting life, I mean it'll be _sweeeet_! But you, you'll go back to your dismal life of having to raise a baby out of wedlock, with no one helping you by the way because your darling Tsukune hates you, your folks probably hate you, you got a viral video floating around out there so everyone is going to look at you as the local slut, and on top of that you have baby weight to look forward to, all those looks wasting away in a matter of months; but, at lease you'll always have the sensation of me inside of you. So, let's get this going, I have a candle lit dinner lined up with a hot piece of half-Puerto Rican tail lined up."

Flabbergasted, confused, and ultimately livid beyond any coherent speech, both personalities within realized the truth he spoke; that as much as she wanted to rend him to pieces, no amount of physical violence will change the places in life they were both in and it nearly made her want to cry.

Turning to leave as she could no longer bear being in his presence, however she did wanted to put him in a place she thought was very appropriate in getting even with him somehow, so she stops at the door and says:

"You keep thinking you're god's gift to women, Gin. But, the one thing we both know, is that you will always be second best to him in school, and it remains so today, and hopefully one day your kid will know it, too. Take care."

With the slam of the door, she left Gin to wallow in self-loathing, annoyed by her antics and the thought she set him up for this, but just a little bit more perturbed at the thought that his own kid, perhaps a daughter, will join the ranks of Tsukune Aono's fan club.

The walk from the motel was a cold and somber evening stroll. Moka had forgotten that her clothes were partially open and she had to hold them together in a humiliated fashion as she thought painfully at the way things are. She thought herself to be alone, until she felt a presence sneaking up behind her and wondered, perhaps hoped it was Gin following after, hoping not for another "romantic" romp around, but for a chance to forego all that might happen and put him in his place, anyway. Rounding a darkened corner to make sure no one would be watching, and making certain the pursuer was close behind, she stood ready.

"If this is what you want, Gin?" She muttered menacingly, stopping and waiting with baited breath for the person to draw in closer. "Fine."

With a long and eagerly awaited pull of the rosary, she immediately transforms in a sudden blast of blinding light and energy, she painfully transforms into the taller, more sculpted, true silver haired form, in which case Moka wastes little time in delivering a solid roundhouse kick to his head. However, not only was she devastated that the kick was blocked, effortlessly by a single hand, but that to her dismay and disappointment her pursuer had not been the desired fiend she now hated, but was instead someone else, who's green eyes showed nothing other than an icy countenance.

"M-M-Mother," she managed to stammer. "How did you…?"

"Need you ask," Akasha replied. "I saw what you did with that 'Gin' boy."

"M-Mom, I can explain!" She grimaced, wanting to explain herself, but her outstretched leg was still being held in place by her mother's suddenly iron clad grip and it made standing up difficult. "Please, mother!"

From her angle, Akasha could see up her daughter's leg clearly, but there was a method to her madness, as she was able to ascertain something disturbing that she could sense for some time.

"…I would have thought this suited you," she muttered to her daughter. "Having your legs spread for others."

"What! Mother!"

"Am I wrong?"

"Yes; please, let me go!"

"How am I wrong? Your husband, if he should remain as such, is out of the country half out of his mind of what you did in the name of stupid school children, you're pregnant as a result of an extramarital affair, your father has disowned you and worse you might face a death penalty, and here you are gallivanting with the very man partially responsible for your current troubles; so, explain to me how I am wrong?"

"You were there," Moka explained. "You heard everything, understood why I sought him out; that was all, I swear it."

"Did you know Ria has been spying on you this whole time; that was how I found out."

"…She…?" Moka stammered, her entire world suddenly tipping over.

At last, Akasha lets her down, and the sore in leg quickly became evident, it's pain as shocking as a steak knife being plunged through it, followed by a familiar itching sensation around her lower extremities suddenly reignited after being exposed to the air.

"Come," Akasha ordered. "Explain to me further what you hoped to accomplish?

The car limo ride was a long and arduous one, made even more uncomfortable for the beleaguered princess by an annoying itch from her privates that she struggled to ignore, lest she gave up on what little pride remained untarnished.

"So, you wanted to…shame Gin for what he allowed happen?" Akasha asked, trying to make sense of what her daughter told her.

"Part of it; you must understand, mother, I…I admit much I should be held responsible for my actions, but he was as much at fault for everything. Had he not enticed me then, at my human wedding, I might've had a stronger resistance against him."

"Really? Because, I thought this was about your kids, with Tsukune?"

"It was; I would have done anything to make sure my children did not grow up like me."

"You mean, without a mother?" Akasha asked, vaguely.

"I mean as a victim. Marriage, the prospect of a family, these were just confusing things for me and I lost control and gave in to my lust for Gin. But, all it was was just lust, there was nothing and I ended things with him; I had to do it in order to finally burn that bridge behind me, and then focus on the future."

Moka looked at her mother, who remained staring straight ahead, silent and blank.

"You believe me, right?" Moka asked, plaintively.

"Moka…I wished…I just wished you'd come to me, first. I understand that you felt alone those years I was away, but now that I'm back…"

"Mother, I thought you'd be proud of me! Why are you behaving like I did something wrong?"

"Moka, you should never have gone to see him, again! Meeting with him again only made you look even guiltier."

"I had to do it; I had to settle things, once and for all. I assumed you'd be behind me, but I see I was wrong."

"I am behind you, dear, I've always been behind you," Akasha whispered in response.

"Then, why doesn't it feel like it, sometimes. You want to know why I haven't come to seek your advice on things?"

"You mentioned 'your future'," Akasha commented, changing the subject. "What did you mean future? What future?"

"…Right," she muttered. "I take it there was nothing that can be done?"

"Not quite, my dear. There is still a chance, and that's if upon his return Tsukune somehow takes you back and accepts the child as his; all will be forgiven."

"You really think that'll work?" Moka asked, hope alight in her weary eyes. "Yes, yes!…I'm not about to give up; even though Tsukune hates me now, we are still bloodmates, and I'll do everything in my power to reclaim that right."

"Bloodmate?" Akasha asked, and then glances down at her Moka's writhing lap. "Do you know what that means, I wonder."

"If you're going to judge me, then fine, everyone else is, right now I just don't care what any of you may think, anymore…it's pointless, now."

"…You know, a vampire with gonorrhea is quite unusual."

"Excuse me?"

"Does your pride make you believe that I wouldn't notice? I can even smell it from here, unfortunately."

Moka blushed profusely.

"W-What are you talking…?"

"However you think of me, please don't try to insult my intelligence by denying your ailment. You're dying to scratch it."

"…Please," Moka muttered, scratching furiously at her crotch. "This is…how could I…?"

"How?"

"Yes! I'm a vampire, and I know we aren't susceptible to these…_human_ diseases; and as much as Ria has been sleeping around, why am I inflicted?"

"That's why I wanted to discuss what 'bloodmate' really means. It's a term that has become more or less as outdated as 'matrimony' is to humans; however, it has more dire connotations."

"What do you mean?"

"The Blood Bonding Rites, the ritual in which you and your lover become Bloodmates, when you two bond you do more than symbolically become one, you also physically become one. The two of you share each other's powers, strengths, and even a mental connection that flows along a spiritual path; basically you loaned a portion of your power, willingly to him. The moment that spiritual connection became strained or confused, your physical connection to your own power became distorted."

"…Wha?" Moka asked, frozen in disbelief.

"The further he is away from you, the weaker you become; you are only half your original strength! It is not like human women or, to an extent Ria, where the consequences of such actions are or a moral nature if anything, this here is both spiritual and physical. No doubt Tsukune is feeling it to and he probably doesn't even notice it; his mental state certainly seems to be a part of it. And, for one thing his lack of hunger is equally disturbing, more than just a mental depression, but his body's warning systems aren't doing their job and he'll likely collapse. Luckily for him, his union with Ria will offer him a new reservoir of power, but if that happens your connection will be lost, permanently."

_What? _ Moka's outer persona asked, fear and shock gripped tightly in her voice.

"I don't believe this!" Moka responded. "First, I'm humiliated by Gin, then I and my unborn child is set to die, and now this! Why is all of this happening to me, mother? What did I do to deserve these misfortunes?"

She glances out the window in her maudlin display and happens to notice the same, exact ice cream stand where it all began, the very place where her motives for a better future for their children drove her to such extreme actions. Moka hadn't forgotten how cruel humans could be, that much remained unchanged, but now she loathed them even more for how they destroyed her marriage and her family. And, if she ever again has the chance to reunite with him, she'll gladly bite the bullet and hide any or all disdain for the human race; it was a small price to pay, after all.

At a nearby strip mall, a young attractive woman mills about the local stores, window shopping for something eye pleasing, yet affordable to buy when suddenly she hears a commotion.

"GET HIM!" Yelled a boy as he and his friends come chasing a hapless, young victim along so fast that the wind they kick up very nearly ruffled up her skirt.

Stunned, she watched as the group catches up with the little boy and begin beating, kicking and stomping their quarry, showing no mercy. The woman looks around to see if anyone plans on stopping this, only to be dismayed at the lack of attention, as if no one cared what was happening.

"HEY!" She finally yelled, no longer able to stand by and watch this. "HEY, GET OFF OF HIM!"

"Let's get out of here!" One of them yelled as they all fled, leaving their victim lying on the floor, sobbing.

"Its okay, are you alright, did they hurt you, badly?" She asks, consoling the child.

"M-M-Mommy!" He sobbed.

"It's gonna be okay, everything's gonna be alright," she reassured as she tenderly hugs the boy. "Do you know where your mommy is, I'd be happy to take you to her."

"HEY!" An angry voice suddenly split the air, startling the woman. "I SEE YOU, KID!"

"Shit!" She heard the boy hiss as he quickly wrenches loose from her grip and raced away as a large security guard came marching towards them.

"Excuse me!" The woman asked. "Just what do you think you're doing? You scared that poor little boy that you should have been watching!"

"Huh? Oh, I've been watching him and his friends, ma'am; I just saved you a bunch of embarrassment."

"Um, what?"

"That 'poor little' boy you were with, while you were busy hugging him, had his cell phone out and was recording up your skirt!"

"Huh?" She asked, instinctively looking around her short skirt as if doing so would catch the act.

"These kids around here have been doing this prank for about a year or two," he explained, "where they spot some attractive young woman in a mini skirt, pretend to beat each other up, and while she's busy helping the poor kid, either he or one of his buddies comes up behind and does an up skirt voyeur pic that they upload to YouTube without her knowledge. We've tried stopping it, but they keep on doing it so we just advise everybody to ignore 'em or at least call it in. Unfortunately, every so often they find a born victim who falls for it; no offense, ma'am."  
>"Y-You can't be serious? What kind of kids would do that just for a peek up my skirt?"<p>

"Heh, obviously you don't have kids, lady!"


	36. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

_Careless Whisper_

Dawn was not Ria's favorite time of the day; found it hard to handle mornings well. The crisp, clean feel it gave after the night had faded always felt like nature's cruel way of washing away the previous evening's activities she'd enjoyed, creating this feeling of being cleansed without her consent. And, as an unrepentant deviant, she didn't need to feel any kind of shame to begin with. She didn't want anyone judging her, she liked being dirty, it was honest and pure and ultimately satisfying; she did not do well during mornings.

Her dark sunglasses showed a woman who craved the sins of the dark rather than someone eager to be out and about on a bright, sunny day which always left a bad taste in her mouth and dampened the mood, something that the family's underlings have come to recognize, and yet as she sat in the conference room of one of their Fairy Tale branch offices clad in skin tight, fully covered black dress suit, shapely legs crossed impatiently, Ria wondered what was so important for this nervous, little peasant whom typed furiously on a laptop to dare bother his superiors, now.

"Goodness," she sighed, her leather gloved hand tenderly massaging the sides of her temples as though trying in vain to calm a massive hangover, when in reality she was trying to fight back the urge to bodily and violently harm this man.

"I know you don't like being here at this time and hour," he said, nervously.

"Why _am_ I here, what are you doing? I had to drive all night just to see something you so far haven't shown me…What am I looking at?"

He hands her the lap top, showing her a myriad of pie charts and columns that served to be more perplexing than she realized, but what was clear was that something on this web page warranted attention.

"These figures, Ma'am show a sudden drop in the organization's finances; it just happened last night without warning."

"So, it's another rodent trying to pilfer some of our merchandise," Ria simply deduced. "Ascertain what it was and I'll sniff out the rat!"

"But, mistress that's just it, nothing was stolen."

"What?" She asked, removing the glasses now that her interest has been piqued.

"Um, yes that's the strange part, my mistress. I've checked inventory from branches all over the globe and not one thing has been missing. It seems that, someone has hacked our systems and dipped into the account."

"A hacker? That's impossible, our fire walls are the best in the world, the moment anyone tried to breach it, we'd be on them before they knew what hit them!"

"I couldn't agree more, but somehow…it just looks as though they knew all of security and bypassed the firewall."

"How?"

"…Um…"

"Well?" Ria demanded, growing angry. "Spit it out, little man."

"…It, um…appears they used one of your passwords."

"….What?"

"I don't know how they found out, but that's what I was able to discover, mistress. Perhaps during one of your, um, trysts you may have accidentally…"

"How bad is it, fool?"

"How bad is what?"

A glare from her caused him to instantly get her meaning.

"Oh, um, I-I know from the looks of things what they took seems small, but trust me they made off with a hefty sum."

"…How much of a 'hefty sum' are we talking about?"

"…About…11,000 yen…ma'am."

Her mouth didn't drop nor did she utter a scream or react out of surprise; however, by judging her robust bosom alone, which he occasionally glanced at under careful discretion, where he noticed how it's methodical movements of up and down suddenly stopped momentarily after those figures were read, he could tell she was just as nervous about this as himself.

"…Who else knows about this?" She finally asked, a question that he was keen to pick up as not being an easy one to answer, especially with the people he worked for. An underling he may be, but one who hadn't gotten to where he is by being stupid, either.

"…I can assure you," he replied, "this information is in good hands, and will continue so, so help me."

She looked up at him with enormous brown eyes, eyes that while beautiful, made him feel like little red riding hood staring at the big bad wolf; and yet, he would not be so stupid as to say anything that might harm him.

"Duffy," he replied with a modest grin. "Ewynn Duffy."

"Mr. Duffy, I am placing my trust in you; see that you guard it with your life."

"Y-Yes ma'am. As if my life depended on it."

"Good man," she said, and prepares to leave. "Keep me informed if anything else develops."

"Yes ma'am," he says after her, and the moment she leaves, lets out a giant, nervous sigh of relief.

As Ria steps into her limo, she remains oblivious to the leering, shadowy figure staring down from its perch high on top of the building. The mysterious Akua eyed her adversary stoically like a falcon, one who had already set into motion actions that will help make the planned kill, but upon seeing Ria in the flesh after so, the first since being literally stabbed in the back four years ago, stirred up feelings of love and hate she had long thought buried. Hatred, definitely, but the love wasn't any kind of sisterly bonding she felt for Moka, but rather the love a cat has for its favorite plaything, and it was so strong that it forced her to relive a moment in their shared past.

It was many years ago, when as a mere teen circumstances had sent her to live with her father and to serve as one of his lethal assassins. She proved her worth effortlessly the moment she crossed his threshold by soundly and quite violently defeating Kahlua, the eldest of his legitimate daughters and one of his strongest, so far. As she stood in his throne room, hovering coldly over her sister's prone form, bleeding, twitching in agony, and crying out of pain and shame, their father proudly proclaimed:

"Congratulations; you have proven yourself to this family."

"Thank you, father," she said, humbly bowing.

With a loud clap from him, a door opened and in glided a tall, shapely dark haired woman in a fully covered, form fitting black dress.

"Oh me, oh my," the woman said, her gloved fingers cradling against her pale cheeks in mock surprise as she surveyed the carnage. "I take it she passed the test, my Lord?"

"Ria, you are to escort your sister to her quarters," he ordered. "Make her feel at home; she'll be serving opposite Kahlua as one of my top enforcers."

"How overjoyed we all are, my Lord," she said, though with hardly any enthusiasm, and then she looks Akua over as though this little girl from the orient was worth being in their presence.

"Go; I must tend to Kahlua."

"As you wish, my Lord," Ria said with false obedience, which Akua was too keen to pick up. "Come, I'll see that you are well taken care of, Mrs…?"

"Akua."

"Akua; well, follow me."

The little girl shadowed this buxom, curvaceous woman whose round bottom and hips swayed almost mockingly before the slim and short girl, who saw such attributes as cumbersome, especially in battle, only serving to be for mere show in a rather cheap display. She was a fat pig, squeezed into Ceram wrap with the long hair of a concubine trailing behind; an unimpressive appearance. Yet, as skanky and stuck up as this woman was, Akua noticed how frightened all the servants, even the men, were in her presence, which seemed to be more than the standard respect someone of her station should receive; this gave Akua the impression that this smug, older sister of hers who exuded a fake beauty and a concealed ugliness also conveyed great power, power worth the taking, though she kept quiet her ambitions.

"In here," Ria demanded, leading the girl into her private chambers and up to a small table. "Before we begin the tour, lets you and me have a little fun. Tell me, do you play games?

"On occasion," she quietly replied.

"Pull up a seat. Have you played chess?"

"Chess?"

"Yes; surely you've heard of chess where you from?"

Akua could help, but notice a hint of racism and xenophobia from her elder, half-sister; yet, nevertheless she continued to play it cool like a snake biding its time.

"I've seen it played."

"How often?" Ria asked as she sets up the board.

"On occasion," came Akua's curt reply, but Ria either hadn't notice it or was too preoccupied in setting up the pieces to care.

"I like playing chess; I feel it allows one to learn a lot about the other. Take for instance the black pieces, my favorite, and imagine these pieces represent this family, with father as the black king and me, his vaunted Right Hand as his black queen. It's the job of the queen, you see, to guard her king; she is the most powerful piece on the board, she has to be if she's to be of any use to him and succeed in eliminating all threats _without_ fail. You cannot help, but find some parallel to the natural stations life gives us, wouldn't you agree?"

"…Sure, why not?" Akua asked and quietly takes her place opposite Ria.

"I'll go first."

Akua had never bothered playing chess, and her inexperience with it was evident on her elder sister as she moved her black pieces with the expert precision of one who viewed such a game as learning material. However, as Akua put on a show of being consumed by the game and strategizing, she was actually studying the player, itself. She had been trained her entire life for one thing and one thing only, to read people like a book and like a predator, ascertain their weaknesses.

"So, Akua is it?" Ria asked. "I must admit this is the first I've heard of you. I don't mean to pry, but when did father encounter your mother?"

"She used to stay here, but later moved years ago," she responded.

"Oh me, oh my, what a shame. And, now you're here, wanting to serve father as one of his top assassins?"

"Yes."

"…I see. As my lord and master's humble Right Hand, I take my position deadly serious, as you must already know. I am very proficient at what I do for him; I hope the same can be said of you."

"I am good at what I do."

"I trust you are. He trusts you; you defeating Kahlua impressed him greatly, there are few alive who could do what you've done."

"Are you one of those few?"

"…Of course," Ria said with a dry chuckle. "Your gaming skills leave much to be desired, though."

"They do?"

"I guess they never taught you how important chess is in life; I like chess. It teaches you about strategy and to predict your enemy. Check."

Akua saw Ria's queen had already gotten within striking distance of her king, her next move will determine the game.

"If you'd like, I'd be happy to teach you while you live with us; your move?" Ria offered, but Akua declined.

"No. I don't like chess, chess is a fool's game."

"A fool's game?" Ria asked. "How so?"

"Chess only reinforces the delusion that war is neat and orderly," Akua replies, who then picks up her queen and plants it right next to Ria's king, in the now vacant spot where Ria's black queen had been. "When in reality, victory has always gone to the bold opportunists."

The two lock eyes, with Ria's cockiness all but evaporated at the blatant, audacious act this little girl committed, who maintained her cool, icy demeanor.

"…That's not how it's played," Ria calmly pointed out.

"I know," Akua said.

"Oh me, oh my, it looks as if we have a problem."

"I don't think so. Tsun Shu teaches that if one plays to their opponent's desires, then they will never gain the advantage, you see. That is something you agree, don't you sister?"

"Tzun Shu?"

"Surely, you've heard of him…where you're from?"

"...Cute child. I look forward to getting to know more about you."

"Good," Akua said, her icy face finally breaking into a small smirk.

That was years ago for the both fiends, and yet as Akua looked down she harbored no ill will towards the conniving sister. Instead, her emotions were like that of an over eager General eyeing a worthy adversary, an adversary she longed to see the look of abject surprise and crushing defeat upon her mascara lined face.

"I can't believe you had me bring me you here for this!" Said Ling Ling, the zombie sister of Fang Fang and one time sparring partner, slash enemy of Akua, but when it came to their mutual enmity towards Issa's two vampire sluts, especially after recently, they once again found commonality. "What is this, playing corporate espionage? That's small potatoes, even for you, Akua."

"Oh, ye of little faith," she replied. "Besides, why else would you volunteer to help me if this is so beneath you?"

"That's a good question. I admit, I had my reservations about working with you, but after what you told me, and how I feel about those two vamp-skanks I had to take part, even if it meant working with the likes of you. You sure this will work?"

"Oh yes. Mr. Ewynn Duffy is a weasel, but he's my kind of weasel; smart enough, cunning enough and reliable enough if properly compensated to have finalized everything the way we wanted. Is your family's business ready to cooperate?"

"Yes, we're ready. I hope this works."

"It will; my plans never fail."

"Cocky, as usual. You're always so confident, Akua; but tell me this, how sure are you that everything you heard is what it seems. What if your darling little sis simply isn't as perfect as she appears?"

Ling-Ling's words, as vindictive as they may have been, did appear to have a hint of truth to Akua, and though she tried to hide it, even with her old enemy, her eyes betrayed some deep thought.

"My Lady," said a Chinese operative standing next to a chopper. "We must go."

"We'll be right there!" Ling Ling announced. "Let's go!"

"No!"

"What?"

"You go back to your family, let them know I appreciated their cooperation; there's something I must do first, before I return to the States."

"...If you insist," Ling-Ling said, and as she flies away in her family's helicopter, watches Akua dark, shadowy figure grow smaller, worried about what may come from all of this.

XXX

Dawn was always Mizore's favorite time of the day, the sun's rays shining brilliantly at its brightest, illuminating the frozen darkness in a way that felt refreshing compared to the ugliness of yesterday, but nowhere was it most apparent than in her cold home, where frozen icicles would radiate with beautiful, pristine iridescence. It was one of the few things in her somber life that brought the snow woman great joy, even in a busy atmosphere at this, in which most of their visitors were still sleeping. As she roamed the lightly crowded abode, wondering how long the calm will last, she enters the kitchen expecting solitude to get breakfast going only to be startled by Tsukune's presence sitting alone at the table, holding a cup of tea he'd made.

"Tsukune?" She said, startled.

"…Huh? Oh, sorry Mizore, I…I must've…what time is it?"

She noticed the clothes he was wearing being the same from last night; in fact she remembered walking by his room and in her morning haze blindly failed to notice that his bed had not been slept in.

_Was he out all night_? She wondered.

"It's six in the morning," Mizore answered.

"Six," he replied in a soft, almost haze like state as though conversing with himself; the shock of having been sitting there since returning late last night never registering, his mind effected by what he experienced with Igraine, her husband Lotharius, and the events that transpired afterward.

**Last night…**

The coliseum was jam-packed as before, only now it had even more people than the last time, so much so that he had to stand near the entrance of one seating row as hundreds of spectators crowded in to see tonight's main event. Below, the icy ring shone brilliantly like a sheet of glass, while above the sky was a crimson red as if some ill omen of what was to come. Tsukune looked at pamphlet he was given that showed tonight's roster of competing champions and saw that the final one, but with top billing would be the elven warrior, Prince Lotharius, which made him eager to see what he was all about, especially after his run in. After much waiting around, the anxious crowd was on the verge of restlessness, eagerly awaiting for the first match to begin when Jack Frost finally relieved them of their stress.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" He announced. "FOR OUR FIRST MATCH, WE GREET OUR WARRIOR, HAILING FROM THE FROZEN WASTES OF NORTH EASTERN SIBERIA: ALMASTAE!"

Emerging from underneath Tsukune's end came a lumbering behemoth of hair and muscle, a veritable abominable snow creature that could rival Mizore's dad. Armed with only a club, the creature appeared to have everything set for his opponent on the other side, who was fully armored and brandishing two mighty axes.

"HIS OPPONENT; A MONSTER THAT NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION, FROM THE LAND OF ICY LAKES AND VIKING SHORES: GRUN, THE DESTROYER!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as this stocky, shorter, but red eyed brute with a massive face and a low brow boldly walked up to his towering foe with nary a look of hesitation on his face.

"You all know the rules, victory comes to the last man standing; anything goes! Now, without further ado, LET THE FIGHTING BEGIN!"

And so it was, one grueling match after another as these gladiators duked it out, their very blood staining the once pristine white ice as they literally fought to the death, while the crowd itself was ecstatic and blood lusted; cheering and jeering every time one got the better of the other, or collectively gasped whenever someone narrowly escaped death. Tsukune felt indifferent about who to root for, but was absorbed in the spectacle all around him, at how brutal and surreal this supposedly more peaceful than humans monster race had suddenly become on this strange occasion, reminding him of those Roman gladiator movies.

_Is this the vaunted monster race she was talking about?_ Tsukune thought in anger.

Match after match was like this, until finally, after much waiting came the contest he had been waiting for, the one that was being touted as some main event.

"FROM THE FARTHEST CORNERS OF ASGARD, RESPECTED BY THE BRAVEST WARRIORS OF VALHALLA ITSELF, AN ELVEN NOBLE OF COURAGE AND TENACITY: LOTHARIUS THE JUST!"

_The 'just'?_ Tsukune thought as the elf stepped out from under his end, where he could see how decked out he was in Germanic chain-mail armor, masked helmet, sword and shield, all shining brilliantly like silver when compared to all the left over gore all around.

The crowd all marveled over him, but Tsukune could only sense an aura of arrogance.

_I'd like to see who he's up against_, Tsukune thought bitterly.

"FROM THE FROZEN DEPTHS OF HELLA'S DUNGEONS, A CREATURE OF BRUTE STRENGTH FEARED BY ALL: BERSERKER THE INDOMITABLE!"

Out came this massive, ogre of a man far taller than anyone he'd seen so far, with bulging muscles underneath dark skin and scraggily hair covered in black soot, with massive hands carrying what appeared to be two, gigantic jaw bones as swords, stepping bare foot into the ring without the slightest concern about the cold. Though he was on the other side, Tsukune could feel the rage this creature emitted from his beady, black eyes that sank into the very depths of his tortured soul, and hear the creature grunting deeply that was unlike anything on earth.

"FIGHT!" Jack Frost yelled, and not soon had he done so than this Berserker creature launched into a lightning fast attack that would have caught even Moka by total surprise.

However, Lotharius was quick himself, immediately jumping out of the way of his opponent's devastating blow, and while in midair did something that just barely escaped Tsukune's notice right before landing. For a while, it looked as though both were taking a breather, as neither one moved nor faced the other, yet remained locked in the positions they landed in. Berserker, crouched after his strike, his massive arm still in the crater he had made with his one blow, meant for Lotharious, who was also crouched from having leapt over the beast, but was hardly breaking a sweat. Suddenly, the bestial giant lets out a roar, a roar that was not of rage or blood lust, but of sheering pain as blood gushes out of his shoulder blade, causing him to collapse.

It was then that Tsukune realized that as Lotharius had leapt over his opponent's head, he simultaneously, in the blink of an eye whipped out one of his swords and slashed a vital vein in the shoulder with surgical precision; such a move would have been impressive even for a werewolf or a vampire, but the elf wasn't done yet. The Indomitable Berserker, unable to close off the flow of blood, crumbled to his knees and was in poor shape to defend himself, which didn't slow down Lotharius. Tsukune watched as he, in another flash, sliced open the brute's back and lopped off his arm in one clean move, causing immeasurable pain for Berserker until before long his opponent was in a fetal position, lying in a pathetic mess on the floor, and at the mercy of Lotharius whom stood over like God.

The crowd, even his adoring fans, wanted to see blood and made their intentions known, while a few, very few cried out for mercy, including Tsukune. His voice was tiny and small, but whatever left was still human, wanted to jump down into the arena stop this madness right then and there, to show mercy even for a big monster like that, to end this barbaric nightmare once and for all and yet, he remembered Moka, remembered all that had happened, everything she did and all the crap she used to justify it all because of his humanity and his unwillingness to kill that part of him, to distance them from the cruel, malicious human world and accept this noble, superior existence that was before him. His confusion caused him to remain still and silent as Lotharius cruelly takes off Berserker's head with one, deliberately visible stroke of the blade, and held it up as a trophy for the adulation of his adoring public.

"The winner, LOTHARIUS THE MAGNIFICENT!" Jack Frost shouted.

In all, the match lasted barely two minutes, and as the elf prince proudly showed his victory prize, the look on his face showed he hadn't cared at all at what he'd done, and paraded the foul deed like it was sport; and the crowd nonetheless cheered like it was a job well done, showering him with praise, while some cursed because they lost a bet. Tsukune wasn't sure how to feel about any of it, but instead chose to take it all in stoically on the outside, despite the bitter taste.

_Is this what it means to be a monster_? He wondered. _Is this better than what humans are like, Moka? It must be, you cheated on me to prove it so._

To make this even worse, Tsukune saw the elf's own entourage step out into the arena to congratulate their prince, where amongst them was his former human, turned elven wife Igraine, whose braided, silky blonde hair stood out, more so than ever against the ice caked in blood. He saw her hug him, saw her smile and gaze wide eyed at the severed head Lotharius held overhead as though he wanted its blood to fall on her in some macabre, ritualistic show of carnal rapture.

As the stadium began to empty out, Tsukune found it difficult to get any further away than he wanted in this mass of people, forcing him to endure their callous comments about what happened and their praise of Lotharius.

"Wasn't he exquisite?" Some of the women asked.

"I knew it was going to be over when he stepped out on the ice," said one portly fellow next to Tsukune said to his friends, who then suddenly asked him. "Hey, what'd you think? The guy was some cool as ice shit, wasn't he?"

"Yeah," he replied brusquely, eager to get out of the conversation, only to hear more cheers erupt and looked up to see Lotharius and his entourage walk out with Igraine following behind.

Though the people adored him, he looked like he could hardly care as the prince literally marched on through as his companions pushed everyone out of his way. It was only when some attractive women threw some article of clothing his way did he pause and indulge them with a glance, allowing them privilege of taking pictures with him. It was then that Tsukune and Igraine locked eyes with each other, and he could see a slight, pinkish bruise on her nose, like she'd ran into the wall and broke it; she then looked away in embarrassment. It was obvious to him what had happened, who the culprit was even as he neglected his wife to mingle with other women; all in all it was sickening. But, a most perplexing sight happened: the prince draped his massive arm around Igraine and kissed her passionately, in which she kissed him back, lovingly.

Was it love or a show, Tsukune didn't know, but regardless it didn't ease the pain and confusion roiling on within him, or the mounting depression taking control of his common sense. He needed to spend some more time in the night, needed more time to think and allow himself to become consumed by the darkness; it was the only thing that made sense, now.

**Now**

If that was what it meant to be of their kind, Tsukune rationalized, if that was the first step to transcending his ignorant humanity, then so be it.

"You know, Mizore, I feel fine," he lied to her.

"Really?" She asked, unconvinced. "But, you haven't slept at all last night."

"I don't know what to tell you; I've never felt better. Don't be so human, Mizore; I can handle lack of sleep just like the next vampire."

"_Don't be so human_?" She asked, more to herself than to him as the phrase deeply concerned her.

"You heard the great and powerful vampire," Hiba said, appearing behind her with an armful of wooden furniture. "He doesn't need a nurse maid."

"You're up early," Tsukune said.

"Well, we have a house full of guests that aren't going to care for themselves. My wife and I need to get started for the day."

"…R-Right, I should get breakfast started; would you like anything, Tsukune?"

"…Coffee would be nice."

"Coffee? Okay, coffee it is. Oh, by the way, the family and I…we were planning to see the sled races today; would you like to come?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Good…that's great, I mean it'll be great!"

Mizore has always been one to mask her emotions well beneath an icy countenance as was the norm amongst her people, but looking back at the once "human" friend sitting at the kitchen table as she prepared breakfast, if he had bothered to look up just once, he would have seen great pain etched indelibly across her opaque eyes.

_What is happening?_ She wondered fearfully, not just for herself, but for her friend. _Something is wrong. He isn't acting himself. I must help him, but how?_

At around high noon everyone was fully awake and fed, their expectations heightened to behold today's events with Tsukune in tow once again, who noticed the surrounding having taken on a new appearance and feel. It was a family atmosphere once more, but now all around him kids were wearing some sort of racing paraphernalia, while their parents carried little flags with racer's team names on, all of it reminding him of those NASCAR races he'd seen on American TV.

"My husband has worked hard to prepare his sled for this year's event," Tsurara boasted. "He's gotten the finest parts in all the snow kingdoms; there is no way he'd come in last like last time!"

"You really think father will be safe?" Mizore asked.

"Of course, you need not worry."

"I only wish honorable father would let me help," Hiba lamented. "But, if he's confident on doing it alone, then so be it."

"I hate these races," Mizore said. "I always feel on edge when he goes out on the ice; you know how fast these things go."

"He is too old," Hiba added. "It would take a younger man with faster reflexes to participate!"

By the way they were talking, Tsukune concluded that this event was no less dangerous than the others, but after everything that has happened, who was he to complain.

"Now, stop this, both of you and show your support!" Tsurara scolded.

"Oooh, oooooh!" Yuki went, pointing excitedly at some novelty balloons. "Momma, momma! Gimme!"

"Not now, Yuki, we're almost there."

"But, I wanna balloon!"

"Yuki, you heard your mother!" Hiba scolded. "Besides, what happened the last time we bought you a balloon?"

"I promise I won't let it goooo!" She whined.

Tsukune noticed a booth with a bunch of large, stuffed dolls that had a polar bear amongst them that was as large as the kids themselves, and thought it would be a good way to sedate her.

"Hey, why don't I get you a stuffed toy, instead?" He asked, kindly. "Would that be better?"

"W-Will it be a big toy?"

"The biggest!"

"We don't have time to get any toys," Hiba expressed.

"What would it hurt to take a few minutes to win the kids a stuffed animal? It is normal here, right?"

"Why, of course it is," Tsurara agreed. "Mizore, Hiba lets go win the little snow flurries a stuffed animal, your father isn't going to get his ride going anytime soon, anyway; trust me."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," Mizore said, but Hiba grumbled his discontent, feeling outnumbered while this interloper swoons his family.

"Let's see what we have here," Tsukune said upon reaching the booth, which was a ball throwing game where six icicles stacked upside down on each other were the targets.

"Want to try your luck?" Asked the jolly looking, bearded carny. "You get three throws per try for ten yen."

"Ten yen!" Hiba exclaimed.

"Yep, ten yen for three throws; your call."

"Oh daddy, please!" Yuki pleaded. "I want the polar bear one!"

"I don't care," Setsura said nonchalantly, her head in another video game.

"I got some money I can lo…," Tsukune offered, but Hiba cut him off flat out.

"I don't need any loans! I got enough to do this."

"So, who's stepping up to the plate?"

"…Me," Hiba said with an exasperated sigh and firmly planting ten yen before the showman. "For one try!

"You get three chances," the man warned.

"Fine."

Hiba is presented with three snowballs packed so tightly that they felt hard, and with a strong windup pitches each ball flying past their intended targets.

"Aw, better luck next time, Mr."

"…Let's go," Hiba grumbled, frustrated and humiliated.

"AWW, but I want a stuffed animal!" Yuki whined.

"Daddy tried, dear; we'll just have to buy you one we go home," Mizore tried to placate.

"What about me?" Tsukune offered. "Maybe I can give it try?"

"Ooh, oooh, can he daddy, please, please, pleeeeease!" Yuki pleaded on Tsukune's behalf.

"Hm, let's see if the outsider can succeed where others failed!" The carny loudly boasted, his declaration drawing a few curious eyes his way. Tsukune, a little embarrassed, but hardly showing it in deference of his monstrous peers, nonetheless gives him ten yen, determined to win the doll and perhaps prove himself to everyone.

"Put me down for three," Tsukune said.

"Show us what you're made of, stranger," said the carny.

"Yes Aono, let's all see what you can do," Hiba echoed.

With on snowball in hand, Tsukune narrowed his eyes and focused on the target as if analyzing the very structure, checking for any faults in its design or for any inconsistencies that would suggest a con.

_I see_, he thought, spying the ruse.

It was an optical illusion, one where the tower of icicles seemed closer than they really were, causing many a pitcher like Hiba to over throw and thus miss the target; it was clever, but not good enough to deceive him.

"Don't mean to rush ya, but," the carny said, "sometime before Christmas."

With a dry smirk, Tsukune leans forward, careful to hide the ball behind his back from the carny's prying eyes where he infused a bit of his own vampire powers into it, wound up for the pitch and, like a canon shot, flung the ball with enough force that, thought missing the tower completely, created a strong enough gust of wind to cause the tower to collapse anyway. Baffled at what just happened, the carny declared:

"…Uh, uh, th-that doesn't count!"

"The object of the game is one throw, knock the icicles over and win a prize," Tsukune argued. "I knocked the icicles down, you owe me a prize."

"You have to be able to hit the target son, not cause it to fall over, accidentally!"

"Where does it say that?" Tsurara jumped in.

"It doesn't have to be written anywhere, it's my booth and my rules, lady, and I say you have to hit the target!"

"Mighty difficult to do when you have the ice positioned too far away to hit," Tsukune pointed out.

"Wait, what!" Hiba exclaimed. "You mean, I could have made those shots if it wasn't for you; I want my money back!"

"Take it easy, your friend here don't know what he's talking about!" The carny argued.

"And, in a way I _did_ hit the ice," Tsukune said. "The force from the ball is what caused it to fall over; quit being a sore loser, Santa, and give me my prize!"

The comment caused the jolly cheater to chafe, but he seemed unwilling to budge.

"N-No way, you have two more tries, you either take them or leave!"

"You old cheat!" Tsurara accused.

"I want a stuffed toy!" Yuki whined again, this time on the verge of crying, which made Tsukune's blood boil and he felt like reaching over and strangling the life out of the guy.

_Perhaps I should_, he thought darkly. _Why not? Get what you want is the way for us to live, right Moka?_

"Very well, then I guess we'll have no choice but to take our complaint to the Snow Priestess," Mizore nonchalantly warned, intervening before things got out of hand.

"Excuse me!" The fat operator asked.

"You don't know who we are? I am Mizore Hibagon, formerly of Shirayuki and on good terms with the Priestess."

"S-Shirayuki?"

"And, the man you're trying to rip off is Tsukune Aono, vampire lord and son of Issa Shuzen; neither of them would like knowing that you, a guest in our village, was trying to rip either of us off!"

Mizore smiled as the fat man began to sweat and consider his options.

"Wow, look at the size of it!" Yuki yelled as she carried her massive stuffed polar bear toy through the crowds.

"What do we say?" Mizore asked.

"Thank you, uncle Tsukune!"

"It's no trouble, really," he replied.

"It was sure nice of that man to offer us a full refund to cement our win," Tsurara jovially pointed out.

Hiba grumbled his approval, whereas Tsukune came away with a sense of exhilaration having just used his powers to get what he wanted. He felt there was no game, corrupt or otherwise that could stand up to his might; it was a feeling that had never dawned on him before.

At last they arrived at the racing arena, an icy strip for a track that curved and wound around the snow field, and to the side were a number of pit crews working on an odd assortment of vehicles that were to participate. It was here, next to what looked like a high powered sleigh that Mizore's hulking, yeti of a father worked on his ride's engines, his normally white fur stained with dark grease and soot.

"GRANDPA!" Yuki squealed as she joyously ran up to him, whom greeted her with a happy grunt and hoists her up with his big, hairy arms like a toy doll.

"Oh husband, still having problems with the engine?" Tsurara mused. "Honestly, you should have gotten a new one."

"Honorable father," Hiba courtesy acknowledged.

"Father, you remember Tsukune?" Mizore introduced.

"It's a…pleasure to see you again," Tsukune greeted.

"Grrrr," her father greeted, which by now Tsukune has come to accurately interpret the patriarch's growls from pleasant to hostile as well as the family, though the hefty handshake would have left little doubt that he was glad to see him, much to Hiba's annoyance.

"Grr, grrr, grrrrr?" He whispered in his wife's ear.

"I'm not sure if he will…It's a bit touchy, but we'll see," she responded.

"Problem with your…ride?" Tsukune asked, examining it.

"Grrr."

"Father says the engine keeps flooding," Mizore replied. "It is old; he's used it since he was in high school, but he's confident he'll get it up and running before the race starts."

"Father, I beg you to please allow me to aid you in this endeavor," Hiba offered. "I can work on your crew, maybe even drive the sleigh as an alternate; I assure you I will bring honor to your family."

It was clearly evident that Hiba desperately wanted to participate in this race both to live up to his father-in-law's expectations and to show off for his family, but the response given and the look on his face told Tsukune that the answer wasn't what he was hoping for.

"Grrrr, grrrr, grr, grr, grrr, grrrrr."

"What did he say?" Tsukune asked.

"He said that since we're all here, we can help clear the area while Hiba goes for some fuel cleaner," Mizore said.

"Come children," Tsurara said, putting Yuki down next to her sister and grabbing a couple of large push brooms, "we can smooth the ice around the sleigh so grandpa can get ready to pull out, in no time!"

"Okay!" Yuki cheerfully complied, standing like a soldier ready to do her duty.

"M'kay," Setsura simply replied.

"You need me to do anything, sir?" Tsukune asked.

"Yes, he wants you to pick up any tools or parts lying around that might obstruct his path," Tsurara explained.

"I think I'll help him do that," Mizore volunteered. "Show him what goes where."

"What?" Hiba asked, stunned.

"Good idea," her mother replied with a pleased smile.

"Hiba," said Mizore, indicating that he should do his part, however there appeared on his face the unmistakable look of bitter, gut punching betrayal that Tsukune was all too keen on. But, why feel this way over a simple errand, he could not figure out.

"He really needs all of this for a sleigh?" Tsukune muttered to himself as he picked up bolts, oil soaked pipes and what looked to be a part from an air filter.

"Yes," Mizore replied, nearly startling him as she stood close behind him. "Up here, our sleighs are highly advanced and can travel faster than reindeer can fly."

"Uhh, okay."

"…Tsukune, now that we're alone, I think we need to talk."

He kind of sensed what it would be about, but made no effort to stop her; if she was going to pry, then she was going to pry, he reasoned.

"You know," he started to say. "I never felt so alive than when we were at that booth, shaking that piece of shit down with our power."

"That's what I want to talk to you about. You haven't been yourself ever since you first showed up here, it's like you're a different person and I'm worried about you. You don't eat, you've hardly slept, and you look terrible…and…"

"Hey Mizore, could you hand me that wrench?"

"…And, you don't even seem to care. You're…you're not the person I once knew; you've changed."

"I just know, if anyone tries to cheat me again like that fat carny," he warned, his voice edgier, "I'll put him in his…Whatever."

"I know she hurt you, Tsukune."

The sentence caused him to slow his busy pace and though Tsukune hid his face from view, Mizore sensed she had found a sensitive area, but rationalized that it had to be breached, so as to come to the very heart of the problem.

"Moka hurt all of us."

"Don't," he warned, without looking up at her.

"What she did…no words can describe the betrayal we all felt, because she betrayed all of us, betrayed everything we believed in her, but I imagine it must've felt much, much worse for you to be there when…when it happened. I keep thinking, if things had been different between you and me, if we had known sooner…"

"Isn't that just like a monster? Thinking about what you want and not considering other people."

"No!" Mizore says, realizing he must think she was referring to her and him marrying instead of the paths they'd chosen, thereby resulting in her two daughters never having been born. "That isn't what I meant at all! I meant, if there was anything I could have done to keep you from marrying her, I…"

"Well you couldn't, because there was nothing; all of it was my responsibility, not yours. I was weak, and stupid, a hapless boy blinded by foolish, human emotions; that's not going to happen again."

"…You're not some boy. Don't let her make you see yourself as that."

"Or?"

"Or? I'm not trying to give you an ultimatum; that's not what you do if you truly care about someone. I'm your friend Tsukune, I only want to…"

"Well, look at this shabby spectacle!" He heard a familiar voice boast loudly, drawing his attention to the last figure he wanted to see.

"Lord Lotharius, what an honor it is to have you participating in this event," said one of the women from the village.

"Will you be racing today?" Another asked.

"No; I'll leave that to one of my subordinates," he said with an air of smug indifference. "I'll be watching from the VIP section, I only wanted to a closer look at this…'race course'. Excuse me."

Tsukune didn't see Igraine with him, and it started to worry him.

"Forget about me, Mizore," he told her.

"What?"

"There's something I gotta see," he said and left a baffled, but no less troubled Mizore to watch him trail the towering elfish warrior, till they came to some frozen steps that led up in to an icy turret built into a cliff face looking over the race track.

_The VIP section_, he thought.

A pair of guards stood vigilantly at the entrance to the stairs, only allowing certain, well off people entry, causing him to worry that he wouldn't get in and looked desperately for a way to sneak on by.

_Come on, there's got to be something!_

It was just by luck that he happened to spot a catering vehicle parked nearby, it's rear doors opened to a most welcoming sight of silver trays full of cold edibles, each being periodically carried up the staircase by caterers. There was always someone nearby to make sure the food was properly guarded, but occasionally it would be abandoned, which gave Tsukune an idea.

Sneaking up to the vehicle, but careful to keep out of sight, he timed each person going in and out with the food until it was safe long enough to steal aboard and grab a tray to carry out and mascaraed as one of the staff. But, just as he was about to turn around, confident he'd gotten away with it, a voice behind him yelled:

"Hey!"

The gig was up, and Tsukune knew he'd have no way of explaining this or avoiding prosecution, though he hardly cared what happened to him. It was the shame of being caught in the act that affected him, the bitter realization that he lacked the daring someone like Gin or Moka has; it was the all too human sensation of shame that made this unbearable.

"…Look," he said, turning around to face the music. "I can explain…"

"Weren't you supposed to be upstairs already dealing with that ice sculpture?" The lead caterer asked, and it was then that Tsukune realized that they all wore outfits nearly identical to his own.

_He must think I work for him?_ Tsukune reasoned, realizing he didn't need to carry any trays at all to slip on by.

"I could've sworn I sent you up to the café just a minute ago; what in frozen hell are you doing down here, dicking around for?"

"…Uhh, I realized that…I forgot to bring up some sandwiches to put around the sculptor; yeah."

"That's Hibiki's job, numbnuts; now, get back up there and do what I pay you for!" The supervisor berated. "While you're here, take the keg up there with ya!"

"Um, yes boss!" Tsukune said and grabbed it without hesitation, relieved he was able to pull this off.

"Hold it!" The Supervisor stopped him.

"Y-Yes, sir?" Tsukune asked, careful not to look directly into his eyes, worried he might come to his senses and realize he isn't an employee.

"Where's your tag?"

"My tag?"

"Your name tag!"

"I…lost it, sir. Sorry."

"It's coming out of your pay; now get on up there!" The supervisor barked. "Damn part timers."

Now passed the hard part, he casually walks past the guardsmen and heads up into the VIP building. Once inside, Tsukune was greeted with what some might consider an ice covered wonderland of fabulously dressed people and icy decorations, with all the debauchery of upper level snow people hobnobbing like the rich and famous. Women wore elaborate gowns adorned with diamonds or other clear looking crystals that could pass off as ice, their alabaster skin radiating within this frozen palace. Their male escorts were adorned like princes in full, royal splendor, making him seem extremely out of place, while tables full of fine dishes and cool wine were on full display for their indulgence.

_What the hell am I doing here_? Tsukune wondered bitterly_. I don't belong with these people._

He was all set to abandon this endeavor when he happened to spy a flash of light blonde hair from the corner of his eye and finally saw Igraine wrapped around Lotharius' arm like arm candy as he chats with two women. Uncertain of what to do next, Tsukune at last resolves himself to talk to her one more time, even if it was for a moment, to convince her of how foolish it is to remain with that guy and cautiously saunters closer with the keg hiding his face from view. From his vantage point he could see how beautiful she looked in her elegant, sleeveless white flowing gown that showcased her slender shoulders, and hair done up in a magnificent long braid, while matching white gloves were draped all along Igraine's thin arms; Tsukune could not help, but admit some level of sexual infatuation deep inside, enough to spur him forward. It was a fool's errand though, as long as that bastard prince remained firmly attached to her; Tsukune realized he had to separate the two, somehow. However, with his loins overcoming reason, he was determined to be a little risky and as he came by, lightly taps her svelte backside, hoping it would grab the woman's attention.

_Hope it worked_, he silently prayed.

As he glanced back from behind the keg, he was relieved to see her looking over at him with Lotharius being none the wiser. There was a look of surprise on her face he was keen to pick up on and nods his head toward the ice sculpture to signal that he wanted to speak with her alone.

_So far, so good_.

There was a look of fear and reluctance on her face, like a kid who knew she shouldn't do something she was told not to do and for a while it looked as though his efforts would be in vain, but reluctantly she timidly said something to Lotharius, who appeared to be disinterested either way, that lets her go free.

_Come on_! Tsukune silently coached. _Come on, this way_!

He didn't wave to her, knowing how risky this was, but stuck his head out just enough for her to see him, while she warily looks over her shoulders constantly at her husband. Nevertheless, a smile came to Tsukune's face when she was finally within reach of him, a smile which quickly faded when he saw the pinkish bruise about her right eye.

"H-He do that to you?" Tsukune asked upon grabbing a hold of her arms.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered.

"Did…he…do that to you?"

She gingerly tried hiding the bruise, as if more humiliated that it was so visible rather mortified by it.

"Its punishment, that's all," she explained.

"Punishment!?"

"You shouldn't be here! If my beloved finds me talking to you…!"

"Then come away with me, I'll keep you safe," he said with a confident smirk.

"…Why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious? To see you."

"Me; why? There's nothing to talk about?"

"But, there is a reason to see you. Igraine, come spend the night with me. From the first time I laid eyes on you, I knew I had to make you mine."

"Tsukune? Y-You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I? Come away with me Igraine, and I'll…"

"No."

"No?"

"That's right! I love my husband; I would never do anything to jeopardize my marriage, not for anyone!"

"You call that love?" He asked, pointing to the bruise.

"I do. Do you want to know why he did what he did? It was because I kept talking about you!"

"That's his excuse for hitting you; because we had a little conversation? Igraine…!"

"Can you blame him, he thinks I'm cheating with you! Of course he's going to be mad!"

"For god sake he's abusing you, can't you see that?"

"My beloved made it clear that it was a onetime deal; so long as I remember my place, it will not happen again."

"Yes it will, if it's not over me then it'll be over something else! Come with me, you'll be safe and happy, I promise; you deserve to be happy. I can give anything you want; anything for the greatest woman in the world."

He couldn't put his finger on it, but Tsukune could swear he heard those words before. In fact, if not for his libido doing the thinking, it would dawn on him that he, himself was playing the home wrecker trying to woo someone else's wife.

"What is it that you deserve, Tsukune? Am I the happiness you seek or is your infatuation over me nothing more than a passing fancy?"

"Huh?"

"I've heard of your troubles; of your failing marriage! How do you know I'm not some quick rebound or indulgence? I have no desire of being some vampire's conquest. I, however have made my choice, and that is to be with the mate I swore to honor, for bad or for worse, and if my beloved said it's a onetime thing done out of punishment, then I have every reason to continue following him."

"You're only fooling yourself," Tsukune argued. "This ain't love; and what if my feelings are just for a moment, you deserve better than this! Look at your 'beloved', he's talking to other women right now; you think he gives a damn about you?"

"I have to go," she says, trying to leave before they are discovered. "Please, don't cross paths with me, again."

"No!" He says, forcefully keeping her from leaving.

"Tsukune, please! You have to let me go, before…!"

"I'm not letting you go," Tsukune said, his very nature becoming more possessive and more aggressive.

"YOU!" A voice from across the room suddenly bellowed, distracting the amorous Tsukune as it drew both their eyes and drained the color from Igraine's fair skinned face. "I thought I smelled a vole in the premises; unhand my wife!"

"Oh no," she gasped as she watched in horror of the tall elf marching furiously towards them through the crowd.

"Get behind me," Tsukune ordered, ready to meet him head on. "I won't let him hurt…"

"Beloved!" Igraine wrenches herself free and rushes over to humbly greet her beloved, submissively bowing her head to avoid any conflict, much to Tsukune's confusion. "Forgive me and this man; w-we were only…"

"SILENCE!" He barked, his furious, icy eyes all the while staring daggers at Tsukune.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Tsukune yelled back. "You ever hit her again, and I swear I'll do worse to you!"

"Will you really, _boy_! Normally, I'd take up that challenge, but a scraggily looking vampire whose own wife made a fool of him would be beneath my station!"

The room erupted into giggles and chuckles at Tsukune, enflaming his inner rage even more.

"However, I catch you attempting to take my wife again, and you'll know horrors far worse than your species can imagine! GUARDS! Remove this trash!"

"Forgive us, our Lordship," the guards say as they advanced. "We don't know how he got passed us!"

"_Stay back_!" Tsukune warned, the very aura of his vampiric energy rising over him like fire while the guard surrounded him as though he was a rabid dog that had somehow wondered into the dining room. All the while he heard hushed whispers from the VIP guests about his now already widely known reputation and shame, their words like daggers poking and prodding an already agitated animal:

"Is that really him?"

"Look at him!"

"I heard the man she slept with was supposed to be this stud in the sack."

"Probably a much better looking specimen, too."

Enraged beyond reasoning, Tsukune grabbed the nearest thing he could find, the wine table, and hoisted over his head ready to hurl it at the first person to anger him, with wine bottles falling all around his pants.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" He roared, then looked at Igraine. "Igraine! Igraine, come with me!"

But, Igraine would not budge and looked up at him as if he was more dangerous than the man she claimed to love. Nevertheless, with a hard kick by Lotharius, Tsukune was sent flying across the other room, table and all.

"Honestly, was it that hard?" Lotharius asked, casually cleaning the shoe he used to touch Tsukune and then looked down at his beloved wife before adding: "This hand might still be reserved for you."

"Beloved, please…"

"I'm not done yet," Tsukune growled as he struggled to get up.

"Oh no?" Lotharius asked, ready to deliver more humiliation to this obstinate intruder. "Guards!"

"That will be enough," said the Snow Priestess, whose elegant form entered the room like some merciful angel. "This is a get together and celebration, not the arena! Mr. Aono, it's been awhile; of course you've changed a great deal, I regret we hadn't met again under better circumstances."

"You normally allow your old acquaintances to crash your parties for your honored guests and to try to steal his wife?" Lotharius accused.

"Is this charge true?" She asked Tsukune, who doesn't respond and whose silence only left her in a difficult position.

"Well?" Lotharius asked.

"No, no I don't; leave him to me, my Lord. I will see to it he is removed immediately from your presence."

"Here are your parts and supplies, father," Hiba humbly proclaims after returning from his arduous and somewhat demeaning task of running errands when their pit receives an unexpected visit.

"Priestess!" Tsurara cried and bowed before her and her escort guard. "This is an honor to have you grace us with your presence!"

"Unfortunately, this is not a cordial visit, I'm afraid," she explained and then nods for one of the guard to roughly bring Tsukune forth.

"Hands off!" He snapped, violently.

"Tsukune?" Tsurara asked, stunned as was everyone else.

"Tsukune, what's going on?" Mizore asked.

"Nothing," was his response.

"Mr. Aono had broken into the VIP lounge, and caused a disturbance," the Priestess explained. "There were accusations placed on by one of the visiting dignitaries from the west, Lord Lotharius, that he was trying to seduce his wife."

Everyone looked at him, their faces stunned even whiter than usual, but none more so than Mizore.

"Grrr-rrrr-rr-rr," said the father.

"I agree; we're all sure those are baseless accusations," Tsurara said. "We know how elves are; stuck up and prone to overacting. But, we know Tsukune and he would never, even on his worst day attempt to…"

"It's true," Tsukune said.

"…It is?" Mizore asked.

"Except the part about me seducing his wife; she wanted to come with me and get away from _him_, but she was too brainwashed to see it!"

Tsurara and Mizore looked at their respective husbands, and they looked back, both unsure of what was becoming of their guest.

"Did uncle Tsukune get in a fight?" Yuki asked excitedly.

"No, little one, there was no fight," the Priestess responded.

"That's too bad, I bet he could beat that elf and take his woman!"

"Yuki!" Mizore scolded.

"Well, that's what we…"

"Enough! We thank you for bringing him back to us, Priestess."

"Mm, yes," she said and leaves.

For a while there was stunned silence, but then Mizore's father lets out a grunt, in which Tsurara declares:

"Alright, folks lets help get this sleigh out onto the ice, our star racer isn't going to win this on foot!"

"We'll be right there, mother!" Mizore calls back.

"Mizore!" Hiba said.

"Husband…"

Mizore casts a meaningful glance at him as she was never one to disobey her husband, and yet something had to be said to Tsukune about his odd behavior, which Hiba begrudgingly had to concede lest there be more trouble made later on.

Hiba wanted to say something, but his glare at Tsukune said more than enough. At last alone, Mizore didn't waste time getting to the heart of the matter.

"What's gotten into you?"

"It's nothing."

"Nothing? Tsukune, you were trying to steal another man's wife; on top of your recent, destructive behavior!"

"I wasn't trying to steal anyone; you gonna believe them over me?"

"She said…"

"Igraine doesn't know what she wants! Well, I'll fix that, I'll make her mine in no time and she'll realize what she's been missing!"

"But, Tsukune…she's a married woman! Are you telling me you intend to sleep with a married woman and destroy a marriage?"

"Maybe; why is that so wrong? Look around! We're not humans, we're monsters, and monsters get what they want! I'm on a break and I intend to have someone to enjoy it with, maybe even have a mistress or two!"

Mizore was flabbergasted at what was coming out of his mouth of this strange man standing before her whose brown eyes showed not one ounce of remorse or regret; it was not the man who, just a few years ago taught her cold heart what warmth felt like.

"Who are you kidding? This isn't you, Tsukune and you know it."

"Maybe I'm just now finding my true self, Mizore; just took a while is all."

"Your true self? No, you're turning into him. You starting to act and sound like Gin because right now you're willing to do to someone else what he did to you! Is that what you want? Huh?"

"MAYBE HE WAS RIGHT!" Tsukune suddenly snapped. "Maybe, I want to be just like him; it never occurred to you? He was the man, the big man all along and now…it's time I manned up. We through?"

"…He isn't a real man, you are…at least you were. Don't remember, everything you taught us, everything that made you a good person? Your words, your actions and all that was you, because they _were_ good; you gave each of us a reason to live, and there was more to than base desires."

"Well, I was wrong, Mizore. Sorry I screwed with your head all those years ago; we done?"

Without waiting for a response from the distraught Mizore, Tsukune goes to join the rest of the family with nary a sign of distress in his posture.

All of a sudden everything around Mizore's snow white environment felt so very cold.

_That's not true_, she kept thinking to herself. _It's not, you're lying to yourself, and you don't want this I know you don't!_

_X X X_

Late that night, Gin Morokei was at his bachelor pad drying his wet hair after having just washed away his disastrous date with Moka Aono; half naked with only a few drying towels for cover, looking forward to chilling and getting drunk. The night was still young, though and he figured afterward he could call up some hookers to polish off his cock, hoping they would help him forget Moka. Just then, he hears the familiar tone of his computer signaling an impending vid chat, and realizing no one but one person in particular would web chat with him, the jingle itself almost a special signal he had come to recognize, it put abruptly halted his evening's plans.

_That's odd_, he thought, realizing the time and day was all wrong. _She's early_.

Getting fixed up as best he could, he parks himself before the computer and before opening up his chat window, put on the very best smile for his one and only girl.

"Sun, this is unexpected," he warmly greeted. "We don't normally chat until later; is something wrong?"

Gin noticed something was indeed off when he greeted his usually cheerful, blue haired angel as not only was there nary a smile beaming back at him, but it had appeared she'd been crying.

"What's wrong?" He asked, genuine concern rich in his voice. "Someone hurt you?"

She silently nodded.

"Who was it? If they did anything to you, I swear I'll…Talk to me Sun, please! Who hurt you?"

Gin recalled when they first met, how a past trauma had prevented her from talking and it was only recently that he and some friends were able to help her overcome it. Now, it worried him that someone might have done something so terrible to her that it might have reversed all of that.

"Sun, please…you have to talk to me, so I can take care of it. You know I love you, I would never want to see you miserable."

For some reason, those words of encouragement appeared to cut Sun even deeper than the harshest of insults, but instead of talking, she sent him an IM vid attachment for him to open.

"You…you want me to open it?" He asked, in which she nodded, and when he did the color in his face drained, and it was his turn to be on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

"Hey, hey, it's the Wolfman, coming to you live!" The podcast said, _his_ podcast, and though he was too transfixed to notice the date and time of its broadcast, he soon realized it was a very, very recent one.

He understood his podcasts always had footage of his sexual conquests, but it was this particular one, where he boasted of his conquest over Tsukune Aono and as icing on the cake showed footage of his threesome with Moka, that was so damning to watch.

_Delete, dammit, delete_! He thought, frantically trying to close the vid, but with little luck as it was an attachment.

"Oh Tsukune, Tsukune, Tsukune," heard himself mock, "if only you'd man up and gave your wife what she wanted, then she wouldn't be where she was now: on my di…"

Mercifully, Sun closed the attachment before Gin had to hear anymore, which he stupidly believed the worst was over and he can explain himself to her.

"Sun, let me explain."

"Why?" Her tiny, frail voice suddenly asked. "Just tell me why."

"Sun, it…it isn't how it looked!"

"…Was I not enough for you?"

"Of course you were, are, _are_, _you are enough for me_! It's just that, what had happened...none of them meant anything to me, _she_ didn't mean a _thing_ to me, not like you!"

"I just couldn't give you what you want?"

"Listen!" He said angrily. "Okay, all of this was not my fault, okay? First of all, I was only trying to help out Moka, b-because dumbass Tsukune refused to help her out with something! If anything, he's to blame for all of this!"

"And, why is that, Gin?" Maron asked, appearing out of nowhere.

"Maron?"

"Tell me Gin, what was he so reluctant to do that _you_ had to step in and fix? Helping her figure out how to sleep around behind his back like some dime store, novel slut?"

"Maron; look, can't I talk to Sun alone, please?"

"You're a piece of shit, you know that?"

"Maron, please!"

"Did you know what happened after she found out; do you? She wouldn't talk for hours! I only just got her to confront you! This girl has waited and waited patiently for you and she never lost hope that you would one day come live with us or fell out of love for you; but, now?"

"It's not my fault, I told you!" He repeated. "This was to help out Moka because of Tsukune; he threatened to expose their children around humans or something, she only wanted to teach him a lesson! We only meant to scare him into compliance, and when the idiot wouldn't budge…we had to do what was necessary! I-I'm the good guy here?"

"What children?" Maron asked. "They don't have any kids? And, even if they did, are…Are you telling me she slept with you because the two of you hate humans?"

"NO!"

"So, you got a problem with me? Is that right? You cheated on Maron because I'm with her?"

"I'm not saying that?"

"Sun, do you have a problem with me?"

"No," Sun quietly replied, never taking her hurt eyes away from him.

"Look, it's complicated."

"So, that's why you did this?" Sun solemnly asked. "That's why you gloated on the internet about what you did? That's why you made fun of him and embarrassed him, and _me_, by showing you having sex with Moka; to punish Tsukune and Maron?"

"Look, it was their deal man, I was just…"

"Did you forget, Gin?"

"Huh?"

"Tsukune helped save the both of us, me and Maron! Did you really forget eight years ago?"

Now that Gin thought about it, his sex addled mind did manage to recall how Tsukune went out of his way to help him rescue both women from Fairy Tale's forces when he hardly knew the two; that's just the kind of standup guy he is. This revelation made the wayward wolf growl, as it made this situation even worse.

"I even told him to his face that he'd earned my respect, and this is how YOU SHOWED IT!" Sun suddenly let out a shrill scream, the Siren's wail very nearly shuddering his very soul.

"Ahh!" Maron gasped, almost startled by the cry, but forgave her surrogate daughter; for the real enemy was the wolf in front of them.

"You not only made me look like a fool and liar to everyone!" She added.

"Look…th-this was all just a joke," he chuckled nervously. "That's all; there's no hard feelings between me and him, you'll see! Its guy stuff, plain and simple; and besides Moka and me broke it off, it was a onetime thing and I bet they patched things up, by now like we should, huh?"

"They're getting a divorce, Gin," Maron revealed. "We heard from Ms. Ling-Ling; everybody from Yokai Academy to the Snow Village knows all about 'joke'."

"They what?" He asked in disbelief.

Gin never imagined things would get this out of hand, nor did he believe that Tsukune would actually go ahead and break it off with Moka; the two were inseparable.

"Way to go, Wolfman," Maron added. "You're a real hero."

"Look…this is all one big misunderstanding. Sun, you have to believe…I never would have let any of this get this far out of hand if I knew ahead of time, please you have to…!"

"You cheated on me," Sun said without having listened to a word he said. "You broke me, and now you insulted me to everyone I know, including the man I owe my life to."

"I helped you to, don't forget."

"And now, you've hurt me!"

"No I didn't, look just let me fix all of this, okay? I'll explain to everyone we know if I have to, talk to Tsukune, let him know there were no hard feelings, help him get back with his woman, and then maybe, just maybe I can finally prove to you that I'm not the bad guy you think! I love you, Sun! You're the only girl for me, you always have."

"It's over, Gin."

"…W-What?"

"I can't ever trust you after this; I'm sorry."

"You don't have apologize to him, baby," Maron whispered in her ear.

"You can't mean that? Sun, you're upset; baby, you don't need to take things this far."

"I've met someone else," she told him flat out, a revelation that hurt Gin more than any punch to the face.

"You…S-Sun, what? How…How could you do that?"

"Because, I won't be your doormat any longer, Gin. I finally see you for what you are, for what everyone tried to show me, but was too blind, deaf and dumb; I found someone who can take care of me."

"I never treated as I doormat, Sun! I always bought you things, chatted with you, and…Who is he? What can he give you that I can't; tell me!?"

"Funny you should ask, Wolf-boy," said a familiar voice as the monitor panned over to show an eerily, familiar face from their school past: Haji Miyamoto, former Captain of Yokai's Karate Club, obsessed pervert of diminutive people that bordered on pedophilia, and because of Sun's 5ft. frame, was Gin's romantic rival; and with his blond hair well-groomed and a devilish smile it didn't bode well having him next to Sun.

"Haji," Gin muttered under his breath.

"Moriokei!" The grinning pervert responded. "Seriously, you had the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world waiting right here for you, and threw her away for some desperate housewife? That's a bitch move!"

"Sun, you shouldn't trust…"

"But, I have to thank you for selling yourself cheap," Haji continued, "if you hadn't, Sun never would have seen you for the trash that you are…"

"Sun, listen to me."

"And finally got to taste of a real man, one who can protect such a tiny, delicate flower," Haji said, tenderly kissing Sun's hand, whom permitted him to do so, right in front of Gin's devastated eyes as he realized that two had already fucked.

"Sun…you and him?" He asked.

"Yes," came her reply, both cold and a bit mocking. "I allowed him to do whatever he wanted, and I have to say it felt great."

"…How could you?" Gin asked.

"You of all people know how easy it is."

"If you're doing this to get back at me, then you picked the wrong person to do it!"

"Has she?" Haji asked, mockingly.

"You know what kind of…deviant, sick son of a bitch he really is! All he cares about is that you resemble some child, because that's what he's into!"

"You don't know shit about me!"

"Oh yes I do, that's why I always kept you away from her! Sun, listen to me; I know him, he doesn't love you like…"

"Like who, Gin?" She asked. "You? Haji came…when I needed someone to hold me, he came when you wouldn't!"

"And when I did, I made her come," Haji boasted.

"Sun, I'm sorry; I know I screwed up, I just…"

"HEY!" Haji snapped. "Can it, mad dog!"

"…Mad dog," she muttered. "That is what they called you in school, before we met, remember Gin?"

"Yeah, I remember," he muttered in response.

"You were this reckless, violent student who always picked fights, just so you could prove something! But, I always stood up for you, believed in you, trusted in you; told everybody that you were a kind, thoughtful, and reliable man who provided the Newspaper Club with all kinds of secrets Kuyo had hidden….I was your champion, but now I see I was wrong. You really are nothing, but a Mad Dog."

His heart felt like it had been violently stabbed. To hear her, of all people, the one girl out of many he ever had any true feelings for, call him by that name was the worst kind of pain any creature on earth could give to him. She had succeeded in hurting him; he was beaten to a pulp.

"…Sun," he whispered.

"Goodbye, Gin," she said, with nary a tear or choked up emotion in her voice, while Haji gives him a salute.

"Sun, please," he begged as his hand instinctively reached for the screen only for it to be too late, the vid chat had ended and all of his repeated attempts to reestablish a connection, to mend their relationship right this instant was met with futile silence. "Fucking bitch…FUCKING BITCH! FUCKING MOKA AND YOUR _STUPID_ CRAZY, SHIT!"

In a fit of rage, he trashes his computer, knocks over lamps and kicked at chairs.

"Never should have got mixed up with her in the first place!"

He flops down in his chair and is left to mull over these unforeseen events plaguing him, when came a knock at his door.

"Go away!" He yelled, but the knocking persisted. "I said FUCK OFF!"

But, the knocking continued, louder and more disruptive as though someone on the other end was mocking him at their own peril. This werewolf was in no mood to play around with anyone, and he figured putting some low level whore or irate husband in their place would be the kind of thing to calm him down.

_She thinks I'm a mad dog, huh?_ He thought bitterly. _Fine, I'll show her a mad dog!_

Getting up and literally flings the door open to confront his foolish visitor, he was instead greeted by a straight and sudden punch so powerful that it felt like Semi had him. When he comes to, Gin finds himself tied up, sitting on a deserted bus parked in some dark, abandoned parking lot.

"W-Where the hell am I?" He asked, his face on fire and mind heavily disoriented.

"Oh good, you're awake," said the mysterious bus driver, his back partially turned away and lighting a cigarette with a dark smile plastered on his face.

"…I know you."

"And, I know you," said a familiar voice and a flash of stinging pain erupted across his face as a heavy hand strikes him again, fully awakening Gin.

"Okay, who the fuck…?"

Gin nearly lost his voice when standing over him, an evil smile plastered on his narrow face was none other than Kuyo.

"K-Kuyo," Gin muttered.

"Hello, Gin," Kuyo greeted. "My, my you've been a busy little puppy, haven't we?"

"What's the meaning of this; what do you two want?"

"Did you know that dear Tsukune Aono paid the school a visit while you were humping his whore of a wife?" Kuyo asked.

"H-He did?"

_That's where he went_, Gin thought.

"That's right," the Bus Driver responded. "And, well a lot's happened lately; you've went and stirred up a hornet's nest of shit, and all just so you could get what you want, right?"

"Which brings us to here," said Kuyo.

"Guys, listen. There's been a huge, _huge_ misunderstanding; okay. It's not my fault; Moka tricked me into going along with her crazy plan, she's the one who should be under interrogation, not me!"

"Oh, she'll be dealt with, don't worry," Kuyo says to him, then his smile turned ice cold as he leaned forward. "But, there is a little matter concerning you."

"W-What do you mean?"

"You ever wondered how we found you." The Bus Driver asked. "Paid a visit to dear mother."

"M-My mom?"

"That's right; we informed her what happened and showed her your little podcast, she even caught the recent interaction between you and the, _former_ Mrs. Aono's that your former cohort in unbridled acquisitions apparently took the liberty to record it, presumably to put you in your place or something. Needless to say mommy was none too pleased, and gave up your location so we could 'discipline' you."

"I…I-I don't believe it!"

"Believe it," Kuyo said. "And, you know what else?"

"What?"

"She was adamant that I, myself _personally_ saw to it. Imagine that, momma said knock you out."

"You can't…"

"Get what you want? Oh, but those are the perks our kind enjoys, isn't that right wolfman?"

"Hey, bus driver, you're not gonna let him do this, are you? You really siding with him, you don't know what an evil bastard he is!"

"Maybe I do or maybe I don't," came his cryptic reply. "Maybe I just don't care. I do know that, old Meat bag…he was good kid; I hate it when folks hurt good kids, especially if one was my friend."

The Bus Driver opens the door and calmly walks out, leaving Gin alone on the darkened bus as Kuyo's shadow loomed ever more, a grin freezing the werewolf's very heart as it seemed the world was closing in on him.

"Uh-oh, Gin," Kuyo whispered. "It looks like no one's got your back, anymore."


End file.
